In this episode of the Gym Secret podcast, host Alex discusses client ascension and customer creation strategies, using the metaphor of "the ham and the garlic" to illustrate the concept. He emphasizes the importance of wrapping what the customer needs (the garlic) with what they want (the ham) to attract and retain clients. Alex highlights the necessity for gym owners and personal trainers to meet potential clients at their level of awareness and gradually educate them, rather than seeking out rare ideal customers. He also touches upon his own business approach, where he attracts clients with immediate cash flow solutions and then educates them on more sustainable business practices. Additionally, Alex briefly mentions his book, "100 million dollar Offers," as a resource for listeners.
So today we're going to be talking about something that I like to call affectionately, the ham and the garlic, which is a story that was told to me by a business mentor that really impacted how I saw client ascension and how you create the customers that you want.
This quote sets the stage for the discussion on client ascension and the creative process of developing customers who are willing to invest in high-value services.
And so the easiest example is even, like, our highest end coaching program is over six figures, right? And so in order for I can't go up to somebody on the street or knock on a gym owner's door and be like, hey, give me 100 grand. Right? I can't do that. But in time, people learn to trust us enough that they're like, I want to do that.
Alex uses the example of his coaching program to demonstrate the necessity of building trust to create customers willing to make significant investments.
Now, here's the explanation with how the ham and the garlic plays into this. So a little boy was playing with the dog, and he realized that there was all these ticks on the dog. The dog had all these ticks on it. So he goes to his grandmother, and he's like, grandma, there's all these ticks. He's like. And I keep taking the ticks off. He's like, but they keep coming back on. And so the grandma's like, you have to give the dog some garlic, and then it'll sweat it out.
This part of the quote introduces the problem of the ticks and the grandmother's solution, setting up the story's central metaphor for client ascension.
And of course, the dog tries to. Sorry. The kid tries to give the dog garlic, and the dog's like, I don't want garlic, right? And she was like, mijo, it was a like, wrap it in some ham and then give it to the dog. They wraps it in ham, and the dog eats it. And then the next day, he sees that all the ticks are crawling up the wall because the dog's sweating out the garlic, and the ticks don't like it.
The conclusion of the story demonstrates the successful application of the grandmother's advice, providing a practical example of how to offer clients what they need in a way that is attractive to them.
Now, the point of that story is not to feed your clients ham sandwiches with garlic in them, but it's to wrap what they need, which is
The quote implies the core lesson from the story: businesses should offer their services in a way that is appealing to clients, much like wrapping the necessary garlic in ham for the dog.
"But that's not where most people are, because the widest base where most people are is the beginners, right? And then after that a much, much smaller piece or intermediates, and then beyond that, a much smaller piece are advanced."
This quote emphasizes the distribution of skill levels in the fitness market, highlighting the predominance of beginners over intermediate and advanced individuals.
"The question is how can you do that? And that's where the ham and the garlic comes into play."
This quote introduces the marketing strategy analogy, setting the stage for explaining how to attract customers by combining what they desire with what they actually need.
"So the training was on point. But if I had marketed it as a squat and deadlift seminar, ain't nobody going to buy it, right? But when I did a big booty boot camp, I had 40% of my customers take me up on it."
This quote provides a practical example of how a fitness program can be successfully marketed by using an appealing name that resonates with potential customers, leading to a high conversion rate.
"Your prospects do. And what you need to do is get them in the door so that ov"
This incomplete quote suggests that regardless of the personal beliefs of gym owners, it is crucial to align marketing strategies with what prospects are looking for in order to attract them to the service.
"But a lot of us take this prideful ego stance of like, well, they don't know the difference and I don't want BS. There was a time when you didn't know the difference either, right?"
This quote emphasizes the need for patience and empathy in the process of educating clients, recognizing that everyone starts from a place of not knowing.
"And so we just have to let our pride get out of it, meet people where they're at and then systematically educate them and ascend them in their awareness level such that they now understand and can actually even laugh and look back at how they used to think about exercise and fitness."
This quote highlights the strategy of meeting clients at their current level of understanding and gradually educating them to enhance their awareness, leading to a retrospective appreciation of their growth.
"Hey guys, real quick, if you're new to the podcast, I have a book on Amazon, it's called 100 million dollar."
Speaker B introduces their book, signaling its availability to podcast listeners as a resource.
"Offers that over 8005 star reviews. It has almost a perfect score."
Speaker A points out the book's success in terms of positive customer reviews and high rating, suggesting its value and quality.
"You can get it for Kindle. The reason I bring it up is that I put over 1000 hours into writing that book and it's my biggest give to our community."
Speaker B explains the effort put into the book and positions it as a gift to the community, indicating a sense of generosity and commitment.
"So it's my very shameless way of trying to get you to like me more and ultimately make more dollars so that later on in your business career."
Speaker B acknowledges the promotional aspect of mentioning the book, linking it to building a positive relationship with the audience for potential future benefits.
"I can potentially partner with you."
Speaker A adds the possibility of future partnership as a motivation behind promoting the book, suggesting a long-term strategic approach to audience engagement.
"And I'm saying this works in all businesses, not just gyms, but even like within my business because I'm actually not in the weight loss business, I'm in the business coaching business, right."
Speaker A explains that the strategies discussed are universally applicable, not just specific to the fitness industry, and clarifies their own position in business coaching.
"And so for me, we get all of our clients in with gym launch, which is just, it makes them a bunch of cash really quickly. Right."
Speaker A describes a strategy used to attract clients by offering a solution that generates quick cash flow, which is crucial for businesses in need of immediate revenue.
"But the reality is that what they really need is they need to actually improve their service and have systematic ways of retaining customers and to sending customers to much higher ticket prices, right."
Speaker A identifies the deeper needs of clients beyond immediate cash flow, such as service improvement and customer retention strategies that can lead to higher revenue.
"But I can't give that up front because they're in such danger zone, such danger mode, such scarcity that they're like, they need something that's going to make money immediately requires no thought. They push a button and money comes in, right?"
Speaker A acknowledges that clients in a state of financial urgency are not ready for complex strategies and need simple, immediate solutions to stabilize their situation.
"So we solve that problem for them, but then we say, hey, come over here, come over here. Take this out. This is what you really need. This is the macros and lifting, like we gave you the low carb diet to start, you know what I mean? And they lost their water weight real fast. But what we really need you to do is this."
Speaker A uses an analogy with dieting to illustrate how they initially provide a simple solution to attract clients and then gradually introduce more comprehensive strategies for sustained success.
You don't have to worry about your gym anymore. It'll create money on autopilot the way you want it to and every month your bills will automatically be paid and you know exactly how much is left over.
This quote outlines the ultimate goal of the business strategy, which is to create a gym that generates consistent income without the constant presence of the owner.
And if you want to help lots of people, which hopefully you do, then you need to meet people at the very base, base level of awareness.
Alex stresses the importance of tailoring services to the customer's initial level of understanding and need, which is crucial for attracting a broad clientele.
You got to give them what they want in order to be able to give them what they need.
The quote encapsulates the strategy of appealing to customer desires as a means to engage them before addressing their deeper needs.
Think about this in terms of how you're offering your front end promotions, how you get people in the door, and then how you ascend people through your services.
Alex is advising listeners to consider carefully how they construct their initial customer offers and the journey to higher-value services.
So you got to teach them, right?
This quote emphasizes the role of education in guiding customers from their initial awareness to a more sophisticated understanding of the services offered.
If you'd like to hear how we get gyms from zero to full capacity in 30 days, we have a beautiful case study for you.
The quote promotes a resource that provides a proven method for rapid customer acquisition, showcasing Alex's expertise.
We do not take any form of payment on any first calls. And that's because we don't want you to feel pressured with anything.
This quote explains the no-pressure approach to customer interaction, aiming to build trust and rapport with potential clients.
So, yeah, hope that was useful for you. And I'll see you guys on the flip side.
Alex concludes by expressing a genuine hope that the listeners found the podcast useful and signs off with a casual farewell, inviting continued engagement.