5 Ways to Boost Member Referrals
Climbing gyms in America typically don’t have much of a marketing budget, and even though they may not know it they rely almost exclusively on word of mouth marketing. For better or worse, your members are your sales force.
Historically climbing gyms have relied on their first-mover advantage; being the only climbing gym in town has its benefits. But those benefits run out very fast when a second climbing gym moves into the area. When that happens a market disruption takes place and customers finally have a choice as to where they spend their time and money. Customers don’t just take their money with them when they switch to a new gym, they also take their friends.
According to McKinsey & Company, a management consulting firm:
Word of mouth is the primary factor behind 20 to 50 percent of all purchasing decisions. Its influence is greatest when consumers are buying a product for the first time or when products are relatively expensive, factors that tend to make people conduct more research, seek more opinions, and deliberate longer than they otherwise would.All gyms are local and people still talk to each other face to face; at school, at work and even in your gym. They’re going to talk whether you like it or not so you might as well give them something positive to talk about. Here are 5 ways to get your customer’s friends coming through the door.