If you think of selling as pushing people to buy things they don't want, you're going to struggle to make sales. When you reframe the sales process as "helping people solve their problems," you'll be able to confidently present solid solutions to prospective clients who will be eager to accept your expert assistance.The Help First concept is a game changer in the fitness business—especially if you struggle to close.In this episode, Coop walks you through Help First—what it means, what it looks like in practice, how it benefits gym clients, and how it increases the number on your bottom line without making you feel slimy or dishonest. You'll learn practical strategies you can employ today to build a strong business while helping people in your community accomplish their goals and improve their health. It's a win for everyone. LinksBook: "Help First" by Chris CooperBook a CallGym Owners United1:57- Mindset and overcoming obstacles4:23 - Strategy: help the kids5:38 - Strategy: help the teams8:39 - Strategy: thank the heroes10:09 - Strategy: co-branding12:50 - Content creation14:44 - Summary

Want to know how Two-Brain's conversation marketing funnel works?You're in it.In this episode, Chris Cooper walks you through a four-step process for setting up a killer conversation marketing plan at your gym. Remember: Conversations bridge the gap between advertising and sales. Advertising gets a prospective client's attention, and the sales process secures the money and the membership. But if you focus on the period between attention and sales, you'll earn trust through conversations, and you'll close more sales faster.You can use Coop's strategies to grow your client base but also to keep current members longer because conversations preserve relationships. You can even use it to bring back departed clients: Conversations rekindle relationships.In short, if you want to grow your gym business, start more conversations.LinksBook a CallGym Owners United1:59 - What is conversation marketing?3:01 - Start a conversation and listen6:19 - The invitation7:00 - The sign-up8:29 - Retention and reactivation

Two CrossFit gyms in Santiago, Chile, are home to 1,140 total clients—and Daniel Dobbs Brown owns both of them.Accion CrossFit Providencia earned the No. 1 spot on our August 2023 headcount leaderboard with 723 clients, and the Las Condes location hit No. 4 with 417. So how did Dobbs Brown do it? Host Mike Warkentin digs in to find out.The short answer: Daniel is using a precise, high-volume, data-backed marketing plan and an increasing focus on retention to build his client list. Daniel pulls back the curtain and shares all his metrics, as well as the strategies he's implementing with the help of a mentor to reduce churn, increase length of engagement and boost average revenue per member—all with a goal of dramatically improving the health of his community.LinksBook a CallGym Owners United2:22 - Acquiring and retaining clients5:59 - Getting people in11:48 - Content marketing16:06 - Group training and PT19:52 - Improving length of engagement27:59 - 3-point plan for success

Client headcount isn't everything. But it's still important—especially in a gym with great retention and average revenue per member.When gyms with great metrics across the board acquire more members, the results are spectacular.With just 150 clients who pay $205 a month, an owner can earn $100,000 a year. You can imagine what happens when a gym earns 200 or more clients who pay $300 a month and stay for years.In this episode, Chris Cooper presents our Top 10 leaderboard for clients in August 2023, but before you listen, remember that the numbers are multipliers of other metrics. To start, we want you to get 150 clients who pay $205 a month, and then we want you to increase those numbers slowly and steadily while retaining your clients for years, not months. That's how you build a profitable gym that changes clients' lives and rewards its owner at the same time.LinksBook a CallGym Owners United0:36 - Gyms 6-101:43- The Top 52:44 - Beyond headcount4:32 - Leaders’ Tips9:47 - Recap

Yes, you can use AI to bring clients to your gym. Gym owner Chris Cooper uses ChatGPT to do that even though he's written seven books and thousands of blogs by hand. But how can you use artificial intelligence effectively without coming across like a misguided robot? And what should fitness entrepreneurs know before getting started with AI?In this episode, Chris Cooper offers his tips for AI mastery, explains how you can misuse ChatGPT and other platforms, and tells you how AI can be a key part of your content marketing funnel.He also provides a rundown of his new AI guide for gym owners—available in the Gym Owners United group. The free guide is packed with prompts and step-by-step instructions so you can create valuable content that's tailored to your gym. Crank out the right content and you'll acquire more high-value clients.To get Cooper's new guide, join Gym Owners United and request "The Clickable Step-by-Step Guide to AI Mastery for Gym Owners."LinksBook a CallGym Owners United1:08 - Writing evolution4:24 - Prompts for ChatGPT8:14 - Avoiding pitfalls12:51 - When AI is wrong14:30 - How AI works in your funnel

You can use an email list to build an incredible fitness business. Email might not be as sexy as the latest "social media hacks" presented by online sales gurus, but it's a direct line to clients and prospective clients—and that's worth a lot to any business.In this episode, Chris Cooper explains how he used daily email conversations to build his personal-training business, his gym and his worldwide mentorship company. He breaks down the content marketing funnel that should send warm leads to your gym and tells you exactly how to use email to carry on conversations that result in sales.If you're struggling to find new clients or get people into your gym for free consultations, this episode will help you unclog your funnel and get the leads flowing.LinksBook a CallGym Owners United0:53 - Marketing funnels2:48 - Email conversations8:09 - Blogs, email, social media11:47 - Funnel mapping (attention, conversations, consultations)15:06 - Constant media production

Colm O'Reilly helped gym owners solve marketing problems at the 2022 Two-Brain Summit in Chicago.The mentor and owner of CrossFit Ireland ran through four major funnels fitness entrepreneurs need to build to ensure a steady stream of quality clients: referrals, organic social media, content and paid marketing. Each funnel leads to a free consultation called a No Sweat Intro: It's your very best chance to close a high-value sale and retain a client for years.Colm also answered key setup questions and laid out tactics for better lead nurturing and sales.His lecture—recorded live from the Crowne Plaza hotel—is presented here to help you connect with high-value clients and change their lives.LinksBook a CallGym Owners United2:15 - The four funnels2:53 - The referral funnel8:04 - The organic social media funnel13:30 - The content funnel17:02 - The paid marketing funnel22:27 - Key marketing question23:59 - Lead nurture and sales

Most gyms ride a roller coaster because they aren’t consistent in their marketing. They see something, try it, get a few clients and then drop it to try the next thing. There's a better way: four simple marketing funnels that run at all times.Every funnel leads to a free consultation we call a No Sweat Intro (NSI). That's where you can help high-value clients become healthier by presenting the best solution to their problems.The best part? Each funnel makes the others work better. In this episode, Chris Cooper goes over the four essential funnels Two-Brain Business helps clients build: referrals, content, social media and paid ads. If you build them, you can expect warmer leads, higher-value clients, more sales and better retention.LinksBook a CallGym Owners United1:01 - Referral funnel4:15 - Content funnel7:09 - Social media funnel10:35 - Paid ads funnel

Gyms get into legal trouble from time to time, and if you read the news, you'll see some scary stuff.To help you limit your risk as a gym owner, Matthew Becker of Gym Lawyers PLLC digs into the news, explains how some gyms found themselves there, and gives you simple steps to protect your business. From leases to liability for broken equipment to injured clients—Matthew and host Mike Warkentin cover it all so you can sleep better at night.LinksSudden closure in Mississauga due to legal disputeMan sues LA FitnessMan awarded $46 million after jiu-jitsu injuryYour LLC Isn't Protecting You if You Do These 5 ThingsGym Lawyers websiteBook a CallGym Owners United0:58 - Non-payment of rent7:31 - Avoiding issues with leases15:43 - Man sues LA Fitness29:05 - Jiu-jitsu injury41:31 - Waivers and other details

To build a successful gym that solves your clients' problems, define your mission, use a strong model, pick a fitness method that gets results and regularly utilize media to get the word out. In this episode, Chris Cooper lays out the blueprint: He explains how your mission guides you and your model supports you, your family and your staff. Selecting your method? That's the fun part: It's probably the style of fitness you're passionate about. Whatever it is, it must get results for clients and be flexible enough to fit into your business model.Your media exists to tell your story and build your audience. Without it, no one will find out about your business. Coop's even got a simple but effective media plan you can employ today.If your business isn't clearly defined, listen to this episode and then take action. If you do, you'll help more clients get better results faster.Links"How to Make $100,000 Per Year With 150 Clients"Gym Business PlanCatalyst missionBook a CallGym Owners United1:03 - Defining your mission3:40 - Applying the model9:14 - Using the method12:40 - The power of media