According to the BFS State of the Industry Report, studios with profit margins above 20% consistently generate higher lead and visit volume.
Lead generation drives traffic.
Sales execution drives profitability.
The difference between an average studio and a high-margin studio is not personality. It is process.
| Want a structured sales system that improves close rates across your team? Register for the BFS Sales Training Program → |
Most fitness studios focus heavily on marketing. Fewer focus on what happens after a lead comes in.
Revenue is created between:
Lead capture
First visit
Membership enrollment
When that journey lacks structure, conversion rates fluctuate.
When conversion fluctuates, profit margins shrink.
Chris Holmberg, Vice President of Operations for Austin Fitness Group (54 locations, 23,000+ members), explains:
“The reason you see so much variance between person to person or shift to shift is because there's generally an inconsistency in what the process should be.”
In other words, inconsistent sales performance is usually a system problem.
Not a talent problem.
High-performing studios operate with a defined sales flow:
Chris describes it clearly:
“What we're creating is a sales flow from the minute you capture a lead to the minute they become a member.”
The beginning determines the ending.
“The questions lead to answers, and the right questions lead to the right answers, and the right answers lead to a prospect becoming a member.”
A defined gym sales process removes guesswork and increases consistency in close rates across teams and locations.
Sales in boutique fitness is not about pressure.
It is about clarity and guidance.
Chris Appiah, Founder of The Sales Arm, shares:
“They're looking for you to tell them, like a doctor, what they need to do to be most successful.”
Prospects want direction.
Emily Montgomery, Founder of Be Mindful Marketing, reinforces this:
“It's really less of a sales conversation and more of your responsibility as an educator.”
When education is combined with momentum, conversion increases.
Hensley Ellefritz, Founder of Reboot Fitness Consulting, highlights a practical tactic:
“Gather yeses… asking easy yes questions that get the consumer to further see you as kind of the expert.”
Clear structure.
Confident recommendation.
Momentum-driven conversation.
That is what improves fitness membership sales.
Small improvements in conversion produce exponential financial impact.
Chris Holmberg implemented a five-step sales process across 54 locations inside the Orangetheory Fitness system, BURNS.
Results:
A disciplined sales system turned variability into predictable growth.
If you want stronger profitability, start by:
Marketing drives leads.
Sales discipline drives revenue.
Conversion rates vary by team member
Close percentages fluctuate by shift
Sales conversations feel inconsistent
You’re generating leads but not maximizing enrollment
If any of these sound familiar, the issue is not lead volume, it’s sales structure.
Sales Training That Impacts the Bottom LineLed by Chris Holmberg, who scaled a five-step sales process across 54 locations and increased close rates by 5%.
4-week tactical program. Limited seats. |