Tag Archives: fitness business

I love Back to School

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 Today was the first day of school for us here in Texas! I always loved the first day of school. For me I always felt like I had another shot at doing better and making better grades. Unfortunately, I seemed to always care more about sports and friends. Well, I guess I do not feel that bad for me because I had some great times and would not change it for the world. I do however, wished I would have spent more time learning back then. The funny thing is I did not start really studying until after college. Okay, I am sure you are wondering what am I getting at so I will get to my quick point today.

Today is the first day of school and for the most part kids are starting over and have the opportunity to make things right for the year but for you and me we do not have to wait until the next school year to make things right. Each day we can approach our career and day as a brand new start. If there is something you want to get better at then set a goal to become better. if you want to change a bad habit that start practicing the discipline you need to break it. Don’t wait until next year to get better and start fresh. Start today and live the life you have always wanted to live.

Times are a Changing

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Have you noticed the changing of the sun in relationship to the sky? Every year there comes a day when I walk outside and say, “Oh, fall is coming, the shadows are different.” Okay, you are probably like my wife and say, “really?” Well, maybe she is right and it is not as obvious to everyone else but one thing I am certain of and that is times are a changing. Hurricane season, back to school, and football is here and that means you need to be done with the lazy days of summer and start planning for the rest of the year. Here is what you need to do to go along with these changing times.

1.) Revisit your goals that you set back for yourself in January and see which ones still seem relavant and important to accomplish this year.  

2.) Go back to your client list and start making calls to get more people back into your personal training schedule. (You do have a list, right?) 

3.) Decide whether or not you are going to raise your rates now or wait till January. Yes, even in a recession you can raise your rates.

4.) Get motivated again. Summer can be a really depressing time for personal trainers because clients are of town for a month and business is slow, so pick up a book that is motivational and start reading.

So the question now is will you go with these changing times or will you stand still and wait for things to happen. I hope you will go with the times and create the success you deserve. By the way I love the fall so you can expect more of these of the cuff posts. Until the next one, go get em!

Coach D

The Answer to the Million Dollar Question

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So how do you get more personal training clients?

This is the million dollar question that every personal trainer asks at some point in their career and I have a simple answer for you today. If you want more personal training clients then you need to create raving fans. Yes, I mean clients who at every chance they get they talk about you and brag about how great their personal trainer is. Now not every client is going to be a raving fan so the key here is to find the ones who are and get them out there talking about you. Okay so you are asking how do I create raving fans? Well it is not as hard as you think and by the end of this post you will know what constitues a raving fan and how to create them.

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So what defines a raving fan?

First of all a raving raving fan comes often. In our profession they personal train 2-3x a week and come week in and week out throughout the year.

Second, a raving fan pays full price. You do not need to give them free sessions or give them a package deal.

Finally, a raving fan is someone who tells people and tells us about it. You will absolutuely know who your raving fan is because they will tell you that they talk about you to all their friends and family and at the same time tell you how much they LOVE you!

Now, let’s assume you are just getting started or maybe you need some more raving fans well this next section is going to be about how to create Raving Fans. 

I have said this before but the single most important way to attract and build a raving fan is to build trust with them. They need to trust you as much as the trust their closest friends and family.

Deliver 2nd Mile Customer service. Matthew 5:41 in the bible states ” If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” Essentially, what this passage is referring to is do the unexpected don’t just reciprocate go beyond. Going the second mile can make the difference between a normal client and a raving fan. It does not have to be something totally crazy but surprise your client by doing something they would have never thought you would do. It could be as simple as sending them a gift card to their favorite retail store after they reached a weight goal. You don’t have to give a lot but you need to give something your client would not ever thought you would do.

The final step to creating a raving fan is to create an emotional experience with your personal training client. If it is all about reps, sets, and exercises you will not connect with them. You need to make it personal and find that emotional hot button that really gets your personal training client engaged. Also, I cannot tell you how important it is to conduct your personal training sessions with enthusiasm. There is nothing more troubling to me then to see a personal trainer stand there with their arms crossed and lips shut throughout the entire session. Show your enthusiasm and energy towards your client.

If you build trust, dekiver 2nd mile customer service and create an emotional experience with your personal training client then you will succeed in building raving fans and ultimately you will get more clients!! Now go get some raving fans!!!

What Business are You in?

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Duh! The Fitness Business, Dave! No, if you are a fitness professional you are not in the fitness business. You are in the business of changing lives. You are in the business of creating experiences for your clients. You are the dream realization business. Too many times have I seen fitness professionals fail because they believe that the business they are in is working out. They believe that it is all about anatomy, biomechanics, sets, reps, and soreness. This is one reason we are having a hard time converting people who currently do not exercise into gym members. Here is a list of things we need to keep in mind when trying to get a prospect to use our services.

1.) Clients buy for their reasons not yours.

2.) Clients want an experience

3.) Clients want their problem solved

4.) Clients buy when they TRUST you

Keeping these four reasons in mind when approaching your business will help when you are in the prospecting mode and trying to gain more business. Don’t get caught in the trap of thinking that you need to inundate a prospect or client with tons of scientific terms and movements. Keep it simple and remember that you are in the business of changing lives and solving problems. If you just focus on solving the client’s needs you will be guaranteed to generate more personal training sales.

Does the “Past” matter?

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When it comes to getting more personal training clients does the prospect’s past experience with a personal trainer matter? Of course it does, and I was made aware of this again today when one of my newest trainers encountered a new member who told her a horrific story about the last time she met with a trainer. Listen, the fitness industry is notorious for creating negative experiences in people’s minds and it makes the job of changing that perception in the prospect’s mind much more difficult. Don’t worry, all hope is not lost, if you are going to have any chance of landing this prospect as a personal training client you are going to need to do the following:

1.) You need to establish trust with your prospect. Become a Trusted Advisor. I have said this before, but I can’t say it enough, ” clients buy because they trust you.” Now in order to establish this trust you need to listen to them and find out what their needs are and show them how you can help them achieve their goals.

2.) Create a memorable experience. Once you have established trust it is important to create a memorable experience. It is so important that the initial experience that a client has is something they enjoy and have fun. Yes, I mean make it fun for your client because if there is one thing that is missing with the “gym experience” is that we, as health professionals, sometimes forgot to have fun and make the experience memorable.

Let me be frank here and tell you that you have an uphill battle when it comes to changing the past of a current prospect but it can be done with the establishment of trust and an experience that leaves the client wanting more. Focus on these two sales strategies and you will win over the past and create a new future for your client. Good luck!

Coach Dave