How To Grow Your Fitness Business Using The A.P.E. Principle
Posted by Steve Hochman on Mon. Oct. 11th, 2010
Hey, Steve here and I hope you're week is of to an awesome start.
Check out the text that I just got from Fit Body Boot Camp owners Cara and John Eckerman.
You may remember them from my "Gun To The Head" post.
They were the Fit Body Boot Camp members who were about to quit, then after a pretty intense coaching call, flipped the switch and DOMINATED!
Well the fact that their Fit Body Boot Camp is pulling $18k a month (And rapidly growing) is cool, but...
The fact that they are doing it almost 100% by referrals is friggin amazing.
You see, Cara is literally building a "cult"-like following of fiercely loyal clients all because she is using my A.P.E. principle combined with MASSIVE ENERGY
Here is how my A.P.E. Principle works...
"A" for APPRECIATION! - The two most desired human emotions are the feeling of being appreciated and the feeling of being important.
Most people do NOT feel appreciated my their boss, their spouse or their kids.
This means, that you may be your clients ONLY source for the two most powerful human desires... Do you think this can get you better client retention and tons more referrals?
You bet it does!
"P" for PASSION! - Passion keep things fresh and new.
And passion is made you want to start and grow your fitness business in the first place (OR at least I hope so)
The best way to keep your passion supercharged is by constantly learning new excersises and routines.
This can be accomplished by simply watching videos on youtube.com.
The point is, without passion, you're workouts will always have that "new car smell"
"E" is for enthusiasm! - Enthusiasm SELLS... It's the glue that holds everything together.
And then of course there's ENERGY! - Having the discipline to "bring it" each and every workout... And NEVER taking what we do for granted.
A few more thoughts...
I just did a coaching call with my man Shaun Sterling and he asked me if he could do a blog post to share what has helped him retain clients over the last 10 years.
He calls it the "7 Rules For Keeping Your Clients For Life" and whether you're a new trainer or just want a few good client retention ideas, then you will enjoy this post.
And heeeeere's Shaun...
Hi, Shaun here, and I'm excited to share some of what I've discovered about retaining clients over the past 10 years.
If you’re new to the industry or just want to increase your client retention then this post is for you.
Rule #1: Quit counting and start motivating!
It friggin drives me crazy to see trainers just counting reps, standing around thinking that's their only job.
Listen, if people wanted counters, they wouldn’t hire personal trainers.
You are a MOTIVATOR and that is what you are being paid for.
I am always shocked to see trainers counting 1….2….3…..etc…. till there blue in the face and wondering why they can’t keep their clients.
Never, I repeat never, be a counter!
Its fine to keep track of reps, sets, etc… but let’s get real here.
People want to be motivated to work out.
If they didn’t, they wouldn’t hire you! Plain and simple!
Rule #2: Track their progress!
If you want to keep your clients happy, they need to see verifiable results.
Whether it’s measuring weight, body fat, etc… they need to see this or you may seriously risk losing them.
Rule #3: Get to know your clients!
Let’s face it, people go to people they like.
So if you don’t get to know them, they will feel like you're just after a paycheck and not sincere in your job to help them reach their goals.
I have honestly had clients that let me know the code to their house so I can get there early and be ready to go.
I have been to family birthday parties, holiday gatherings, etc… to get to know my clients families and friends.
By doing this, who knows, you might even get another client or meet someone who knows someone who needs a trainer.
Rule #4: Be punctual and I mean extremely punctual!
I can honestly count how many times I have been late in over ten years on one hand.
I am always at least 15 minutes early and if I am training them in a studio, I make sure to get there early just to make sure I have a towel, water, etc handy for them from the start.
Trust me these little details go a long way.
Rule #5: Change up or ship out!
By this I mean change up their routines regularly, at least every 2-3 weeks.
People want constant change.
It keeps variety in your method and keeps them from getting bored.
I learned this one the hard way - When I got started in the business I thought I knew the best methods and rarely deviated from them.
By doing this I lost client after client.
I then came to the realization that the reason I was losing clients was because of this single rule.
Don’t make the mistake I did. Constantly change things up.
Rule #6: Practice what you preach!
I have to say the one thing that drives me crazy more then “counters” is fat trainers.
How in the world do you have credibility as a trainer, fat loss expert, etc… if you are not fit yourself?
I have worked for several companies throughout the years and never could understand the fat trainer mentality.
Your body is one of your best sales tools.
Use it! Keep it clean, fit, and in good health.
I don’t mean you have to be ripped to shreds but at the very least take care of yourself.
Rule #7: Do your research!
What you learn in a personal training certification is very small in comparison to the knowledge that is available out there. Constantly read up on the new strategies out there and see if they work for you first before using them on your clients.
However, if you want to try out a new rapid fat loss method and you obviously can't try it out yourself, then approach the knowledge as an opportunity to try it out on a willing client.
All the best in your personal training business!
Shaun Sterling – CPT, CYT
Ok... Steve here again...
I hope you got a few gold nuggets,or at least a few good reminders from this post.
Now go get your A.P.E. on!
Your biggest fan,
Steve 🙂
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