Marketing: How do you market your physical therapy practice to CrossFit Gyms?
What is the best way to market your physical therapy practice to a CrossFit gym?
CrossFit Open at Hardware Strength & Conditioning. photographer: Alison Gamble
When it comes to marketing, we often think we need to show off what we can do. We think we need an elevator pitch, an extroverted personality, a quick, convincing argument that the person in front of us needs what we’re selling. The problem with this strategy? It makes it all about us, not about the client we’re working with.
Let’s say you’re a physical therapist who just opened a new practice. You have some CrossFit and weightlifting experience, and you’d love to start marketing your skills to CrossFit athletes and coaches. Where to start?
Many practice owners start by sending a cold email that looks something like this:
The Cold Email (NOT IDEAL):
Hi [gym owner/coach],
My name is [ ] and I’m a physical therapist specializing in treating fitness athletes. I have my CrossFit L1 and am certified in the Clinical Management of the Fitness Athlete through the Institute of Clinical Excellence. I’m passionate about working with CrossFit athletes, and wanted to reach out to see how I might be able to help you and your athletes.
I’d love to teach your athletes about CrossFit-related injury prevention and technique, such as overhead mobility, front rack position, and squat mobility. I’d love to set up a time to meet with you to discuss how I might be able to best serve your community and keep your athletes healthy and in the gym.
What’s wrong with this approach?
At first glance, there are some great elements to this email: it summarizes what my practice is about, describes my specialty, and suggests what I might be able to offer the gym. The problem? It’s really all about ME. I haven’t made an effort to actually connect with their community or support their business, and I’m unknown to their gym. I don’t know what the gym is looking for, if they’re looking for anything, and rather than supporting their business and showing genuine interest, I’m giving the impression that I’m really just looking for referrals.
This strategy also expects instant results: I send an email, I’m invited to host a workshop, and that workshop results in instant new evaluations. If I don’t get the response I want, I cross that gym off the list and move on. Sometimes, this strategy results in some short-term success, but it’s not the best way to truly build a long-term connection and a foundation for a consistent relationship with that gym.
A Better Approach to Marketing
Here are a few things you could try instead of sending that cold email:
Reposting an Instagram post from that gym, supporting their business and/or encouraging your friends/followers to try a class or support an event the gym is hosting
Dropping in for a class
Buying a gym t-shirt
Buying a class pack or gym membership (probably not something you can do at every gym, but we’re going for depth in these relationships, not breadth)
Referring friends/clients to the gym who are looking to start CrossFit or looking for a new gym
Leaving a positive Google review
Being coachable and showing interest in the coach’s knowledge and feedback when you show up for class, rather than trying to show off your own knowledge
Becoming a member of that gym and showing up consistently
Making genuine connections with the members and coaches
Many practice owners are hesitant to do these options because they take time and effort, and don’t guarantee instant results. However, putting the time in now to genuinely connect with people and create deeper, long-lasting connections rather than many superficial connections will pay off for your business in the long run and set you apart from your competitors.
