Tell Me What You Want…

Step-by-step instructions on how to put your personal training studio on auto-pilot and, say, ride around on your motorcycle all day. OK, and maybe call into the office once or twice to make sure your place didn't burn down.

1. How to set up the systems to have your company do the work for you. And maybe how to transition from Personal Trainer -> Business owner with Personal Trainers under you -> Info Marketer.

2. The economy forcing me to infiltrate the elite cities like Beverly Hills, Bel Air…thus reducing the amount of 'potential clients'.

3. Coming from a gym environment – I miss the lack of space where I can just go out and 'prospect'…and get a couple of clients.

4. A life that's opposite of when I was at a major Health Club. High pay – less hours

5. Because Personal Trainers are 'the chosen ones' that should be living a lifestyle some would consider a myth. Doing this only makes more clients want to train with these type of trainers.

6. Being an on-location Personal Trainer, mine is 'how to get into high-end facilities / areas with a high consumption of Personal Training'.

7. What's the best way to create an info product?

I would like to know how one starts in building a training business when COST/Funds are an issue, especially upon graduating college and one would like to have a facility up and running with consistent clients, equipment, etc in place? This would probably by my biggest fear and concern is WHERE to start and HOW to kick start the process.

I love the blog keep up the great work!

-John Cortese

I would like to know how to do blogging and to put my work on the web and start a web fitness business. My website is http://www.healthhealing.co.za and I need to also know how to do an ebook.
Thanks Anne

Ways to create continuity income from current, past and future local clients and online clients.

Strategies and Activities to delegate or outsource

The blog is great. Who design it?

Working for a large gym at the moment as a trainer, but also looking to go solo to break away from the corporate b.s. My goal is to do this within the next 6-12 months

Whats the best advice you would give a 20 year old who has a fitness instructor certification but no relevant experience within the industry… that wants to implament your ideas / Bedros Keulians etc. without having to go through all the B*llsh*t of working for a major health club and getting the best start to earning 6 figures in the future???

Thanks for your time and congratulations

What do you feel is the single biggest obstacle between where you are now and where you want to be?

Taken straight out of the E-Myth methodology of wearing to many hats! I am the the Technician, the Manager, and the Entrepreneur!! Being able to come away from being the "Technician" in my business without having a huge impact on it, (especially during these hard times) is the single hardest obstacle to overcome. I know how important it is for our business to have to full time "entrepreneurs" working to generate business but right now it seems impossible.

Joe Garcia
Owner of Arena Fitness Encino
http://www.arenafitness.com

Hey Chris thanks for challenging us to think here,

1. The most bang for your buck ie. Whats the most time and cost effective way to market/build your fitness business.

2. Biggest Fears = Failure and Rejection

3. Frustrations = Seeming lack of progress in terms of $$$

4. Out of my business I want flexibility, continued growth and contribution (products, coaching, camps, continuity, seminars etc) minimum 6 figure per month income

5. Why? Time and Financial freedom. The ability to choose to do whatever/whenever/wherever. ie trip to Australia on a whimb, more time with my girl/family, travel, greater time contribution to community etc.

6. Single biggest obstacles fear and overwhelm

7. One question for you… Knowing what you know now, if you started a PT Business or Bootcamp in the current climate, completely from scratch and you had little $$$ to get started, what 3 things would be your primary focus for success.

Hope that makes sense…

Again thanks for the post dude,

Cheers

Adam Toohey

To start up?
At least 50000 for buildout.
Dont waste your money on marketing.Build a nice gym and people will come. Then market yo them.

Spend time talkign to ALL gym/bootcamp/PT studio owners and interview them… post the results onyour website and then make a decision about what suits you best.

RESEARCH THEN SPEND!
Not the other way around.
Trust me I lost 25000.
NEVER AGAIN without a nice, spacious, classy, elegant and roomy facility that people can love to be in.
They want some place to go.
Bootcamps outside? Good luck, people leave after 1-2 cycles cuz of the bugs eating them and the sever heat or cold.

Good luck
Email me at derek@youneedfitness.com
for more help on what not to do.

1. Whats the best way to approach a business or person and offer some sort of fitness health or exercise service without looking like your trying to sell them something?
2. What do you think about charity events or fund raisers to promote or generate business?
3. Whose the best person to talk to at a high school or any school for that matter in hopes of having some sort of summer or sports camps?

Thanks!

Hi Chris,

Well, I am a new reader and I have to say you've gotten my attention lately. Why? Not sure except I think it is the way you post: In your face type mentality. It seems to be a good way of getting my attention so I'm thinking it's the way I should move towards. I have been an officer in the corporate world, loved it hated it and always trained on the side. Now I am working a little over part time and loving being able to train and do what I love the most, but I moved 4 years ago and want to do boot camps here (which I do) but I want the word out without the big bucks. My challenge is that there are rec centers in my areas that homeowners are already paying for so they don't "need" my services as much.

So what I am looking for in posts are
1. You asked what do you feel is the single biggest obstacle between where you are now and where you want to be? Which is having a 3 large bootcamps 4-5 days a week.
2. I want to know how to use the internet at a lower cost and use my website to drive sales to me.
3. It seems to me there are more people selling there "how to services" verses actually training people, why is that? Am I on the wrong side?
Thanks Chris,

Terri

How to get thousands of e-mails to market to.

I need help with value-building techniques to overcome money objections in sales closing.

I'd see if there is a facility in your area that you can rent space from. Some places will charge $200-$500 per month to operate your business out of their facility. Much more cost effective than trying to open your own space, build out, meeting building codes, etc. Then, when you get too big or want something else, it's easy to move into a new address that is all your own.

And, worst case scenario, if things don't work out, you won't be on the line for a long term lease with a landlord.

I'd like to know how to market products effectively online, when hardly anyone knows who you are. Essentially, how to get your foot in the door selling info products online.

I am right there will my man up north Adam Toohey.

One of my main concern would be how to
build a great local based blog
with a lot of good overall content but
at the same time optimizing if for personal trainer
and boot camp without looking spammy.

"7 figure Sam" does a great job
but my blogging intentions is to rank
for NYC then get know internationally.

Business Systems are always paramount
you got your business on auto-pilot
and I think we all would like to know
how to get enough money and have things
running comfortable where we can sit back
and say okay time to delegate

Nii Wilson
"The Sickle Cell Athlete"

I go to my clients home to train them and normally do one on one training, but I do have a hard time getting my name out there. I have someone putting a website together but that takes time. I use craigslist and myspace for now on the internet,but what I would like to know is how to market without the internet. I can close anybody, but getting them in front of me is where I have trouble.

I want to know how to stop worrying about how much to charge people through these economic challanging period.
I live here in this little super rich cubbyhole in SW Florida called Naples where they rather spend tons of money on Tennis, golf and boating than on Soccer. I am damn good at what I do and that is teach soccer, so how should I approach these people. Iam frustrated with getting all the acculades but still I don't get the financial reward. Everybody thinks that I should do a lot of demo sessions for free because I'm such a nice guy.
I want my soccer camps to be recognized as the best in SW Florida.
I have spend years in the sport, spend thousants of dollars in Europe and in the US for my coaching education, so it now time to reap the rewards.
My wife is my biggest opstacle, because she hates what is the one single thing(soccer) that is my passion.
My question to you would be; How hard would you push to attract clients without sounding to anctious to make money?

I want to know how to hire top notch talent that are willing to adopt your philosophies on training in order to develop a consistent program. Personal trainers that will stay loyal to you and buy in to your game plan.

Suggestions for setting up a blog. Not ncessarily the content, but the actually design and set up. I know it can't be too difficult, but it is a little confusing. Thanks!!!

Dude,

you have to create a step by step info product on how to take the leap from being a personal trainer to business owner.

A full system on how to build it from the ground up.

Include everything on marketing to building systems to equipment in studio to choosing pt's for the job to closing a sale to……

Hey Chris,

I agree with adam.

The one question I would pose is:

Knowing what you know now, if you started a PT Business or Bootcamp in the current climate, completely from scratch and you had little $$$ to get started, what 3 things would be your primary focus for success.

Cheers

Jock

chris you always post killer content, i would like to know more about how start it up, like contracts ,par-q and getting your clients on eft. Also how to use craiglist, myspace and facebook better. Thanks dude, no joke your changing my life. Thanks

What's the best place to start outsourcing your web stuff – especially if you're on a tight budget? I know you recommend E-lance, Rentacoder, etc., what do you look for when picking complete strangers to outsource jobs to?!

What would you like to learn most about marketing your fitness business or building your fitness business?
Although people are coming to my website and are starting to know about me… How do I get them into free trial boot camps.

What are your biggest fears regarding your business?
One big fear is highs in lows in income month to month.
Me being to much of the technician and not enough of the rest.

What are your biggest frustrations in your business?
Many people buy so many things except for self improvement (fitness). People wanting to do one or two camps and think they can look like a super model.

What do you really wanna get out of your business?
I want to make more money in less time. Be able to travel with my wife and not have to worry about cost or time away from my business. I would like to help other trainers (eventually) and change people's lives through fitness.
Why? More time for my wife and one day children. Also to be able to have the lifestyle that I want. I also want to help charities of my choice.

What do you feel is the single biggest obstacle between where you are now and where you want to be?
I feel that being introverted is good for sales and listening but not for running camps and I am working on that. Also being more aggressive with marketing.

If you could sit down with me in person and ask me one question, what would it be? What could I change about my business to make it grow tomorrow?

The market program has it all and there is so much information that I am still trying to digest it all. Thanks man and keep the updates coming.

how to stay focused on one task at a time.

This is some incredible feedback you've received Chris. You've got some eager students. They've got a rock-star coach.

Vince

What would be a good approach to starting up an adjacent business of pre/post-rehab (Medical Exercise Specialists) along with a one-on-one personal training company. I believe that this may be a great time to acknowledge the part of our industry that may ACTUALLY GET COVERED BY INSURANCE!!!!!!!

# What would you like to learn most about marketing your fitness business or building your fitness business?

- Best way to fill the hours with clients w/o spending or losing too much money

# What are your biggest fears regarding your business?

- Not making it, not because of lack of talent but because of marketing ignorance

# What are your biggest frustrations in your business?

- Getting high school athletes to train with me especially when I go to the schools and talk with the coaches and staff, no one gives me the time of day

# What do you really wanna get out of your business?

- make a living out of it where I do not have to focus on money or the things I hate doing so I can concentrate mostly on helping my athletes get what they want out of training

# Why?
- then I will feel successful and I have done the right thing

# What do you feel is the single biggest obstacle between where you are now and where you want to be?

- doing the right type of marketing for my niche

# If you could sit down with me in person and ask me one question, what would it be?

- what should I focus on, what should I leave alone and what should I outsource

Thanks Chris

Like the way it's challenged me to "think"!

# What would you like to learn most about marketing your fitness business or building your fitness business?
Step by Step HOW TO, i.e. Here's what we are going to do in 12wks in week 1-4 X,X,X,X.

Week 1) = You are going to do X, Y, Z.
If you don't do these you can progress but with shaky foundations.

Week 2) = You are going to do A, B, C
etc….

# What are your biggest fears regarding your business?
Myself, I believe it's my own personal fears that stop me, after all the INFO is out there in cyber space, if anything it's too much!!!

Personal Fears:
Failure, being truthful to myself i.e. I'm a natural leader but still struggle with allowing myself to "be it"!

# What are your biggest frustrations in your business?
Confusion of what/how to do. Working on things that bring biggest return!

# What do you really wanna get out of your business?
To be a part time trainer, a passive income through entrepreneurship, a speaker, a business owner, a philanthropist, an example!

# Why?
That's my version of Personal Excellence and it gives me a bit of everything.

# What do you feel is the single biggest obstacle between where you are now and where you want to be?
Me! But I work on that everyday so that is becoming less of the problem!

# If you could sit down with me in person and ask me one question, what would it be?
Can you wife join us please?
Then I would ask her,
Is his success worth the relationship/life/father skills you have?

How to automate my business online as I'm all over the country and go on deployments to nasty countries every couple years. I've re-energized the website in the last couple weeks being back, and have a bunch of content to make it simple to add an article when I'm overseas or running ranges/schools weeks on end. But I still don't have my own automated product and the affiliate links in my articles and newsletter don't produce much. Maybe autoresponder courses?

Gosh Kris, so many comments, how do you have time to read them.

I am like alot of the commenters. I have a small fitness business right now, but it is not bringing in the income that I need. I would like to do more web stuff. I really need help marketing, but have no funds to do so. I have tried all the big stuff. Not worky.
How to make an ebook with some value. I am really lost. Nothing is working. I don't want to have to go to a big city. I want to implement a small group of fit campers. How? Help!

thanks
Penny

I didn't read through all the posts above, but here is what I would LOVE to be able to have:

1) A simple checklist for how to wade through all the internet resources for promoting my business. That is, I DON'T need something else to maintain. I am plenty busy. So how can I take something like a blog post/article of interest and best use my time to get it out to my newsletter, onto a blog, out to FB, update Twitter/Ning, update YouTube stuff…etc, etc.

I can easily see how all of the above can grow out of control and take me away from the face-to-face relationships I excel at.

How about a "Done-for-you" Basics Checklist of what you believe every trainer should do on a daily or weekly basis at a minimum and how much time you believe it should take to get it done so we have a sanity check on the ROI.

I have no problem dedicating 15-20 minutes/day to this stuff if my time is used well. I cannot be spending my week optimizing these things however.

Thanks,
Art

How do you find a great web buy, link builder, sales copy writer, etc.? Also, how do you find great trainers that you can trust and won't simply turnover after 3 months? More broadly, how do you create your team and hire the right people to leverage your time?

Chris,

Alll the stuff already posted is great, would def like to hear about that. But would also like to find out more about all the Google tools and weather or not they can help me in my business.
Also would like to hear more about how you run your personal training business with all the trainers you have running around making you tons of cash

Thanks,

JAson

i am not sure what do you mean by do a free boot camp and let them pay you for referrals…needs to dig deeper!

Honestly, how about a product that actually explains how to do many of the things that are suggested!

I'm so sick of fitness info products that cover a million things in a 8hr seminar but never actually tell you how to do any of them. It typically goes: "All you gotta do is this one thing and you'll jump to page 1 on google." Then, they move on to something else! WTF?

MP,

I found an excellent web guy on craigslist. He's a Virtual Assistant from India and he's amazing. Just found him recently and he's made my life much, much easier.

As for trainers…the first I hired was a long time friend and teammate. The next few actually emailed me after seeing my articles on various websites. Over the course of months, I got to know them, spent time (non-trainer) time with them, and those who I was comfortable with, I now work with.

Hope this helps.

i agree 100 percent from MIKE J post 827am! TOTALLY!!!!!!
i have been thomas plummber seminar- it was waste of time, phil kaplan, nothing but a shit!!!!, and some other — full of waste of time!!!! NOTHING, NADA, and zippo!

Great content always Chris! I've already learned a lot!

My wife is a graphic and web designer so I have an amazing tool at my disposal and I use her services and creativity everyday. She does very well with my site that we just put up at the end of January. What I want to learn more about is driving just a few more people to my site, making that sell (which I already do, every person that sees my site and is even remotely interested signs up with me) and retaining clients for long periods of time.

But, the two big things I want to learn more about (and I'm slowly learning on my own) is how to make my services more valuable so I can charge more and work less and since my business is already growing, how to run my business, actually run it, with qualified people to do the training for me so I can have multiple classes with multiple trainers.

Thanks again Chris!

Doug Seamans – Pride Conditioning

Well Chris,
Thanks for the opportunity for your readers to ask our important questions.
What would you like to learn most about marketing your fitness business or building your fitness business?
* Where to start?
What are your biggest fears regarding your business?
* No $ to lease space to completely work for myself without paying a club split.
What are your biggest frustrations in your business?
* Tight pocket clients who are squeemish on spending money for lifestyle changing training opportunities with me.
What do you really wanna get out of your business?
* Freedome financially and personally. The ability to have space of my own to work out of and hire staff to implement my training programs for me.
Why?
* Allowing greater opportunity financially, personally, professionally, etc.
What do you feel is the single biggest obstacle between where you are now and where you want to be?
* Prob. $$ and/or better selling techniques (I can be soft when it comes to common objections)
If you could sit down with me in person and ask me one question, what would it be?
* How the hell do I get more time to ride my bike in the summer while making bank?

My training direction is athletic development. I train high school athletes & students at a high school, out of their facility…hoping to extend the business into my own, but I do not have a place to train for myself. So, I am looking for thoughts on how to approach the personel whom I need to clear it with, about offering paid private group training sessions for adults and athletes out of the school strength room? I also do personal training for a small franchise club in my area with less than ideal trainer/club $ split. I only train here b/c it is close to home and fills the gaps of when I am not training at the high school–where I want to be. So, my thoughts were to create an opportunity to train at the school offering programs tailored to adult fitness, bootcamps, athletic development, etc. outside of my team training that I provide for select sports at the school (which are paid, just not paid what my training is worth).

Thanks man,

Hollis S.

- I would like to find out about the Pareto Principle of marketing. What is the 20% that produces 80% of the results (I know this isn't always the same for everyone).
What are your biggest fears regarding your business?

- My biggest fear is not having a successful fitness business and, meaning either not having enough clients and/or having to work too much in the business and not living the lifestyle that I envision for myself.

- My biggest frustration is not having enough time to do everything, being bogged down by tasks that are not very productive, burn out

- I want my business to be the top training and athletic performance business in the area with other trainers running my systems while I also move into the online side of things. This would help me have more time for myself and my family.

-I love my work and I'm passionate as can be about it but at the end of the day I work to live.

- I feel that I need to get my name out more through good marketing and media as I know I will overdeliver and provide the best service when clients walk through my door.

- If I sat down with you Chris I would ask you how do I become Chris motherfucking McCombs

Luka Hocevar
http://www.hocevarperformance.com

I just need a step by step plan on how to start a bootcamp. Liscenses,insurance,place to meet,etc. Where do I start?
Thanks

Chris, first and foremost thanks for all the work you do to help trainers like me create a real business as opposed to be just technicians. Now on to a tough question for me to ask since I respect your work so much and have learned so much from you.

Chris, I want to ask you a question that I'd like you to cover, but I don't know how to ask it without offending you. So I'm just going to ask it.

How do you deal with the fact that you are not that slim trim ripped guy on your website that shows you losing 143 lbs? Aren't people really taken off guard when they meet you? Do they really then have trust that your program works if it only works for a couple of years for the guy that created it?

I had always assumed that to sell our type of business, we need to walk the talk as many of the fitness guru's have stated.

Thanks for your answers, I'm really interested.

Charles
FitHealthTraining.wordpress.com

duuuudes…dudettes… I want to thank you for all the killer feedback so far on what you want… I'll definitely produce posts, content, tools and services to meet your needs

Re: Charles @1:16PM – Simple, I don't even train anymore, I outsource it all to a bunch of trainers who ARE in amazing shape… in fact I pretty much don't do anything in that business except own it… and I work from home so it's not like I'm walking around a gym shaking hands… great question Charles

keep the feedback coming so I can give you want you want

Thanks, Chris. I'm crystal clear now. We can actually build our businesses to the point where we aren't even training clients anymore. So now you have time to be a thought leader. Nice.

Charles
FitHealthTraining.wordpress.com

Hey There-

I would love to know exactly how to go about starting up the EFT Payments. Thanks

JB

The best way to retain clients and what is the main thing should focus on to remain successful.

and how to set up automatic payments

@spida hunter – A day late! I am an exceptionally supportive wife. However my family and I have needs too. I guess I would say to your comment about is Chris's success worth it? Absolutely! I had goals of my own, and supported Chris's goals. Him getting his goals allowed me to get mine. His goals got him more time with us, and more money for vacations, toys for the kids etc. Success for him means success for our whole family…yes it took some time-but not very much time at all!

Everyone just hire him as a coach! Run up every credit card you have to do it. You will make it back super quick!

Thanks, O
http://www.fitmombootcamp.com/

Hi Chris, thanks as always for all the great info and motivation.
I want to know more about opt ins and how to get them on my site. More on EFTs. How to create info products. How to get people to advertise on my page. How to get this thing on auto pilot asap. How to become a "Chris" a "Steve" a "Laurel" a "Bedros"…..well, you get the idea. Thanks so much.
Jaime