Discover the surprising power of "Radical Customer Obsession" with author and expert Amanda Stevens. She explains that in a digitally distracted world, the key to success is getting to the heart of what your customers really need, not just what they tell you. From understanding the "Inner Circle" dynamic of female members to learning from other industries, this episode is packed with brilliant insights on how to create a "sticky" business that defies market pressures and turns customers into disciples.
Key highlights from the episode:
- Know Your Customer Intimately: Get "insanely curious" about your members, because the person who joined your gym isn't the same person they are today.
- The Power of the Inner Circle: For female members, the "inner circle" of 2-3 friends is a primary source of information. Gaining a higher market share of these circles can increase member loyalty and tenure.
- High-Tech, High-Touch: The future of the customer experience in the fitness industry will exist at the intersection of high tech and high touch, where you leverage technology while focusing on human moments that algorithms can't compete with.
Curious about the future host of Fitness Business Podcast? That's Zoe, the host JT's daughter!
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Quotes:
"The members that you have in your club right now are not the same people that joined." - Amanda Stevens
"If you make people advisors, you make them advocates." - Amanda Stevens
"Customer experiences are really just employee experiences played out one by one." - Amanda Stevens
Resources:
- Become an FBP Insider on Patreon: https://patreon.com/FitnessBusinessPodcast
- Fitness Business Podcast's LinkedIn Community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9878228/
- Mystery Shopping for Fitness Businesses: https://mysteryshoppingforfitnessbusinesses.com.au/
- Episode 171 of Fitness Business Podcast: https://fitnessbusinesspodcast.com/171-ignite-the-customer-experience-in-your-fitness-business-with-amanda-stevens/
Our Guest:
Amanda Stevens, Author and Keynote Speaker on Consumer Trends and Customer Experience
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marketingamanda/?originalSubdomain=au
Website: https://amandastevens.com.au/
Radical Customer Obsession Book: https://amandastevens.com.au/rco-order/
Merch Sponsor:
Be a Merch Sponsor - https://fitnessbusinesspodcast.com/merch/
REX Roundtables:
Website: www.REXRoundtables.com
Email: Eddie@REXRoundtables.com
Suppliers:
Brittany Ficano, Program Director at Budderfly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanyficano01251991/
Website: https://www.budderfly.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/budderfly-inc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/budderflyenergy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/budderfly_inc/
Optimizing Energy for Healthcare & Fitness Facilities: https://www.budderfly.com/the-budderfly-effect/healthcare-fitness/
REX Roundtables Trusted Suppliers:
Egym: Providing digital fitness solutions and equipment. https://egym.com/uk
Budderfly: Increasing energy efficiency with no upfront costs or risk https://www.budderfly.com
Lionel University: flexible online programs in exercise science. https://www.lionel.edu/
EVOLT 360: providing body composition analysis technology. https://evolt360.com/
American Barbell: getting to you high-quality fitness and strength equipment https://americanbarbell.com/
Skip to the good part:
00:00 Introduction to the guest Amanda Stevens and her book
03:00 Why customer obsession is so important in a noisy, digitally distracted market
04:00 The evolving consumer and the collision of fitness, wellness, and anti-aging
06:00 The future of health and preventative care, and what fitness businesses can learn from it
08:00 Learning from other industries: The "safari tours" concept
10:00 Case study: Mecca's radical approach to knowing its customer
12:00 The fear of niching down and understanding customer avatars
14:00 Loyalty programs: The secret to stickiness or a source of friction?
16:00 Two key strategies: curiosity and celebration
19:00 The importance of an internal customer experience strategy and employee retention
21:00 The "Inner Circle" dynamic and how it impacts member retention and loyalty
24:00 How to become radically customer obsessed in the last quarter of the year
25:00 The intersection of high-tech and high-touch in the AI era
About Our Guest: Amanda Stevens is a leading authority on consumer behavior and the author of Radical Customer Obsession. Having spoken at over 40 conferences in 23 countries, she has provided insights to a wide variety of industries, from pet stores to hotel chains. Her work focuses on helping businesses understand what their customers are thinking and feeling, what their motivations are, and what keeps them awake at night.
About Your Host: Justin "JT" Tamsett is a fitness industry veteran with over 30 years of experience who aims to reduce global healthcare costs by promoting physical activity. Through his company Active Management, he provides business coaching to fitness entrepreneurs, leads 8 REX Roundtables in the US and Australia, and has spoken at over 40 conferences across 23 countries. His ultimate goal is to create a world of opportunity for his daughter Zoe by helping more people move and stay healthy, while empowering gym owners to build successful businesses that contribute to a healthier society
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