A Fitness Business Post by Big Chris

Hey there, hope all is goin’ well in your little corner of the world

This blog post contains some very eye-opening mistakes that almost every training business is making, often times WITHOUT even knowing it.

Mistakes aren’t bad, in fact it’s how we learn… often times the most successful people are the ones most willing to make mistakes… it’s what we do with those mistakes that matter…. in marketing, we call them “test results”, not mistakes

And man, I’ve made my share of… uh… test results. MAN have I made some test results.

Many of my private coaching clients faced these same problems and mistakes I’m gonna address in this post, and today their businesses are pumping. ( For the record though, I am no longer taking on private coaching clients .. every time I mention coaching, we get flooded with requests, and while I do appreciate all the interest, it’s just not something I’m gonna be doin’ right now )

Ok, back to what I was talking about…

Take for example Dan Clay in Sydney Australia, who recently flew into Orange County Ca for a day of consulting. Dan was working over 60 hours a week, was totally burnt out and needed some serious help.

And by just applying  a few simple strategies… like fixing the problems I’m gonna talk about in this blog post, Dan works 1/3rd of the hours he did, and is finally able to take regular holidays and spend more time hanging out with friends… WHILE making twice as much money.

He outsources nearly all of the personal training and boot camp classes to 8 personal trainers working under him and now has an assistant doing all the billing and admin work. He’s gone from 2 boot camp locations with 29 total clients, to 7 locations with 167 clients… and just from a a few tweaks we made to his business he’s getting 2-3 new clients everyday.

I’m proud of Dan to say the least… but what’s cool is all he did was plug in proven systems that work… he took the simple actions, put the systems to work for him, and now owns his dream business.

I could go on and on with success stories like Dan’s, but the point is Dan did the same thing I did, he went and learned what systems exactly to put in place in his business, plugged them in, and now here is, living the life most fitness pros wouldn’t even conceive is possible

We took his problems, cut them out of his business, and replaced the non-sense with proven, effective and powerful processes that work every single time they’re implemented.

And what’s great is, how smart you are, how many certifications you have, how fit or good looking has NOTHING to do with building a successful training business… it all comes down to finding the right systems to plug into your business, and then… well… pluggin’ em in gosh darnit!

Our brains want to make it more difficult than that, but the fact is that isn’t.

Ok, so now let’s look at the problems and mistakes over 99% of fitness pros are making, so you can learn how to avoid them… you might not be making ALL of these, but making a number of them can be detrimental to your success.

I’m not even gonna cover the most basics, like selling packages instead of using EFT, or training one-on-one instead of training groups and/or boot camps… I’m assuming as a reader of this blog you’re already on top of this stuff… or at minimum are aware that you’re making these mistakes… that’s not what this post is about, it’s about many of the mistakes you might not even KNOW you’re making

Here they are… the big fat ugly mistakes most fitness pros make which hold them back from success…

- No clear cut target.. they don’t have an exact number in mind of people they want to help, income they want to make, hours they want to work, and what they want their ideal average work day to look like… they might say something general like ” I want to make more money” .. well I say “here’s a nickel.. you got what you wanted… more money”

- Even if they know EXACTLY what they want, they have no clear cut “step by step” path to get from where they are to where they want to go

- They watch what the majority of trainers do to get business and then do the same things… my question to you is… if the average trainer makes less than $30k a year and lives in constant fear of not even being able to pay the bills next month, why would you learn from that kind of trainer…. unless it’s what NOT to do?

- They don’t have enough of the right kinds of effective “lead generating” and “client-getting” systems in place to bring in a constant and predictable flow of ready to pay qualified and QUALITY clients with any kind of regularity

They rely either on outdated methods that worked great a few years ago but aren’t worth damn now, OR they rely on just one or two client-getting strategies, OR they get it half right… like doin’ social ppc ads but then trying to make the sale right off the page without putting people into a proven two-step strategy to get them into your marketing funnel allowing you to market to them through multiple platforms and convert all the ones who aren’t ready to buy right now… which when it comes to social ads is MOST of them.

- They put up a brochure style website that is all about their training, but does not focus on the emotional aspects of what the visitor really wants… solving the problems that keep them up at night and lurk in the back of their mind… you can have all the web traffic in the world, but if you’re site isn’t structured to take people down the greased slide of landing on it to taking the actions YOU want them to take, then it ain’t doin’ you one damn bitta good

- Their site can’t be found ANYWHERE in Google, and if you’re not in the first or second position of Google’s Free Organic listings, then you might as well not even have the damn site in the first place, cuz VERY few people will find it

- They have a Google Local Business Listing BUT… are either expecting Google to trust what they say about their business OR are using Google Local Strategies from a year ago, which are COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE today and usually causes MUCH more harm than good

- They let their fear of technology hold them back from getting lots of clients from the internet, not knowing that most anything that has to do with getting clients from the great web-o-sphere can be taught and outsourced to someone for LESS than minimum wage usually… in the last few years I’ve gotten almost a million dollars worth of clients just from the internet, yet I’m a TOTAL computer dunce… with no idea how to build a website or even what “code” is… but I get clients on a regular and consistent basis from the internet.

- They have HORRIBLE conversion strategies... usually just “hoping” that prospective clients who come in will sign up… with no step-by-step tested and proven systems put in place to walk the prospect from point of contact to signing a high-end long-term training agreement

- They take on the WRONG kind of clients - usually accepting ANYONE willing to pay, with no kind of pre-qualification process in place what so ever… so they end up with deadbeats, flakes and broke ass clients who usually refer no one but they’re broke ass friends…. it’s funny how if they’d just qualify people a little better, they’d not only end up with a much better and more enjoyable clientele base, but people will often try to talk “you” into taking them on as client… because of how much more value you’re perceived as having,  the elite status you attain and the fact that we all want what we can’t have… which is the situation the right qualifying systems can put in place for you … but most trainers try to talk people INTO training with them… and for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction.. meaning the more you TRY to talk them into it, the LESS they’ll wanna do it

Funky how it works, but it’s true

- They compete on price – justifying it with something like “well the economy is so bad people can’t afford to pay more than X” … that’s utter and total bullshit by the way.

- They don’t have systems in place to ascend the best and most eager clients to higher price “big ticket” programs – Around 15% – 30% of people will pay premium prices for premium results, often costing two to ten times what your normal programs cost… but very trainers know how to ascend people to these higher priced programs… leaving a large part of their potential income on the table.

- They don’t have proven client retention systems in place... therefor they only average $500-$2000 profit from each client instead of $10,000 – $20,000 over time like they could if they’d just do a few simple things… and what’s great is it typically costs no extra money in advertising to make these extra profits…  it costs the same amount in marketing to get client in who’s worth $500 as it does one who’s worth $20,000… but you make an additional $19,500

- They think the better trainer they are means the more money they’ll make… now I agree, that’s HOW the world SHOULD work… the best trainers should make the most, and the worst should make the least

It’s only fair right?

But that’s not the world we live in

I often joke, and it usually angers a few, but the honest truth is that 19 times out of 20 the trainers with the most letters after their name ( certifications ) make the least amount of money.

When in reality, it’s the trainers who are the best at creating the PERCEPTION their the best who make the most… certified or not.

Is it right?

Right or wrong doesn’t matter here… what is… THAT’S what matters

The fitness pros and studios who are the best ( through marketing ) at creating the perception ( in their audiences mind ) that they are the best service in the area when it comes to taking the client from where they are to where they want to be ( usually in terms of physical appearance, but not always ) are the ones who make the most money

Am I saying you shouldn’t become the best trainer you can be?

Nope.. I’m not saying that at all, but beyond a certain  ( usually a point that can be reached within a few months of becoming a trainer ) getting any better at helping people isn’t gonna make you much extra money

Will it give you more confidence? Probably, and that can help

Will you get people better results? Maybe a little bit beyond what you’re typical “good” trainer can deliver

Will it help you attain financial success? Nope

But creating the perception that you are the best will, and that ALL comes down to marketing

So be a great trainer, but be an even better marketer, and what’s cool is, through marketing you’ll be able to help a lot more people get into shape anyway, meaning marketing not only allows you to make more money, but ALSO allows you to help more people, which is as good as it gets

So instead of investing so much time and money in becoming a better trainer, invest that same time and money in becoming a better marketer, and you’ll attain greater financial success and help more people in the process

A win all the way around

- They have no systems in place to scale and grow their business… and are stuck in the situation almost every single trainer is in, which is to make more money, they need to work more hours, but they’re ALREADY BURNED OUT, even just for the mediocre pay they’re making now

Without the systems, they’re stuck with nothing but a job, even though they may work for themselves, it’s still just a glorified job and not a business

- They have LOUSY Self-Investment Karma – they refuse to invest in the things that can help them become the owner of a successful training business they think they deserve to be, yet they expect people to invest in their training… it doesn’t work like that

For example, the other day I joined a coaching program and mastermind that’s costing me$67,000… and when people ask why I’d spend so much on something like that, I say not only cuz I’m an action taker and always make my money back at least 10 to 100 times over when I make investments like this, but also, because I sell “big ticket” programs, what right do I have to expect people to invest in MY big ticket programs if I’m not willing to invest in the big ticket programs of OTHERS

I call it Self-Investment Karma… TM… if you want people to invest in your programs, then you should invest in programs as well that you feel will help you get to where you want to go

Don’t say I didn’t tell ya… this isn’t something that’s commonly known, yet it’s SUPER POWERFUL

- They want free information – but they get pissed off when people come in for free trials and don’t sign up for training

Free info, and free trial workouts are great, but just like in the “Self-Investment Karma” above, if you expect everything for free, people are gonna expect everything from YOU for free as well

Once you really understand this and act accordingly, the results are nothing short of amazing

Now, regarding these last two, there are some trainers who screw this up because…

- They invest in all the right programs, have all the right information, yet take NO ACTION ON IT… like Tony Robbins says, knowledge isn’t power, knowledge PLUS action is POWER ( or he said something like that, but you get the point… you gotta DO something with what you learn)

It’s like someone hiring you to train them, but yet they eat like shit, don’t do any of the cardio you’ve prescribed and miss half their workouts

So just investing is not enough…  invest, learn and act upon what you’ve learned… THEN the world is yours Chico, and everything in it

Now, just knowing this stuff should give you some level of awareness, and awareness is the first step towards progress

However, if you’d like help fixing these problems in your training business, here’s something you should know about.

In a few weeks I’m gonna personally work with a limited number of fitness pros in a virtual mentoring type if manner… let me explain…

It’s actually quite simple…  and this program may or may not be for you… either way is totally cool…

HOWEVER… If you’re already making over $500,000.00 per year, are booked solid with clients, have multiple trainers working for you, all the right systems in place, lots of freedom and own what you would consider to be your dream business, this is NOT FOR YOU

But if you’re interested in having a fitness training business that earns you six-figures net profits per year on a predictable and consistent basis… while eventually being able to work just part time hours… REGARDLESS of the economy… then there’s a good chance this program is a perfect fit for you

If you’re like a lot of other frustrated fitness trainers…

• You’re losing more clients than you have coming in
• You live month to month and have very little money saved
• You work more hours than you want to for less pay than you’re worth (While trainers like Jillian Michaels who probably aren’t nearly as good as you are out there killing it )

Now, I wanna let you know, it’s OK and it’s not your fault.

Like I mentioned above, the average fitness professional makes less than 30K a year and all the certification organizations teach you to do is to give people safe, effective and functional workouts.

Now that’s all fine and dandy, but it does NOTHING to help you when it comes to building a REAL business.

And like I talked about above, most trainers just watch what all the other trainers were doin’ around them and then do the same things… but the problem is, when you do what the majority are doin’, and they’re doin’ it all wrong, you’re pretty much screwed.

Which is where most trainers are these days… screwed… in fact trainers are goin’ outta business faster than ever these days… but a small percent are actually having their best years ever… regardless of the economy.

I’ll personally admit it, my entire training business used to suck… BIG TIME.

In fact, for a while I only had two clients, and I lived in constant fear of them quitting and me ending up with ZERO clients.

Then, I discovered the solutions to the problems I talked about above and EVERYTHING changed.

Within months I was earning a strong six-figure income and only training three days a week. As I continued to stack client getting-strategy on top of client-getting strategy my business continued to grow to the point where I was actually able to hire 15 trainers to do all the training for me and quit training myself, all the while making 50% of the money that the trainers on my team were making for me.

Now, I’m not saying that YOU should stop training like I did, but if you want to you can… if you still love training clients, by all means go ahead and do it… but now you can do it ON YOUR TERMS… and no longer trade hours for dollars if you don’t want to.

With the program I’m gonna be releasing,  you can train as little or as much as you want… the choice is yours.

But either way, you’ll be able to own a training business that brings you in six-figures net profits even if you don’t want to train at all anymore.

In fact, like Dan who I mentioned in the beginning of this post, trainers and studio owners fly in from all over the world, paying $10,000.00 to sit with me for a day and lay out these exact strategies for them.

And $10,000.00 is really just a drop in the bucket to what these strategies do for them… I mean, who wouldn’t invest $10,000.00 plus a few grand in hotel costs and airfare for to build a training business that makes you up to $500k a year working only part time?

That’s a 50 to 1 return on investment… not to mention to ROI in terms of all the time saved by being able to cut down ones hours from 40-50 a week down to 15 to 20 a week.

But this program isn’t gonna cost anywhere near that. And actually, one of the biggest reasons I’m doin’ it is because of how fulfilling working with action taking, good-hearted, cool, like-minded fitness professional is to me

There’s no better feeling to me than taking someone who is overworked and underpaid, and helping them build their dream business… where they can help more people lead a more fit and healthy lifestyle, make a six-figure net income doing it, and have more time to spend on the important things in life like time with friends and family.

I’m talking owning the ultimate freedom business.

Something very few people believe is possible, but something that myself and many of my high-end coaching and consulting clients are living proof that it exists and is POSSIBLE for anyone, even a former school drop-out, homeless drug addict like myself.

And what’s so cool about this stuff is that it’s actually pretty simple… it all comes down to…

Getting clear on exactly what your dream business will look like and having a simple step-by-step map to get you from where you are now to owning that dream business… including…

- The best “no fluff” client-getting strategies that are working right now today… and remember, things have a changed, a lot of the ways to get clients that worked just a year or two ago NO LONGER WORK… so having the RIGHT strategies is key

- Having proven systems in place that allow you to convert as many leads, prospects and trials into paying clients as possible… let’s face it, you’ll NEVER be able to convert all of them.. but with the program I’m opening up, you’ll be able to convert the highest percent possible

- The best strategies to retain clients for as long as possible and ascend and upsell your best clients into high priced programs (something most trainers completely ignore but can literally double your income WITHOUT creating any extra work or costing you any extra money or time in marketing )

- Exactly how to scale your business, growing it to as profitable level as possible while you can continue to work less and less… even if that means no longer training at all but still collecting a consistent and predictable six-figure income from your business just like I do, while EVERYONE ELSE DOES ALL THE WORK FOR YOU

I’ve put all these strategies together for you in a virtual eight-week mentoring, masterminding and training program, that my high-end consulting clients who fly in form all over the world and spend $10,000.00 a day to learn, but like I said, this program will be a small fraction of that.

Now, I wanna be clear, this program is NOT about giving you information to consume… it’s about giving you the shortest path from Point A ( where you are now ) to Point B ( owning your own six-figure dream training business that gives you all the freedom you want and deserve in life )

I’m gonna help you close the gap between your current situation, no matter how dismal it may seem ( or even if you’re happy with it and consider your situation good), to getting to exactly where you want to go in as little time as reasonably possible.

It’s the blueprint for building a $100k to $500k fitness training business in as reasonable short of time as possible, it’s been tested and proven to work, it’s like nothing I’ve ever released before, I’m only gonna be taking on a limited amount of trainers, and it’ll be out in a few weeks… and that’s all I can say about that for right now

IF you’re interested in learning more about this, keep you’re eye on you email inbox, and I’ll be reaching out to you soon along with sending you lots of cool free stuff you can apply to your business to help grow it

Talk soon

Big Chris (=