How To Approach Quarter One Sales Goals In The Fitness Industry

Forecasting sales revenues and divvying up sales goals can be equal parts exciting and nerve-wracking. While you can’t predict the future precisely, here are a few tips to make the process smoother:

Review last year’s metrics.

Much like world history, the best way to predict the future is to know your history. Your fitness software should have a variety of reports to help get you the most accurate data you need from previous years. Some important metrics to review include reports like sales by month to see your revenue totals and lead sources in order to see what marketing approaches got the best results last year.

Take note of any changes. 

Factor in any major changes that have occurred since the previous year. If there’s additional competition in the area that impacted your sales, you can look back on the months where it occurred and see what the impact was. If your surrounding area has population increases or decreases, that can also play a role in determining your revenue goals.Another factor is what your organizational hierarchy looks like from last year to this year. While this should not make a huge impact on your total numbers, it is relevant to consider when you break down the sales goals to individual team members. How many strong salespeople do you have on your team this year? If more than last year, they could handle higher sales goals and produce more self-generated leads. Conversely, if your sales team is not as strong as last year, this could impact your total sales as well.

Reach for the stars, but be realistic.

Compare what numbers you desire to reach and what is realistic given all variables. While ambition is great for growth, the purpose of these projections is to have a true idea of your cash flow and revenue expectations for the year. Keeping your forecast on the conservative end will allow you to clearly define revenue goals and needs.

Break down the goals.

Once you have a realistic forecast for what revenue to expect in Q1, then it’s time to break it down into smaller, achievable goals. How many units will it take to reach your revenue goal each month? You can include cash and draft goals in these metrics as well. Next, decide what the expectations are for each salesperson. Some considerations to have when determining individual goals include typical hours worked, length of time on the job, and past sales accomplishments.Once you have ascertained realistic goals for each team member by month, you can help them break those goals down into even smaller goals. What do they need to achieve each week and even each day in order to hit these goals? You can sweeten the pot by providing extra incentives for reaching these or keep it fresh with surprise goals and incentives. For example, Mondays tend to be the strongest sales days overall in the fitness industry. Perhaps you can surprise your team by saying whoever reaches a certain number of deals on a particular Monday receives a $25 gift card to a restaurant of their choice.

Support your team with the best possible marketing and systems.

The next key is proper support to help your team reach these goals. Of course, they need to do their part with outreach, follow-up, and personal lead generation. However, the best possible efforts can be maximized with great marketing and systems in place.

Prep your staff with ongoing sales training.

The final but arguably most important step towards putting together quarter one sales goals is to prep your staff. Without properly trained staff who are consistently following the systems, sales will never meet expectations. Inquiry calls may not get properly handled, fresh leads may not get reached out to in a timely fashion, follow-ups could get dropped, and ultimately, this will result in fewer sales. Do your part to ensure all visitors receive the best first impression -- starting with your online reputation and leading to how guests and members are treated inside your gym or studio.