"Thank You For Calling Beachbody"

These are photos from our first "Executive telemarketing summit" for management to experience and improve the way our inbound telemarketing calls work. Beachbody President Jon Congdon (in the foreground of the first photo), SVP of customer service Jorge Molina, super-sales-guy Greg Walker, Director of Telemarketing Joe Camarillo and I took P90X phone calls all morning to experience what our inbound telemarketing agents do when they get calls from our infomercial viewers.

To say the least, it was enlightening, and marked the start of a new era in how we approach this critical piece of our business. THIS is where "the rubber meets the road", as new customers respond to what they saw on TV. It was one of the most exciting mornings I've had at this company since we started -- because for the first time, I got to speak with customers (anonymously) and get a better understanding of opportunities and challenges created by the offers we broadcast.

I kind of feel stupid for not doing this fifteen years ago, or at least six years ago when we started Product Partners. It's like I was a restaurant owner never waiting a table, or a shop owner never walking the floor of his store to hear what customers are saying. Actually, we have intended that every new employee was going to go through customer service training and even take calls for a week a year. But so far that plan has not materialized as rapid growth required us to get people in, trained, and on to the specific task they were being hired for. But now I can see the advantage to this process. And we will certainly revisit that training concept.

For me, something about getting my mind into "sales mode" - which means getting real people excited about what's possible when you really "Bring It" with a fitness program like P90X - got me back into the spirit of what it takes to radically change the trend of obesity. People don't need a little nudge or a new food pyramid, they need true belief in the solutions they are considering and the momentum created by enthusiasm to make the commitment it takes. People don't want to waste their time - and if the program really works, they need to hear that confidence when they call to order.

As I answered calls, I heard people hemming and hawing, questioning the price, questioning the company they're dealing with. And that's when I would really get excited, because I know that if people go for it, if they follow the P90X program as it is outlined, (or one like it... oh, there is nothing else like it) they WILL get into the best shape of their life! The price is just not the point when compared to the cost of being out of shape. And when people consider the short and long term benefits of being lean, strong, and seeing how well their clothes fit, or when they consider what people are spending for big multi-station machines, gym memberships, or even surgery, our systems are the absolute best value offered anywhere to achieve real, healthy body transformation. It's not just about the information or the equipment you need to get results, it's about whether the system you're using supports you through the challenging times when you'll want to give up. That's where we win every time, because we stay there with people to support them at every step. That's where we're unique, and that's what I got to tell people on the phone today.

This was an exciting morning as other Beachbody management and staff visited our mini-test lab to witness the process. And as usual, everyone who stopped by also pitched-in with suggestions for making things better and to cheer on one of us when they could hear us struggling to answer questions on the fly.

And with this effort, Beachbody has once again demonstrated its commitment to improve everything it does at every turn, and to treat its customers with respect throughout the process. So the next time you order from Beachbody, listen close, you may just be talking to headquarters!