Lack of an Executable Follow-up Procedure
In our 19 years in this business, we found this to be the #1 reason golf fitness businesses fail. Although most people struggle with ways to get new golf fitness clients in the door, the follow up procedure (or lack of) has been the biggest road block to success. Learn how to follow up with your prospects, plan on making this one of your most important steps, and your golf fitness business will grow. Before diving into follow-up strategy, it helps to make sure you have the essentials for starting a golf fitness business already in place—because even the best follow-up system won’t save a business built on a shaky foundation. People don’t intend to draw a circle without having the line come to a complete close… So therefore, “Close the Circle”. When relating this circle to your golf fitness business, that would mean to have a plan to complete your process with your golf fitness prospect. Here are some ideas on how to do this:
How to Build a Golf Fitness Follow-Up System That Closes the Circle
- Create a come-up system: If using your computer, utilize a database program that can automatically prompt you to give your prospect a call on a specific day and time. An example of a good database manager program would be Microsoft Outlook. You can also use content to start the follow-up conversation – sharing a helpful tip or article gives you a natural, low-pressure reason to reach back out.
- Every time you talk to your prospect ask permission to call them again with a follow-up call: Once they give you permission your phone call will no longer be a surprise. Done consistently, this permission-based approach is also one of the most effective ways to build recurring revenue through consistent client follow-up and turn one-time prospects into long-term clients.
Real-World Follow-Up Scenarios for Golf Fitness Professionals
Now let’s review some actual situations and how to handle them as the golf fitness professional. By the way, I’m sure none of these scenarios ever happen to you, but if they do…: Keep in mind that mastering follow-up is just one piece of building a sustainable golf fitness business—but it’s one of the most critical ones.
Scenario #1: Following Up With an Email-Only Lead
Before we dive in, if you’re finding yourself in this situation often, it’s worth learning how to get prospect contact info before you follow up so you have more options from the start. “My lead only left an email so I have no way of contacting them except through email.”
Follow-up #1: Send your first email thanking them for their initial interest and asking for the best day and time to call them so you can give them a “customized” answer to all their questions based solely on their specific situation. If you want to make this step even more effective, learn how to use lead magnets to trigger your follow-up sequence so prospects are already warmed up before your first email lands.
Prospect: No response
Follow-up #2: 2 days later, send a second email – this time, go into your “sent” box and just take the previous email you sent your prospect and forward it to that same prospect with a note: “Hello again, I’m just following up with you to make sure you received my last email to you, because I haven’t heard back from you. Could you please let me know that you received this?”
Prospect: Still doesn’t respond.
Follow-up #3: Wait 3-4 more days and send another email: “Hello, Back on (date) you send me an email requesting more information on _______. Just want you to know I haven’t forgotten about you and I’m looking forward to helping you get all your answers to improving your golf. Could you please let me know if you still have interest in talking further? Either answer is OK; I just want to let you know that I am available for you.”
The 6-Touch Follow-Up Rule: How Long to Pursue a Golf Fitness Prospect
Note: Now this is a follow-up procedure that usually gets you an answer one way or the other. At our company, our golden rule is that we follow-up with people until we get an answer to move forward to the next step, or until they say NO, or 6 times (whichever comes first) before we stop the follow-up process. Make sure to increase the amount of days between every follow-up call or email. In other words, Follow-up #1 in 2 days, follow-up #2 in 4 days, follow-up #3 in 7 days, etc. To make this process even easier to execute consistently, consider using email templates that support permission-based follow-up so your messaging stays professional and on-point every time. You can also apply the 6-touch rule inside your social media loop to keep prospects engaged across platforms between direct outreach attempts.
Scenario #2: Following Up With a Golf Prospect You Met at an Event
“You stretch out a golf prospect at an event and they agree to come see your place.” For a deeper look at why consistent follow-up like this is the difference between growth and stagnation, see how follow-up prevents business failure.
Step 1: Promise to Send Follow-Up Stretches and Capture Their Email
First, you would want PROMISE to send your prospect a printed version of one or two of the actual stretches you had them do when you worked with them at the event (if you have trouble making commitments – all you guys out there – just hold on. There’s an IMPORTANT reason to make this promise!) At that moment, ask for their email so you have a place to send the stretches to.
Step 2: Ask Permission to Call and Schedule a Visit
At the end of your stretch you now ask for permission to follow-up with a phone call to see how their golf went for the day and to schedule a time for him/her to come in to see your location. Then you ask for a phone number where you can reach them “during the day” so you can make sure to reach them. Once they give you this permission, you are no longer a bother to them… but you MUST ASK PERMISSION.
Steps 3–6: Delivering Your Promise and Making the Call
This is VERY important – Email the stretches you PROMISED to send to your prospect. Completion of you promise is what separates you from all the other trainers out there and this is the best way to create your “Image-of-Difference”
Follow-up #4: NOW, you can make the phone call.
Prospect: Does not pick up – goes to voice mail.
Follow-up #5: Leave a message apologizing for not being able to reach them at that particular moment and that you will try to call again in a day or 2. Also let them know you are calling to make sure they received their stretches that YOU PROMISED them. (Are you getting what I’m saying here???)
Follow-up #6: 2 days later you call again and this time the prospect picks up. You start by asking if they’ve received the email with the stretches you promised them (use the actual word PROMISED). Now you can begin to ask how their schedule looks to make a visit to your location.
Master Follow-Up and Outperform 90% of Golf Fitness Competitors
If you become an EXPERT in following up with your prospects, you will be ahead of 90% of everyone else in your field! To take it even further, create predictable systems that prevent business failure by building structure around every step of your follow-up process. Try these techniques and let me know how things are going with you in your business.
Until next time… JUST DO IT!
