Posted by Steve Hochman on January 30, 2014 at 2:47 pm
Dealing with objections in sales is never easy, especially when you are selling personal training programs. It’s just not fun to hear “no thank you” after you’ve spent time with a prospect, explaining all the benefits and features of your training program… why it’s important to exercise… why they should take their health seriously… how being fit affects other areas of your life in a positive way… blah, blah, blah and so on.
Your prospect already knows this stuff. They know it’s unhealthy to be overweight, they know that diet and exercise are vitally important in healthy living, and they know that if they don’t change then what ever issues they’re dealing with might get worse. Your potential clients don’t need to hear all this from you- and it’s not your job to explain how awesome exercise really is.
The trick is to get right down to it and figure out why they haven’t made that change for themselves yet. Sometime people just need a push in the right direction- and that’s where you come in.
Some of your prospects might have been overweight for years and are just now seeking the help of a personal trainer. Others might not be overweight, but they lack energy to get through their day without loading up on tons of caffeine. Others may have been athletes when they were younger and want to get back into shape. Some may have never even exercised before and aren’t really sure of how to start.
So, if you find yourself dealing with a lot of objections when selling your personal training packages, then that’s step number one. Find out what drives them.
Why They Say No
Why do people say no when buying a product or service that they want? Simply put, there’s a lack of these four little things: need, urgency, trust, and the most frustrating of all- money.
One of these four objections are at the heart of every single “no” you hear, so if you get good at identifying which objection your prospect is using then you’ll be much more prepared to overcome them. Each objection is important to understand because they all require a different way of handling the issue.
Here’s how to handle a lack of…
Need
Basically, a prospect or potential client has to have a need for your services, which is probably likely because you’re selling personal training- and everyone needs to exercise. But not everyone feels like they “need” to pay for a fitness program to help them exercise.
One way to overcome a lack of need is to sell your prospects on results. Not the mechanics of getting there, but what they’re going to get if they stick with your program. The outcome. By focusing on the value and the outcome of your program, you’ll create a need for it. But if you focus too much on features like the square footage of your gym or the exercises they’ll be doing if they sign up, you’ll lose their interest and devalue what you actually do.
Urgency
This objection is usually the one that drives personal trainers crazy. They go through all this trouble to figure out someone’s needs and they finally find it but the timing isn’t quite right. They may have even said something like “I’d love to, but it’s not the right time for me”.
Chances are, if this is someone’s biggest objection, then you probably didn’t demonstrate the impact of your solution well enough. What you offer has to be a solution for a problem that you’re going to help them solve. And if they’re not really ready to solve that problem, it’s up to you to show them that they are- with your help, of course.
Taking time to figure out their needs will really help you in this step, and if you listened well enough then you can use a lot of what they said to make a big emotional impact. People buy with their hearts- not with their brains… so it’s important to create a sense of urgency when sitting down with someone.
Ask open ended questions that forces someone to give up a little information about themselves. Questions like, “What bothers you the most about the extra weight?”, “How do you feel when go shopping for new clothes?”, “At what point in your life did you feel the best?”, “How is your energy level throughout the day?”. Really pay attention to their answers so you can refer back to them and help them decide that now is better than never.
Trust
You’ve heard us say this a billion and one times, but it’s so incredibly true: people have to know, like, and trust you before they’ll buy from you. That’s why referrals are the perfect potential client because they already trust that you can get results- or they wouldn’t have been recommended by someone you train in the first place.
Exposure is one awesome way to build up your know, like, and trust factor. Start making Youtube videos of home workouts and share them on your business’ Facebook Fan Page. Write helpful articles on health and fitness and send them to your email list. Try submitting one of them to your local newspaper. Write case studies on your best, most transformed clients to show that you really know your stuff. (more…)
Posted by Steve Hochman on January 27, 2014 at 4:20 pm
Fitness boot camp marketing isn’t very different from marketing another type of personal training business. In fact, when it comes right down to it- marketing a boot camp is actually a lot less costly than it’s one-on-one personal training counterpart, so that’s something to consider if you’re thinking of starting a fitness business and haven’t decided which business model to adopt.
Marketing is the lifeblood of your business so if you don’t have a very good grasp on it, don’t worry. This post is all about laying down the fundamentals and getting more clients for your business.
But before we get into any of that- there’s one thing that we have to get crystal clear. One important aspect to your business that, if you don’t have it, will make growing your business impossible. And that one thing is RESULTS. You have to know how to get your boot camp clients results. Look, you’re a personal trainer and if you can’t get this one thing right then you’re not cut out to be a fitness business owner.
If your clients aren’t completely raving over their results then that’s your first marketing step. Get results. Now, let’s say that you already know how to get your clients results like the professional you are- are you delivering an awesome experience? That’s fitness marketing step number two. Get results and create exciting workouts that don’t bore your clients.
Once you’ve got these two basic things down pat, you’re ready to roll out with some of these other awesome marketing techniques.
Referral Generation
Referrals are great- they come to you already trusting what you have to offer because they were recommended to you by a loved one and they’re much easier to sell to than someone who just found you off the street. Having referral generation systems in place will help you to get more of the leads that convert.
One way to naturally get clients to refer you is for you to have a banging boot camp, and just like we mentioned earlier- you have to do your part to make sure that you’re getting results and that you’re creating an awesome experience for people to be raving about your boot camp.
Not only should you do all that, but you also need to set the expectation for referrals early on. When a new clients signs on with you, be sure to say something like, “Mrs. Smith, as I help you become more fit and in the best shape possible, can I count on you to help me get what I’m after, which is more awesome clients like yourself?”
By setting up this expectation first and foremost, you’re never going to feel awkward asking for them down the line, should you ever need to. And most will appreciate you being up front about it. And if you’re going out of your way to deliver results and a great experience, your clients will have no problem recommending you to their friends and family.
If you have a boot camp that’s already established then running a referral contest is a great way to get more leads quickly. Make the prize worthwhile like an iPad or something cool, and give out points for referrals. The client with the most points wins the prize. Award the prize in front of everyone and make a big deal out of it so that others will know that you reward referrals. (more…)
Posted by Steve Hochman on January 21, 2014 at 6:05 pm
Starting a fitness business, whether it’s group personal training like a boot camp or it’s a one-on-one personal training studio, is the natural progression for personal trainers who want to branch out. Especially if they’re stuck in a big box gym without much freedom. Learning the ins and outs of starting a business probably feels very overwhelming, but when it comes to fitness businesses there are tons of low-cost (and even free) ways that you can market so you’re constantly signing on new clients.
Here are three fitness marketing tips that you can use to start your gym or boot camp off without a hitch.
Who’s Your Ideal Client?
This is vitally important to figure out. Who do you want to serve most in your fitness business? Who is going to benefit the most from my program? By asking yourself these kinds of questions, you’ll be able to narrow down a niche for you to market and cater to. The reason this is so crucial is because your business will rely on marketing. Marketing to get you leads, which turn into clients, but in order for your marketing to be effective- it has to speak to a specific audience.
Not defining your niche market is actually one of the biggest mistakes that new fitness business owners can make. People buy things when they feel like their problems will be solved or when they feel understood, and it’s important to remember this when coming up with your target market. Once you know who you’re selling to, it’s easier to speak their language and get them buy personal training from you.
Good examples of niche markets include new moms who want to lose weight, student athletes, baby boomers or the elderly, busy people who don’t have time to work out, or those who are looking for complete body transformations. The more niche your program, the more you can market the hell out of it. If you chose to market to any and everyone from age 10 to 90 then you’ll have a much harder time making a connection with your potential clients.
Build Relationships
Believe it or not, being a fitness business owner means that you have to be social. Social with your leads, potential clients, and current clients. In order to grow your business to massive success you have to get your name out there and one way to do that is to take the time to build relationships. Relationships with local businesses that relate to your niche market. See a pattern here? You really can’t do much until you narrow down who you’d ideally like to serve.
Once you’ve defined your niche market, find out where these people like to hang out. For moms it might be a gymnastic center or a hair salon. For student athletes it might be some type of trendy, healthy type of restaurant or cafe. Also consider the businesses that are in a close vicinity to yours, whether or not they relate to your niche or not, and ask them how you can promote THEIR business to your clients, then you’ll have the opportunity to ask for their help.
You always want to go into these businesses with a giving hand. Help others so they’ll be more likely to help you. Say something like, “Hi! My name is JOE and I own the local fitness studio down the street and what I’d like to do is offer you free personal training for the next 30 days (or whatever you feel is appropriate) so you can come in and see what we’re all about, and I’d like to let my clients know about your business because they might want to come in and get their hair done (or whatever the business is). Do you have any handouts I can give to my clients?”
Then, you’ll want to follow up with them in a week or so to let them know that the handouts they gave you were a big hit (even if they weren’t). Ask them if they’re able to help you out by promoting your business to their clients and email lists. Let them know about any special offer that you have going on and even give them a couple of coupons or flyers or postcards (if you have them), heck even business cards will help.
Posted by Steve Hochman on January 17, 2014 at 3:12 pm
Being a personal trainer, no one really gives you the blueprint on how to sell your services when trying to get more clients to grow your business. Selling is important because if you’re not able to convert the people who are interested in training with you into paying customers then you’re never going to have a successful business. As personal trainers, we are the ones who change people’s lives for the better, but it’s impossible to do so without selling them the fitness packages they need to get results. The more people you help, the more money you’ll earn in return.
Okay, that may sound a little cheesy, but it’s important that you have a positive outlook on sales in order to be good at it. If you view it as an “unnecessary evil” in growing your business then you’ve got the wrong idea. Sales and personal training go hand in hand. You want to have a good relationship with your clients, right? Learn how to sell to them in a way that it doesn’t even feel like a sale, but more like a friend trying to help another lose weight and get in shape. Most personal training or boot camp business that fail do so because they lack the ability to convert leads into clients. Be open minded about sales, and try not to hate the process.
One of the best things you can do for yourself is to stop thinking of sales as a negative thing. Selling only feels negative because we all hate getting sold to insincerely, so if you have a better outlook on it then you’ll come across much more genuine and likeable.
2. Be Passionate.
Energy is contagious, and if you’re fired up about helping your potential clients lose weight and look great then that will show whenever you sit down to meet with them. Even if selling isn’t your strong point, being passionate about your services will help sell more than if you were unenthusiastic. No one wants to train with someone who lacks energy, so make sure that you’re excited and in a good mood during consultations.
Remind yourself of why you became a personal trainer in the first place. It’s not an easy job, and not an easy business to run if you’ve got one, but if you remind yourself that you’re in it to help people then you really can’t go wrong. You have to have a passion for changing lives and if you do, you’ll grow your business faster than you thought possible and achieve the type of freedom you want.
3. Figure Out the Reason Why.
People from all walks of life will come to you for help with weight loss, muscles building, strength training, or just to become healthier overall, and it’s your job to find out why. Why does the person you’re meeting with want/need your help? And why do they want/need it now? They may have been overweight for years, so what would finally drive them to seek help? (more…)
Posted by Steve Hochman on September 17, 2013 at 2:27 pm
Fitness bootcamps are becoming enormously popular for a number of reasons. People can train with a friend or friends, at a time that’s convenient for them and they can even make new friends. Being part of a group also helps keep attendance rates high, and of course a well-run boot camp is fun and very effective in delivering fast results.
If you’ve been in the personal training industry for any length of time, you’re probably not earning what you want to earn just with a handful of one-on-one clients. If you’ve heard what many boot camp owners are making for the hours they work, no wonder you’re looking into starting a series of boot camps of your own. I didn’t even mention you can kiss your boss goodbye!
You can earn more, and spend the rest of the day doing what you want to do.
Location
Typically, most people think of boot camps as being held outdoors. There are a few advantages, specifically you don’t have to pay rent and you have no overheads. That’s great, until it snows or rains and your 6am class has to work out in the dark. There’s always the possibility the local authority that runs the park may changes its rules.
The alternative is to lease or sub-lease space. Sub-leasing can be the most advantageous choice for those starting their first boot camps. Why? Because you don’t have to invest a lot of money.
Posted by Steve Hochman on August 26, 2013 at 11:55 am
One of the main reasons why people decide to start their own fitness boot camp business is to make lots of money. It works, but only if it’s done right. The difference between personal training, small group training, and a bootcamp with, say, 30 participants is simply the amount of people who turn up. More people, more money right?
Well in theory that’s true, but it’s very difficult to give as much personal attention and guidance to 30 people as you could with one-on-one training. If you ignore the needs and abilities of anyone who attends your classes, you’re going to run into trouble. You’ll spend more time recruiting and dealing with bad publicity than actually training anyone.
There are far too many people with the wrong ideas about boot camps anyway. The U.S. Army always comes to mind first, and that’s a scary prospect for an overweight mother of three. The word “small” in small group training may be more attractive, but it still won’t help if your sessions are not planned properly and are not tailored specifically to each of you client’s needs.
When you train someone in a one-on-one situation, you get to know him or her. You quickly learn what they can and can’t do, what they’re good at, and what they’re physically not up to. You also get to know their personality and, very importantly, their medical history. If someone gets hurt in any situation, it’s probably your fault - not the client’s!
So you want to start your own fitness business. Congratulations on making a wise decision that means you’ll be doing something you love, for as long as you want to do it, with the potential to make a lot of money.
Now, where do you begin?
Find the Right Property
The first thing you’ll probably want to consider is a property. Depending on where you are, you may have already seen a suitable property that’s in good condition and doesn’t need a ton of money spending on it.
Hopefully the property will be owned by a decent landlord, with lease terms that won’t keep you awake every night worrying about the air conditioning or the roof caving in.
Hire a real estate attorney who can look over the terms of any lease before you sign on the dotted line, after you’ve decided how long a lease you’ll be comfortable with.
Posted by Steve Hochman on July 10, 2013 at 11:22 am
It doesn’t matter if you’re starting a personal training business or a fitness boot camp, you’ll need a solid business plan that includes an effective marketing plan if you want to get on the fast track to success.
Learn everything you can about marketing. Find out what works for you and concentrate on putting your plan into place so everybody - you, your staff and your clients, will always know what to expect.
Set Goals for Your Business
Your business plan must include goals. Where do you want your business to be in 12 months, three years and in 5 years?
Only you know how much time and effort you want to dedicate to your business. Many small-business owners end up working seven days a week without a break and that isn’t good. Hence planning well ahead means you can take much needed time off without feeling guilty and you should also be able to take a vacation.
How much money do you want to be earning in five years time? If you can set a realistic goal and work towards that financial goal, you’ll find that instigating an effective business plan will help spur you on.
Finding and utilizing a number of effective marketing techniques will be key to your success. By planning, you can experiment. By setting goals, you’ll be able to drop those marketing techniques that are not working and concentrate on those that are. Therefore, you must always be aware of where your referrals are coming from and which convert the best.
There are many hard working, talented, and dedicated trainers who are quite happy clocking in and working for someone else every day of their lives. I’m sure a large number of them have at one time or another considered starting a fitness boot camp business. For the majority the biggest problem is raising the capital, but one of the biggest advantages of starting a Boot Camp Business is you don’t need an enormous amount of money to get started.
You can treat the fitness industry like a normal J.O.B., or secure your financial future by looking beyond the one-on-one training sessions by starting your own boot camp business in just a matter of weeks. No more working long hours, six days a week and taking only a small percentage of the profits – you can have it all!
Be honest and ask yourself what are your goals are in life. Some will say they just want to be able to pay their bills each month. Fine - there are plenty of jobs in the fitness industry for those people, but if you’re ambitious, have the tenacity and will to succeed, and want to pay off your mortgage in five years rather than dragging it out for 30, then starting your own Boot Camp Business will be the ideal solution.
Working six days a week also means you have very little time for your family and/or loved ones. I don’t know too many spouses/lovers/girlfriends that will put up without ever seeing you in daylight, or those who wouldn’t love some weekends away and at least one good vacation each year. Living with someone who falls asleep exhausted as soon as their buns touch the couch is another reason why relationships fall apart. You’ll be starting your own Boot Camp Business for those you love as much as you, so get them involved.
This blog is about flooding your boot camps with new clients using the most POWERFUL, TESTED and PROVEN boot camp marketing formulas on the planet.
Simple put, this stuff is proven to work... Period.
In fact, after fixing the old "broken" boot camp model, I co-founded Fit Body Boot Camp, the largest fastest growing and most in-demand boot camp franchise in the world.
If you' re ready to DOMINATE and get a ton of new clients, you've come to the right place!
So visit this blog often, take massive action and get the live lifestyle of your dreams.
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