At ConnectFit we can tell you what’s new and what’s next in the fitness industry. With over 25+ years’ experience and close connections with most major manufacturers, we have exclusive access to information that no one else has. But no matter what new piece of equipment is created, or new connected platform is built, one fundamental element never changes. And that is our foundational way of working with our client. We have always been client-centric.
Being client-centric is something we don’t see often in this industry anymore. ConnectFit has been a client-centric business since day one, to differentiate ourselves from the online-direct companies.
Why do people trust us? Why is it that after decades of doing this, we have so many clients sending people to us? It comes down to the fact that we look at people as a long-term client relationship and not a short-term sale. Many of the clients we see are referred by family members, and their neighbors etc. etc. and that’s how it goes when you’ve been in the business for as long as we have. We don’t collect clients, you collect networks. We serve multiple generations of the same family. It's six degrees of ConnectFit.
Recently a client came in, looking for a specific piece of equipment. He was referred by his family as well as his trainer, and we’ve worked together for long a time. But while he was here, he asked to purchase a piece of equipment that he saw at a different company’s showroom. The other company didn’t have a lot of choices, so they recommended it for him. He asked if we could get it and was prepared to buy it. And I replied:
“Well, I can get you that machine at the price you want, but it's not what you really need. It doesn't fit any of the things you're describing to me about your needs, your constraints and your workout routine.”
And he was very surprised, and appreciative because we didn’t just place an order for an expensive piece of equipment that wouldn’t work for him. Instead, we explained why it may not be the best option and spent two hours in the showroom exploring other machines that better fit the biomechanical necessities of his workout. And we also suggested that he use his trainer to guide him through this purchase properly. We have over 500 trainers in our database and you only gain their trust by taking care of their clients. That’s the difference with working with somebody who's an expert but also plays the long game.
This individualized level of service is the only way we do business, and it offers enlightened self-interest for our clients. We look at people as clients, not sales. Sure, an extra $7,000 sale helps my bottom line. But our long-term view is: what is the client’s experience? How would they feel about a company that sold them a piece of equipment that they can't even use? And how will they feel about a company that went the extra mile to take care of them?
And speaking of extra miles, I’ve made plenty of house calls to clients to deliver equipment and ensure their equipment is set up correctly. This concierge philosophy has always served me. I've been in this industry long enough to have seen it all and watch it come back a million times. But the personal touch cannot be overstated.
Technology is a big part of what we do as a business, but it’s not the full picture of how we serve the client. Technology can help us connect with clients. And technology tells me when my clients need me and when they haven't been talked to recently, but technology doesn't tell me what to say. And technology certainly doesn't make me go out and drop three kettlebells off at a client's house, because they've been waiting three months for them.
With all my experience in the industry, as I look down the road to predict the future of fitness, the old-fashioned sense of serving the client is still running steep. As we build relationships, each individual connection is still critical. It’s the difference between what we're doing and what everybody else is doing. I would rather sell somebody a less expensive piece of equipment, than sell them the wrong piece of equipment. Because in the end, what's happening is this referral chain. Our web of referrals is based on trust and faith and expertise, not making a quick sale.
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