The Unattractive Solution

Built To Grow Fitness Business

“I don’t want to lie in my ads…”

We hear that all the time from gym owners. You want to tell the truth – that your workouts are hard, that results take time, that this isn’t some magic fix... And we get it.

But here’s the problem: If you position your marketing that way, no one will show up at your door.

In this episode, Tim and Zach talk about the uncomfortable reality of fitness marketing and why you can’t lead with how hard your program really is.

Instead, you need to position it as fun and effective in a risk-free manner, even though you know it will require discipline and consistency once they sign up.

And no, that doesn’t make you dishonest. Just like in any other business, you need to get people in the door so you can actually help them. Because if your ad never gets a click, you never even get a chance to tell them the truth. They’ll never show up for a consultation.

So tune in to learn how to lead with attractive language that makes prospects feel confident and capable – and start actually selling your “unattractive solution” to their real, long-term goals.

Let’s dive in!

Key Takeaways:

• Intro (00:00)
• The "unattractive solution" concept (01:57)
• The truth doesn’t work in ad copy (03:48)
• What makes an effective Unique Selling Proposition (USP) (05:04)
• Why simple, risk-free messaging gets attention (08:25)
• The “start slow” mindset among 40+ gym clients (09:53)
• How niche targeting changes your marketing (11:38)
• Recap (13:01)

Additional Resources:

- A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix

- Get 30 days of Semi-Private Pro on us!

- Check out our Switch to Semi-Private course

- Apply to join the Iron Circle

- Get your early bird ticket for the 2025 Growth Summit in Nashville

- Get access to the 2024 Growth Summit recordings

- Tim's new book - Built to Win by Tim Lyons

- ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group

- SOP in a Day Workshop

- Business Accelerator Program

---

If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!