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Grassroots

Levi Strauss has just started its 'Go Forth!' campaign.  It's a good one.

They're the first big company to grasp the real opportunity presented by the current crunch: simplicity.

People are more than just broke: they're confused.  They've been duped by the Biggies.  They're tired of bureaucracy and policy and bailout.  They're in free-fall.  They need solidity, and they need it right away.

What's more solid than blue jeans?  Maybe a small reminder of simpler times - being forced to memorize and regurgitate "O,Pioneer" by Walt Whitman?  Note the use of solid buildings in geometric patterns, statues, and nature.  Campfires.  Friends.  Khaki and denim.  "Tan-faced children."  Hunting, even.

This is the perfect climate for simplicity, basics, and grit.  NOW is the time when people will cling to absolutes.  It's the time for concrete footholds.  For grass.

Emphasizing a return to "the old school" is a safe bet, because the new school obviously ain't workin'.  Chrome, glass, and luxury now carry distaste.  They seem gaudy, compared to the Springsteenish reality of plant closures and depressing boredoms.  

The opportunity for CrossFit is obvious, as long as it's framed properly.  Someday, 'grassroots' will also be a cliche.  Today, though, we can revel in amateurish video footage, photo contests, sweat angels, and concrete walls: the promotional tools that will build your Box.

Home Games

Richard is the 38-year-old manager of a Call Centre.  15 years ago, he was nearly killed in a motorcycle accident.  He doesn't talk about it much, but until CrossFit, he couldn't run; couldn't squat; couldn't press anything over his head.  And if we didn't run an event called Catalyst Games, we'd never have known any of it.

Last night, Richard  sent me his "Athlete Profile" for the Catalyst Games.  Seconds later, his wife sent the REAL profile, containing all of the above and much, much more.  She wanted people - for good reason - to know the REAL Rich.

Catalyst Games is a big deal around here.  We run nearly 10 larger-scale challenges per year at Catalyst Gym, and the Games is their granddaddy.  Last year, 17 people competed at a bench press/truck pull combo; a max-effort Deadlift; and "Murph."  A couple of dozen spectators milled around.   This year, 38 have registered more than a month in advance.

Games Day takes months of preparation, endless hours of planning, and a lot of hoopla.  But it's more than worth it for any Affiliate to host events like this one.  Here's why.

Higher training goals mean better attendance at CrossFit Groups

August 15-September 15 is the slowest 30 days of the year in the fitness industry.  That's because it's the busiest for most people outside of the gym, and there's a lot of lifestyle upheaval happening in most members' lives.  What's going to keep people training?  A good goal, especially one that causes a little anxiety.  People are more likely to prepare for an event that makes them nervous than one at which they're certain they can do well.  This is a core reason that CrossFit works (as discussed in one of our previous Journal articles.)

MiniClinics for last-minute panickers

According to Lowenstein's Gap Theory, people are curious enough about the unknown that they'll sit through a bad movie, finish a bad book, or listen to a bad story long enough to hear the punch line.  For the Affiliate, this means that if you can delineate gaps in your client's knowledge base, and define them well enough, they'll scramble to fill them.  Hosting an event like Catalyst Games puts a fine head on client weaknesses.  We hosted four miniClinics, every second weekend, leading up to the Games: OLY lifting, Running, Powerlifting, and Gymnastics.  These were two-hour "bird's-eye-view" slamfests that helped clients out, but really just showed them how much more they could improve.  It helped them for the Games, but also spurred requests for regular, more in-depth clinics, which we'll run in the fall.  Tough events magnify weakest links, and show CrossFitters where they need to improve most.

Facebook posts leading up to the event

Facebook is a terrific motivator for a nervous first-time athlete; it's also great for spreading the CrossFit message.  If your friend were involved in a high-level athletic event, and posting updates about how hard they're training, or putting up articles about themselves.... how could you resist checking it out?  Filling your OWN knowledge gaps? 

It would never be possible to purchase the kind of positive, personalized PR you'll receive from clients who have far more credibility with the public than you, a business owner, do.  Remember: an event like this is far from the norm for most people.  This will be something they remember forever.

Athlete profiles are better than testimonials

People like to read about others like themselves almost as much as they like to read stories about themselves.  Putting up Athlete Profiles gives them a story, and by default the Affiliate has earned the advocacy of the 'Athlete' in question.  Obviously, if they're letting you post their story, training strengths and weaknesses, and sweaty pictures, they advocate your Box.

Change the Lives of The Meek

The most-repeated phrase at the Catalyst Games in 2008?  "I could have done this.  Next year for SURE!"  That, from the spectator gallery and media.  They've seen regular people to extraordinary things.  And if they can do it.....

If you can keep new folks paying attention, and encourage them to attend CrossFit groups, they'll compete the next year.  Our numbers are testament to this fact, and so are CrossFit's Games numbers.

Create hype for a month before / week after

Nothing draws a crowd like a crowd.  People are training hard, comparing themselves to others on the Catalyst Games site, and talking about nothing else.  They're guessing the events (we'll release the first two a week early, the rest on Games day.) They're excited. They're anticipating.  Could a McFit gym get that if they tried?  No way.  CrossFitters get jacked.  It's fun.

Division of client skills

Everyone is good at something.  Likewise, everyone is weaker at something.  This is a terrific opportunity to highlight the strengths of your various clients on a big platform.  That newbie who's a slow runner?  Bet she's got an awesome deadlift.  By tailoring the events to be as inclusive as possible, you'll make heroes out of doubters.

Pride Artifacts

In 2008, we gave away massive gold belts to division winners.  We had 6 belts for 17 competitors.  They were as big as the ones worn by WWE Championship wrestlers, and though obviously novelty, they were engraved on both sides with "Catalyst Games 2008 Champion."  This year, we had dogtags and engraved bracelets for the women.

Running races give away t-shirts for a reason: you get to wear your story on your chest.  Face it: when you wear your "CrossFit Ontario Championship" t-shirt to the weekend BBQ, you WANT people to ask about it.  It's a great story.  

 Spectators

Inspiration is rampant at these events.  At local events even more than at the CrossFit Games, spectators will see "regular, everyday people" doing things that truly astound.  They'll see friends pile-drive themselves into the ground with an Olympic barbell; they'll see 'that lady from the coffee shop' thrust herself, gasping, across a finish line.  They'll see the greatest true benefit of CrossFit: achievement through strife.  Of the 60 competitors in Catalyst Games 2009, 48 were voyeurs first: they saw the event last year, or picked up on their friend's facebook posts.

Story

At the end of life, what matters most is the story you can tell.  People remember great stories; they don't remember the guy who 'played it safe' and 'made a mediocre living' and had great aluminum siding.  They don't remember the great deal you got on your car in 2009; they don't remember that time you made it across town in only 11 minutes because all the lights were in your favour.  They'll remember this.  They'll still see, in their mind's eye, that time that mom crossed the finish line.  They may talk about quiet, reserved Uncle Ted, who could pick 400lbs right off the floor! at his funeral.  

(note: we've actually had this experience, sadly.  An article written by a CrossFitter about her experiences in running and life was handed out at her funeral in July 2009, and continues to be downloaded from our site almost 400x /day.)

Simple Setup

The template is already set: use the CrossFit Games.  Treat people like real athletes.  Do what the Games did, or what we're doing.  Don't want to do a big event?  Try a powerlifting or OLY meet (use virtualmeet.net, it's a great service) or do a road race. We've done a big variety of events this year, and each has met every criteria and benefit listed above.  They were all simple to put together, created a lot of excitement for clients, and gave them a story to tell.

March: Murph Challenge

April: Fight On Friday (FGB)

May: Baseline Week: Michael,Angie,Grace,Kelly, and Fran in 5 days, followed by a deadlift meet on Saturday and a client social Saturday night

June: 24-Hour Emergency, a fundraiser for a 30-year-old with melanoma.  Mike Watson, our head Trainer, did 12 WODs in 24 hours, including a midnight 5k run.  Every event, even the 2am Angie, was well-attended.  I think we killed facebook the next day with pics and video.

July: Trainers went to the CrossFit Ontario Challenge.

September: Catalyst Games 2009

October: Virtualmeet Powerlifting Meet

November: Virtualmeet OLY Meet

December: FranFest '09!

The Big Reveal

To keep interest high, it's best to save the Big Bang for the last minute.  We don't announce the next event until this one's over.  We don't tell anyone the events for the Games 2009 until 1 week prior (we're even keeping Event #4, the final, a secret until the very last minute.)  To keep people training intensely, it's better to push the unknown element than to show them what's required, have them try it, and either back out or rest on their laurels.    It's also easy to take a "pass" on this event if you know the next event's going to be more your speed.

The Arena

Shoe store.  1pm.  Quick run while another Coach fills in at our Box, the "Park."  Looking for new Chucks.  Retiring mine after 6 years of Powerlifting and CrossFit.  Can you form an emotional bond with a shoe?  That's what's going through my head as I wave off teenagers with "Foot Consultant" nametags.  

"Our Workout Is Your Warmup."  Reads a voice from behind me.  They're looking at my bright-green shirt.  "What does that mean?"  No longer reading.  I turn, knowing that I'll have less than three seconds to apprise the curious male voice, choose from one of three 'elevator pitches' that I keep at the ready, and deliver it. 3, 2, 1....

 Male, short haircut, clean shoes.  Basketball or soccer player, not hockey (the hair was the giveaway.) 

"The sport of fitness," I say.  Like the rest, he thought that bodybuilding was the sport of fitness.  And so our conversation starts, having cleared the first-sentence hurdle.  Had I chosen, "it's a combination of lifting weights, aerobic exercise, high-intensity intervals and circuits" - he would have said, "oh."  and pigeonholed CrossFit with Curves Circuits For Women.  But I digress.

In our attempt to attract the broadest possible audience to CrossFit, we frequently have to water down our message, at least until we have the client in the door.  "It's tough, but anyone can do it."  "It's great for losing weight."  "Check out some of the Client Stories on our site.  Anybody can do this stuff."  We'd love to talk about firebreathers and the CrossFit Games right away......but it's too intimidating for most people.  Right?

Are most people our best potential clients?  I don't think so.  By using the same terminology - the same cliches - as the rest of the fitness universe, we're grouping ourselves with them.  Just another variation on the same theme; a fad.  

The angle to pursue for true growth, in my opinion, is CrossFit: the sport.  Yes, you WILL lose weight.  Fast.  You WILL be able to run a mile.  Soon.  You WILL be able to forgo dessert (or pay for it in tomorrow's METCON.)

If you're attracting someone using the giant "Sport of Fitness" magnet, you need to be set up as an Arena.  WOD schedules are practice and game schedules: don't miss them, or you're not part of the Team.  And if you've built an effective tribe of clients, they'll behave like a Team: miss a WOD, and you're letting everyone else down.  

CrossFit NYC has a great idea: they name their groups.  The 8am group is "The Ocho," and I'm sure the 6am Group has an equally creative name. 

Approaching CrossFit as a sport opens up a few new avenues:

1. Former athletes who want to be able to compete at something, anything!

2. Folks who have never, ever played a sport, but want to be able to call themselves an athlete.  Imagine what that means to someone who's been overweight her whole life. 

3. Folks who can reasonably achieve glory in a sport that's just getting off the ground.

4. Folks on the downside of a career in another sport (ie kickboxing) who can make a transition fairly quickly and excel.

5. Folks for whom CrossFit provides a complementary benefit to their sport (running, rowing.)

6. Folks who may have untapped genetic potential in one area (running?) because their athletic career has led them in another (powerlifting.)  

7. Record boards, tracking software, and secondary client retention tools take on even more relevance.

8. All-time leaderboards create a greater sense of awe and aspiration.

9. Adherence increases, and thus, revenues and client progression.

Our own research stands firmly behind the idea of intrapersonal competition.  It's in our very nature to be competitive, honed through eons of "I-eat-or-you-eat" fight or flight.  It's usually not overt, especially in CrossFit.  But putting a big, bright scoreboard clock (this is the best) brings the Sport aspect up a notch.  We added ours yesterday.  Last night, one client said, "But now everyone knows my time."  I didn't say a word back.  He figured it out.  All part of the game, friend.

You can call it 'atmosphere.'  You can call it 'environment,' or even 'vibe.'  But the "Arena" mentality will have your classes starting on time, your athletes primed for action, and your coaches feeling especially loud.  If you can find other ways to encourage the sporting aspect of CrossFit, post below.

The Three Boxes

20 years ago, when you were standing in line to buy a Coke at the movie box office, you had two choices: large, or small.  Most people - around 80% - bought the small.   Then, someone enterprising introduced small, regular (the old large), and super-sized. Now, 20% bought super-sized, 60% regular and 20% small.  The super-sized buy-in was actually a surprise; no one expected buyers to drink anything that big. It was just there to add a 'bookend' effect to the large size.

If you only have one choice, then it's a choice between "yes," or "no."  Nothing else to think about, so the buyer focuses on price. With two choices, they'll usually take the small because, (a) they'll save money, (b) they're playing it safe (if they don't like the flavour, they haven't wasted all that soda and money.)

With three choices, you start at the large because it's dazzling, beautiful and huge, but perhaps too expensive. Then you consider the small, but it looks puny next to the large - it appears cheap and unappealing. So, the middle is juuuust right (and a safe bet).

Now, the super-sized was created just to sell more regulars, so when you do sell it, that's a bonus. You can also charge more for your regular because the super-sized is so much more. For example, if a super-sized cost $10, and the old-large was $5, well in the new system you could easily sell the regular (the old-large) at $10.

When you offer 3 choices, it's not about charging too much, it's about giving the customer choice - and marketing is about choice. But, 4 or more choices is bad. It starts to get confusing (it is easy not to decide if there are too many choices to make; to be paralyzed by indecision) and there's no clear middle option (don't forget, people like "safe.")

When I was selling treadmills, we carried three lines: Bodyguard (made in Canada, very expensive, feature-laden but not clearly better,) Vision (well-made, higher price than a department-store model, easy to assemble and deliver, stuck to the basics and did them well) and Horizon (department-store that benefited from being on the same floor as Vision and Bodyguard.)  We'd start people at Bodyguard; they'd look at the price tag and move on. Then we'd put them on a Vision.  They usually loved it.  They'd look at a Horizon just to check, and come right back to the vision.  We were selling 8 Visions to every single Bodyguard or Horizon (8-1-1.)  On a week when the Bodyguards were taken off the floor, though, the Visions and Horizons sold equally (5-5.)  This WORKS.

In CrossFit, you have a good chance to fill your OnRamp program, or your coached groups, if you offer private, one-on-one training.  Using our model (we also have a membership-based gym in our Box), if you frame your offerings this way:

1. Membership ($35)

2. CrossFit Group (average $10/session)

3. Private, 1-on-1 PT ($55/hr)

...most will pick CrossFit.  Good coaching, WODs that aren't tailored to the individual, but good attention in a tight group. Alternately, if your Box setup is more traditional:

1. Basic Unlimited ($250/mo)

2. Per Visit ($12, guaranteed fewer than 5/group)

3. Private 1-on-1.

...you may not sell more Personal Training (but you probably will!) but you'll definitely sell more small-group sessions.

For more excellent advice, get "How To Sell A Lobster" by Bill Bishop.

Holes

Nobody buys drill bits.  They buy holes.

They buy holes, 5/8" wide, in which to hang pictures of their new niece on their walls.  If there were an easier way to get the picture frame stuck to the wall, they'd buy that instead.  

Similarly, if an Affiliate is offering a Running Clinic, they may do well to consider calling it a "Speed Clinic" or "Go Faster Clinic" or even "Run Farther" clinic.  Because nobody's buying "running" - they can do it anywhere, any time, for virtually nothing.  They're buying running improvement.  They're buying faster, or farther.  So sell faster, or farther.

POSE clinics do this to some extent - the novelty factor will usually entice some runners a little - but we can do even better.

Good: Olympic Lifting Clinic

Better: LiftMore Clean Clinic

Best: Add 10lbs To Your Clean Clinic

Sell the benefit, not the feature.  Drill bits are commodities.

Top THAT, sucka!

This is a simple one, but makes for terrific blog fodder, cross-referencing, and Affiliate-bonding:

1. Trade t-shirts with an affiliate.  They can be in the same city, or across the continent, or around the globe.

2. Take your picture doing something ridiculous in their shirt.  Say, a 500lbs deadlift.

3. Chirp them.  "Since you don't have any 500lbs deadlifters at your box, here's a picture of what it could look like."

4. Invite them to retaliate - in photo form only, please.

5. Post their photo on your site.  "Who's going to stand up and top these guys, who dare defile our sacred shirt?"

6. Gradually shift the competition from Trainer v. Trainer to Client v. Client.

7. Invite them to a 'throwdown' of sorts - virtual or real-life, real-time.

8.  Hype the "defend the honour of our Castle!" idea.

9. Have an amazing WOD.

Thanks to Vinny at CrossFit Motor City for throwing down first.