How to Build a Lucrative & Loyal Fitness Community [Secrets from Doug Spurling]
Community is earned … not given.A buzzword fellow fit pros love to toss around, ensuring your business deserves the noun is no easy feat. Keep scrolling to learn what it actually takes to develop a loyal community in the fitness industry courtesy of community connoisseur, Doug Spurling. After all, remarkable retention rates, constant leads, increased income and of course, lasting impact are byproducts of community. Or, you can look at the c-word cross-eyed and battle the same struggles you’ve grown accustomed to; high attrition, revenue-related headaches, ineffective marketing, and the constant stress of spinning your wheels. The choice is yours…
Doug’s Story: From Craigslist & Credit Card Debt to 7-Figure Savant
The tips, tricks, and secrets we’re about to reveal generally cost a pretty penny.
You see, Doug Spurling is both the President and Founder of Spurling Fitness and a renowned fitness business coach with a knack for amplifying revenue.
But it hasn’t always been that way…
The Massachusetts native used to be an obese middle schooler exercising his entrepreneurial spirit by selling cigarettes and slingshots.
Eventually, he traded Little Debbies and noodles for the medical field and began taking care of his 400-pound body.
Case in point:
During his college years, Doug dabbled in part-time work at a commercial gym where he learned what not to do. Later, he bailed on the collegiate strength and conditioning world after just 2 weeks.
Doug knew the private sector was where he belonged.
Fresh out of college, he created an LLC and essentially earned his (first) Masters in Craiglist.
Within months of graduation, he was a proud gym owner thanks to a 7,000 square foot garage in a small town Maine warehouse.
For the record, he had one client at the time, zero business experience, a whopping $4 in his checking account, and a bachelor pad in a random woman’s basement (Craigslist strikes again).
Luckily, Doug had the trust and financial support of his father and close friends willing to work for free early on.
Both investments paid huge dividends.
Doug parlayed that pitchblack garage entrance and mostly-empty space littered with ill-fitting Craigslist equipment into a 7-figure business, a tight-knit team (including one of those friends who so graciously “volunteered” early on) and an equally lucrative and loyal tribe.
Build it and they will come never panned out. What actually worked was intentional community development.
Keep scrolling for a crash course on community…
10 Proven Tips to Develop Your Close-Knit Community
While we can’t guarantee a 7-figure business, we can promise a loyal and lucrative tribe that will amplify your job satisfaction, lead generation, retention, and of course, income.
Below are Doug’s exclusive tricks, tips, and techniques you can implement now to develop your community:
- Understand everyone wants to be a part of something. This “mental breakthrough” transforms a revolving door of clients into a safe and supportive space they’re willing to pay to be a part of for years to come.
Ensure this simple statement resonates deeply with you before you consider devoting your time, resources, and energy into developing a community. Read on if we’re speaking your language.
- Make first names non-negotiable. This is hands down the first step to creating community. The truth is we totally undervalue knowing (and using) our clients names.
Spurling Fitness lives and breathes their proprietary 5-3-1 rule which we’ll reveal in just a bit. For now, greet every person by name within 3 seconds of seeing them. If you have a team, set the example while making this an expectation.
- Publicly celebrate small wins. Treat seemingly-small victories like massive accomplishments. Give your members and clients the standing ovations they deserve both digitally and within your space.
Spurling Fitness successfully leverages a community-centric private Facebook Group and recognition chalkboards throughout the facility to show love. For the record, no “win” is too small to celebrate. Everything from birthdays and anniversaries to fitness-related milestones like a first push-up or new PR are cause for celebration.
- Host special events and socials. Develop deeper relationships by interacting with your tribe away from the weights. Plus, you’ll witness client-to-client relationships blossom before your eyes (these are massive moments for retention).
Spurling Fitness is known for their epic movie nights displayed on an in-house projector screen. The kind of screen you could effortlessly rent if you don’t already have one. Doug and his team recently went next-level with their events courtesy of a liquor license. Who doesn’t want to cheers a beverage or 2 during monthly get-togethers? Pretty cool stuff.
- Follow Spurling’s 5-3-1 Rule. This is a Doug exclusive he encourages you to steal. Instantly cultivate community during training sessions with this simple rule of thumb: For every hour in the trenches, ensure 5 touchpoints, use their name 3 times, and have 1 “wow” moment
This little guideline packs a knockout punch of impact, transforming new (or weak) relationships into unbreakable bonds.
- Provide daily accountability. Ahem … we’re proud to share Doug is an expert-level Coach Catalyst user. When it was time to scale his services, Doug turned to our done-for-you software solution to continue to provide his clients the ongoing accountability they so desperately needed, while simultaneously opening up more of his own time to cultivate community on a larger scale.
People can go anywhere for fitness equipment, classes, and coaching. Accountability is what separates you from your competitors and delivers lasting transformations that equate to lucrative, long-term relationships … AKA community.
- Nail your private Facebook Group. The mechanism may change as this blog ages, but the need for a private, digital community for your peeps will always be there. Treat Facebook as a velvet-roped haven to cultivate conversation and connection away from the facility.
Doug stresses the importance of posting something of value daily. Videos and photos of the day’s big wins at the facility, new member welcomes, and client shoutouts are key.
- Implement a frequency program. Reward the people who utilize your facility or services the most. It’s an easy, affordable, and effective way to get your clients in the door on a regular cadence. That consistency creates community.
Spurling Fitness boasts a popular “Frequent Sweaters Club” that serves up a healthy dose of recognition (and occasional prize packages) to members who work out at least 10 times each month.
- Gather feedback and act on it. Worse case scenario, you can acknowledge the feedback and explain why it isn’t plausible. The honest impressions you collect from the client-and-member lens can instantly open your eyes to areas of improvement you never knew were neglected. Or in some cases, common mistakes you’re guilty of.
Doug suggests quarterly surveys and focus groups to start gathering tangible feedback. Again, the magic is in the execution. Setting these things up shows you care. Acting upon feedback shows you’re committed to community.
Relentlessly tend the fire. Community is not built in a day. It’s a fire that must be tended to daily.
Final Word On Community Development
As a man known for systematizing everything, Doug encourages you to systematize the aforementioned community-building techniques. Make your expectations crystal clear and ensure these tips and tricks are done daily — without question.
If you’re a one-man team, start with what you can and add more as your community grows. If you already have an army behind you, develop systems and get everyone up to speed.
You too can go from Craigslist and credit card debt to 7-figure success story thanks to the power of community.
P.S. Scale your services and save yourself time while cultivating community. Our software is designed to help you effectively serve more people while simultaneously elevating the client experience. Whether you’re playing in the digital space or are the proud owner of a brick-and-mortar facility, Coach Catalyst is your solution to unlocking more revenue without giving up more of your time.
Don’t take our word for it — ask industry experts like Doug Spurling, Fred Zoller, and Pat Rigsby about how Coach Catalyst transformed their businesses and lifestyles.