When I surveyed affiliate owners about what the biggest struggle in their business right now, the resounding answer was: Retaining current athletes and attracting new ones. Understanding the CrossFit Athlete Lifecycle in your gym is a key measurement in the performance of your affiliate. In this series, we’re going to breakdown each piece of the cycle and give you tools on ways to implement and add more value. Having a clear picture of the CrossFit Athlete Lifecycle for your affiliate will not only make running your gym easier, it’ll make sure that you’re focusing on the important pieces that grow the business, drive the athlete experience and keep your athletes around for the long term. Whether you are about to open your gym or you are the first CrossFit Affiliate out there, you’ll benefit from understanding this concept.

Lifetime Value of an Athlete

Before we jump in to each section, lets briefly introduce the Lifetime Value of an Athlete or LVA(For more detailed analysis, read the blog post here). Lifetime Value of an Athlete can be simply described as the total value of an athlete’s business over the lifetime of their relationship with your gym. By understanding what the average LVA you can place a tangible value of each new athlete. You’ll see in the CrossFit Athlete Lifecycle below how every decision effects the LVA. The more value you add throughout the Athlete Lifecycle, the greater the LVA.

CrossFit Athlete Lifecycle

Every time someone new comes into my gym, I always ask them, Why are you here, how did you hear about CrossFit, and why did you choose CrossFit COMO? I usually get a variety of answers, but the answer to “Why did you choose CrossFit COMO” really tells me what people think about our brand. These new athletes move through a process called the CrossFit Athlete Lifecycle (or from your business 200 class, the Customer Life Cycle). From first discovery of CrossFit and your gym to coming in for their first visit to wearing your swag and becoming a brand ambassador, we’re going to breakdown each step below to help you discover the athlete experience.

Awareness

This is the first impression people get of your gym and they get it through a variety of channels. Could it be a casual conversation from a friend? Did they watch the CrossFit Games on ESPN? Maybe there were shopping at Dick’s Sporting Goods and saw a pair of Reeboks with the word CrossFit on them and googled “CrossFit in City Name”. This is the discovery phase and first impressions are everything. Make sure your website, your brand is well represented. Many times when people check out my gym, they tell me it’s because my website was very professional and easy to navigate. I hear that from drop-ins all the time. For people joining the gym, many times the reason is a referral, our location related to their home, our coaches, and testimonials.

Channels/Examples of Awareness

Word of Mouth

Blog

Social Media

Website

Referrals/Testimonials

Traditional Marketing like Ads, mailings, radio/tv, etc…

Publicity

ESPN/Reebok

Affect on LVA: This is the first step…make sure your messaging is consistent.

Questions for Consideration: How do I get a potential athlete into the consideration step? Am I providing upfront value? What barriers to entry are there?

Consideration

So you got someone on the phone or they have hit your website, now they are considering jumping in on a workout and testing out CrossFit at your gym. How are you any different from other gyms in town? There going to start comparing your prices, your services, what benefits you provide, how do others feel about CrossFit XYZ, etc. Prove to them that you will provide exceptional service and you’re the right place for them at this moment in time. When they google CrossFit XYZ, are you the first few on the page or are you buried on page two?

Channels/Examples of Consideration

Email Campaigns

Reviews – Facebook, Yelp, Google

Success Stories/Testimonials

Blog

Youtube/Video

Social Proof

Affect on LVA: Get them in the door…to the next stage.

Questions for Consideration: How do I persuade them to try my gym? How do I get them in the door? What barriers to entry are there?