Tag Archives: People

Who are you learning from?

Posted on by
Reply

The question I have for you today is who are you learning from? If I was to take a survey probably about 90% of fitness professionals would tell me that they study or learn from the “gurus” in the industry. Now, I will be the first to tell you that you should learn from people in the industry but if you want real growth and real insight you need to study people and businesses in other industries as well. Starbucks, Microsoft, Dell, Mcdonalds have all been in the business of selling their products and services to consumers. These companies have proven strategies and systems that have made them successful. Study them and learn all you can that can apply to the fitness industry. Now, learning and study what a big company has done is only part of the equation that I am talking about today. The second and probably most beneficial way of learning is study people who know how to sell. There are tons of articles and info on sales but I ran across a website that takes the best articles on sales and puts them all on one website.The name of the site is top10salesarticles.com and they find the best articles across the web and post it all on one site to help keep you from having to search for quality articles. What I find unique about this site is the way they come up with their top ten articles for the month. 50% is from the readers voting and 50% from an expert panel. So far I found some really good articles from people in all different industries. Some better than others but overall some good info. Listen my motto is I try to learn something new everyday and learn at least one thing from an article that I can apply to my profession. You may want to set a different goal but start learning from others and apply it to the fitness industry. Now go check out this site www.top10salesarticles.com and learn something from someone else!

Are You Managing the Game?

Posted on by
1

Last weekend the Florida Gators beat LSU in what most people are calling an ugly win for the University of Florida. According to most of the pundits and my friends the game was boring to watch and the common phrase I heard was all Florida di was manage the game. Here is the point I want to make, regardless of how exciting or flashy the Gators were on Sat night they won the game and in the end accomplished their goal. As for managing the game that is the key to success in business and life. Reflecting back on my life and career I would have to say that I have  “managed the game” because the success I have had has come from being conservative with calculated risk. I am no flashy celebrity trainer like Bob and Gillian from the “Biggest Loser” but I am a disciplined hard worker that has managed to be successful in business in life. Okay, so here is what you need to do to manage your “game” or carreer as a fitness professional. 

I. Understand that your life and career is a journey, not a race! Steady, daily improvement will add up to numerous success stories and accomplishments throughout your career

II. Continue learning! I have said this so many times I am beating it to death but in order to manage the game properly you need to keep improving your skills and learning new ones. Times are changing and you need to be poised to capitalize on new technologies and new information. 

III. Build trust! If you are going to be a leader or person off influence, which every fitness professional is, then you need to have those people that follow you have trust in what you say and do!

IV. Learn to adapt! You need to be like a chameleon. Adapt to your current surroundings. If the economy is sagging you need to figure out how to adapt to lower consumer spending. Learning to adapt to your surroundings is one of the biggest keys to managing your career.

 

These four tips are just a few ways that you can manage your career and life. Remember, there will be times that day to day activities seem boring but the steady, conservative, calculated risk approach will get you the success you deserve and want. On a final note, I can tell you that if the Florida Gators win the rest of their games by being boring and “managing the game” I know that I will be extremely happy Gator fan with another National Championship to our trophy case.

It is Lonely at the Top

Posted on by
Reply

album.php.jpg

The first two weeks of the college football season is over and my team is still atop the national rankings. I know a lot of my friends will give me a hard time for the teams we played the last two weeks but regardless of who we played there are always going to be people who will be naysayers or will try to bring you down. You need to avoid these people like the plague. And if you have personal training clients that do nothing but bring your enthusiasm or passion down every time you meet with them it is a must to cut ties immediately. In all the years that I have been involved in managing personal trainers I have never seen a positive outcome occur when a personal trainer has a client that does not connect with them. I know it is difficult to turn down a paid personal training session but let me tell you that in the long run you will come out ahead if you sever the relationship before it gets out of control.  So, the take away from this post is that there is going to be a time when you encounter someone who is going to try and take you down and if that occurs stand up and be a leader. Tell the personal training client that you can no longer work with them and move on. Trust me you will stay on top if you listen to me!

 

Coach D

It’s not the Recession It’s You

Posted on by
Reply

I am tired of hearing from everyone saying it is the recession that is causing me not  to do as well in my business. Apple, the company that has changed the way we listen to music and use phones today is a prime example of businesses that are prospering during this recession. The company sold 2.6 million Macs, up 4 percent from a year ago, and 5.2 million iPhones, a 626 percent leap from a year ago. Totally Mind Boggling! Those numbers are from the previous business quarter and they tell me one thing and that is if you have a product or service that people want, it does not matter how bad the economy is they will seek it out and buy it.  So, stop blaming the economy and focus in on changing you. People are going to buy from people they like and trust. Pretty simple and the first thing you need to do is start becoming a person who is likable and trustworthy and you will break this bad economic cycle and will start to prosper. See you on the other side.

Coach Dave

Do you really want to be a personal trainer?

Posted on by
Reply

I get asked this question all the time. Dave, did you always know that you wanted to be a personal trainer? My answer is No. When I was going to school personal training as a career was not something that schools either had a curriculm for or it was not looked upon as a career profession. The perception was that all you needed to be a personal trainer was a great physique and a certification. Not so anymore. Today, personal training is looked upon as a viable profession and is earning the respect it deserves. Okay, I have that off my chest and what I really want to talk to you today about is whether or not personal training is for you?

     As I mentioned above I did not always know I wanted to be a trainer and one of the most common questions I get is “How did you know that you wanted to be a personal trainer?” Well, I tell them it took 33 years and the passing of my father from a massive heart attack to realize that my purpose in life was to help people with their health and wellness. Let me tell you I struggled early on with being a personal trainer. It was not easy making $18 that first paycheck but somehow I just kept pushing through and my constant push to improve myself has led me to where I am today. So, now I am going to ask you, ” Do you really want to be a personal trainer?”

 

If you can answer yes to the following questions then you might just have found the right career for you.

Can you take rejection from people whom you know need your help but choose to do it on their own?

Can you be positive and upbeat one session after another?

Can you work early mornings and late evenings to build up a clientele? 

Can you work off of 100% commission? 

Are you committed to constant learning?

Well, if you answered yes to all these questions above you are the right path to being able to say personal training is for me. Now, if you are still unsure about being a trainer and you have a passion for health and fitness don’t give up because passion and commitment can ultimately win out. You just need to know that the path can be challenging and I wanted you to know a little bit of what it takes to be a successful personal trainer. 

Coach Dave