Tag Archives: Personal Fitness

Top Ten Fitness Trends for 2011

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There might be more than 45 days left till the New Year but the American College of Sports Medicine has released its yearly “Top Ten Fitness Trends for 2011”. I found the article to be quite interesting and you can read about the top ten trends here.

Although I find this interesting it is not shocking. The number one trend for next year is the demand for experienced and educated trainers. Even though we might be in a recession and people are tightening their spending, people realize the value of an experienced and educated personal trainer. Also, a fundamental shift in thinking has occurred as more and more people are realizing that healthcare costs are going to continue to rise, and one way for them to help reduce their costs, is to get healthy. To do this, they need an experienced expert, like you, to help them. So, this is great news for personal trainers and fitness professionals. I believe you are going to see this trend to continue and only grow.

The other area that I find interesting is, the number of physician referrals continues to grow. Doctors are prescribing exercise to their clients as means to getting them well. This is another huge shift for our industry and if you do not have a percentage of your business coming from doctor referrals then you are missing out. Find several doctors in your area and start building a relationship with them. Get them to have trust in your abilities and they will start sending business to you.

Well, that is it for now but I want to leave you with this. The health and wellness industry is only going to keep expanding. Find your niche within the industry and become the expert. If you are unsure of what areas are growing go read the list of the top ten trends and find one that interests you. Make 2011 your best year ever!

Coach Dave

Market and Sell your Fitness Business like the U.S. Marines

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Happy 235th birthday to the United States Marine Corps. I have always had a deep respect for the military and for the United States Marine Corps. Several of my friends have served in the Marines and I am thankful for their service. Today, I want to talk to you about how to market and sell your fitness business like the U.S. Marines.

When we talk about marketing we typically are referring to one of the 4 p’s.

Price
Promotion
Positioning (Place)
Product

One of the biggest mistakes personal trainers and fitness clubs make in their marketing is they fail to position themselves in the marketplace. Positioning, is critical to a successful marketing campaign. More often than not, personal trainers and fitness clubs fail at strategically positioning themselves in the marketplace. Typically, what happens is the fitness club or personal trainer wants to be for everyone. I understand that no one wants to turn down business but if you want to market and sell more you need to take a page out the Marine playbook.

Many people might not think that the Marines market and sell, however, that is far from the truth. Let me tell you about a great example of the Marines marketing an selling to potential recruits. One day I was at an event and  I remember hearing a Marine Recruiter get up in front of a crowd after several other branches of the military spoke, whom went on for ten minutes talking about their particular branch of service and the benefits of joining. When the Marine recruiter took the stage it was quite different.  The Marine recruiter said the following:
” Ladies and Gentlemen, I am not going to take up much of your time here. Many of you are not qualified to be a Marine, and my estimate, with a crowd this size, probably only a handful of you have what it takes to be a Marine. So, if you think you are one of the few and proud that can join my brotherhood, see me afterwards.”

How many people do you think went to visit that recruiter afterwards? More than half, but the lesson to be learned here is this.

The Marines position themselves as an elite group of the military. The Marines do not want just anyone. They want the best and bravest men and women this country has to offer. They are selective as should you be. You should not just be for everyone, as well. Decide what you stand for and position yourself in the marketplace as that.

Here are some examples.

You may be the best at providing services that market to adults or maybe you are best at working with post-rehab patients. The point I am making is you need to decide who you are best at serving and position and market yourself that way. Do this and people will flock to you. And yes, you will get people who might not fit that speciality but by standing for something as opposed for everything you create credibility. the funny thing also, is it is amazing sometimes when you tell someone that they are not suited for your business they want to be with you even more.

Go market and sell like the United States Marine Corps!

Happy 235th Birthday U.S.M.C.

Coach Dave