Your gym needs a strong digital presence. 

You have one chance to turn a browsing maybe into an interested client, a single opportunity to get them to choose you instead of the gym down the street.

Do not underestimate the need to excel here.  Every consumer in the connected world now builds their impression of your gym’s professionalism, potential for fun, and suitability to their needs via the Internet.  They forego the cost of an in-person visit for the convenience of a quick digital snapshot, every time. 

If you fail here, your success will suffer, and you’ll never know they came looking.  On the other hand, if you can hook them quickly and get them to love your gym on sight, your odds of turning them into paying client skyrocket.

Here’s how to do it...

While I can hardly improve upon Greg Glassman's brilliant description of the CrossFit methodology (Foundations, here), I nonetheless hope to obliterate a misconception that has sprouted around the practice, one that I would sooner see die.

This misconception (and the resulting attack) does not come from a lack of clarity on Greg's part.  Rather, it comes from a lack of understanding on the part of the critic as well as the unstudied adherent; the inability to see grey in a world that craves black and white.

The CrossFit methodology is exceedingly descriptive yet concise, its depths masked by the economy of its founder's words.  Greg assumed his audience would bring the dual weapons of common sense and real-world experience to the table, able to interpret and apply general rules through deduction and inference.  He treats his reader like an intelligent adult.  Sadly, his teachings and the correspondingly powerful rules they contain were often heard in partial form, the caveats ignored in favor of the bold soundbite, the intelligence and corresponding actions of the listener falling short of Greg's stipulation.

The CrossFit Affiliate model is a brilliant piece of social engineering.  Based on a licensing agreement, it allows the rapid proliferation of CrossFit gyms worldwide by granting both reward and responsibility to the Affiliate owner.  

This simple action, placing reward and responsibility at the lowest possible level, aligns the Affiliate's interest with the interest of the brand: whether out of moral imperative or a profit motive, the Affiliate grows, attracting more CrossFitters to the movement.  CrossFit sustains an environment in which Affiliates can thrive, creating low barriers to entry while providing a stream of educational opportunities, inspirational content, and national-level media, furthering the Affiliate's success.   

This symbiotic and co-dependent relationship is the heart of the CrossFit Revolution.  When the Affiliate grows CrossFit grows, and vice versa.

Overlayed on a simple, effective, and community-oriented training program, the model has led to rapid Affiliate growth, a phenomenon further fueled by the rise of CrossFit as an action sport and the subsequent attraction of big-name sponsors.

The question naturally emerges: is this growth sustainable?  In other words, when does the CrossFit Affiliate model reach maturity?  When does worldwide proliferation reach its peak?