If you haven’t seen Nicki Violetti’s blog yet… Go check it out… I’ll wait…

A couple days ago she posted about how a few affiliates started and how they got their first clients.  I am honored to be included in that list.

I want to take the next step, mostly prompted by Chris’s question, but also because there is a huge variance in what happens in different gyms.  After you got all these new clients… What do you do with them?

There are a couple different routes that i have seen work.
First suggestion ( and they are not in order) is to have an “on ramp class.”  An on ramp class would consist of 4-6 weeks of intro sessions.  It would be a scheduled class and a pre-requisite for joining any current class.  In the onramp class you are introduced to just about every movement we do in Crossfit, from rope climbs to hand stands to snatches.  This is not the time to perfect these movements but a great opportunity to introduce them and give a short explanation of why its important and what it will help with.  There is a short met con included at the end to review skills that have already been learned as well as slowly introduce people to intensity.  Notice i said slowly.  The cool thing about on ramps is that everyone is on the same level and there really aren’t as many egos coming out.  There is an atmosphere of learning and fun that only stimulates the community.

Some drawbacks include: it is a limited point of entry (there is a start date that could be up to 3 weeks away.  What if someone wants to start immediately??), You really have to be engaging as a trainer to keep a wide range of abilities interested in your content, It is important to have your best coaches teaching this class so your people have a great foundation.

I will get into the other options tomorrow.  I am getting kicked off the computer tonight…

I emailed Nicki to get her thoughts on this post as she has seen HUGE success with the on ramp class.  I am posting her comments below to make sure everyone gets to see them.

Once your clients know the On Ramp (or similar) is your point of entry they spread the word about it.  They tell their friends that “the next one starts next week”, etc.  Also, we cap our On Ramp classes at 10 people…and they regularly sell out…If someone is inquiring about the class and they know this they will eagerly sign up for the next one, even if it is 2 weeks out. We offer limited spaces and there is a sense of urgency to get into the classes.

Also, as Mark mentioned, there is always the PT route.  We typically don’t have folks join the On Ramp mid flight because there’s usually not space to add anyone…but folks will often choose to do some privates just to get going before jumping in the next On Ramp.