As a salesperson, you understand the value of each and every contact method. Email is less invasive and a little more casual. Phone calls give you the opportunity to grab someone’s attention and know they are hearing you and your message. So where does texting fit in? Right in the middle. Texting is the perfect middle lane between a passive email and a potentially invasive phone call. Each contact method has their respective time and place, but if you aren’t using texting as an option, you are leaving money on the table. We have put together some reasons on why and how to use texting for your gym.
One game-changing statistic is that text messages have a 98% open rate, while the average email open rate is 22% according to Mobile Marketing Watch. Think of all the extra prospects or members you could be reaching with those extremely high open rates. Not only are text messages being opened more, they are also being read faster. With only a 90-second average read time, people are quickly reading your message, often leading to a quicker response time.
To get the most out of texting your prospects or members, it’s important to remember that less is more. Use 160 characters as your cutoff limit for all of your messages to ensure they are being received in a consistent way. Keeping messages personal, short, and sweet is the way to go. Whether you are sending an event reminder or sending a current special to a prospect, remember not to overdo it or make it feel overly automated. Here are some examples of text messaging scripts that fit the bill:
Prospect: “Hey Amy! This is Cam from Fitness Fountain. We are offering your first month free if you come in before the 15th. Just reply here if you’re interested, thanks!”
Member: “Hi Jennifer! Don’t forget about your upcoming personal training orientation on 3/20/17 with Doug at 6:00 pm. We’re looking forward to seeing you!”
It is extremely important to have some sort of previous contact in place before sending text messages. Your conversion rates will dramatically increase if you use text messaging after you have established a rapport. Not only will your message be better received, but recipients will be more likely to respond and continue a conversation, leading to higher sales numbers. Using a Digital Guest Waiver similar to what Club OS provides, you have the ability to add a text messaging opt-in check box, so your prospects can accept or decline in one easy step. Velocify conducted a study showing that there was an increase in the conversion rates by 112% when a business used texting, but after they had already contacted the lead with another form of communication. The graph below illustrates an increase in conversion rates when using texting after the first contact.
The numbers don't lie, and the number of cell phone users shows how important it is to adapt to the ever-changing communication methods. From getting a prospect in the door to creating an unparalleled customer service environment, texting is a must-have throughout all aspects of your gym.
Overview:
- Text messages have a 98% open rate, while the average email open rate is 22%. (Mobile Marketing Watch)
- Use 160 characters as your cutoff limit for all of your messages to ensure they are being received in a consistent way.
- According to Velocify, conversion rates can grow 112% when businesses use texting after their first contact.
Want to talk more about what texting can do for your sales process or add it to your current Club OS plan? Click below to start a conversation!
