Donna Fisher on Using Speaking to Market Your Fitness Business

Chris McCombs (CM): I'm here with Donna Fisher. Hi Donna. Can you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do?

Donna Fisher (DF): Okay, great. I'm an author and a speaker and a trainer, and my niche is to teach people to communicate and connect in a way that makes a difference, how to network to grow their business, and how to market themselves through word of mouth marketing. So I have several books on the topic. I have Power Networking, People Power, and Professional Networking for Dummies. And I've conducted programs for people all over the country in all types of industries.

CM: How can personal fitness training business owners use networking to improve their businesses?

DF: Well, I think networking is a really important part of a business, especially someone that owns their own fitness business or is sole proprietor, because networking is about getting the word out and it's about creating visibility for the business. Often times people - it's a matter of how can more people learn about you. And there are a lot of, I think, personal trainers out there who - then they do work at a gym but they also go into people's homes. So they don't necessarily have a marquee where they have their name out there to create the visibility, so it's up to their network to get their name out there. The more people know about them and value them and are aware of how to be in touch with them, then the more the word can get spread about who they are and what they do. So I think it's the most economical, and at the same time, the most efficient marketing tool that anyone can use for their business.

CM: How can fitness trainers connect with people quickly, easily, and leave a positive lasting impression?

DF: Well, I think the quickest way to connect with people is to give your full attention to the other person. I think in networking, often times what happens is people get out there in the community and they go to events, and they get nervous, and their whole attention is on themselves. You know, what they're going to say, how they're going to introduce themselves, how can they make it interesting, make sure they get their card or brochure out there.

And I think that the quickest way we connect with people is really to pay - to learn how to give our full attention to another person, and to listen in such a way that they feel a connection. And so I think listening, being available to people, paying attention, listening, and gathering information about people. I think often times people are interested, again, in making sure they get their information across, making sure they get their spiel across. And I think what's more important is to make sure we create a connection, because if I create a connection with someone, then I'll have the opportunity to talk with them later, call them up next week, because I've created that connection.

And then also through listening and creating the connection, then I know more about them and their lifestyle, and their goals, and their desires, so that I can really relate to them what I have to offer that's more specific to them versus just a generic spiel.

Years ago I was a marketing rep for McDonnell Douglas, and I remember 15-20 years ago when I would be on the phone calling people to make appointments, and someone would go, "Okay, let's schedule an appointment for next Friday from 2-3." I'd put that on my calendar. And then I noticed over several years of time, when I was calling people to make appointments, that it became a matter where people felt like they had less time to give. So they would be, "Okay, how about next Friday? Can we handle this in 15 minutes?" And I remember back then just being aware of that and thinking, "What I need to do is learn how to connect with people more quickly. If people are tending to feel so busy that they have less time to give, then what I need to do is learn how to connect more quickly." And that's when I really started paying attention to that.

Lots of times the tendency would be, if I thought I only had 15 minutes, would be to go in and make sure I use those 15 minutes to get my message across. And I just thought, you know, I don't think that's the best use of those 15 minutes. I think the best use is for me to go in, ask questions, learn more about the, create a connection. So that I have more information rather than just talking about things I already know about, because anything I can tell them about me and my business I already know. What's important to me is to learn more about them, and their business, and their wants and needs. And if I don't get to give my spiel then, like I said, I can always do that with them later.

So that's my thoughts on connecting quickly and easily.

CM: How can a personal trainer create top of mind awareness?

DF: Well, I think top of mind really has to do with staying in touch. Once you make that initial connection, then what can you do to keep people aware of you? So the top of mind is how do I stay at the top of their mind? How do I stay in their awareness. So probably the deal is how do I stay in people's awareness so that when they are talking to someone tomorrow at a luncheon, or wherever, and the person goes, "Gosh, I really need - one of my goals is to get fit this year. I'm having trouble doing it on my own." My job is to be top of mind so that at that moment they'll think of me and they'll go, "Hey, I have somebody to recommend. Here's a name and number for somebody for you to call."

So one of the ways to do that is to stay in touch with people, and technology offers us wonderful ways to do that. So one way to do that is to send out e-tips, or an e-newsletter, or an e-magazine, or whatever you want to call that. As you meet people, as you grow your business, to have your clientele be on an email list that you sent out information to. And the ideal is to send people information that's of value to them, not just a "hey, I'm here, and I'm your trainer, and I'm available," but to send out a tip every week on reminding people to drink water, reminding people the difference it makes when they exercise three times a week versus one time a week; just little tidbits of information, and success stories. So any way you can get success stories out, "So and so started working with me three months ago. This was his situation, now this is what's happened." And acknowledge your customers while at the same time sharing, with their permission, their successes with you so that that can be an inspiration to other people. The emails are great because emails can, obviously, be easily forwarded to other people and passed along.

The other way is to simply keep yourself top of mind with people by occasionally calling people, checking in with people to see how they're doing, checking in with former clients or customers just to say hi, check in with people who have shown an interest but not started a program - again, just say hi, just see how they're doing - clipping articles and mailing those to people. There's lots of things to do, again, just to keep the connection alive and well.

And there may even be a way to occasionally sponsor a free event, where you invite people to come together. You give a little lecture or you show them the newest information, or the newest workout product, or routine, or you just get all your customers together as a networking event, so they can network with each other and bring a friend.

So all of those are ideas on how to keep yourself top of mind.

CM: How can trainers increase their people power?

DF: Well, listen, can you tell me a little bit about either something in particular that you mean by people power?

CM: Well, I saw in one of your articles on your website about people power and you had the power of giving. You had around 10 or 12 different powers here, and I was just wondering if you could touch base on some of those.

DF: Sure, sure, sure. Okay. Yeah, in terms of increasing your people power, I think a lot of that has to do with increasing your own communication skills and relationship building skills, because networking is all about how we communicate so that we connect, so that we gather information and distribute information, and so that we listen in a way that people feel honored and supported.

And it's also about relationship building skills. And I think especially with personal trainers it's very much relationship oriented. People can get very close to - a matter of trusting their trainers. The whole fitness arena is something that we often feel very vulnerable about and it's something that, on a personal level, is very important to us.

So some of the things to keep in mind there are the power of listening, which I talked about a little bit already, to do whatever you can do to enhance and improve your listening skills and pay attention to what people are saying, pay attention to the tone of voice that they're using, their body language when they're saying what they're saying, pay attention to what's behind the words that they're saying. Because the truth is, people communicate with every — really everything communicates, what we say, what we don't say, how we say it, when we say it, everything. So being a master at communication.

And when you pick up on little nuances regarding what people are saying or not saying, and are able to kind of feed that back to them, or go, "Yesterday when you said so and so, I kind of noticed this particular expression on your face, or I noticed your tone of voice was such and such, so I just wanted to inquire a little bit more about that. Tell me how you feel about that, this, or why that, or what your experience has been with such and such." So there's a lot of trust that gets built when people really, truly feel listened to; and they get that other people are really, really interested in learning more about them, their wants, their needs, what they're about, and what's important to them. It's just a huge thing. People in our culture today are yearning to be heard. They're hungry to be listened to.

Another principle that I cover in my materials is the power of giving, that networking is about creating a flow of information, where I give and I contribute to you with information in some format, and you then give to me or give to others. And the idea is simply to keep the flow going. And it might be that I have a particular contact in my network that I give a lot to, but maybe that don't happen - in their lifestyle - have the opportunity to give a lot directly back to me, but I know that in the big picture somebody else will give a lot to me, as long as I'm just kind of in the big picture of the universe, keeping the flow going by giving. And that also keeps this sense of networking as being about more than just — we don't want it to become so that it's kind of a self-centered type of activity. We want it to very much a community type of activity, where there is giving and receiving and there's a flow that's being created.

There's also the power of thinking big, which I think is very important for personal trainers to believe in, beyond what the client may believe in, that we have to — in that scenario, it's important to encourage them and give them data and information that helps them understand that they can accomplish something that may seem a little bit of a stretch, or out of their reach, but that we can think big for them. Kind of like there's been times in my life where, just because of what's ever going on, I might lose sight of what I want or I might get discouraged or frustrated or come against the wall. Kind of like, you know, in fitness and in running it's like you kind of hit that wall. And when I know I have other people out there who believe that I can do it, even in those moments and days when I can't, I don't know, it just gives me a boost to know that in the universe there are other people holding that space for me. So I think that's something very powerful that coaches and trainers can do for people, and to actually communicate that to people.

One thing that's very important in ring of people power is the power of praise. This is actually one of my favorites. I think it is the most simple, and yet the most powerful way to build relationships, which is to praise and acknowledge and express gratitude to the people around you for who they are what they do. And when I talk about praise and acknowledgement, I'm not just talking about giving people a compliment, I'm talking about really acknowledging them for who they are for you, what they've done for you, and what they mean to you. So I really encourage people to really get in the habit of speaking praise and acknowledgement every day.

And, in fact, in almost every conversation there's some reason for saying things. "Thanks for taking my call." "Thanks for returning my call." "Thanks for telling me what your goals are." "Thanks for sharing your information with me." "Thanks for the opportunity to send my emails to you." "Thanks for letting me tell you about my business." It's just so easy, but that little bit of thanks can make such a huge difference.

And then I also highly recommend when somebody inquires about the business, or you meet someone, not only to say thanks in person, but to do a follow up thing. So I've always been a big proponent of thank you cards, which I think - well, I know people do less and less just because we've got email. And email's great as well. Just send a thank you email to someone, "It was great to meet you yesterday. Thank you for taking a few minutes to talk with me. I look forward to the possibility of working with you." Or even just to say, "If and when you ever decide you want to work with a personal trainer I would pleased," or "let me know." So a thank you. Just a real short handwritten thank you note, or an email, can go such a long ways for people because so many people get busy and they don't ever think to do that.

And I'm even a proponent of sending thank you notes to people you don't know. Maybe there's people in the fitness industry that you admire, that you appreciate a lot, that they're role models for you. And I say send them a note and just let them know who they are for you and that they're making a difference for you and your clients in your life. It's even like, what if you sent a note to the very first customer you ever had and said, "Thanks for being, whether you knew it or not, my first client (or customer). I just appreciate that you trusted me and I hope that you're continuing to live a life of fitness," and things like that. So there can be some real fun ways.

So the main thing is to get in the habit of thanking people. So have it become a habit. Give yourself some reminder on a daily basis to make sure you're thanking people, either a little chart where you write down who you thanked, until it just becomes habitual and automatic.

CM: That was great, by the way.

DF: Okay, good.

CM: The power of quality connections.

DF: Okay, great. One thing to think about in terms of developing your people power is the power of quality connections. It's easy to go out and meet a lot of people. It's easy to meet a lot of people. You can go to events, you can go to networking meetings, you can go to chamber meetings, you can go to the grocery store, you can go almost anywhere and meet a lot of people. But the important thing is not just meeting people, the important thing is connecting with people.

So the thing is to start paying attention to when you are meeting people, are you connecting? Is there a connection that happens? Are they going to remember you tomorrow? Are they going to think of you when they have that urge to start working out with someone? Are they going to think of you when they are talking with someone else who expresses an interest in the fitness program? Is there some kind of connection that happened?

And, again, the connection happens through making eye contact, giving someone your full attention, asking questions that show that you are interested in them, and paying attention to their answers. I mean, it's interesting. Probably everybody's been in a situation where sometime someone asked you a question and you answer it, and you can tell when you answer it they're paying no attention. It's really just asking to ask. But you need to ask from a place of interest, and then really listen to their response, and then ask another question based on what their response was.

One of the right things I recommend to really develop your listening skills is to reconnect with what I call a childlike curiosity. I’m not saying childish, I'm saying childlike curiosity. When you think of a 2 year old, they're just curious about everything because everything's new to them. And even new little kids that they meet at the playground, they're just curious and interested and looking and observing and touching and feeling and asking. Again, I didn't say childish, but a childlike curiosity, where when you meet and see new people you're like, "Oh, wow. I wonder who these people are. I wonder what they're interested in life. I wonder what their experience is. I wonder how good they feel about their body. I wonder if they're taking good care of themselves. I wonder how much they value working out. I wonder what their goals are for this year." And just be curious and interested in learning about them. I think people are so interesting, but we don't often ask the questions that prompt the interesting conversations, and really get in there and get involved with them. And that can create just some wonderful quality connections.

Then the other is, once you really pay attention and your conversations start really becoming more interesting and creating connections, then the thing is to stay in touch through the emails or occasional phone calls or sending articles, that kind of thing.

CM: The power of speaking up.

DF: The power of speaking up. This is very important in terms of networking and developing your people power. The power of speaking up has to do with how you speak about yourself so that other people know who you are and what you do. So this is about your "brand you" statement. This is about your introduction statement. This is about speaking in such a way that people really understand who you are and the value and benefit of what you do, so that those people out there who want/need what you have gravitate towards you. And that, also, people out there then have enough information to tell other people about you. So this is about creating visibility for yourself, and creating a grapevine kind of message of people being able to tell others who you are and what you do.

So for me this is really about working with people on getting down to the basics of what do you love about what you do? Why are you a personal trainer? What got you into this business? What do you love about it? What's most satisfying to you about it? Who are your favorite clients and why? What's the biggest challenge?

And it's through asking all those questions that we come up with really the words and the phrase that really resonate with you. And the idea is to have your "brand you" statement so resonate with you that when you say it the energy is so real that it comes across in a very powerful way and people respond to it. Most of the time people introduce themselves giving their name and title, and what I encourage is introduce yourself telling people the value and benefit of what you offer. Let them know the problem that you solve and the end result value and benefit of what you offer. And in speaking in those terms you are more likely to get people's attention than just saying you're a trainer, or a personal trainer, or a fitness trainer, or whatever the terminology might be. And I'm not saying don't use that terminology, but I'm saying add a word, phrase, sound byte, or tag line that is very compelling in terms of the end, your specialty in that arena.

Because if I were working with a whole group of personal trainers, I promise you everybody in there would have an introduction that would be unique to them. They would not all use the same introduction because there's something about each and every trainer that's special about them, that's unique about them, that's an expertise that they have. And that's what's so important to be conveying to people.

CM: The power of asking.

DF: Oh, great, you got my favorites.

CM: Awesome.

DF: The power of asking is so critical because most of us, I discover, are not trained very well to ask. We live in a culture where we're pretty much trained to do things on our own and figure it out on our own, rather than reach out to our network and ask for help and support and information. So there's a shift in attitude and mindset here which has to do with that each and every individual has a very powerful network of contacts, and the idea is to be calling on that. And my premise is that everything you want and need is available and right around you. Everything you want and need is available and right around you and it's yours for the asking. But we have to be very clear about what it is that we want and need.

So I would say for every personal trainer, take the time to get clear about your goals. What is it that you want to accomplish with your business? Who is your target market? What do you want to accomplish this year? And then chunk that down. What do you want to accomplish this month, this week, today? And then start thinking about, "Who in my network can be a resource and help me and accomplish that? Who do I know who's accomplished something similar to what I want to accomplish that can assist me with that?" And start really utilizing the resources around you.

We have to break through what I call a lone ranger mentality. In the Power Networking book I talk about the lone ranger mentality, which is that mentality of thinking we have to do it all, do it all, have it all, be the best, do it on our own, which wears me out just saying that and thinking about it. And I say it's not about that, that we're here on this planet at this time, at the same time, to be of service and be a support to one another, but it is up to all of us to call on each other and let each other know what it is what we want and what we need. So we have to learn how to ask. And it's not from a place of weakness, but ask from a place of strength because when somebody calls and asks me for help or support with the vision that they have for their business, I'm inspired and I really think highly of that person that they've got a clear vision, that they're going  for it, that they're asking for the support, and I want to respond to that. And I respond to that as a strength, not weakness at all. So often times people need to shift their thinking about that. So the thing is to ask, and ask more often of more people, what it is that you want and need.

Sometimes we do have to get trained a little bit in asking. Some of the criteria of asking is to be clear with people. Be clear because often times people who are hesitant to ask will kind of beat around the bush because they're hesitant to just come right out and ask. So be clear about what it is that you want and ask for that in a gracious way.

So the way to do it graciously is you acknowledge the other person for who they are, that you would even ask them in the first place. It's like, "I'm calling you because I know that you know a lot of people in the industry," or "because I admire what you've done," or "because you've written a book regarding your industry and I want to write a book in my industry," or "I'm calling you because I value your expertise," or whatever it is. Acknowledge the person you're asking for who they are, that you value them that you would ask them in the first place. And then let them know what it is that you're up to, and then let them know specifically what it is that you're asking for help, support, ideas, or contacts about. And then, obviously, the next step is to definitely thank them at the moment, and then thank them later either with a phone call or an email.

And if people don't respond the way that you want, just give them the benefit of the doubt. I can't expect everybody in my network to give me exactly what I want every time I ask. I've got to be willing to know that sometimes people are busy with other things, or they're not available for that, or they don't have what I'm looking for. But when somebody's like — doesn't have what I'm looking for, the truth is they may simply be able to point me in the right direction. So the idea is to ask graciously and accept what people can give, but the more clear and specific you are with your asking, that actually makes it easier for people to respond.

CM: How can trainers maximize their word of mouth marketing?

DF: Let's see, maximize their word of mouth marketing. How can they maximize their word of mouth marketing? Well, I think the things that help a trainer maximize their word of mouth marketing agenda is creating a brand for themselves, that they be known for something, because that's how you can get your message out and in front of more people and become known. Either become known for the type of people that you most like to work with, or become known for the type of program that you put together, or for — maybe there's a way that you work with people that's different, maybe you do some of it virtually, maybe you do some of it in person, maybe it's a combination of phone calls, emails, internet, in person. Any way you can be innovative and take what's already proven out there and give your own twist to it, then add an element out there that can help to spread the word of mouth. Anything you can do to keep yourself in front of people and keep your brand consistent on your literature, your cards, your website, your brochure, your materials; or come up with a tag line that you become known for. all of that can help you develop a reputation and get the word out.

CM: How can personal fitness trainers use networking meetings to build their businesses?

DF: Well, I think networking is the most effective way for a personal trainer to build their business. Networking, again, is about word of mouth marketing. It's about creating visibility. It's about connecting with people that they have a good understanding of who you are and what you do, and the value of what you do. It's about being a resource for other people as a means for staying connected with people and being valued by others. So it's simply an excellent marketing tool in the field where your business is all about relationships with people, and personal trainers are all about building relationships with people, and that's networking.

And then the other piece of that is that for a trainer — I mean, a trainer knows a lot of people because of their customer base, and people in all different industries. So trainers end up having just a really diversified and, typically, very diversified and very valuable network of contracts. So personal trainers can be a very powerful networking resource for people. Whereas you can become the source of who people call when they're looking for something, because they know you know a lot of people, and that can be a very powerful value that you offer to people as a trainer.

CM: What is the biggest thing keeping trainers from allowing networking to really build their businesses? What are they missing?

DF: I think the biggest thing that gets in the way is often times that they simply feel uncomfortable or awkward about promoting themselves. They see it as sales, and they may have some connotation about showing up as a sales person, whereas networking is not about sales. Networking is about connecting with people so that we know enough about each other that we can be of value to one another, and that we can continue to enhance and spread the word. So it's about that.

So I think it's about people getting over their awkwardness and uncomfortableness [sic] and realizing that networking is something that you can be trained in, and that it can be something that's actually easy and natural, and it can be fun. When it becomes not about sales and it becomes more about taking care of other people and being interested in other people and being curious about other people, then it could actually become fun, and then people become more comfortable with it and it can actually then generate more value.

So often times what gets in the way is people feel awkward or uncomfortable, or they don't really know how to. They kind of know they should but they're not quite sure what's appropriate or what works, so then it's a matter of getting some training. Read some of the networking books, go to a networking — get some training in the skills of networking, practice, maybe join a networking organization where that's what everybody's doing so that's expected and that's a part of it, and get more comfortable and confident and effective with it.

But the other thing is to realize the value of it, because we typically won't do something if it's uncomfortable, or if we don't realize there's value. So the thing is to get trained and comfortable with the networking so you're skilled at it, and then realize the value of it, because it's a long term — there's a long term payoff with the networking. It's a building process and the more you do it, the more you're network will grow and expand, and more and more people will be out there who know you and talk about you and spread the word about you. So it's a building process. There's a long term benefit.

CM: Well, perfect. Let me ask you this. Where can people learn more about you, your products, services? What's your URL and that kind of stuff?

DF: Yeah, my URL is www.DonnaFisher.com is my information. My books are there, my books are on Amazon, my books can be accessed a lot of different places.

This has been a fitness marketing interview

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