He Had To Work On Him for an Hour!
I sat mortified as I listened to this story about a Fitness Center owner who described his effort to close someone for a new membership to his facility.
These were his exact words; “I had to work on him for an hour to close him!”
This man was concerned that if he let this person leave the facility, he would never come back. The owner’s concern is real since he has a business with a high turnover rate similar to letting a buyer walk off a car lot without a commitment.
Regardless, how does this new member feel about his experience with the owner and his new membership?
Author Tim Grahl made a statement worth repeating about this type of sales tactic.
“Why don’t we like the sleazy car salesman? What exactly is it that turns us off? We could talk about his pushiness and attempted hard close. But all of that boils down to one simple fact: He wasn’t looking out for our best interest.”
When someone isn’t looking out for your best interest, that means they’re only promoting his or her own interest.
Let’s look at another scenario in the same fitness center a few days ago.
A potential member returns his promotional seven day pass to the facility. The new personal training consultant is there to greet him. The consultant asked him if he enjoyed his experience at the center. He also asked several other questions about his fitness goals and what would stop him from joining.
During the conversation, the consultant uncovered the real reason he was reluctant to join the gym. When that obstacle was removed, the prospect signed immediately. The entire process took about ten minutes.
The prospect bought the membership because he felt heard and understood. The consultant created trust by helping the prospect feel he had HIS best interest at heart.
High pressure closing only creates regret and resentment in the prospect.
Are you looking out for your customer’s best interest?
Have a great week!
Pierce
P.S. By the way, the consultant was my son, Nick Marrs, owner of Mountain Health Management
