What does your business have in common with the average adult in their 20s to 50s heading into the new year?

The answer: You likely have “get into a fitness facility in 2022.”

Signing up for a gym membership or workout class and getting in tiptop physical shape is one of the most common resolutions of every single new year. In fact, you might have it on your list of to-do’s as we head into 2022.

But what does your business have to do with your local Zumba class?

Not to get ahead of the punchline, but getting your business’s foot in the door .... of a fitness facility is a great way to attract lots of new patients in the new year.

‍

Here’s how.

‍

How to Ground Market Your Practice to Fitness Facilities

Fitness facilities are an effective way to grow your patient numbers because they hold a huge pool of potential new patients. Think about the type of person who spends money on a gym membership. These individuals are investing in their health and physical appearance. They’re dedicated to self-improvement and they take their well-being seriously.

Your work as a dental practice makes them feel better while helping them look better as well.

As perfect as that match is, you’re not going to simply recruit new patients while they’re in the middle of a set.

So this is how you’re going to get new patients from fitness facilities by ground marketing

‍

Know Who to Talk to at Fitness Facilities

If you’re heading to a large corporation like LA Fitness, Planet Fitness, or 24 Hour Fitness, you can expect their structural hierarchy to go as follow:

• Operational manager
• General manager
• Personal trainers
• Group fitness instructors
• Service technicians
• Cleaning crew

And depending on the location and facility, you can expect either a sales team and/or a receptionist to be part of that structure as well.

I share this because, in order to effectively ground market your practice at a fitness facility, you’ll want to speak to a sales manager or anyone whose title ranks above.

Think about it this way - you could speak to the receptionist, but they’re not going to be the ones who give you the go-ahead to get your business in there. 

The sales manager is motivated by sales and that is key to getting a mutually beneficial partnership going between the fitness facility and your practice.

‍

Building Rapport Between Your Dental Practice and Local Fitness Facilities

There are two ways you can approach getting your practice’s foot in the door with local fitness facilities:

• You could give these fitness facilities a call
• You could walk in 

The difference between the two approaches? 

Walking in is highly effective and it’ll get you a higher closing rate than simply calling in.

However, calling these fitness facilities will allow you to cover more ground.

This comes down to the simple fact that walking in and physically visiting these fitness locations is tremendously time-consuming. Whereas calling multiple fitness facilities in your area requires less time and can be done within a couple of hours.

‍

Tips for Ground Marketing to Fitness Facilities

No matter which approach you choose (calling or walking in), there are some things you need to keep in mind in order to seal the deal.

For starters, you’ll want to think about the reciprocal effect. Whether you’re ground marketing to a fitness facility or any other establishment, you’ll want to think about the value you’re bringing to the business you’re approaching.

How can you help them out?

Remember, you’re a part of this community first and foremost. Acknowledging how you can provide for your community first and foremost is a great way to build authority, rapport, and trust.

One of the simplest ways you can help your local fitness facility as a dental practice is by referring your current clientele to their business. You can ask the fitness facility for their promotional material so that you can add it to the hygiene kits that you give your patients.

This is a simple icebreaker to building that relationship.

Once you’ve done so, it’ll be much easier to get your practice’s foot in the door and ground marketing with your local fitness facilities. 

Another thing you can look out for is to participate in customer appreciation days or events that your local gym might be facilitating. Just remember to always provide value and support their community. 

‍

The Benefits of Ground Marketing to Fitness Facilities

The members in The Ground Marketing Course have seen inevitable success from ground marketing with fitness facilities - proving that it is a highly effective (and generally low cost) ground marketing strategy.

And while this article will help you get started on the right foot, The Ground Marketing Course will give you the exact scripts and strategies to ground market to fitness facilities like a pro. Whether you plan on calling in or walking directly into several fitness facilities, we’ve got you covered. Just check out the results one of our members gained from just this one strategy:

P.S. Still unsure if ground marketing to gyms is right for your practice? Here’s a short and sweet episode where Dr. Kapil Kella shares how doing so brought him a high number of new patients.

P.P.S. Want a well-rounded marketing strategy? Try this Ground Marketing strategy, it's a podcast episode where I teach you how to get into your local small businesses. "Getting into Small Businesses During COVID"