The REAL Secret to POWERFUL Communication
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
A Fitness Sales Guest Post by Adam Toohey
This is a guest post from my friend Adam Toohey… I’ll let Adam take it from here…
Not so long ago Chris put up a post on listening to your customers People (including you) need to feel connected to something or someone and by listening, intently and really being present, you can give this gift to your clients every day.
“We have 2 ears and 1 mouth therefore we can listen twice as much as we speak” – Epictetus
Ask yourself this question… What else can I do to ensure I really connect with my client?
( Hint - The secret lies in the answer…. )
But before I go there… let me share a brief story
A new restaurant had opened up in Melbourne recently and it was said to be THE BEST Steak House Restaurant in the whole city. Local and International celebs were known to dine there and getting a table on any given night is pretty tough. Not one to be discouraged I called the restaurant in advance just to see what my chances were. “Sorry Sir, we are totally booked this evening”
I’ll admit I had left it a bit late (I had a date that night and figured the restaurant would impress) and so was as we say in Australia I was “shit outta luck”
I had promised the girl a dinner at this place and I wasn’t to be denied… so we went to that very restaurant anyway knowing it was fully booked.
Leaving my friend at the front (to work my magic) I strode in towards the front of house and was presented with a charming and somewhat stressed staff member.
“I wondered if you could help me”. “Certainly Sir”.
“I called earlier and spoke to your manager who informed me you were fully booked tonight’s dinner, and I can see that you are really busy, but I wondered if there was any chance of an early seating now for two… We only need about an hour”.
A few minutes later I walked with a certain swagger to grab my date and we were shown to our seats.
Needless to say she was blown away… (Oh and we were given 2 hours)
So was it just coincidence, or was it something more?
To Make More Money… Just Listen
Sunday, October 18th, 2009
A Fitness Marketing Post by Chris McCombs
If you’re a long time reader of this blog you might have this one handled, but you’d be amazed that more trainers DON’T have this one handled than DO have it handled.
Lemme explain…
The other night I was out with my wife Sarah at one of our favorite restaurants… Nick’s down in Laguna Beach… awesome food.
Anyway, the couple next to us was on their first date, pretty sure they met on the internet… he was a white dude about sixty and she was an Asian woman probably in her mid-forties.
What was awesome was to hear to dude go on and on about how worldly he was, how he’s been to this country and that country, and he takes his private boat everywhere he goes, and how owns a high end consulting firm, and how his son from his 2nd marriage is the captain of the football team, and how he’s into only the finest of wines and on and on and on… he didn’t let her say a thing besides “really” and “oh my”
How To Use SMS To Turbo-Charge Your Marketing And Referrals
Thursday, June 4th, 2009
Guest Post by Zach Hunt
I was talking with one of my long time clients the other day and they were saying how cool it would be if I could send them a weekly motivational text or some type of accountability message to their phone each week…
This got me thinking!
Well, first what is SMS, well I don’t even know -let me look it up right now…..pause….okay, it seems it stands for short message service or as I know it as texting.
Now I have to admit, I’m a late adapter to the technology stuff, things like twitter, facebook, myspace, those are all fairly new to me almost as of this year. And texting, don’t even get me started.
Five Strategies to Creating a Velvet Rope Around Your Fitness Business
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
Guest Post by Dustin Maher
Here’s a guest post by fitness professional Dustin Maher about creating exclusivity in your fitness business. He’s expanding on a strategy made popular in the fitness business by Jim Labadie and Ryan Lee called Velvet Rope Marketing
When you think of a velvet rope, what do you think of? Do you think of the red carpet at the Oscars, with the body guards at the front door blocking the entrance from those who aren’t allowed to go in? Do you picture a bouncer at a hot night club controlling the long line of clubbers who are looking to get into the party?
Now what if I were to tell you that you could have that same kind of experience; the experience where clients are lining up to train with you via, one on one training, small group training, boot camps, or at your gym.
This is what I have been able to create in just the past two years by implementing some simple marketing strategies that get clients to feel like they NEED to train with me, and any other trainer/gym JUST WON’T DO. I don’t possess any magical powers and now it is your turn to experience this!
Here are my top 5 strategies to help you get clients begging, pleading, and bribing you to work with them…
Street Level Sales Tactics Fitness Professionals Need To Know
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
Recently I bought a brand new 2008 Harely Davidson Soft Tail Cross Bones. I can get a little obsessive about my businesses… constantly thinking about ways to improve them… ways to get
more clients… ways to make more money. Going for a ride is extremely meditative for me. It’s one place I can completely shut off ANY thoughts about my business and be 100% in the moment. It’s important for me to mentally escape my businesses once in awhile so when I return to them I’m able to give it everything I’ve friggin’ got. Every time I take my Harley for ride it’s like going on a mini vacation… I always return refreshed and in a better mental state.
When I was at the Harley dealer purchasing my new bike it was pretty cool to see some of the sales tactics they used…
Most people who walk into a Harley dealership who are in the market for a new motorcycle are set on owning a Harley. Whether it’s their first or tenth, typically they’re not shopping around for other kinds of bikes at other dealerships. For them, a Harley is the only way to go. That’s something we want our clients and local community to feel. When they’re searching for an answer to their health and fitness problems we want to be the solution, the ONLY solution. We want people to feel as strong about our service as Harley owners feel about their Harley’s. We want them to be proud to be one of our clients. We want them to feel like they’re part something exclusive and elite.
Almost immediately after I made the purchase Harley Davidson has been sending me one cool thing in the mail after another. The more cool stuff they send me, the happier I am with my purchase. we can all learn something from this. Whenever someone signs up for your service, send them some kind of cool unexpected gift. Sort of a way of saying thanks and reinforcing their wise purchase.
Dating and seduction guru David DeAgnelo ( also known as Eben Pagan) does a killer little "stick strategy" when you purchase one of his info products. Rignt on the front of the package he slaps on a sticker telling you to call an 800# and listen to free recorded message before you do ANYTHING else. When you call, he basically thanks you and congratulates you for making such a smart buying descision. Then he tells you how to use the product. I can’t remember what the exact percentage is but according to Eben this one simple thing dramatically lowers returns.
I think Joe Polish gets into this in his "Piranha Marketing" course. And I think you can actually purchase just the mp3 that explains how to do this if you want for like 20 bucks without needing to purchase the rest of the course.
Another smart thing Harley did was when I was looking at the bikes and deciding which one I wanted to buy they busted out the old "scarcity" card. I came in looking to buy a new Fat Boy, but when I saw the Cross Bones I really liked it’s old school look. When I sat on it it fit me much better as it sits a little higher than the Fat Boy does, I’m almost 6’6" so height is important.
While I was sitting on the bike the salesman says to me…
"That’s the only one in black we have and we won’t be getting another all year"
Man did that make we want to by it now, knowing that this was the last one on black ( the color I was set on buying) and that if I didn’t get this one I might miss out ( Even though in the back of my mind I knew I could go to another dealership) made me feel an urgent sense of needing to buy the bike right then.
After I decided I was going to purchase the bike and we were filling out the paperwork my salesman informs me that the bike is actually going to cost $600 more than he earlier had said it would cost me. What he did here is something car dealers are known for doing. It’s in line with one of Robert Cialdini’s Six "Weapons of Influence" ( By the way, if you haven’t read Roberts book ‘Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion’ go get it right now. It’ll give you a mind blowing look into how people are persuaded. One of the best books I have EVER read.)
The weapon is Commitment and Consistency. Which basically means if people commit, either in writing or verbally, to a goal or an idea, they are
much more likely to honor that commitment. Now this holds true even if the original incentive or motivation is taken away after they ‘ve already agreed, they’ll continue to honor the agreement.
This is something to keep in mind in all of your marketing and sales efforts. It’s why on web sites you’ll see boxes people can check off themselves, it’s why salespeople will try to get you to start filling out a contract before you’ve even decided to buy, it’s why it’s good to get a prospective buyer to keep agreeing with you and saying the word "yes". Get people to agree to a few simple little things and it’s easier to get them to agree to something bigger.
You see, people want to see themselves and be know as someone who walks their talk. Someone of integrity who does what they say. And that’s what Commitment and Consistency is, people wanting to follow through with what they’ve started.
Now Harley Davidson did a few dozen other really intelligent things when its came to selling me my motorcycle, but these few really stick out in my mind.
- The used scarcity.
- They used Commitment and Consistency.
- They made me fell like I’m part of an elite club.
- They sent me TONS of little gifts that reinforced my buying decision.
- Plus, ever since I was a little kid I’ve been seeing pics of hot chicks on Harleys, those bastards got me from a young age.
And don’t forget to opt-in for my free Kick Back Life Fitness Marketing updates… I’ll also send you a link to a secret video that shows how you can make a lot more money and work a lot less hours from using little known underground Internet marketing tactics.
Let me know what you think…
How To Sell Personal Training Services… The Easy Way
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
No one likes a pushy salesman…
…in fact I’d argue that besides terrorists and child molesters, pushy salesman are one of the most hated species to dwell our earth. I personally avoid them like the plague and cut them off at the very first chance I get… I’ll admit, sometimes I can be pretty damned rude to them and it ticks my wife off a little when I tell these guys where they can stick it, but ironically, if you’re in the fitness business, you NEED to be good at sales… just not THAT kind of sales.
Let’s face if, whenever anyone tries to talk us into something or tries to get us to change our point of view about something it makes us go on the defensive BIG TIME, and the more they push, the more we resist, it’s human nature.
We need to keep this at the forefront of our thoughts when were constructing our own personal sales approach. In fact, I suggest an approach that is almost on the complete other end of the spectrum… it’s called consultative selling and works like friggin’ gang busters when done correctly.
With consultative selling you’re more of an advocate for your potential customer than you are a salesman, In fact, you’re here to truly find out what’s the best possible option for them. And if you’re not it, the last thing you’re going to try and do is talk them into it.
With consultative selling you qualify the prospect to make sure they would make an ideal client for your service, and you’re able to find out right away whether or not they are one…
You also are able to put a “velvet rope” around your service, literally to the point where the prospect will do just about anything to prove they are worthy of being one of your clients. I liken it to two guys in bar who after the same female. All things being even, like let’s say both guys are both fit, attractive, funny and successful… the guys who isn’t pushy ( or desperate, clingy or needy) will almost ALWAYS get the girl.
For example, if one guy is throwing himself all over her ( similar to what the pushy salesman does) and the other guy gives off like a vibe like he MIGHT be into her, but he’s got plenty of options, has a life and could take her or leave her… that guy will almost always win ( this gets into some deep psychological stuff like the need for approval and a few other things, but the fact is this kind of approach is much more effective ad far less nerve wrecking as well).
I urge you to become a student of consultative selling, and use it to create a sales script that works in your particular business model. I have a script that helps my trainers and myself close an unheard of percentage of prospects, and what’s great is weeds out anyone who wouldn’t be an ideal client to work with… I’ll be releasing that script in the near future.
In the meantime, I STRONGLY suggest you read this transcribed interview with Andy Miller about how to apply consultative selling to your personal training or fitness business. The interview can be found here: How to Sell Fitness Andy is one of the greatest sales trainers of our time, this guy charges $15,000.00 a DAY for consulting and is in high demand, even consulting well known guys like Jay Abraham.
Check it out for sure, consultative selling is DEFINITELY the way to go.
And here’s a similar post you might like on selling personal training
And don’t forget to opt-in for my free Kick Back Life Fitness Marketing updates… I’ll also send you a link to a secret video that shows how you can make a lot more money and work a lot less hours from using little known underground Internet marketing tactics.
Let me know what you think…
Port Mort on Health and Fitness Sales Systems
Friday, February 1st, 2008
Paul, who are you and what do you do?
Paul Mort, I’m former fat boy, now one of the UK’s leading fat loss experts, twice young business person of the year, featured in national press and magazines, tv and radio.
When it comes to having a successful training biz, what do you feel are the key factors?
Results- plain and simple Chris, you can have the most qualifications in the world or the best marketing and sales techniques in the world- but if you cant get results for your clients then you have no chance of not only keeping them as clients or of them referring their friends!
Customer care: it really annoys me when I hear trainers or any other service saying here’s a testimonial from one of our ‘satisfied customers’. Imagine making love to your spouse and asking the infamous “how was it for you?” and he-she replied “satisfactory” how would you feel? My sentiments exactly. Don’t strive for satisfied customers, strive for raving fans!
When it comes to customer care, where do most trainers go wrong?
I think they concentrate to much on getting new clients rather than looking after the ones they currently have. Most trainers spend hundreds on new adverts, books and audio’s learning about the newest marketing and sales techniques. The number one way to build your fitness business is through referrals they don’t cost you a. penny- If you look after your current clients!
How do you treat your clients/customers?
Like royalty! Again I just look at it from there point of view, those guys pay A LOT of money for my service but is 50 dollars plus per hour for exercise supervision worth it? Well all know it is, but imagine if your doctor emailed you whilst you were ill, asking how you were and giving you extra tips to get back to health quicker? Now that’s a wow!! How many friends would you tell about that doctor? All of them!
How do you turn clients into Raving fans?
We do any number of things, from simple free things like a text message at the end of the day to say ‘well done today’ to massage vouchers. We reward clients not only for getting results but also for referrals. We send them books, DVD’s, CD’s, magazine subscriptions, free bootcamp places. One of my favourites is when they sign up with us we send them a letter with the title ‘thanks a million for your commitment’ sounds pretty bog standard right? Well to be a little different we attach a ticket for the national lottery- this really blows their minds- and it only costs 1 english pound per ticket, imagine if they win something?!?!
How do you Wow your customers?
Other than the examples above, I believe HANDWRITTEN notes are extremely powerful. If a client is doing well or even struggling I pop a little note saying ‘great work this month’ or ‘lets stay strong and nail that diet this week’ onto a postcard and pop it in the mail. Anyone can text or email but I think taking the time to not only handwrite the card but to stick a stamp on it and post it seems like nothing but to the client it really shows we care.
How do create bonds with your client’s right from the start?
I let them know that I am 100% committed to their success but more importantly than that I do things when I say I’m going to do them. For example. If i say they’ll have there new program on Wednesday, They’ll get it on Tuesday. The lottery ticket tip seems to go a LONG WAY towards this too!
How do you get your clients to want to tell all of their friends about you?
I let them know that I only take on clients that are like them: that way we only get good quality leads. On every card I send, I end it with “P.S this card entitles you to bring one of your friends or relatives along to your next session, free of charge”
Please visit www.precisionfitness.co.uk or www.thefitnesscamp.co.uk
And don’t forget to opt-in for my free Kick Back Life Fitness Marketing updates… I’ll also send you a link to a secret video that shows how you can make a lot more money and work a lot less hours from using little known underground Internet marketing tactics.
Let me know what you think…
Conquer with Continuity
Sunday, January 27th, 2008
Do you want reliable, stable and predictable income? Sure you do, if you didn’t you’d probably be spending your time watching “American Idol” or whatever bubble-gum brain-candy of the week was on the boob tube instead of reading this article and expanding your mind…
Continuity is one of the most sure-fire ways to have a reliable and stable income in the health and fitness industry that I know of.
What you want to do is set your patients, clients or customers up on some kind of automatic billing program and you want that money to just come out of their bank – out of sight, out of mind – so they are just paying you and using your services on a regular basis without them having to think about it.
When I first started out as a personal trainer I used to charge people by cash or check and I would sell sessions, I would sell packages of 10 or 20 or 50 sessions. It was always a weird feeling when I had to ask for more money and I knew the client didn’t want to have to pull out their pocketbook and spend more money on my services. It would put this real funky vibe between me and them, hey I just wanted to train, I didn’t want to be a bill collector hitting them up for checks all the time
(more…)
Fitness Sales Strategies Interview with Bedros Keuilian
Thursday, January 10th, 2008
Here’s an interview I did with Bedros Keuilian on how to sell personal training and personal training sales techniques. Bedros is the man when it comes to helping personal trainers and coaches create effective fitness marketing and fitness sales systems so they can make more money.
Chris McCombs (CM): Bedros, what is it that you do?
Bedros Keuilian (BK): That’s a good question, Chris. What I do is I bridge the gap of income for personal trainers and fitness business owners. The average trainer today makes about $30,000 a year. I bridge the gap between $30,000 and six and seven figures, through various tools and technology that I’ve created for the industry. And these tools and technology will help personal trainers out market, out sell, and out position their competitors.
Personal Fitness Training Sales Interview with Andy Miller
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008
Here’s a Fitness Sales Interview with Andy Miller on how personal trainers, fitness trainers and fitness professionals can create better selling systems to convert more prospects into clients.
After having your fitness marketing systems in place, the next most important piece of the puzzle is to have your fitness sales process dialed in so you can convert as many of the good leads as possible into long term high-paying clients.
When it comes to making sales, Andy is the best around, demanding and getting as much as 15K per day for his one of a kind consulting.
Andy is the guy who helped me come up with the system I used to close 143 out of 144 prospective clients in just five and a half months
In fact, you can access the ENTIRE system… just click here
Ok, a little bit about Andy… he’s president and CEO of Sales Management Guru. He has been featured on CNN, Sales and Marketing Management, Selling Power, Newsweek, Success and Your Company magazines, and has shared the stage with speaking greats Jay Abraham, Dennis Whitely, Brian Tracy, Mark Victor Hansen and Zig Zigler. Jay Abraham calls him “exceptional and one of the top consulted sales trainers” that he’s ever met.
This dude knows his stuff, so without further ado…
Andy, what is it that you do?
My primary focus is I work with CEOs to help them grow their sales organizations.
How important is sales if a personal trainer wants to be successful?
