A Post On The Right Way To Build A Business By Pat Rigsby
We live in a society that has made an art out of overpromising and under delivering.
Politicians stump on campaign promises that they have little if any intention of delivering on. It’s marketing at it’s worst. Leaders or prospective leaders telling people what they want to hear through every medium possible in order to get their vote.
Whatever it takes to get them elected.
In the fitness world, every health club on the planet advertises how they’re the solution to give you the body that you’ve always wanted – knowing good and well that once they have your name on the contract they’ll essentially forget about you and be on to chasing the next naïve prospect.
This ‘art’ of overpromising and under delivering certainly isn’t exclusive two politics and fitness – it goes on everywhere. I just happen to see more of it there because it’s so well publicized in politics and I’m immersed in the fitness industry.
The Truth… And The Opportunity
The amazing thing about this trend is that it’s actually presented you with a marketing opportunity – or perhaps a better way of putting it – a position in the market.
If you’re willing to deliver on what you promise… or better yet – OVERDELIVER – you can become that trusted solution in your market that clients love, stay with forever and refer their friends, family members and co-workers to.
It sounds simple – and almost a little ridiculous that simply telling the truth and doing what you say you’re going to do (and hopefully a little more) can actually be a marketing strategy – but it is.
See, everyone says they’re great with service and care about their clients or members.
They say that results for the people they serve are their priority.
But saying and doing are vastly different things.
And now there’s this new trend in the business world where it seems every business out there has followed Zappos lead and identified their ‘Core Values’ (we’re no exception.)
And regardless of how much the want to celebrate it – 99% of the time those are nothing more than hollow words on paper.
It’s not what you say – it’s what you do.
A Case Study: Fitness Revolution
By now you’ve probably seen me write about Fitness Revolution, our personal training franchise (and now also internationally licensed offering).
We launched Fitness Revolution in early 2011, and while most business opportunities in the fitness industry were out there marketing and selling at all costs – we were building our infrastructure. Sure, we were bringing on new franchisees – but they were virtually all members of our network who we knew would be a good fit for what we wanted Fitness Revolution to represent.
Our focus was simply on providing the best systems, tools, resources and support in the entire fitness industry – bar none. We felt that if we did that, we’d carve out a place in the market that would be competition resistant – because it’s a lot tougher to actually deliver systems and support than it is to promise them. Just to give you an example of what I’m talking about – here’s the Table of Contents for one of our FR Blueprints, the Administrative Operations Manual:

Administrative Operations Manual
Section 1: New Leads Protocol
1.1 Walk-Ins- Overview
- Greeting, Scheduling, and Tour Script
- How to file an “Adult Profile” form- Completion Plan
- How to Add a Prospect to Your Client Management Software- Completion Plan
- How to Create a File Folder for a Client Appointment- Completion Plan
- How to Set Scheduling Notifications- Completion Plan
- How to Add Person to an Email List- Completion Plan
- Sending a Personal Email to Prospect- Email Script
- Confirmation Call, Email, and Text Message Script
1.2 Phone Inquiries- Overview
- Phone Inquiry Script and Missed Call/Call Back Script
- Taking Phone Call Notes- Completion Plan
- How to File an “Adult Profile” form- Completion Plan
- How to Add a Prospect to Your Client Management Software- Completion Plan
- How to Create a File Folder for a Client Appointment- Completion Plan
- How to Set Scheduling Notifications- Completion Plan
- Sending a Personal Email to Prospect- Email Script
- Confirmation Call, Email, and Text Message Script
1.3 Website Opt-In- Overview
- How to file an “Adult Training Profile” form from a website opt-in- Completion Plan
- How to Add a Prospect to Your Client Management Software- Completion Plan
- Email Script- Free Gift Opt-in
- Phone Script- 2 Week Trial Opt-in
- Email Script- Confirm Orientation or Appointment (If scheduled by phone)
- Email Script- 2 Week Trial Opt-in
- How to Schedule- Completion Plan
- How to Create a File Folder for a Client Appointment- Completion Plan
- Confirmation Call, Email, and Text Message Script
1.4 Inquiry Email- Overview
- Frequently Asked Email Questions and Answers
- How to file an “Adult Training Profile” form from an inquiry email- Completion Plan
- How to Add a Prospect to Your Client Management Software- Completion Plan
- How to Set Notification for Non-Responsive Email Leads- Completion Plan
- Follow Up Email Script for Unresponsive Leads
- How to Schedule- Completion Plan
- How to Create a File Folder for a Client Appointment- Completion Plan
- Confirmation Call, Email, and Text Message Script
1.5 Client Referral- Overview
- How to Add a Prospect to Your Client Management Software- Completion Plan
- How to file an “Adult Training Profile” form from a Referral- Completion Plan
- How to Add a Prospect to Your Client Management Software- Completion Plan
- Referral Call Script
- Referral Email Script
- How to Set Notification for Non-Responsive Referral Leads- Completion Plan
- Follow Up Voicemail Script for Non-responders
- Follow Up Email Script for Non-responders
- How to Schedule- Completion Plan
- How to Create a File Folder for a Client Appointment- Completion Plan
- Confirmation Call, Email, and Text Message Script
1.6 External Leads- Overview
- How to file an “Adult Training Profile” form from an external source- Completion Plan
- How to Add a Prospect to Your Client Management Software- Completion Plan
- How to Add Person to Email List- Completion Plan
- Phone Call Follow-up Script
- Email Follow-up Script
- How to Schedule – Completion Plan
- How to Create a File Folder for a Client Appointment- Completion Plan
- Confirmation Call, Email, and Text Message Script
1.7 New Leads- Missed Appointment
- Missed Appointment Phone Script
- Missed Appointment Voicemail Script
- How to Set a Notification for a Non-Responsive Missed Appointment Lead
- No response phone call script
- No response voicemail script
- No response email template
- How to Schedule an Appointment- Completion Plan
- Confirmation Call Script
- Confirmation Email Template
- Confirmation Text Message
Section 2: Front End Clientele Protocol
2.1 Front End Clientele- Overview
- How to Add a Prospect to Your Client Management Software- Completion Plan
- How to update client information in CMS software- Completion Plan
- How to complete a sale in CMS software (if applicable)- Completion Plan
- How to add client to email list- Completion Plan
- How to file new front end client documentation- Completion Plan
- How to schedule notifications for new client- Completion Plan
- Confirmation call script for next appointment
- Confirmation Email Template
- Confirmation Text Message
2.2 Front End Clientele- Supplemental
- Post Card on the Run- Completion Plan
- Send Out Cards- Completion Plan
Section 3: New Members Protocol
3.1 New Members- Overview
- How to update client information in CMS- Completion Plan
- How to complete the membership sale in your CMS- Completion Plan
- How to add client to email list- Completion Plan
- How to remove client from “prospects” email list- Completion Plan
- How to file new client documentation- Completion Plan
- How to schedule check-in/follow-up calls with client- Completion Plan
- “Thank you” Email Script or Card Script for Referrers
That’s one resource – there are dozens. This FR Blueprint has over 111 pages of actionable information, scripts and templates for one specific area of our Franchisees’ businesses. Sad to say – there are franchises out there whose entire collection of support manuals or resources probably don’t amount to 111 pages.
And that was an obvious benefit to taking the position we’ve taken as a support-focused franchise.
Not only did this approach help us still add 106 franchisees in 2011 with very minimal marketing (we’re at around 120 now) – but it really allowed us to build a strong foundation to facilitate the success of those 120 franchisees and the ones who will come on board in the future.
And that’s what franchising – at least in our world – is about.
In fact, we were just recognized by Franchise Business Review in their Annual Franchisee Satisfaction Awards as:
The #1 Fitness Franchise Overall
The #1 Franchisee Overall (Midsize Category)
Here’ a screenshot:

Every franchise in North America is eligible for these awards and they’re entirely decided by independent surveys Franchise Business Review conducts of franchisees.
So basically they’re determined by what we actually do for our franchisees – not simply what we say we’re going to do.
How You Can Make This All Work For Your Business
Though I couldn’t be prouder of what our business team has accomplished by earning these rewards (The Fitness Revolution Team is deserving of far more than a post for the incredible work they’ve done ) – that’s not the main point of this post.
The main point is this:
If you want to become the premier fitness business in your area – you need to do the things that everyone else won’t do.
You need to truly care about your clients – not just say you do.
You need to put in the work to become the best at your craft – not just proclaim yourself the best.
You need to deliver an extraordinary experience – not just pay lip service to it.
You need to live your Core Values – not just put them in a frame on the wall or on your website.
You simply need to make sure that you’re doing everything you say… and more.
Do that and your competition will become irrelevant because – I can promise you that while they’ll all say they’re going to do the same – 99% of them never will.
Dedicated to Your Success,
Pat



















