Consumer behavior has changed dramatically. People now take longer to make purchasing decisions because they have the power to do extensive research and compare options.
53% of companies reported longer sales cycles last year as a result.
For gym owners, this means it’s incredibly important to communicate with prospects throughout their decision-making process to avoid losing sales opportunities. They best way to do this is by understanding the buyer’s journey. Knowing what it is, why it’s important, and how to use it can help improve your sales and growth.
We’ve written this article to help you understand:
- What the buyer’s journey is
- Why it’s important
- The 3 stages of the buyer’s journey (with examples)
- How to apply the buyer’s journey to your sales cycle
Let’s dive in. 🌊
What Is the Buyer’s Journey?
The buyer’s journey is the process potential clients go through before deciding to join your gym. It includes every step they take, from researching options to interacting with your gym, and finally making their decision. This journey can be broken down into three stages:
👀 Awareness
🤔 Consideration
✅ Decision
Understanding the journey gives you valuable insight into how your prospects behave at each step. It helps you connect with them more effectively, address their needs, and guide them toward becoming members of your gym.
The Buyer’s Journey vs. The Customer’s Journey
The buyer’s journey focuses on attracting and converting prospects into members, while the customer’s journey is about retaining those members and keeping them engaged.
The buyer’s journey is how you attract and convert prospects into members. During this time, focus on providing valuable information, answering questions, and highlighting your gym’s benefits to keep prospects moving forward in their journey and ultimately turn them into members.
The customer’s journey, on the other hand, begins after someone joins your gym and is about keeping members happy and engaged so they stay longer. This includes their experience as a member, such as onboarding, engagement, and retention. These actions will help you earn their long-term loyalty.

Why Is the Buyer’s Journey Important?
Understanding the buyer’s journey is crucial for gym owners because it directly impacts your sales and growth. Here’s why:
💡 Valuable insights: It gives you valuable insights into how prospects behave at each stage of their decision-making process. This helps you understand who your potential clients are and what they are looking for.
🤝 Better connections: With this knowledge, you can connect with prospects more effectively. Addressing their specific needs and concerns guides them toward becoming members of your gym.
📈 Optimized sales strategy: Knowing the buyer’s journey allows you to adjust your sales strategy to maximize conversions. You can tailor your marketing efforts to meet prospects where they are in their journey.
🚀 Overcoming objections: Understanding common objections at each stage enables you to proactively address them, reducing barriers to joining. This increases your chances of converting prospects into members.
🌟 Personalized experience: Offering a personalized and engaging experience makes potential members feel valued and understood.
🥇 Competitive edge: Using the buyer’s journey effectively gives you a competitive edge. By being more attuned to your prospects' needs and behaviors, you can stand out in the from gyms that don’t do this.
What Are the 3 Stages of the Buyer’s Journey?
The three stages of the buyer’s journey are awareness, consideration, and decision.

Like any sales process, the buyer’s journey has its own challenges that can deter potential customers from making a purchase. Your job is to clear as many of these obstacles as possible.
Follow this 3-step process to handle any objection in your gym.
Let’s take a closer look at each stage.
What Happens in the Awareness Stage?
During the awareness stage, your prospect realizes they have a problem or need. They want to fix it and start searching for solutions. This is when they turn to the internet, often using search engines like Google or social media, to research and understand their situation better. They’re looking for information, answers, and potential ways to solve their problem.
❗ Example: A prospect struggles to lift heavy objects at work and feels weak and fatigued. They realize they need to build strength, so they start searching for gyms with strength training programs and trainers who can help them.
As a gym owner, it’s important to be visible during this stage. You can do so by optimizing your online presence.
✅ Make sure your gym website is up-to-date and mobile-friendly.
✅ Leverage a content marketing strategy that includes Instagram, blog posts, guides, and e-books to inform prospects about what you do and how you can help them.
✅ Optimize your Google Business Profile, ensuring your gym’s name, address, and phone number are correct and consistent across your gym’s socials.
✅ Encourage your members to leave reviews and respond to them.
✅ Post high-quality photos of the inside and outside of your gym.
To better understand the needs of your prospects during this stage, consider asking yourself the following questions:
❓ What specific problems or pain points might my prospects be experiencing?
❓ What type of information are my prospects searching for online?
❓ How can I provide valuable content that addresses their needs and questions?
❓ What keywords or phrases are my prospects likely using in their searches?
❓ How can I position my gym as a helpful and knowledgable resource during their research?
What Happens in the Consideration Stage?
During the consideration stage, your prospect has a clearer understanding of their problem or need. They are actively researching solutions and are more intentional about finding the right one. This means they will come across various options and compare them to see which best meets their needs. In fact, 96% of prospects research companies and products before reaching out to a sales representative.
❗ Example: Our prospect who struggles to lift heavy objects and feels weak is now comparing different gyms. They might visit websites, read reviews, and contact gyms to see which one can help them achieve their strength goals.
As a gym owner, it’s important to ensure your gym stands out as the best option during this stage. While optimizing your online presence helps, prospects in this stage are also reaching out for more information.
✅ Refine your website to drive more conversions.
✅ Optimize your call to action (CTA) buttons.
✅ Make sure you have effective ways to capture leads, such as forms or landing pages.
✅ Respond to all inquiries quickly.
To better understand the needs of your prospects during the consideration stage, think about the following questions:
❓ What programs or services are my prospects looking for?
❓ How can I highlight the strengths of my gym to stand out from competitors?
❓ How can I effectively nurture leads to keep them engaged and interested?
❓ What information do prospects need to make a decision, and how can I provide it?
❓ What are the most common concerns or questions prospects have at this stage, and how can I address them?
What Happens in the Decision Stage?
During the decision stage, your prospect narrows down their options and decides on the gym they believe will best solve their problem or meet their needs. They are confident in their choice and committed to make a purchase.
❗ Example: Our prospect who struggled to lift heavy objects and felt weak has now compared different gyms and made a decision. They’ve chosen the gym with the best strength training program and trainers that meet their goals. Now, they are ready to sign up for a membership.
At this point, it’s important for whoever is making the sale to go above and beyond in every interaction. This will prevent the prospect from backing out or choosing a competitor at the last moment. Your goal is to confirm their decision and make them feel certain they’ve chosen the right gym.
✅ Be ready to address any hesitations or objections the prospect might have.
✅ Highlight the unique benefits of your gym.
✅ Provide a personalized experience and stay in touch to keep them excited.
To better understand the needs of your prospects during this stage, consider asking yourself these questions:
❓ Is there anyone else involved in the decision-making process?
❓ What concerns or objections might they have, and how can I address them?
❓ How can I personalize the experience to make them feel valued and confident in their decision?
❓ What additional information or reassurance do they need to finalize their decision?
❓ How can I ensure a smooth and welcoming onboarding process once they decide to join?
Aligning Your Sales Cycle with the Buyer’s Journey
Now that you understand the stages of the buyer’s journey, the next step is to align your sales cycle with it. This will help guide prospects towards choosing your gym.

Here are a few strategies to help you do that:
Tailor Your Communication
Customize your messages and interactions based on the stage of the buyer’s journey your prospect is in. This ensures you provide the right information at the right time, increasing the chances of guiding them towards choosing your gym.
During the awareness stage, focus on providing educational content about the benefits of the specific training your gym specializes in, such as strength training or endurance workouts.
In the consideration stage, offer detailed information about your gym’s program(s) and success stories.
In the decision stage, highlight what sets your gym apart and provide clear, compelling reasons for prospects to choose your gym.
Use GMS or CRM
Take advantage of gym management software (GMS) like Kilo or customer relationship management (CRM) tools such as Gym Lead Machine to manage leads through each stage of the buyer’s journey. These tools help you:
📅 Track where each prospect is in their journey
🤖 Automate follow-ups
✉️ Send timely and personalized messages
So you can stay organized and boost your chances of converting prospects into members.
Get Prospects Through the Door
Provide prospects with opportunities to experience your gym firsthand. Offering trial memberships, free classes, or facility tours can help them move from the consideration stage to the decision stage. Here’s what some small gym owners do:
💪 Pratt Personal Training offers a 14-day free trial.
🔖 Mark Fisher Fitness provides 50% the first membership payment, along with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
⭐ The Fort NYC has a 2-week trial for $360, which includes 3 sessions per week. This is the same price as their top-end membership, which costs $720 per month.
📋 The ANNEX charges $250 for a paid assessment with a coach. Prospects receive a detailed evaluation of their weaknesses and a customized plan based on the results.
This approach gives prospects a taste of what they can expect as members, helping them feel more comfortable and confident in their decision to join your gym.
Summing Up
Meeting prospects where they are in the buyer’s journey and offering the right support at each stage is key to any business’s success. By understanding the awareness, consideration, and decision stages, you can effectively connect with prospects, address their needs, and guide them toward becoming members. Implement these strategies, and you’ll be on your way to expanding your gym’s membership.
If you’re ready to grow your gym and close more sales, book a call with a Kilo expert to see how our solutions can expedite the process for you.
