It Got Weird: True Marketing Tales From the Cold Lead Files

"Sorry, I can't make it to our appointment tonight; my dog is sick."

"I just got called in to work."

"I lost my job between last night and this morning ... "

Sound familiar?

If you own a gym, you've probably heard all these excuses and more for why a lead—who has willingly clicked on your ad and opted in—suddenly can't take your call or book an appointment.

Sometimes it's legit. But take a look at your lead sheet and note the frequency with which sudden emergencies, tragedies and wild, unpredictable obstacles occur, and you'll notice a pattern.

Here, Mike Warkentin of Two-Brain Media and digital-marketing expert Mateo Lopez open the valve and vent. You can take comfort in knowing it isn't just you who gets the last-minute excuses or gets ghosted all together.

You'll also learn why in the grand scheme of things, it's not that big a deal—and how to reframe rejection into an opportunity for future success.

Links:

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Contact:

mateo@twobrainbusiness.com
mike@twobrainmedia.com

Timeline:

2:03 – Free gifts, Jay-Z and Will Smith.

5:53 – Ghosts are real—and they won’t return your call.

8:03 – Working past the hyperactive ad-clickers.

9:51 – Why people make excuses.

10:18 – I don’t always have kids, but when I do, they’re sick.

10:52 – Still, ghost leads aren’t money down the drain.

11:08 – Sudden divorces and the lead who wouldn’t stop crying.

13:49 – If it were really a bad time, they wouldn’t have picked up the phone.

14:56 – They can’t come in? Make the pitch on the phone.

16:20 – The midnight firing.

17:27 – Weed out out-of-staters by making sure your ad settings are accurate. 

18:56 – Treacherous weather (i.e., light winds and a sprinkling.)

20:06 – The doctor’s “note.”

20:44 – When they can’t come in, but want free stuff anyway.

21:51 – The influencer epidemic.

24:20 – Glitching calendars and flat tires.

25:01 – And then there’s spam. 

26:20 – Bait-and-switch gyms are ruining it for everyone. 

27:46 – Lost keys and perpetual errands.

30:00 – When they cancel AFTER you’ve already made the sale.

31:05 – They made an appointment, but they don’t know how it happened.

32:19 – How to weed out no-shows before they happen.

33:17 – Think like a quarterback.

33:47 – Stay professional: Today’s excuse-maker could be next year’s new member.