I’ve realized I’m a pretty bad salesman.  As in, I’m really bad at it.  Good thing is I realized it and I’m working on it.  When you come into the CrossFit business side of things you’re kind of told: “It’s not about selling and marketing; it’s about training.  If you’re a good trainer people will come to you.  If you build it, they will come.”  And in a lot of respects I think that’s 100% true.  If you can’t out-train a bad diet, you certainly can’t outsell bad coaching.  But to say all you have to do is be a good coach I think is false.  I think that principle rests on the assumption that people can tell good coaching from personal training.  Truth of the matter is: they can’t.  Well not at first anyway.

I’ve been open for two months.  The people that have been with me for two months can definitely tell the difference between the good coaching my box offers and your standard personal trainer.  But it’s taken them awhile to get there.  Realizing the difference between good coaching and personal training is an acquired taste.  Just like you can’t expect someone who eats at Applebee’s 6 nights a week to understand the intricacies of fine French cuisine, you can’t expect people who have been inundated with Globo Gym training to instantly convert to CrossFit.  If/When they try it they’ll realize it’s different, they’ll be intrigued most likely, but they won’t cut you a check right then and there.  What you need to do is build a bridge between what they think they know (Globo Gym training) and what they need to know (CrossFit training).  And that bridge is built through selling.

I think the reason Glassman talks down the idea of “selling” your clients is because the guy is natural born salesman.  I don’t think he could describe the way he sells if he tried.  

I believe everything the guy says.  You know why?  Because he sold me on it.  He didn’t pressure me, cold call me, or advertise to my demographic; but he sure as hell sold me on it.  

As I’m starting out Free Classes are my #1 avenue to new athletes.  Therefore selling to these people is vital to getting them to take the next step and sign up.  What I realized is that I’m underselling myself.  Again, selling doesn’t mean pressuring or lying or anything like that.  But I don’t think I’m getting across quite how awesome CrossFit really is.  If you’re not selling it as a life-changing event; you’re doing it wrong! Because CrossFit is a life changing event!  How do I know?  It changed my life.  If it hasn’t changed yours, don’t bother trying to teach it to others.  

I used to try and sell them on the sheer science of it.  Because “work capacity across broad time and modal domains” and “constantly varied, functional movements performed at high intensity” is undeniable.  Problem is: the science a safety blanket. “Ha!  Trying arguing with that!!” is basically what you’re telling people.   Problem is people don’t care and you can’t win an argument people don’t care to argue.  Maybe they will care later.  But they certainly don’t now.  

I’ve very much changed my tactics now.  I simply give them the truth.  There’s a reason why elite athletes and special forces do this stuff.  It’s HARD.  I mean REALLY REALLY HARD!  It doesn’t get easier.  It’s not a magic pill.  But I know that if you give me one month of dedication I can change your life.  Not one month of trying it out, one month of DEDICATION.  I can change everything you thought you could do.  I can change how you feel, how you move, and how you think.  No asterisk, no fine print.  It’s not for everyone, but everyone can do it.  You make the choice.  And if you choose CrossFit, you will never look back.  

All I’m doing is telling the truth.  But I’m definitely selling.