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Ever since Eric, Mike and I started telling people that we were working on Fitness Business Blueprint we’ve received a LOT of questions.
Since we launched yesterday this has only multiplied.
So we’ve put together answers to the most common questions we’ve received below:
Do I have to have an existing training business to benefit from Fitness Business Blueprint?
When we talk about the elite personal training businesses we often associate them with a true passion and unmatched care for their clients. This is true in most cases, but we all know that no matter how great you are at coaching, motivating and programming, a client or two will always present themselves with a lack of progress or motivation.
The conversation, or possible confrontation, that follows a negative assessment, reassessment or other contact with a client is never easy. We have to remember that accusing them and going on the attack is not the answer. Often times they understand what they are doing wrong or not doing at all. Accusations will simply make this already unhappy person defensive and angry with you and your staff.
If you want to enjoy a successful and lucrative personal training career then you need to do some work. There’s a lot of competition (which I think is a good thing as it weeds out the pretenders) and a number of factors that play into your success (or lack thereof.)
Here’s a list of 12 Steps that – if you adhere to them – will lay the foundation for a great personal training career:
Step #1 – Be A Great Coach: Being great at your craft should be the foundation that any successful business is built on. If you deliver a poor quality of service, marketing and sales ability can temporarily keep you going, but eventually people will figure you out.
Step #2 – Create Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Your USP answers the question, “why should choose you over any and all of your competitors?” This is the foundation of all your marketing efforts during your personal training career.
PAMELA MACELREE
When you spend 15 hours in a good mastermind meeting, choosing just one thing that influences me the most is like trying to edit a 15,000 word article down to 1,500 words. I have at least 10 pages of notes to go through and make plans to implement. The biggest reason I continue to be a part of high-level masterminds, like the one I attended last week, is because every time I attend one, I walk away with solid plans to improve my business. I’m not talking about having mints out on the check-in desk either (which I do). I’m talking about proven methods that have been used by other people with similar businesses, proven methods that not only make my business better, but that increase the business of my business. No one can complain about increasing the bottom line. There is no doubt in my mind that the investments I make in building my business have paid off well above and beyond.
There were a number of discussions at Ryan Lee’s Continuity Summit about the current state of the fitness industry. In fact, that’s been a hot topic on Facebook and blogs recently as well.
I’ve heard a number of people – many whom I respect greatly – say the fitness industry is in trouble.
I disagree. Strongly disagree.
Here’s my perspective, then you can decide for yourself.
The personal training segment of the fitness industry is very young. Compared to established professions like law or medicine – we’re in our infant stage.
How many retired personal trainers have you met? Not many… right?
Because of that, changes in the industry are frequent and rapid. That’s not a bad thing – just a fact.
During my talk Saturday at Ryan Lee’s Continuity Summit, I covered something that I think is critical to personal trainer business success.
The concept of Value Creation vs Value Extraction.
This may be the most important concept that you’ll ever learn – so pay attention.
In the world of marketing and sales, most people focus on Value Extraction.
The try to determine how they can Extract as much from each customer or client and give little if any concern as to the Value they give back in exchange for the money they’re receiving.
Car salesmen, gym sales reps and a variety of other professions have developed bad reputations because enough of the people in their field built their entire careers on Value Extraction.
But Internet Marketing ‘Gurus’ currently seem to be the worst. Not all of them are bad – and some are really good.
But most suck.
It is often easy to see things from an outside perspective and think that they are easy. I know that sometimes I get comments about my business and facility. Everyone wants to have a huge facility with clients; however, they don’t always consider the costs that go with these things.
I know that just one year ago I was at a crossroads. I sat in our elite mastermind meeting and was at a breaking point. We didn’t have enough help, we were overwhelmed and we had been stuck at the same revenue point for months. How in the heck could I do more and get more done at the rate I was going?
I was stressed beyond belief and ready to hand it all in if something didn’t change. It took an intervention from my closest friends and mastermind members. It took a slap in the face for me to realize how we were going to grow and how I was going to accomplish the things that I hoped could be accomplished.
The fact was I was trying to do too much myself and not letting go of the simple things. When I did let go of a few things I didn’t set my staff up for success and expected perfection without teaching it. I was so overwhelmed with what I thought I had to do that I didn’t realize what I didn’t need to do.
Today I turn 39. With just 365 days to go until I turn the Big 4-0 I did some reflection over how much has happened over the past few years and some of the lessons that I’ve learned.
Here are some of the most important ones…
1. Never compromise your integrity, for anything or anybody.
2. Deadlines are the difference between getting stuff done and just talking about it. All of my biggest successes have come with deadlines attached to them.
3. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Learn to say no.
4. My favorite business times are our Mastermind Meetings and our live events. I love being surrounded by like-minded, fitness entrepreneurs.
5. Whatever you need to get done, do it now. Not next week, not tomorrow, not later today – now.
6. My favorite times overall are simple family ‘hang outs’ like Holly, Tyler, Alex and me watching a ballgame or movie. Nothing beats low hassle quality family time.
7. When you feel overwhelmed, don’t try to do everything – just do something.
The other day someone asked me what the top 10 traits of a successful fitness professional are. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how to answer. There are so many things that go into being a top flight personal trainer – I had trouble narrowing it to 10. Below is what I came up with – but I’d really like to hear your thoughts. So review my Top 10 and then let me know what traits I missed in the comments area below.
I love lists. Bullet points. They just fit with the way that I think. I’m not much of a fiction reader – but I plow through 2-3 non-fiction books each and every week. I guess it’s because I enjoy facts… not fantasy. So when I was thinking of some personal training business tips to share with you, I decided to do it in bullet point format. I can just jump from one thing to the next without screwing up the flow of the entire post and you can pull out the ones you like (and will take action on) and pass on the rest.
So, let’s get started.
