Episode 94: Relationship Marketing

Episode 94 – Out of the Cave, with Dave Picardy and Chandler Walker Dave Picardy and Chandler Walker own Out of the Cave Media. Between the two of them, they have spent years working with gym owners and now they are pursuing a different passion which they call relationship marketing. In this episode we talk about relationships with your clients and how you can leverage these relationships to give them the best experience possible all while also growing your business. Chandler originally started a blog about fitness before even considering starting a gym. After realizing that relationships are the real key to growing your business, Chandler began helping others which brought on the onset of Out of the Cave Media.  Dave on the other hand began his onset into the fitness industry as a personal training. Things were good except for the amount of hours he had to put into his business to make a living.  Soon after Dave learned about CrossFit he became certified and began his CrossFit journey. Dave’s passion for helping others and connecting people together led him to connect with Chandler and help gyms focus on their relationships with their clients. Out of the Cave gives both Dave and Chandler a great platform to enact something they like to call relationship marketing. Relationship marketing is really about building a culture of caring between the business, the coach, and the client. What this really comes down to be own you show yourself to the consumer and to the staff. It is important that this relationship is always mapped out and when they interact with you they feel comfortable.  Having the customer feel as though they are attached to you is important.  Successful gyms always have a story and people love to be around this type of business. Ultimately where everyone struggles is telling a story and getting all of the coaches and employees to be a part of that story. This is where Out of the Cave Media steps in to help tell this story. One of the important aspects of telling your story is getting your team involved. It is important that they also use social media and help tell the story. Despite this, you do not want to force it upon your team. It is important to motivate your team and get them onboard to contribute to the overall plan. If someone really likes making video but hates doing blogging then you should plan accordingly to achieve the best results. Another important aspect is to showcase your local affiliate culture. Although the CrossFit HQ content is nice and well-polished, putting a face with the name and showcasing who you are to potential clients is really important. Telling your story in a unique and identifiable story allows people to recognize you in the community and relate in a much easier way. Another way to leverage relationships without producing any content is putting yourself in situations where you can talk about your business. The more relationships you build and the more relationships you have the more people are going to care about you and what you have to do. This is more about becoming a leader within your community rather than schmoozing people and luring them into your gym. You want to establish relationships around town and see how you can help them first.  When you truly care about someone they will notice and turn to you for help when they need it.   This episode is full of wisdom. Be sure to be ready to take notes and see how you too can implement these strategies into your own business! Timeline: 0:58 – Dave and Chandler of Out of the Cave Media Introduction 1:39 – What brought Dave and Chandler to this stage of their gym owner career. 8:30 – What exactly is relationship marketing? 9:32 – Why is it important that the client is part of the business' story? 12:38 – The beginning steps to telling your business’ story. 14:30 – What expectations should the staff have for producing content? 18:18 – Perfecting content. I