I suggest you bookmark this post for the next time you're making sales calls to leads.
The Internet has changed the way personal trainers do business. When used correctly, social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube have the potential to take you from being a relative industry unknown to a fully booked personal training SUPERSTAR!
With all of the online developments and opportunities that these new marketing channels have created, there is one thing that hasn't changed and won't for many years to come; the power of the telephone call.
The telephone can be your best friend or your worst enemy.
Showing posts with label Sales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sales. Show all posts
Have You Got The Balls To Succeed?
They say: "If YOU don't believe in what you're selling, how do you expect anyone else to?"
Let me ask you a few questions:
Let me ask you a few questions:
- Do you believe that your service and products will change peoples lives?
- Would you buy from you on a bad hair day?
- Do you follow up leads like a hungry lion latched onto a delicious Zebra?
- Do you set sales targets and objectives and make sweet charts?
25 Powerful Words That Guarentee Increased Sales
Did you know that all words were not created equal? That's right; there are words and then there are WORDS...words that evoke POWERFUL emotion, words that motivate and WORDS that convert into sales.
When you prepare your promotional material, what do you consider?
Let Your Words Do The Selling
Like it or not, the personal training and fitness profession is one of the most highly competitive, sales driven industry's out there. So, if you don't like sales, you might as well go wash dishes for a living.
"The greatest salespeople don't sell; they gladly educate and inform" - John Locke
Truth is, doing sales isn't about being 'salesy'. You don't have to wear a sketchy bow tie or pin striped power suit, you just have to inspire and respond to the needs of your prospects.
So what do words have to do with sales?
The words you choose for your marketing and promotional material and even your presentations will have a profound impact on the success of your offer.
I've put together a list of 25 POWER WORDS for you, but before you read them I want you to know one thing; the word YOU, is listed at the top, because it holds the title of being the most powerful word in sales.
So here's the list...copy it, bookmark it, memorize it...but most importantly...USE IT!
I know not all of you will agree with this article; I know some of you hate sales, but if you can use more of these types of words, words that only support and amplify your passion for what you do anyway, your marketing materials and presentations will do the selling for you.
Always love to read your comments below and please spinning roundhouse the crap out of the icons at the top of this article to share on twitter and facebook!
If you don't take action, your competitors will.
Ben
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| Do You Think This Ad Would Convert? |
When you prepare your promotional material, what do you consider?
- The Offer
- The Cost
- The Return
Let Your Words Do The Selling
Like it or not, the personal training and fitness profession is one of the most highly competitive, sales driven industry's out there. So, if you don't like sales, you might as well go wash dishes for a living.
"The greatest salespeople don't sell; they gladly educate and inform" - John Locke
Truth is, doing sales isn't about being 'salesy'. You don't have to wear a sketchy bow tie or pin striped power suit, you just have to inspire and respond to the needs of your prospects.
So what do words have to do with sales?
The words you choose for your marketing and promotional material and even your presentations will have a profound impact on the success of your offer.
I've put together a list of 25 POWER WORDS for you, but before you read them I want you to know one thing; the word YOU, is listed at the top, because it holds the title of being the most powerful word in sales.
- How can I help YOU?
- What would YOU like to achieve?
- Does this sound good to YOU?
So here's the list...copy it, bookmark it, memorize it...but most importantly...USE IT!
- You
- Amazing
- Bonus
- Cure
- Discount
- Discover
- Easy
- Excellent
- Exclusive
- Extraordinary
- Fast
- Fix
- FREE
- Guarantee
- Help
- Important
- Increase
- Incredible
- Money
- New
- Powerful
- Profit
- Quickly
- Remarkable
- Sale
I know not all of you will agree with this article; I know some of you hate sales, but if you can use more of these types of words, words that only support and amplify your passion for what you do anyway, your marketing materials and presentations will do the selling for you.
Always love to read your comments below and please spinning roundhouse the crap out of the icons at the top of this article to share on twitter and facebook!
If you don't take action, your competitors will.
Ben
How To Write A Follow Up Letter After A Failed Sales Presentation
I've received quite a few emails from personal trainers asking my advice on how to write a follow up letter for times when they just weren't quite able to push the sale over the edge.
So today that's exactly what I'm going to give you guys.
Keys to a successful follow up letter:
- Sent within 24 hours, 48 hours max
- Thank them for their valuable time
- Briefly acknowledge how your service matches their fitness goals as discussed during your sales presentation
- Include any information that they may have been curious about during your presentation that you may not have been able to provide
- You should have permission to send a follow up letter (which will be accepted by the prospect when they enter their address/email)
- Offer the prospect something new or different from what you have already discussed
- Alert them that you will be in contact by telephone the following day
- Make sure all of your contact and social media details are enclosed
Dear {Prospects name}
It was a pleasure to meet with you today and I appreciate your interest in {your personal training business name} to guide you towards your {fitness/weight loss etc.} goals.
As you mentioned during our consultation, {example: it's extremely difficult to stay motivated and eat right and that's exactly what we specialize in as you will recall from our client testimonials you read}.
Further to our discussions I have enclosed some more information regarding your {fitness/weight loss etc.} goals that I thought you might find interesting.
I also wanted to remind you about our {current deals} and that for the next week we are also offering {something different that you haven't mentioned before}.
Finally; I know how annoying it can be to receive phone calls during dinner, so I will give you a call {make sure you do!} tomorrow at {whatever time you think will suit} to discuss your options in more detail {i.e. close the deal!}. If this time is inconvenient, please reply or contact me using the details below.
Yours in health and fitness.
You McYou
{Professional signature with logo, social media and contact details}
Besides giving your customers all of your contact details again as well as an exclusive offer, a well presented follow up letter can make the difference between a prospect choosing your business over a competitor who may send a bad one or not send one at all.A good follow up letter also makes your follow up phone call so much more comfortable as you've developed your relationship that little bit more.
Copy/paste, edit, share, email and post this template ruthlessly to everyone who walks out of your gym or studio without a membership.
Do you currently send follow up letters? Would you be offended to receive the template that I've created above or would you be thrilled at the awesome courtesy and professionalism?
If you found this article useful, please share it on facebook and twitter by clicking on the icons at the top.
Be Awesome!
Ben
Additional Reading:
How To Make Free Fitness Promotion Brochures
How To Write A Personal Training Rate Increase Letter
How I Turned Two Hours Work Into Ten New Clients
Personal Training Sales: Overcoming Objections
In the personal training industry there are only 3 objections people can come up with, every other objection is just a variation of these same themes:
- No money
- I already have a trainer
- I'm not interested in hiring a personal trainer
When you get an objection, what do you normally do? Say "OK, bye" or "that's too bad" or "give me a call when you are interested in hiring a personal trainer"? I hope not, or it won't be long before you can't pay for your electricity and this article on your computer is about to disappear!
NEVER respond to an objection with a comment, you HAVE to respond with a question.
Here's an easy one to overcome:
"I already have a personal trainer". The best part of this objection is that it's either untrue or they're not happy with their current trainer, otherwise they wouldn't be sitting in your office or gym reception.
Also, if they raise the objection that they have just paid for 10 sessions with their current trainer, please don't crumble. Calmly advise them that you have facilities in place to acknowledge prepaid sessions which you will discuss in detail after you ask them a few more questions. This is actually a buying signal, so you are on your way if they bring this up.
"I already have a personal trainer"
"That's great! So if I understand you correctly, you're perfectly happy training where/with who you are, is that what you're saying?
"Yes I'm happy training there/with that trainer"
"I agree with you, that gym is fantastic and that personal trainer is amazing, but would you agree with me that no single gym or personal trainer has all the best ideas?"
"Yes I agree with that"
"If I can show you just one idea that will help you achieve your health and fitness goals faster, can I book you in for a free trial session?"
Who's going to say no to that? I would generally book them in straight away and get their pre-exercise questionnaire 'out of the way' on the spot so you have their contact details.
Spend some time thinking about objections that you have received. If you're wondering what objections, think about prospects you have met with that AREN'T clients and replay those meetings in your head, what should you have done differently?
Membership consultants can also learn something from this article, as they face many of the same objections as personal trainers.
Learn the objections, turn them into questions and practise your responses to overcome them.
Here's a great book by Zig Ziglar called 'Selling 101: What Every Successful Sales Professional Needs to Know'
. Have fun with it!
Personal Trainers Who Hate Sales
"I became a personal trainer so I wouldn't have to be a salesperson!" Ever thought or heard that? That's what a friend told me after I suggested a few ideas she could try in her personal training business.
Thing is, the suggestions I made weren't even sales related, just some promotional ideas that she could implement in her new and exciting 'growth strategy', mind you, her idea of a growth strategy was to make healthy muffins for her clients more than once a month.
Some people are absolutely terrified of selling and quit before they've even given themselves a real chance, so I decided to test my friend and see if she was doing sales without realising it.
I asked her to describe a typical work day. Like most personal trainers, she started quite early, meeting clients at the gym. At around 10am she would have lunch and respond to her emails, run errands and make her phone calls. At 2pm she would go back to the gym and help members on the floor and from around 4-7pm she would train clients before heading home for the evening.
As she was listing her daily activities, she was all smug and smiling and I could tell in her mind all she thought was "la la la, helping, loving, caring", in my head as I listened all I heard was "selling, salesperson, genius!".
It was obvious to me that she was employing some fantastic marketing and promotional tactics. Her routine is like clockwork and she takes part in a lot of community activities. Most of her business is by referral which she does not consider sales, for her own unusual reasons.
Sometimes the best salespeople arn't...
Thing is, the suggestions I made weren't even sales related, just some promotional ideas that she could implement in her new and exciting 'growth strategy', mind you, her idea of a growth strategy was to make healthy muffins for her clients more than once a month.
Some people are absolutely terrified of selling and quit before they've even given themselves a real chance, so I decided to test my friend and see if she was doing sales without realising it.
I asked her to describe a typical work day. Like most personal trainers, she started quite early, meeting clients at the gym. At around 10am she would have lunch and respond to her emails, run errands and make her phone calls. At 2pm she would go back to the gym and help members on the floor and from around 4-7pm she would train clients before heading home for the evening.
As she was listing her daily activities, she was all smug and smiling and I could tell in her mind all she thought was "la la la, helping, loving, caring", in my head as I listened all I heard was "selling, salesperson, genius!".
It was obvious to me that she was employing some fantastic marketing and promotional tactics. Her routine is like clockwork and she takes part in a lot of community activities. Most of her business is by referral which she does not consider sales, for her own unusual reasons.
Sometimes the best salespeople arn't...
Are You Using Massive Rapport To Sell Your Fitness Business?
What the f@#k is massive rapport I hear you ask. What if I told you it is one of the most powerful selling tools you can utilize in your sales process to grow your fitness business, be it personal training, membership sales, pro shop...you name it!Let's start out with a rough translation of what massive rapport means: Simply put, you basically mimic or mirror your prospects actions; their body language, gestures, voice tone, the speed at which they speak, pretty much everything they do. Obviously, the trick is to be subtle, you can't look like you're having a go at them or making fun.
Massive rapport is the ability to create trust by understanding and respecting someones world of reality and this can make you have a strong common bond in order to take a lead in any conversation or persuasion to the direction that you want, namely, to buy your product.
Most people do this kind of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) anyway when speaking with others. Next time you're in a conversation, make a mental note of where each others hands are, whether your legs are crossed, if you're both leaning against a wall, all of these things are massive rapport.
In sales, massive rapport has been shown to make the prospect feel at ease. You can imagine why this is important when discussing personal goals and the emotions that are involved.
Massive rapport also makes you appeal to a wider audience of clients. Every day, people from all walks of life step into our gyms and fitness centres; old people, young people, busy people, all kinds of people. When you employ massive rapport into your sales process, you are making a connection with them.
We communicate every day and our success depends on the quality of how we interact with each other and in fulfilling other peoples needs, then getting what you want and this will not happen unless you can create trust.
Here is a short video by Carol Kinsey Goman on mirroring to build rapport in business.
My Business Is Fitness
How To Destroy Your Business And Reputation.
Harsh heading? Perhaps, but I spend so much time talking about how personal trainers can build their fitness businesses and reputations without warning just how easily you can destroy all your hard work and lose clients.
For this post, I'm actually drawing from an experience I had today in a fitness equipment retail store (I love it when this happens). I'm not going to mention what sort of exercise machine it was, but I noticed a woman obviously intrigued by a vibrating platform (oops) and she had done some research on how it could benefit her.
I asked her if she had used one before and she looked up at me with a sour face and said "no" and that her trainer had told her that they were a waste of money and that she would be better off investing in more personal training sessions. (I assume with him)
She then went on to tell me about all of the problems she was having with him and how she wasn't achieving her goals.
Now, I'm not looking to hire a personal trainer at the moment, but if I was, I can assure you it wouldn't be this guy after her rant.
Who knows how many people she is telling this story to, all because this guy dismissed something she is obviously interested in, he is going to lose her as a client and he can forget about anyone she knows signing up.
A smart personal trainer, a fitness entrepreneur would have seen this situation as an opportunity rather than a threat.
Even if you know absolutely nothing about a piece of equipment or a supplement or piece of workout clothing or whatever else might be on late night television at the time, tell your client not to rush into any purchases because you are going to look into it for them.
Even if you find out something negative, you have to let your client draw their own conclusions, so provide them with information from both sides of the fence.
Trust me, they will appreciate the effort, even if it was 10 minutes doing a google search and printing some info from independent reviewers or whoever.
Better yet, give them that information and if they decide to go ahead with a purchase, source a good deal for them perhaps through an affiliate or referral, you may even make a few bucks on the sale.
The moral of the story is to never put down or speak poorly of your competition.
Ben
For this post, I'm actually drawing from an experience I had today in a fitness equipment retail store (I love it when this happens). I'm not going to mention what sort of exercise machine it was, but I noticed a woman obviously intrigued by a vibrating platform (oops) and she had done some research on how it could benefit her.
I asked her if she had used one before and she looked up at me with a sour face and said "no" and that her trainer had told her that they were a waste of money and that she would be better off investing in more personal training sessions. (I assume with him)
She then went on to tell me about all of the problems she was having with him and how she wasn't achieving her goals.
Now, I'm not looking to hire a personal trainer at the moment, but if I was, I can assure you it wouldn't be this guy after her rant.
Who knows how many people she is telling this story to, all because this guy dismissed something she is obviously interested in, he is going to lose her as a client and he can forget about anyone she knows signing up.
A smart personal trainer, a fitness entrepreneur would have seen this situation as an opportunity rather than a threat.
Even if you know absolutely nothing about a piece of equipment or a supplement or piece of workout clothing or whatever else might be on late night television at the time, tell your client not to rush into any purchases because you are going to look into it for them.
Even if you find out something negative, you have to let your client draw their own conclusions, so provide them with information from both sides of the fence.
Trust me, they will appreciate the effort, even if it was 10 minutes doing a google search and printing some info from independent reviewers or whoever.
Better yet, give them that information and if they decide to go ahead with a purchase, source a good deal for them perhaps through an affiliate or referral, you may even make a few bucks on the sale.
The moral of the story is to never put down or speak poorly of your competition.
Ben
How To Tour And Convert Gym Member Prospects Part 2
Welcome to part 2 of How To Tour And Convert Gym Member Prospects.Cont. This is when you stand up and offer to show them around the club. Your tour should be well rehearsed, just as much as your script and objection meeting techniques; your enthusiasm should reflect that in your mind that your gym is the only fitness centre in the world that can adequately suit the prospects needs.
You should have a membership form, notepad and pen with you. I have been so bold as to have them fill out their details sitting on a bench; some people are more comfortable this way.
Many argue that there is no point showing prospects equipment or facilities that they’re not going to use, for example, most guys aren’t interested in group fitness so why show them the room? Simple, this is referral based industry; perhaps they have a girlfriend, a wife, a sister, a daughter…you get the picture.
Take them to equipment they’re familiar with and some they’re not; perhaps you have something you particularly enjoy at your club and give them a demonstration. Your club also has features unique to it, maybe it’s just the atmosphere or the history, but emphasizing this; you need to differentiate your club.
By now you should know this persons fitness goals and history intimately. You should have asked them about availability and practically booked them in for their introductory personal training session. You should have trial closed them on payment plans and know how they plan to pay, this can be as simple as asking how they paid for their last membership, or what they find most convenient.
You’re not selling a gym membership, you are selling results
When you sit down, there should be no more questions, you are simply relaying back the information you have already gathered and filling out the form as you go.
Congratulations.
If you missed part 1 of How To Tour And Convert Gym Member Prospects click here.
How To Sell Personal Training: You HAVE To Believe In Your Product
Sales school 101 suggests that to sell anything well you have to believe in the product you're presenting. Since personal training is a service and not a product, how you sell it differs slightly from say a protein powder or a piece of exercise equipment.
Whatever the type of service you’re selling, be it personal training, bootcamp or any other fitness related activity; your prospective client will carry a high degree of risk and worry when considering buying. They really don't know what they’re getting from you until after they spend their money and actually experience the service that you’re offering. During the sales process, all their buying is a promise that you'll do something for them and they will achieve results.
Clients will look for enthusiasm and confidence in a personal trainer. There are no words you can say that will convince a potential client how much you believe in your product, so you have to show it through your body language and how you respond to their concerns.
Offer a free session in good will. It shows you are confident you can help them and meet their needs. Use this opportunity to briefly develop a relationship and discuss how you can help them.
People are generally more comfortable discussing their personal goals on the gym floor while training than sitting in an office or reception area.
My Business Is Fitness
Whatever the type of service you’re selling, be it personal training, bootcamp or any other fitness related activity; your prospective client will carry a high degree of risk and worry when considering buying. They really don't know what they’re getting from you until after they spend their money and actually experience the service that you’re offering. During the sales process, all their buying is a promise that you'll do something for them and they will achieve results.
Clients will look for enthusiasm and confidence in a personal trainer. There are no words you can say that will convince a potential client how much you believe in your product, so you have to show it through your body language and how you respond to their concerns.
Offer a free session in good will. It shows you are confident you can help them and meet their needs. Use this opportunity to briefly develop a relationship and discuss how you can help them.
People are generally more comfortable discussing their personal goals on the gym floor while training than sitting in an office or reception area.
My Business Is Fitness
What Makes A Successful Full Time Fitness Professional? Part Two.
Continuing on from my article on 'What Makes A Successful Full Time Fitness Professional', here are some more great ideas to expand your earning potential within your personal fitness business.
Start a fitness clothing brand: This might seem extravagant, but how many times have you gone shopping for workout or training clothes and not been able to find what you're looking for? You're probably not the only one who has looked for that item, so why not make it yourself. Imagine rolling up to the gym in your own brand of gear, why promote nike or adidas when you can promote your own. Thanks to the Internet, you can have t-shirts made up for next to nothing; there is drywear, compression wear, all kinds of opportunities if you do some basic research. China is obviously a rich source for this type of apparel and they will gladly send you samples.
Get yourself affiliate endorsements: Make deals with local retailers such as sports and health food stores. Earn a commission on referrals when your clients go into their stores and purchase clothing or nutritional products with your referral. Discount cards for your clients are always a great way to promote this type of endorsement and makes tracking the referral easier for the retailer.
Sell sports supplements direct to your clients: As an Australian business owner, you are able to create a wholesale account with sports supplement companies. It takes more effort than just referring customers to a health food store, however the potential returns are far greater.
Create your own sports supplement brand: Again, the Internet has opened up so many opportunities for entrepreneurs to source out wholesale products and have them branded. Sometimes the quantities are quite large; however, you can usually negotiate a reasonable price for your business.
There are just a few ideas that you can investigate. There are many many more ways you can supplement your personal training income, some are quite simple, some may take some time, research and a small investment, however, if you take your fitness career seriously and you want to make a six figure fitness business, then you will need to diversify and expand.
Please feel free to leave any comments or ideas that you have or have used over the years, we'd love to read them.
If you missed part one of 'What Makes A Successful Full Time Fitness Professional?', Part One.
My Business Is Fitness
Start a fitness clothing brand: This might seem extravagant, but how many times have you gone shopping for workout or training clothes and not been able to find what you're looking for? You're probably not the only one who has looked for that item, so why not make it yourself. Imagine rolling up to the gym in your own brand of gear, why promote nike or adidas when you can promote your own. Thanks to the Internet, you can have t-shirts made up for next to nothing; there is drywear, compression wear, all kinds of opportunities if you do some basic research. China is obviously a rich source for this type of apparel and they will gladly send you samples.
Get yourself affiliate endorsements: Make deals with local retailers such as sports and health food stores. Earn a commission on referrals when your clients go into their stores and purchase clothing or nutritional products with your referral. Discount cards for your clients are always a great way to promote this type of endorsement and makes tracking the referral easier for the retailer.
Sell sports supplements direct to your clients: As an Australian business owner, you are able to create a wholesale account with sports supplement companies. It takes more effort than just referring customers to a health food store, however the potential returns are far greater.
Create your own sports supplement brand: Again, the Internet has opened up so many opportunities for entrepreneurs to source out wholesale products and have them branded. Sometimes the quantities are quite large; however, you can usually negotiate a reasonable price for your business.
There are just a few ideas that you can investigate. There are many many more ways you can supplement your personal training income, some are quite simple, some may take some time, research and a small investment, however, if you take your fitness career seriously and you want to make a six figure fitness business, then you will need to diversify and expand.
Please feel free to leave any comments or ideas that you have or have used over the years, we'd love to read them.
If you missed part one of 'What Makes A Successful Full Time Fitness Professional?', Part One.
My Business Is Fitness
What Makes A Successful Full Time Fitness Professional? Part One.
There are many facets to the fitness industry and even more ways personal trainers and other fitness professionals can successfully diversify their business and expand their income streams than just personal training or group fitness.
It's not enough these days to simply get fitness certified and earn a fantastic, consistant income. Sure, there are personal trainers out there who simply train clients and instantly generate a huge client base; however these are few and far between.
Many personal trainers and fitness instructors have second jobs or even first jobs and personal training or group fitness is just a supplementary income. My question is, why not make your passion your main source of income? Since you obviously love the fitness industry and helping others achieve their goals, wouldn't it make sense to focus more time on expanding your fitness business so you can work full time within a career that you love?
Everyday, there are dozens of newly certified and energised personal trainers and fitness instructors bursting onto the scene and they are all coming out to try and take your business, your client roster. The pool of potential clients’ decreases and holding onto your existing clients becomes tougher; so what do you do?
Diversifying your income stream is a fantastic way to get around the seasonal and competitive nature of the fitness industry and there are some reasonably easy and inexpensive ways to do this:
Write a book: Now that might seem a little daunting, however you would be surprised at how simple it really is. I'm not suggesting you put together something like the 'Arnold Schwarzenegger Encyclopaedia Of Bodybuilding' or anything like that, however a short easy to read, hints and tips guide on training or nutrition is the way to go.
Start an online personal training business: Online personal training has become hugely popular, make some training videos, put together as much useful advice as possible and promote it. Your clients can utilise the site while they are away and you may even get paying subscribers who will willingly buy your ebooks or dietry and training programs.
Start a fitness blog: I've mentioned this before. A blog is the easiest way to get your name out there. They are essentially free to run; all they take is some time and consistency. There are so many ways to generate income from a successful blog including adsense, ebooks, and affiliate programs etc. etc.
Part two of 'What Makes A Successful Full Time Fitness Professional' can be found by clicking the link.
My Business Is Fitness
It's not enough these days to simply get fitness certified and earn a fantastic, consistant income. Sure, there are personal trainers out there who simply train clients and instantly generate a huge client base; however these are few and far between.
Many personal trainers and fitness instructors have second jobs or even first jobs and personal training or group fitness is just a supplementary income. My question is, why not make your passion your main source of income? Since you obviously love the fitness industry and helping others achieve their goals, wouldn't it make sense to focus more time on expanding your fitness business so you can work full time within a career that you love?
Everyday, there are dozens of newly certified and energised personal trainers and fitness instructors bursting onto the scene and they are all coming out to try and take your business, your client roster. The pool of potential clients’ decreases and holding onto your existing clients becomes tougher; so what do you do?
Diversifying your income stream is a fantastic way to get around the seasonal and competitive nature of the fitness industry and there are some reasonably easy and inexpensive ways to do this:
Write a book: Now that might seem a little daunting, however you would be surprised at how simple it really is. I'm not suggesting you put together something like the 'Arnold Schwarzenegger Encyclopaedia Of Bodybuilding' or anything like that, however a short easy to read, hints and tips guide on training or nutrition is the way to go.
Start an online personal training business: Online personal training has become hugely popular, make some training videos, put together as much useful advice as possible and promote it. Your clients can utilise the site while they are away and you may even get paying subscribers who will willingly buy your ebooks or dietry and training programs.
Start a fitness blog: I've mentioned this before. A blog is the easiest way to get your name out there. They are essentially free to run; all they take is some time and consistency. There are so many ways to generate income from a successful blog including adsense, ebooks, and affiliate programs etc. etc.
Part two of 'What Makes A Successful Full Time Fitness Professional' can be found by clicking the link.
My Business Is Fitness
Four Proven Activities To Build Your Fitness Business
The Australian fitness industry is extremely competitive and it is unfortunate that many fitness professionals come across to potential clients no different to anyone else. Most fitness professionals don’t put in the time required to separate themselves from their colleagues and as a result, barely earn a living.
If you want to stand out from the crowd, if you want to maximize your income potential and set yourself apart, you need to employ the following four proven factors for growing your fitness business:
1. Get certified in some interesting, popular programs that set you apart as unique, and that give your clients as much variety as possible. There are hundreds of niche fitness programs, from innovative strength training and boxing fitness to new forms of balance training and stretching. A fitness professional who stops growing professionally through education will quickly find that his or her client list stops growing as well.
2. Write a compelling marketing message that documents your results and point of difference. Most fitness professionals have incomplete marketing messages. It is not enough to present your educational background and credentials. You also have to get into your prospects’ heads by discussing the key fitness problems they face, what these issues mean for them, and how they can benefit with your solutions. Then you have to explain what sets you apart and prove it with testimonials, case studies, and details about your credentials.
3. Get visible as the go-to fitness professional in your community. You want to be the first fitness professional people think about when they have a need. Get out there in your community! Speak. Write articles. Give free demonstrations. Pass out DVD's. Show up at health and fitness expos. Issue press releases to your local publications about fitness news. Have a website or blog that dominates your local search engine listings. Post Youtube videos with sample training exercises. Ask for referrals. Volunteer for non-profit organizations. The more visible and proactive you are, the more people will know about you and enquire.
4. Make marketing your top priority. It’s not fair, but it is true: The most qualified fitness professionals arn't always the most successful. A mediocre fitness professional who makes marketing a top priority almost always earns more money than a world-class fitness professional that waits for clients to come to him or her. Therefore, to succeed as a fitness professional, you need to make marketing your top priority. If you have down time, you should either be learning about new fitness programs to offer your clients, or marketing your expertise by getting visible in your community. That way, you can be the most qualified AND the most successful fitness professional in your community.
Good luck!
My Business Is Fitness
Personal Trainers Need A Variety Of Client Testimonials
A personal Trainer who can present a fist-full of testimonials to a potential client, no matter how long they've been in the business, is already halfway to closing the sale before price even comes into play.
It's no secret that when somebody recommends a product or service, in our minds we give it more value. You only have to look at the billions of dollars companies spend each year to have athletes and celebrities endorse their goods.
Obviously, you and i don't have billions of dollars, probably not even millions of dollars, so the next best thing is to have existing clients write up short and concise testimonials for you.
The best testimonials are supported with pictures
Before and after preferably because everyone loves a before and after story. "I was this fat and ate this junk and had no energy, now I feel incredible and can even see my toes again!" I'd buy that, if dropping some weight was my goal.
A good variety of testimonials is very important because different people have different goals and it also shows your range of expertise. It would not make any sense to show a skinny young guy trying to put on some muscle an overweight woman's transformation to lean mean bikini model, though he may enjoy the pictures.
The best thing is that most clients are happy to do that for you. You can help them write the testimonial and most of the time it motivates them, makes them feel special and is also reminds them how far they've come with you; they will probably invest another ten sessions while they're at it.
Your job for today is to ask two of your best clients for testimonials. Try and get a guy and a girl who had completely different goals and also ask for some before shots. Once you have them, publish them nicely and present them in a folder, call it 'Success Stories’ or something like that. Take some time and do this properly because it will be the most valuable piece of equipment you own.
How To Tour And Convert Gym Member Prospects Part 1
How you tour your gym member prospects can make the difference between a struggling gym salesperson and a respected and successful membership consultant.I consider the fitness centre tour portion of the new member sales process to be a lot like taking someone on a test drive of a car you're trying to sell.
I don't know about you, but I’ve owned many cars over the years, some nice, some absolutely hideous (sky blue Honda Civic circa 1982 model with pink rust repairs no less), but with each and every one of them, my decision whether or not to buy was made during the test drive.
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t buy a car without first taking it for a spin, see if it suits my needs and is something I can see myself owning for a few years. I always find speaking to the dealer or seller much more comfortable while at the wheel and able to ask the right questions.
They were probably able to gauge any of my concerns or objections because of how I was reacting to the drive. You might be able to figure out where this is heading and if you thought the gym tour portion of the membership sales process, you would be right!
Most people know how much a gym membership is before they walk in the door, or at least have a pretty good idea, just as you know how much the car is when you go see it. So why is there so much focus on the price presentation?
In my experience, the club tour is the make or break portion of the sales process and it has absolutely nothing to do with the equipment or the group fitness timetable. This is when you have their undivided attention, they feel more comfortable on their feet to answer your questions and this is the perfect opportunity to meet all of their possible objections and even gather referrals. The potential member is observing your enthusiasm as much as they’re checking out the treadmill and you need to make them feel at ease.
The art of the successful fitness centre tour
After making your introductions and exchanging pleasantries, you run over the prospects goals and fitness experience with them, all the while making a mental visualization of what facilities in your club will best suit their needs. (Well that’s what you should be doing!) There is no need to discuss the equipment or timetables at this point because it will just be too confusing and chances are they don’t know what they want or what half of the equipment does anyway…think how many times you have seen people doing pulldowns thinking it’s an arm exercise.
Part 2 of How To Tour And Convert Gym Member Prospects can be found here.
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