How Do We Acquire Customers?

Extensive digital marketing brings in Challengers, while results and customer service turn them into members

The Camp Transformation Center works diligently with the new franchisee to help them find and attract gym members, close sales, and rollover participants of the Six-Week Weight Loss Challenge into full-time members. The Camp franchise system has grown so quickly, not just because of how effectively they acquire customers for the Challenge, but also how effectively they keep those Challengers as members.

Founder Dr. Sam Bakhtiari devised the idea of the initial Weight Loss Challenge and created an extensive digital marketing campaign that could bring Challengers in the gym’s doors. Sam thought that if he gave participants an incentive – if they lose 20 pounds – that it might be the extra push that people needed to stick with a weight loss plan. The results spoke for themselves.

The added benefit of the Challenge from a marketing perspective is that the Challengers were required to use their before-and-after picture as a profile picture on Facebook, and also had to check in each time they came into the gym on social media. This resulted in a flood of new Challengers, who had seen the results organically online and thought that the no-lose situation could be their answer too.

“Our deal we make with the Challengers is that we’re going to give you all the tools and resources to succeed in your weight loss,” says franchisee Erick Salgado. “We want to hold you accountable so that you can hit your goal and we can market your success. That’s how we grow our brand. The work and help we give you, for all the marketing you’re giving to us is a fair trade.”

Marketing and pre-sales generate revenue before grand opening

The Camp’s extensive pre-sales model helps ease the worry of new franchisees in how to attract customers. Franchisees pay for the marketing and after extensive sales training from corporate before opening their location, they’re ready to hit the ground running and close deals.

The revenue starts adding up though when those Weight Loss Challengers fall in love with The Camp’s model and roll into an annual or monthly membership. This is done through excellent customer service as well as the results, and how the Challengers feel about themselves after the weight loss. The Challenge is so effective in literally transforming those who took part in it. Most Challengers decide to roll their Weight Loss Challenge into full-time memberships. But it takes quality staff to make sure the Challengers are pushed in the right way and still feel valued.

“You’ve got to build that loyalty to build the brand,” says franchisee Michelle Croteau. “That’s the key to getting people in and getting them to stay. Sure we want to keep our business going, but what we really want to do is keep changing lives so that they are healthier.

With a proven system of getting people who are looking for a change in the door, The Camp knows how to set the franchise up to thrive.

“There are so many people online that are searching for how to get healthy,” says franchisee Jeff Carpenter. “Sam figured out a way to target that so well that you get a tremendous amount of leads where you’re just simply setting up orientation appointments, telling the story and closing the deal.”

The Camp Transformation Center is a fitness concept with a considerably lower investment than other gym franchises. The potential for quick returns on the investment exists due in large part to a tried and true method of bringing in Weight Loss Challengers and converting them into members.