Hey Fitness Pros.
Yesterday I emailed you about the importance of making a proposal to media in your area. To show you that I'm not all talk...Yesterday, I took about 10-15 minutes and sent out a Press Release to all my Media contacts. By the end of the day, I received offers to be the guest on 5 TV segments and 1 Radio segment. I could never buy this kind of advertising and it's not costing me anything! Well, just a little bit of time and making the effort to position myself as the local expert on health and fitness...
Here were some of the emails I received as proof that this kind of stuff works!
Sherri, I’m a producer for the local lifestyle show “Better Portland” – I produce the local cut-ins that air during “Better” on KPTV Fox 12.
I was thinking it would be nice to do an “exercising on a budget” segment – perhaps showing some simple props that you can use at home to achieve a great work out.
Depending on your interest, we have time next Monday, Jan. 4th (at around 10 a.m. ) in our studios to tape a segment. Our segments run about three minutes long, and are pre-taped -- airing within the next week or two.
Let me know if you’re interested and I’d be happy to set something up.
Thanks!
-Amy
Sherri - I’m very interested in some of these segment ideas…
How would you feel about joining us in studio every Monday in January to discuss these topics? We could do live demonstrations, too, if needed.
I’d love to start this next Monday, January 4th.
Can we do:
--Exercising on a Budget
--How to reach your Personal Best
--Exercising with a Buddy for Motivation
--How to choose a good gym/trainer (maybe this one should be first, coupled with *WHY* we should exercise—YOU are your Best Investment).
Please let me know if you’re interested in this kind of exposure.
Thanks!
Autumn
Did she actually ask if I'd be interested in this kind of exposure?! YES, YES, YES!!
Yours in health, fitness and business
Sherri McMillan
ps. Remember, if you were part of our PT MasterMind group, you'd receive all of our ready to use Press Releases and all other templates and marketing initiatives that will substantially increase your exposure, revenues and profits. Contact Kari at kari@nwpersonaltraining.com for your 1st Month Free ($199 Value).
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
There is a sense of Urgency!
Hey Fitness Pros.
The year is starting to wind down and I’m hoping and praying that you are using this time to plan for an incredible 2010.
You see for the Fitness Industry, January is 'make or break' time. It's like the bottom of the 9th inning and the bases are loaded. Or it's the NBA Finals, tie score and there's a minute left on the buzzer. Or it's the SuperBowl and it's the 4th down with 5 yards to go to TD.
Okay, enough metaphors - bottom line, January is when people are thinking about getting back in shape. It's just human nature that come the New Year people are motivated to start working out and taking better care of themselves. And successful marketing for any business is being in the 'Client's Mind when the Client is Ready to Buy." And come January, the client is definitely ready to buy!
A good analogy is this - You don't go to a fruit tree and try to pick fruit when the tree is bare. No matter how hard you look, you aren't going to find any fruit. You go to the tree when it is overflowing with fruit and that's when you shake that baby and you harvest an abundance of fruit. In the fitness industry, January is when the tree is full of fruit and it's harvest time. Now of course, our clients aren't fruits and we want to be ready and willing to help them throughout the entire year. But this is the time of year when most people WANT our help!
So what does that mean to all of us?
Here's some tips to consider. Think of this as a Fitness Pep Rally (a 'Win one for the Gipper' speech!)
Start Planning Now! If you are the owner or manager of a fitness facility, January is when you should spend the greatest amount of your yearly marketing dollars. But you’ve got to start planning right now so you can launch big and strong in January. If you wait until January to ask yourself what you’re going to do, it will be too late! Start now to increase your chances of a successful year! You might take out some ads in local newspapers, send out some mailers to clients or past guests, hand out a ton of trial gift certificates, ramp up your social marketing efforts, plan a fitness trade show at your studio, host an educational seminar for the community... Bottom line - you want to ensure that your name and services are in the forefront of people's minds as they’re thinking about taking better care of themselves.
Be at your Best: Well, as a fitness professional, we expect that year-round, right?! But it's even more important in the New Year. You can't afford to be away or sick - your clients and classes need you! So get lots of good sleep, eat well, drink lots of water and take your Airborne or Echinacea if you're feeling run-down. Put your game-face on no matter what is going on - you need to be positive, energetic and customer-service oriented. It's show time! And that goes for your working environment too! Use the holiday down-time to clean up, tidy up, get organized and get your fitness studios looking amazing and ready for the January rush.
Be present: If you can help it, try not to be away over the first few months of the year. One of our friends is a manager at Safeway Grocery store. And for the grocery store industry, one of their make or break times is Thanksgiving through the holidays. She knows to not ask for any extended vacations during that time. In the fitness industry, it's important to be present and at your best in January-March and September-November. The best time to schedule holidays in the fitness industry is June, July & August and December (keep that in mind as you plan your 2010 vacations.)
Be mentally & physically prepared to work hard: In January, you might need to stay late, come in early, work on a weekend. You might be juggling multiple tasks. You might be doing things that aren't part of your normal job responsibilities. You should be prepared to take phone calls, do tours and be really good at this. Be ready to find out what a clients' needs are and to show them how you can help them. Be genuine and honest and highlight how much you will take care of them.
Hone your skills now: When you spend a lot of time and money to get people to check you out, you need to be masters of the phone and tours. What a waste it would be if an individual is motivated to call you or come in to check you out and their first impression is a poor one. Also take this quieter holiday time to learn some new exercises with a cool new tool. Read some educational books. Get certified in a new program that you can launch in January.
Get in people's minds: Now is the perfect time to call or email those clients who haven't been in for a while. It’s an excellent time to ask for referrals and distribute guest passes. As people are thinking about fitness, you want them to think about you!
We hope the coming of the New Year excites you as much as it does us. We love coming into our studios when classes are energized, the private area is full and the studio is just humming. It always makes us feel like we're really doing a good job and are positively impacting our clients' lives. So embrace the busyness and celebrate it.
Now go inspire the world to a fitter life!
With love and thanks,
Sherri McMillan
ps. One guaranteed way to have an incredible 2010 Business Year is to sign up for out Personal Training MasterMind Group. The cost is peanuts compared to the revenues that you will generate following along with our systems. We do $1,000,000 a year in our 5000 square foot facility and so can you! Let us show you how! Email our Fitness Education Director, Kari Schunk, at kari@nwpersonaltraining.com and she'll provide you all the details. Here's to your business success!
The year is starting to wind down and I’m hoping and praying that you are using this time to plan for an incredible 2010.
You see for the Fitness Industry, January is 'make or break' time. It's like the bottom of the 9th inning and the bases are loaded. Or it's the NBA Finals, tie score and there's a minute left on the buzzer. Or it's the SuperBowl and it's the 4th down with 5 yards to go to TD.
Okay, enough metaphors - bottom line, January is when people are thinking about getting back in shape. It's just human nature that come the New Year people are motivated to start working out and taking better care of themselves. And successful marketing for any business is being in the 'Client's Mind when the Client is Ready to Buy." And come January, the client is definitely ready to buy!
A good analogy is this - You don't go to a fruit tree and try to pick fruit when the tree is bare. No matter how hard you look, you aren't going to find any fruit. You go to the tree when it is overflowing with fruit and that's when you shake that baby and you harvest an abundance of fruit. In the fitness industry, January is when the tree is full of fruit and it's harvest time. Now of course, our clients aren't fruits and we want to be ready and willing to help them throughout the entire year. But this is the time of year when most people WANT our help!
So what does that mean to all of us?
Here's some tips to consider. Think of this as a Fitness Pep Rally (a 'Win one for the Gipper' speech!)
Start Planning Now! If you are the owner or manager of a fitness facility, January is when you should spend the greatest amount of your yearly marketing dollars. But you’ve got to start planning right now so you can launch big and strong in January. If you wait until January to ask yourself what you’re going to do, it will be too late! Start now to increase your chances of a successful year! You might take out some ads in local newspapers, send out some mailers to clients or past guests, hand out a ton of trial gift certificates, ramp up your social marketing efforts, plan a fitness trade show at your studio, host an educational seminar for the community... Bottom line - you want to ensure that your name and services are in the forefront of people's minds as they’re thinking about taking better care of themselves.
Be at your Best: Well, as a fitness professional, we expect that year-round, right?! But it's even more important in the New Year. You can't afford to be away or sick - your clients and classes need you! So get lots of good sleep, eat well, drink lots of water and take your Airborne or Echinacea if you're feeling run-down. Put your game-face on no matter what is going on - you need to be positive, energetic and customer-service oriented. It's show time! And that goes for your working environment too! Use the holiday down-time to clean up, tidy up, get organized and get your fitness studios looking amazing and ready for the January rush.
Be present: If you can help it, try not to be away over the first few months of the year. One of our friends is a manager at Safeway Grocery store. And for the grocery store industry, one of their make or break times is Thanksgiving through the holidays. She knows to not ask for any extended vacations during that time. In the fitness industry, it's important to be present and at your best in January-March and September-November. The best time to schedule holidays in the fitness industry is June, July & August and December (keep that in mind as you plan your 2010 vacations.)
Be mentally & physically prepared to work hard: In January, you might need to stay late, come in early, work on a weekend. You might be juggling multiple tasks. You might be doing things that aren't part of your normal job responsibilities. You should be prepared to take phone calls, do tours and be really good at this. Be ready to find out what a clients' needs are and to show them how you can help them. Be genuine and honest and highlight how much you will take care of them.
Hone your skills now: When you spend a lot of time and money to get people to check you out, you need to be masters of the phone and tours. What a waste it would be if an individual is motivated to call you or come in to check you out and their first impression is a poor one. Also take this quieter holiday time to learn some new exercises with a cool new tool. Read some educational books. Get certified in a new program that you can launch in January.
Get in people's minds: Now is the perfect time to call or email those clients who haven't been in for a while. It’s an excellent time to ask for referrals and distribute guest passes. As people are thinking about fitness, you want them to think about you!
We hope the coming of the New Year excites you as much as it does us. We love coming into our studios when classes are energized, the private area is full and the studio is just humming. It always makes us feel like we're really doing a good job and are positively impacting our clients' lives. So embrace the busyness and celebrate it.
Now go inspire the world to a fitter life!
With love and thanks,
Sherri McMillan
ps. One guaranteed way to have an incredible 2010 Business Year is to sign up for out Personal Training MasterMind Group. The cost is peanuts compared to the revenues that you will generate following along with our systems. We do $1,000,000 a year in our 5000 square foot facility and so can you! Let us show you how! Email our Fitness Education Director, Kari Schunk, at kari@nwpersonaltraining.com and she'll provide you all the details. Here's to your business success!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Highlight the Holiday Season and everyone Wins!
Hey Fitness Pros.
The holidays are just around the corner. My question to you is 'Do you have a plan to encourage clients to focus on the "Gift of Health, Fitness & Vitality"?!
Here's the thing - people are spending money and buying gifts in late November and all through December. So would you rather have clients purchase a gift that will literally change someone's life or let them buy someone a sweater that probably won't fit and their loved one will never wear?!
Here's some ideas for you:
1. Offer a Holiday sale or promotion. All smart businesses do this during the holiday season. You've got to entice your clients and prospects to want to invest in YOUR services. Plus it will get them to prioritize their commitment to their health and fitness NOW and set them up for a healthy and fit 2010 - BEFORE they have spent all their funds.
2. Give clients $25-$50 Gift Cards as a Client Appreciation Gift for the holidays. Again, this will encourage them to use it and therefore, increase the chances that they will continue with you into 2010. Consider giving them two gift cards - one for them to use and one for them to give to a loved one as a Holiday gift.
3. Give all your clients FREE or offer low-price Trial Pass Gift Certificates that they can give to their friends, co-workers, family members or acquaintances like Hair Stylist, Kids' Teachers, Neighbors etc. They make for great stocking stuffers and if they are free and super inexpensive, it's a win:win for everyone. Our Gift Certificates include an Initial Complimentary Training session and 1-2 weeks of Free Group Training sessions. Let your clients spread the word and help you launch into a fabulous January!
4. Display lots of great gift ideas throughout your studio/gyms. Hot items include Heart Rate Monitors, Foam Rollers, Tubing with Protective Coating, Stability Balls etc. You can usually sell quite a bit of product over the holidays and clients like the convenience!
I hope this gives you some ideas and gets the creative juices flowing.
Remember, if you are part of our Personal Training Mastermind Group, you would get access to all of our promotional and marketing templates year-round that you could use for your business. If interested, email our Fitness Education Director at kari@nwpersonaltraining.com and she can give you more details.
Yours in health, fitness and business,
Sherri McMillan
The holidays are just around the corner. My question to you is 'Do you have a plan to encourage clients to focus on the "Gift of Health, Fitness & Vitality"?!
Here's the thing - people are spending money and buying gifts in late November and all through December. So would you rather have clients purchase a gift that will literally change someone's life or let them buy someone a sweater that probably won't fit and their loved one will never wear?!
Here's some ideas for you:
1. Offer a Holiday sale or promotion. All smart businesses do this during the holiday season. You've got to entice your clients and prospects to want to invest in YOUR services. Plus it will get them to prioritize their commitment to their health and fitness NOW and set them up for a healthy and fit 2010 - BEFORE they have spent all their funds.
2. Give clients $25-$50 Gift Cards as a Client Appreciation Gift for the holidays. Again, this will encourage them to use it and therefore, increase the chances that they will continue with you into 2010. Consider giving them two gift cards - one for them to use and one for them to give to a loved one as a Holiday gift.
3. Give all your clients FREE or offer low-price Trial Pass Gift Certificates that they can give to their friends, co-workers, family members or acquaintances like Hair Stylist, Kids' Teachers, Neighbors etc. They make for great stocking stuffers and if they are free and super inexpensive, it's a win:win for everyone. Our Gift Certificates include an Initial Complimentary Training session and 1-2 weeks of Free Group Training sessions. Let your clients spread the word and help you launch into a fabulous January!
4. Display lots of great gift ideas throughout your studio/gyms. Hot items include Heart Rate Monitors, Foam Rollers, Tubing with Protective Coating, Stability Balls etc. You can usually sell quite a bit of product over the holidays and clients like the convenience!
I hope this gives you some ideas and gets the creative juices flowing.
Remember, if you are part of our Personal Training Mastermind Group, you would get access to all of our promotional and marketing templates year-round that you could use for your business. If interested, email our Fitness Education Director at kari@nwpersonaltraining.com and she can give you more details.
Yours in health, fitness and business,
Sherri McMillan
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Role Play your way to Success!
Hey Fitness Pros.
We currently have an intern trainer, Robert. He is fabulous and we are hiring him to start with our team.
Today, I gave him my number, name and he had to call me to schedule me for an initial appointment. We role played the scenario and I evaluated him using a variety of criteria. There are certain expectations that we have at NWPT - what he should say, shouldn't say, what the flow of the conversation should look like etc to ensure this contact is successful. At the end, we went over what he did well and where he could hone his skills.
Next step, we're actually scheduled for that initial session and he will take me through it and I will evaluate him again based on a set of criteria.
Bottom line - all of this role playing and practice functions to ensure he offers the best experience which will increase his ability to influence the client to invest in his services and therefore, ultimately experience incredible results.
I can't stress enough how important these types of leadership initiatives are. Now if you don't manage or work with a team of trainers, have someone else evaluate your skills. Perfect practice makes perfect!
Sherri
ps. If you would like to access all the forms and systems we use for our evaluation process, contact kari@nwpersonaltraining.com There's no use reinventing the wheel!
We currently have an intern trainer, Robert. He is fabulous and we are hiring him to start with our team.
Today, I gave him my number, name and he had to call me to schedule me for an initial appointment. We role played the scenario and I evaluated him using a variety of criteria. There are certain expectations that we have at NWPT - what he should say, shouldn't say, what the flow of the conversation should look like etc to ensure this contact is successful. At the end, we went over what he did well and where he could hone his skills.
Next step, we're actually scheduled for that initial session and he will take me through it and I will evaluate him again based on a set of criteria.
Bottom line - all of this role playing and practice functions to ensure he offers the best experience which will increase his ability to influence the client to invest in his services and therefore, ultimately experience incredible results.
I can't stress enough how important these types of leadership initiatives are. Now if you don't manage or work with a team of trainers, have someone else evaluate your skills. Perfect practice makes perfect!
Sherri
ps. If you would like to access all the forms and systems we use for our evaluation process, contact kari@nwpersonaltraining.com There's no use reinventing the wheel!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Send out the troops...
Hey Fitness Pros,
There is strength in numbers. One person can never sell as much as a whole sales team.
So if you manage a group of fitness professionals, every week/month give each person on your team a few gift certificates for Trial Passes. Encourage them to hand them out to people in their community - their chiropractor, their hair stylist, their kid's teacher, their neighbor etc. Also encourage them to hand out these gift certificates to their clients or participants so they can give them out to their loved ones.
If you're a solo trainer, provide everyone you know these gift certificates to give to their friends, family members and co-workers.
Consider giving a gift for all the gift certificates that come back in. For example, in our business, anyone who refers a new client to us, we give them a free training session or massage.
Let others sell for you. Then reward them when they do.
Yours in health, fitness and business,
Sherri McMillan
There is strength in numbers. One person can never sell as much as a whole sales team.
So if you manage a group of fitness professionals, every week/month give each person on your team a few gift certificates for Trial Passes. Encourage them to hand them out to people in their community - their chiropractor, their hair stylist, their kid's teacher, their neighbor etc. Also encourage them to hand out these gift certificates to their clients or participants so they can give them out to their loved ones.
If you're a solo trainer, provide everyone you know these gift certificates to give to their friends, family members and co-workers.
Consider giving a gift for all the gift certificates that come back in. For example, in our business, anyone who refers a new client to us, we give them a free training session or massage.
Let others sell for you. Then reward them when they do.
Yours in health, fitness and business,
Sherri McMillan
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
How to get new clients at no cost!
Hey Fitness Pros.
Wouldn't it be awesome if other people were sending you clients all the time?!
Well, what if I told you there's an easy way to do this and it doesn't cost you anything. I wanted to fill you in on the best way to develop a strategic alliance with a local business.
First, I'll share a real life example for you.
Angela is a wonderful woman who owns a little restaurant, Manhattan Cafe, across the street from our Portland studio that offers coffee, tea and healthy sandwiches and salads. She also takes my fitness classes and has the most fun, caring and charismatic personality. I recognized her as someone who has incredible influence in our community so I offered her a free membership to our club and discounted prices on all of our services. I also offered her the ability to promote her menus in our studios and on our website. In return, with our assistance she has created a number of healthy menu options and has put our logo on all of her menus. She has also put all of our promotional materials in a prominent location in her restaurant. She also raves about us to her customers because she can speak from first-hand experience. It's a WIN:WIN relationship and those are always the best types!
So ask yourself the following questions:
*What type of client do you want to attract to your Personal Training business or club?
*Where does this type of client shop or spend their time or money?
*Are any of these businesses in a 10-15 minute driving radius from you?
*Do you have any close contacts with any of these businesses? (It's always easiest to approach someone who knows and likes you!)
*Which 3 businesses could you go to tomorrow to initiate a cross promotion?
When initiating this type of relationship, always remember to focus first on what's in it for THEM!
Yours in health, fitness and business,
Sherri McMillan
Wouldn't it be awesome if other people were sending you clients all the time?!
Well, what if I told you there's an easy way to do this and it doesn't cost you anything. I wanted to fill you in on the best way to develop a strategic alliance with a local business.
First, I'll share a real life example for you.
Angela is a wonderful woman who owns a little restaurant, Manhattan Cafe, across the street from our Portland studio that offers coffee, tea and healthy sandwiches and salads. She also takes my fitness classes and has the most fun, caring and charismatic personality. I recognized her as someone who has incredible influence in our community so I offered her a free membership to our club and discounted prices on all of our services. I also offered her the ability to promote her menus in our studios and on our website. In return, with our assistance she has created a number of healthy menu options and has put our logo on all of her menus. She has also put all of our promotional materials in a prominent location in her restaurant. She also raves about us to her customers because she can speak from first-hand experience. It's a WIN:WIN relationship and those are always the best types!
So ask yourself the following questions:
*What type of client do you want to attract to your Personal Training business or club?
*Where does this type of client shop or spend their time or money?
*Are any of these businesses in a 10-15 minute driving radius from you?
*Do you have any close contacts with any of these businesses? (It's always easiest to approach someone who knows and likes you!)
*Which 3 businesses could you go to tomorrow to initiate a cross promotion?
When initiating this type of relationship, always remember to focus first on what's in it for THEM!
Yours in health, fitness and business,
Sherri McMillan
Monday, June 29, 2009
Use YouTube to highlight and grow your business.
Hey Fitness Pros.
We hosted our Summer Solstice event this past Saturday. I had a few of our volunteers take video clips with our $150 flip camera. Then I uploaded them onto YouTube. Mind you, it's not professional editing but hey, it still gives people a great idea of what we're all about. I can post these clips on our website, include them in my blog, add them on our FaceBook page, email them to clients...
It doesn't cost me anything but a little time and just increases our outreach. Plus our clients love it so that's good for Client Retention.
Create those moments of magic (even if it's just some footage of some really cool workouts with your clients) and then share them with the world! Your business image will spread like wild-fire and that IS good for business!
Yours in health, fitness and business,
Sherri McMillan
ps. Be sure to get your clients' permission first. Or at least, have a clause in all your intake forms letting your clients know that you will post photos and video clips of events/workouts etc. If they have a problem with it, they'll let you know.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Host your own event and watch your business prosper
Hey Fitness Pros.
I'm currently in the final preparation stages for our annual 6 mile Run/Walk and Live Concert fundraiser event at our studio this weekend. We've got the street in front of our business blocked off where we'll start and finish the event, we'll have a stage set up for the Live Band, vendors will be on site and it's just going to be a blast.
It's a lot of work - applying for city permits, finding sponsors, recruiting volunteers, event planning and more. But it's all worth it.
The big question is Why? What do we as a business get out of hosting events like this?
1. We've got 200 people already signed up - that will be closer to 300 by the weekend. In addition, we've got about 75 volunteers helping out. Plus there will be spectators to cheer on their loved ones. So we'll have about 500 people right in front of our studio, knowing exactly where we are, what we do and seeing what a fabulous, community-minded company we are. That's got to be good for business!
2. We will also now have all the runners/walkers email addresses so we can continue to market to them and promote any upcoming programs and events.
3. Creating moments of magic. When the participants cross the finish line, they're going to feel amazing. They'll associate this memorable moment with us. If they are a client, this enhances client retention. If they are not a client, if they are thinking about taking their program to a new level, they are going to come to us.
4. Fun & Friendships: These types of events foster a fun environment that develops friendships. When people have a lot of friends where they workout, they are more likely to come which enhances results and they are less likely to leave and go elsewhere!
5. Supporting your community. People do business with people they know and like and respect. These events give our community a chance to get to know us. Plus if they appreciate a business that really takes care of their community, they will be more likely to want to train with us compared to another fitness club.
6. Offer a feeder into your Private Training services and programs. For example, we host a Triathlon. We also host the Triathlon Training clinic to help people get prepared for the Triathlon. We currently have 20 people signed up for our clinic and each paid $199 to participate. So it's a nice additional revenue stream.
Next month, we're hosting our Triathlon. After that, a hiking and cycling trip to Crater Lake. And can you believe, we get paid for this?!
Yours in health, fitness and business,
Sherri McMillan
ps. If you're thinking about hosting your own events, but don't know where to start, you can purchase our systems for how we organize our events. Email kari@nwpersonaltraining.com and she'll get you all set-up.
I'm currently in the final preparation stages for our annual 6 mile Run/Walk and Live Concert fundraiser event at our studio this weekend. We've got the street in front of our business blocked off where we'll start and finish the event, we'll have a stage set up for the Live Band, vendors will be on site and it's just going to be a blast.
It's a lot of work - applying for city permits, finding sponsors, recruiting volunteers, event planning and more. But it's all worth it.
The big question is Why? What do we as a business get out of hosting events like this?
1. We've got 200 people already signed up - that will be closer to 300 by the weekend. In addition, we've got about 75 volunteers helping out. Plus there will be spectators to cheer on their loved ones. So we'll have about 500 people right in front of our studio, knowing exactly where we are, what we do and seeing what a fabulous, community-minded company we are. That's got to be good for business!
2. We will also now have all the runners/walkers email addresses so we can continue to market to them and promote any upcoming programs and events.
3. Creating moments of magic. When the participants cross the finish line, they're going to feel amazing. They'll associate this memorable moment with us. If they are a client, this enhances client retention. If they are not a client, if they are thinking about taking their program to a new level, they are going to come to us.
4. Fun & Friendships: These types of events foster a fun environment that develops friendships. When people have a lot of friends where they workout, they are more likely to come which enhances results and they are less likely to leave and go elsewhere!
5. Supporting your community. People do business with people they know and like and respect. These events give our community a chance to get to know us. Plus if they appreciate a business that really takes care of their community, they will be more likely to want to train with us compared to another fitness club.
6. Offer a feeder into your Private Training services and programs. For example, we host a Triathlon. We also host the Triathlon Training clinic to help people get prepared for the Triathlon. We currently have 20 people signed up for our clinic and each paid $199 to participate. So it's a nice additional revenue stream.
Next month, we're hosting our Triathlon. After that, a hiking and cycling trip to Crater Lake. And can you believe, we get paid for this?!
Yours in health, fitness and business,
Sherri McMillan
ps. If you're thinking about hosting your own events, but don't know where to start, you can purchase our systems for how we organize our events. Email kari@nwpersonaltraining.com and she'll get you all set-up.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Father's Day focus for Fitness Pros
Hey Fitness Pros.
It's Father's Day this coming weekend and that should be a big focus all week. I've cut and posted some instructions I gave to our team this week. Hopefully it will help you too!
High Priority: Father's Day is this weekend so remember to suggest gift certificates and announce our Guys Bootcamp on Saturday June 20th. Encourage our clients to do something special with their hubbies, dads, sons, brothers...As people are coming and going, try "Did you need to pick up a Gift Certificate for Father's Day" or "Do you think you can join us for our Dads Bootcamp on Saturday" or at the very least, "Would you like one of our complimentary Gift Certificates to give to those special guys in your life" That's an easy one because it doesn't cost them anything and they can give to their dad, brother, son, husband. We should be able to give out a ton of these and them we'll have all kinds of new people coming into the facility to visit with our amazing trainers...And once they see a trainer for their comp visit, I'm 100% confident they will continue and that will completely change their lives forever! Trainers - this is a great way to build your clientele base so be sure to be on top of this all week. In fact, carry a bunch of certs with you all week so you can give them to people at the grocery store, your hair stylist, your neighbor etc. So let's make this a team effort this week. Justin - be sure to have a ton in stock and give everyone at least 2 each to get them started.
Yours in health, fitness and business,
Sherri McMillan
It's Father's Day this coming weekend and that should be a big focus all week. I've cut and posted some instructions I gave to our team this week. Hopefully it will help you too!
High Priority: Father's Day is this weekend so remember to suggest gift certificates and announce our Guys Bootcamp on Saturday June 20th. Encourage our clients to do something special with their hubbies, dads, sons, brothers...As people are coming and going, try "Did you need to pick up a Gift Certificate for Father's Day" or "Do you think you can join us for our Dads Bootcamp on Saturday" or at the very least, "Would you like one of our complimentary Gift Certificates to give to those special guys in your life" That's an easy one because it doesn't cost them anything and they can give to their dad, brother, son, husband. We should be able to give out a ton of these and them we'll have all kinds of new people coming into the facility to visit with our amazing trainers...And once they see a trainer for their comp visit, I'm 100% confident they will continue and that will completely change their lives forever! Trainers - this is a great way to build your clientele base so be sure to be on top of this all week. In fact, carry a bunch of certs with you all week so you can give them to people at the grocery store, your hair stylist, your neighbor etc. So let's make this a team effort this week. Justin - be sure to have a ton in stock and give everyone at least 2 each to get them started.
Yours in health, fitness and business,
Sherri McMillan
Monday, May 18, 2009
Get FREE Press!
I just sent out a Press Release to our local media reps. It made me think that I should send out a Blog to you about how to do this to get Free Press in your community. Here's the premise and approach...
Who has the money to take out ads in magazines or newspapers or create a commercial for the radio or television? If you're like most fitness businesses, you don't! But there is a way to get free advertising but you have to work for it.
• Develop a list of key local media contacts in your area including print, radio and TV
• Complete regular mail-outs, emails and fax-outs to develop relationships. Tease them with some health and fitness information. For example, state "I was just at IDEA, The International Health and Fitness Conference in Las Vegas and I learned some of the most incredible exercises for the abdominals. It's stuff you've never seen before. Call me if you'd like to hear more about it" or "I was just at the IHRSA show in San Francisco and I've got to tell you about some of the hottest and craziest equipment new on the market" or offer a human interest story about one of your clients and their success- with their approval of course. Just wet their taste buds and you can expect at least one or two call backs from each of your efforts. Of course each time they run your idea, you are mentioned as the Health and Fitness expert and you can also ask for your business and your number to be listed so people can contact you if they have further questions.
• Offer to write a free weekly/monthly fitness column. The time spent writing the article will be well worth the advertising value.
• Offer key media contacts a couple complimentary sessions so they can try out your services and see what it's all about. Perhaps propose a “Media Fitness Challenge” or “Getting into shape” challenge and rival reporters and producers of various networks against each other. The press you get will be huge.
I can use myself as an example of just how much free advertising you can get. When I first moved to Vancouver, BC, and developed my new business, I started doing regular fax-outs and mail-outs. In the beginning the response was poor. But after a few months, I started to get at least one or two call backs from every effort. Soon I was being quoted in various sources and being asked to appear on local radio and television shows for 3-5 minute guest fitness appearances. In the beginning, I wrote so many free articles and did so many free appearances but the exposure I got was priceless. Then I had my first big break. The Province Newspaper, our daily Provincial newspaper in British Columbia, with a very large circulation, asked me to write a weekly fitness column for them. And get this, they were actually offering to pay me! Can you imagine how much it would have cost me to actually purchase the type of exposure I have received. Then as a result of the newspaper exposure, I was asked by a local publisher to write a book. One-year later "Go For Fit - The Winning Way to Fat Loss" was printed and launched. I started being asked to write by national magazines like Chatelaine. Then I gained interest on the international scene and was asked to do some work with the prestigious Shape magazine. I co-founded and edited a local health and fitness magazine, Go!
Then I got married and moved to the states and had to start all over from scratch. So I repeated the same process. Took about a year of these weekly press releases and teasers and then we got our big break. We were asked to write the weekly fitness column for the Columbian, our city newspaper. Did that for about 3 years. Then got our next big break when the Oregonian, our state newspaper, asked us to start a weekly fitness column. Been doing that for years now and the exposure is incredible!
And all of this exposure by just committing to do some work for free in the beginning. Sometimes new trainers expect things to just happen. If you want to succeed, you will have to work at it. Remember this, what goes around, comes around. And your efforts will not go unnoticed! Short team pain for long term gain!
Who has the money to take out ads in magazines or newspapers or create a commercial for the radio or television? If you're like most fitness businesses, you don't! But there is a way to get free advertising but you have to work for it.
• Develop a list of key local media contacts in your area including print, radio and TV
• Complete regular mail-outs, emails and fax-outs to develop relationships. Tease them with some health and fitness information. For example, state "I was just at IDEA, The International Health and Fitness Conference in Las Vegas and I learned some of the most incredible exercises for the abdominals. It's stuff you've never seen before. Call me if you'd like to hear more about it" or "I was just at the IHRSA show in San Francisco and I've got to tell you about some of the hottest and craziest equipment new on the market" or offer a human interest story about one of your clients and their success- with their approval of course. Just wet their taste buds and you can expect at least one or two call backs from each of your efforts. Of course each time they run your idea, you are mentioned as the Health and Fitness expert and you can also ask for your business and your number to be listed so people can contact you if they have further questions.
• Offer to write a free weekly/monthly fitness column. The time spent writing the article will be well worth the advertising value.
• Offer key media contacts a couple complimentary sessions so they can try out your services and see what it's all about. Perhaps propose a “Media Fitness Challenge” or “Getting into shape” challenge and rival reporters and producers of various networks against each other. The press you get will be huge.
I can use myself as an example of just how much free advertising you can get. When I first moved to Vancouver, BC, and developed my new business, I started doing regular fax-outs and mail-outs. In the beginning the response was poor. But after a few months, I started to get at least one or two call backs from every effort. Soon I was being quoted in various sources and being asked to appear on local radio and television shows for 3-5 minute guest fitness appearances. In the beginning, I wrote so many free articles and did so many free appearances but the exposure I got was priceless. Then I had my first big break. The Province Newspaper, our daily Provincial newspaper in British Columbia, with a very large circulation, asked me to write a weekly fitness column for them. And get this, they were actually offering to pay me! Can you imagine how much it would have cost me to actually purchase the type of exposure I have received. Then as a result of the newspaper exposure, I was asked by a local publisher to write a book. One-year later "Go For Fit - The Winning Way to Fat Loss" was printed and launched. I started being asked to write by national magazines like Chatelaine. Then I gained interest on the international scene and was asked to do some work with the prestigious Shape magazine. I co-founded and edited a local health and fitness magazine, Go!
Then I got married and moved to the states and had to start all over from scratch. So I repeated the same process. Took about a year of these weekly press releases and teasers and then we got our big break. We were asked to write the weekly fitness column for the Columbian, our city newspaper. Did that for about 3 years. Then got our next big break when the Oregonian, our state newspaper, asked us to start a weekly fitness column. Been doing that for years now and the exposure is incredible!
And all of this exposure by just committing to do some work for free in the beginning. Sometimes new trainers expect things to just happen. If you want to succeed, you will have to work at it. Remember this, what goes around, comes around. And your efforts will not go unnoticed! Short team pain for long term gain!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Stay Busy so you can get Busy!
Think about the last time you were looking for a good restaurant. Let’s say you came across a restaurant that was empty. What are your first thoughts? Probably something like – “This restaurant can’t be that good. There’s no one there!” Typically, you’re more drawn to a restaurant that’s got a lot of people in it and the place looks like it’s buzzing. That’s always a good sign!
Well, it’s very similar for a Personal Trainer. One of the worst things is to see a trainer sitting around all day behind a desk or just hanging out talking to other staff. The perception to a potential client is “That trainer must not be that good since they don’t have any clients!”
So in order to get busy, you’ve got to LOOK BUSY! Here are some important tips:
1. If you’re just getting started, give away some FREE training. Did I actually say FREE! Yep, I did. But be selective about how you go about doing this and who you give this free training to because you don’t want to devalue your service. There’s got to be a method to your madness! You want to choose people who you know are movers and shakers in your community or high profile staff in your club. So in a club setting, maybe you give a few sessions to the top sales staff who will then be talking you up to all the new members. Or maybe give a few free sessions to the most popular group fitness instructors who also will rave about you to all their class participants. Or maybe you train a few of the customer service reps who also will share their experience with members. Maybe even offer some free training to the veteran trainers on your team who are popular but too full to take on any new clients so that when someone wants to train with them they can easily and comfortably refer that client to you. Or maybe you choose someone in your community – a radio talk show host, the mayor, an elite level athlete, a business owner with strong relationships with lots of people in your community, the mom who is the PTA president who everyone knows, loves and respects – and give them a number of sessions. The only rule with this is ask the person to not mention to anyone else that they are getting free personal training and also ask them in return for the free personal training to tell everyone they know and meet how great you are. Create an arrangement so that for each new client they bring you, you will continue to thank them with an additional personal training session. Now, you’ll look like you’ve got a lot of clients plus you’ll have a whole sales team selling your services!
2. Do Mini-sessions. There is absolutely nothing like face-to-face marketing! So if you don’t have any clients or long breaks in between clients and you want to fill your schedule, think of mini-sessions as the way to look busy and to develop relationships with potential clients. All you have to do is approach a member doing their own thing and say something like “Hey, Sally, I’ve got 20 minutes before my next client. I’d love to take you through a mini-workout.” Then find out what they’re working on and then take them through a little mini-session. Strut your stuff and show them the value that you can add to their exercise experience. I have found that 9 times out of 10, this type of connection opens up a dialogue about your services. For example, they might bring up “You know I’ve been thinking about seeing a trainer once a month to create a program for me” or “Tell me more about your Team Training. I’ve been meaning to ask someone how that works” or “Do you think seeing you just once a week would be beneficial because I think that’s all I can afford?!”.
3. Spot in a Group Fitness Class. Find out who are the most popular group fitness instructors in your club. Then suggest to them that you’d like to come to their class and provide some spotting and technique monitoring during the strength and/or abdominals sections. Any group fitness instructor would love to have this type of assistance. In return, ask the instructor to mention how great of a trainer you are and how you could offer them some solid accountability and help them reach their goals. Spotting in a group fitness class is a great way to connect with multiple people for the same amount of time – you might get to meet 20-50 people in 10-15 minutes.
This approach absolutely works! Trust me! Here’s a real life example. I was consulting with a club in Oregon. They had just hired a new trainer who in his first month generated $7000 in revenues. So I asked him what he was doing to fill his schedule so quickly. First, he told me he had given away 2 Personal Training sessions to every employee at the club and was even doing some partner and small group training with various staff members. He had created a buzz and everyone was talking about him!
Secondly, he was doing the mini-sessions I talked about above and let me tell you how valuable this is. One day I was in his club to do some training with the trainers. I saw him training one of the members. So once the session was over, I started talking with the member and asked her how it was going. Her response was “Oh, he’s an amazing trainer. You know I’ve been a member here 15 years and he’s the first trainer that has ever talked to me!” I thought this was very valuable information that I could share with the trainers to emphasize the importance of connecting and developing relationships with members. So I told the trainers what she said and they couldn’t believe it. There response was “That’s not true. We talk to her all the time. I say hi to her everyday!” So of course, I just had to get to the bottom of this. So I went back to the member and mentioned to her “I really want to help the other trainers here at the club so I want to clarify something. I told them what you had said and they didn’t understand because they felt that they all did have a relationship with you and said Hi to you everyday.” Her response was “Oh yeah. Of course, they all say hi to me and are very nice. But my trainer was the first one to ever approach me and take me through a little workout. He really showed me that I could take things to a whole other level by working with him so that’s why I started training with him.” So I went back to the trainers and told them what she said. Their response was “Well, she’s been a member with us for 15 years. She looks great and it looks like she really knows what she’s doing so we just assumed that she really wasn’t interested in training with a trainer!” My response was “Well, obviously, you were wrong because she’s now training three times per week and will probably be one of the best PT clients ever!” So never assume someone can’t benefit or isn’t interested in Personal Training. Even high level, highly motivated athletes like Lance Armstrong have a whole entourage of coaches and trainers. So if they can benefit from the services of a trainer, we all can! If you get the brush off from a few members, don’t let it detour you. Sometimes you have to experience a few rejections to find those awesome, life-long clients!
If you train in a club or you're a fitness director and manage a number of trainers in a club, have a discussion about some of these ideas. If you implement these initiatives and get the buy-in from your trainers, I guarantee your PT revenue will dramatically increase!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Grass Roots Promotions Really Work!
Let's say you've got a new Outdoor Bootcamp program you want to promote. Or you're hosting a fundraising event. Or maybe you're organizing a Girls Night Out at the club.
How do you get the word out?
Take a multi-focused approach.
How do you get the word out?
Take a multi-focused approach.
- Personal Invitations - If you are in a facility setting, have your receptionists personally invite each person as they are coming and leaving. Have all group fitness instructors announce in their classes. Have all your trainers challenge their clients to participate. Make an announcement on your P.A. system on the hour.
- Fliers - Create a flier that lists the benefits that someone will experience by participating in the event and be sure to use quality photos and lots of testimonials. Post these fliers everywhere...bathroom stalls, attached to the cardio machines, anywhere someone may be looking.
- Get out into the community - Consider where your potential client may shop or regularly frequent. For example, we have an Outdoor Bootcamp program starting soon so my team is going to be handing out fliers at Trader Joes, Starbucks, WholeFoods and placing the fliers on people's cars at public places close to our facility. This way we know the people either live or work in our community and are more likely to attend.
- Post the program event on your website and highlight in your enewsletters.
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