the train station, accosting people outside the business, local paper ads, corporate outreach (aka cold calls) and hundreds of lead boxes. We employed 6 full time GUN sales people with massive track records in fitness direct sales. We didn't tell the price over the phone, we got the prospect down and showed them the studio then we tried to close them at the end for a 12 month membership. We failed abysmally and almost went under. Eventually we've realised that our market actually doesn't want to be sold to. Of course everyone always says they don't like being pressure sold to, but then most people buy stuff when they are pressure sold, so go figure. However in our case the people of Melbourne weren't joking -- they really don't like being sold to. So one by one we got rid of our entire sales team, we published our prices online, and automated the sales funnel so prospects were encouraged to make up their own minds in their own time at home. Suddenly people were buying from us in droves. We currently employ no sales people and do not ever try to 'close' a client face to face or on the phone. We just offer them the information and they choose to buy (usually online). Over 90% of our sales come through our website with no human intervention at any stage of the process -- so when a new customer walks into the studio for the first time they've usually already