The Story of the Gym
This January, like every year, I made a resolution to lose weight. A friend recommended Celebrity Fitness Gym, and I was excited to try it out. Their 7-day free trial seemed like the perfect way to start.
But their sales team failed to convert me into a paying member.
Was the gym not good enough?…..NO!!
In fact, Celebrity Fitness Gym had a great concept:
- Treadmills and bikes with screens and unlimited internet for an engaging workout.
- A variety of fitness classes, including Yoga, Zumba, Hatha Yoga, and Floating Yoga.
- Kids’ Zumba and Yoga classes on weekends, free for members.
- A competitive membership package, cheaper than many other gyms in Singapore.
The problem wasn’t the gym, it was the lack of a customer-focused sales strategy, something many businesses fail to optimize in their outreach process as discussed in How to Align Sales Process with the Buyer’s Journey.
Was I not the potential client? …Well, I was!!
Age 31, Weight 74, Height 152 cms, 45% body Fat. Not just overweight I have entered the category of Obese. I really need to shed off those extra pounds.
Why Did Their Sales Team Fail?
The sales consultant pissed me off.
For 7 days of free trial everyday he called or messaged me to sign up for membership. He kept repeating the same thing:
“We have a limited period offer only for limited customers, Sign up soon!!”
It felt like he cared more about closing a deal than understanding my experience. The same mistake often happens in sales outreach campaigns, where persistence without personalization leads to lost opportunities, as explored in How ChatGPT Can Help Manage Sales Reach-Out Campaigns with Templates.
My Gym Experience
Here’s how my trial classes went:
“Seduce” Zumba Class
- Tried for 15 minutes but struggled to keep up.
- The trainer paid no attention to guide me.
- Quit and moved to cycling/treadmill instead.
“RPM” Cycling Class
- A group cycling class with 25-30 people, adjusting speeds to music.
- Severe discomfort and rashes within 15 minutes.
- The trainer couldn’t help.
“Family Zumba by Coach Jeslyn”
- Enjoyed the class, but couldn’t continue after 30 minutes.
“Fast Fit Training”
- Loved it. The trainer, Bit, was excellent—clear instructions and corrections.
- Completed the full hour.
- Too intense for my fitness level, and I couldn’t recover from body aches for three days.
Clearly, I was misfit for most of these classes.
How Could They Have Converted Me Into a Customer?
Instead of aggressive selling, they should have focused on my journey.
- Conduct a body analysis and fitness test. This would have helped me see where I stood.
- Educate me about exercises that could help my specific fitness level.
- Motivate me. Make me believe that weight loss is achievable with the right plan.
- Provide a customized 7-day schedule based on my fitness level.
- On the final day, ask about my experience instead of pushing a deal.
If they had given me the right experience, I would have signed up myself, without being pressured.
This is exactly how great brands build content strategies that convert—by focusing on the audience’s real needs rather than pushing direct sales, as seen in Maximizing SaaS Email Marketing ROI with ChatGPT.
An important Observation:
Most of the people I saw working out at gym already seemed fit. For this set of people who go to gym to maintain their fitness or gain muscular strength are self-motivated. To win such customers is easy as gym already offers what these people need.
However, there is huge set of overweight or obese people who are either shy to join the gym or join but quit the gym very easily. The gyms should try to catch hold of this set!!
The story continues…..
I am still looking for somebody to help me out with my weight loss resolution.
P.S. The story dates back to 2016. Fyi, the Celebrity Fitness later got merged with Fitness First.
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