Personal Training Business Tips

Done-For-You Fitness Marketing: Project 515

Published by Cabel on November 13, 2012 | Leave a response

The average adult over 35 in North America is carrying around this extra 20lbs of fat why not help them lose it?

This is a great fitness marketing promotion to run as a “gap stop” at those times between promotions or when you’re not on target for monthly objectives. It follows a consistent email promotion sequence to grab the attention of the impulse buyer, the analytical consumer and the procrastinator.

The final sold out email should be a valuable component of most if not all of your campaigns, if things fall short of plan and it’s not any where near full (doesn’t happen often but can) then don’t send the sold out email otherwise we may as well end on a note of conditioning the consumer to more promptly respond to the next promotion.

I’ve written the emails in a way that I hope most people can use them as is, just a simple cut and paste. It can always help to add more personal relevant details so don’t be afraid to edit those areas as well. Good things to add might be: projected workout session times, make sure they’re during peak times and always try to run the program as small group (like 3-4 participants per session). If you’re a brand new trainer trying to grow quickly flexibility is the key so in that situation I personally would even use it in a one-on-one training environment. You’re not going to make a lot of money in that situation but the end goal is to work toward converting the prospect to a long-term paying client rather than short-term gain.

As I write this it’s November heading into the Christmas season. I find this is the ideal time of year to run a promotion like this, even a little earlier like the week immediately following Halloween. Many people begin to feel guilty about eating candy in and around Halloween. Additionally they’re not yet distracted by Christmas shopping, Christmas bills or Christmas parties but might be thinking about that little black dress that doesn’t fit the way they’d like.

The one thing that is for certain if we push for a long-term commitment at this time of year we’re likely to be met with disinterest. In the back of their mind they’ll be thinking about all the missed appointments and the difficulties of eating well etc. during the holiday season. To the consumer this just feels like a wasted investment.

Instead let’s focus on making it an exciting holiday season by getting them in shape for those holiday events to come so they can enjoy them with peace of mind and guilt free. By really showing them the value of what you offer you will have their trust to make it easy to convert them prior to the holidays for a commitment starting early in the new year when fitness will be at the forefront of their mind.

But that’s just this situation; beta programs like this can be used at a variety of other times throughout the year and can form a great foundation piece for your fitness marketing calendar.

Email 1: Monday AM week prior to start.

Subject: Secret Project 515 (Are you in?)

I’m writing you today to let you in on a little secret. As people we’re all the same we all want the best results in the shortest time and we’re always looking for an easier way still.

As a trainer I’m always learning, and just like you I always want to figure out how I can help you get “there” faster and easier. Recently I stumbled across something that will do just that. In fact I began applying it with a few of my clients immediately, the improvements were immediately clear.

(If you can include names and results of recent clients here could be even more powerful.)

I’m so excited about this I want to give it a real unbiased test (you know very scientific and all) so I need your help. In fact I need the help of a small group of people to help me fully test this idea. Are you in? All you have to do is be excited about losing between 5 and 15 lbs (that’s why it’s Project 515) in the next 28 days, willing to follow my specific instructions and really put this new little training secret to the test.

Can I count on you?

Here’s the deal.

Since this isn’t 100% tested and proven (that’s what you’re gonna help me do) that’s why I need people not within my current training program. Additionally to make it a win-win you won’t pay my regular price, instead it’s only going to cost you a measly $97 bucks! Just like everything I do it’s guaranteed, so if it doesn’t work or your not happy with the result I’ll 100% refund your money.

Now because this is a test project I’m going to keep the group small so you can have my maximum attention. I’m looking for only 9 committed individuals that are serious about losing 5-15lbs in the next 28 days.

Training will be 3 days a week.
You may be required to complete additional workouts on your own that I’ll provide.
You must be super committed.
You must not have any specific travel plans that could cause you to miss sessions or make eating consistently really difficult.
You must not be a current client.
And to be fair to everyone so I can help as many people as possible you must not have taken advantage of any sale promotion in the last 60 days. (Sorry.)

If this sounds like you then hit reply right away because Project 515 is going to start next Monday and I suspect these spots are going to fill pretty quickly!

Always here to help,

(your name)

Email 2: Send Wed morning.

Subject: Project 515 Nearly Full! (wow!)

Wow! Ok I didn’t quite expect that kind of response. Within a few hours Project 515 caused a ruckus. It seems a lot of people love the idea of testing out this new belly-busting secret to lose between 5 and 15lbs in the next 28 days.

I did get a couple of questions though…

Many people are wondering if it requires they have a certain level of fitness to start this program. The answer, no, it’s good for all levels.

Others have been asking what exactly the workout secret is. Honestly, I’m sorry I can’t tell you; it would actually ruin the test. It’s 100% safe no crazy gimmick, not a supplement or anything like that. In fact it’s so simple you may not even realize it’s different at first so you just have to trust me. In 28 days I promise you will both see and feel the difference.

So here’s the skinny, at this point 6 of the 9 available spots for Project 515 are filled. If you missed the last email definitely hit reply right now or call (your number) and let’s get you registered before the last couple spots are gone.

If you did miss the last email here’s the details again:

Starts next Monday (insert the date)
Runs for 28 days, 3 workouts a week.
You may be required to do a few additional things at home, which I’ll detail.
You must not be a current client. I need this to be independent of my current training methods to really judge its effect.
You won’t pay anywhere near full price, it’s a fraction of the normal cost at $97 and still covered by my full money back guarantee for the whole program. (What on earth do you have to lose?)
You must be excited about the idea of losing 5-15lbs in 28 days.
You must not have any specific plans that will cause you to miss workouts or make it difficult to eat consistently. (I understand things can change so just no 2 week vacations please.)
If you were part of a recent promotion (in the last 60 days) sorry you’re not eligible, I want to help as many people as possible.

So with just 3 spots remaining hit reply or call (your number) and I’ll get you setup right away.

Always here to help,

(Your name)

P.S. (Add a comment about timing, as I write this we’re heading to the Christmas season so my PS might be “Project 515 is the perfect solution for fitting into that little black Christmas party dress, and it’s guaranteed, are you crazy? What are you waiting for? Just kidding, hit reply if you’re ready for change.”)

Email 3: Send Thursday afternoon.

Subject: Last chance (Urgent, attn. required)

There’s just 1 spot left for Project 515 for some dedicated and determined person to lose 5-15lbs in the next 28 days. Is that you?

I need just one more person to add to my special test group for this new workout strategy that I’ve already seen melt fat like crazy in some of my current clients.

Here’s the details of the program from the last email one more time:

Starts next Monday (insert the date)
Runs for 28 days, 3 workouts a week.
You may be required to do a few additional things at home, which I’ll detail.
You must not be a current client. I need this to be independent of my current training methods to really judge its effect.
You won’t pay anywhere near full price, it’s a fraction of the normal cost at $97 and still covered by my full money back guarantee for the whole program. (What on earth do you have to lose?)
You must be excited about the idea of losing 5-15lbs in 28 days.
You must not have any specific plans that will cause you to miss workouts or make it difficult to eat consistently. (I understand things can change so just no 2 week vacations please.)
If you were part of a recent promotion (in the last 60 days) sorry you’re not eligible, I want to help as many people as possible.

With just one spot remaining this is totally first come first serve, so hit reply immediately, I’ll be looking at the time the email came in to see who gets the spot or you can call me directly at (your number.)

For everyone else already registered I’m pumped to see you on Monday!

Always here to help,

(your name)

Email 4: Send latish Friday evening

Subject: Project 515 Sold Out!

It’s official Project 515 is totally sold out! Thank you to everyone who has jumped on board, I look forward to seeing you all next week and we’re gonna kick butt!

If you missed out on Project 515 I am so sorry (I had a few additional emails after that were sent after the final spot was filled) but don’t worry I’ll be in touch.

I always want to help everyone if I can and though this program is completely full I might be able to squeeze a few more people into my other programs. I’ll be in touch with something special for you or if you thinking now you’d really like to get started just hit reply and I can fill you in on the details.

Thanks everyone, you’re awesome!

(your name)

Posted in Personal Trainer Marketing, Personal Training Business Tips, Selling Personal Training Tagged beta program, Done for you marketing

SEO tips and tricks for personal trainers and fitness professionals

Published by Cabel on October 20, 2012 | 1 Response

In order to increase the number of visitors that come to your website, you need to use one or more methods of traffic generation.

Search engine optimization is a great way to get tons of free traffic to your website. If you don’t want to spend any money then you need to understand this strategy for traffic generation in your personal trainer business.

The best way to use SEO is to optimize your website so that it gets ranked in the search engines (yahoo, Google and msn). This can be done very quickly and easily. Some of the best SEO tips and tricks are done with the simple application of on page and off page factors.

For example, changing the title of the page so that each page contains the main keyword phrase of that particular page. If you have a list of 10 keywords that you want to rank high for in the search engines, then each page should contain one of the those keywords in the title tags.

The H1 tag is also very important, even thought it is just a piece of code that search engine robots scan when they visit your site. It is seen by the search engines as the headline of the site, and gives the robot an idea of what the web page is about.

You should also use the personal trainer keywords that most people search for. Many marketers and search engine optimists recommend you use the keyword or phrase at least another three to five times over the course of the web page, and this is a good ratio to keep in mind. Re-read the pages that you have created and see if you can improve this aspect of the pages.

The off page SEO factors are sometimes considered even more important and are usually based on incoming links. In simple terms, the more links that you have the better, providing they are high quality. The key is to increase your websites link popularity by getting links from other personal trainer websites.

Always try to get one way links as these are much more valuable and will help your website a lot more than reciprocal links. The search engines are known to prefer one-way links so aim to get more of these by contacting other websites in your marketplace.

When websites link to your website, you need to ensure they use your main keyword in the link text. You also need to tell them to link to your main page. This could be your home page, or another important internal page on the website.

Reciprocal linking is still a good idea and you should still use it. It can really increase your website traffic and improve your rankings in search engines, but try to gain as many one-way links as possible.

Use as many of the SEO tips above as you can in order to increase your personal training website rankings in the search engines.

Posted in Personal Trainer Marketing, Personal Training Business Tips

Easy-to-Create Personal Trainer Marketing System

Published by Cabel on October 16, 2012 | 1 Response

Being the kind of methodical analytical individuals that we are; it’s my opinion that we make everything too complicated. When it comes to effectively marketing your personal training business the most important thing you can initially do is eliminate your tendency to market emotionally. You mightbe wondering what I mean. Well, in my experience (both personally and coaching other fitness professionals) we all fall prey to the same traps.

How most personal trainers market:

1) Realize the need more clients.

2) Dream up an idea to attract new clients, a promotion, special or end up being sold by a salesman representing an advertising medium.

PROBLEM: No idea whether it’s going to work, “feels” right at the time.

3) Maybe get lucky, promotion works.

4) Deal with the stress of all the new clients, but feel good, like business is working.

5) Realize you again need more clients.

6) Dream up a new idea, making new mistakes or the same mistakes previously because it’s a new idea.

PROBLEM: Always creating is in-efficient, can’t provide better and better customer service because you’re continually executing something new.

7) Promotion fails, frustrated because of potential wasted resources and stressed because still need more clients.

PROBLEM: Emotions lead you a stray, can’t properly evaluate the situation and no logistics to determine what you really need to reach your business goals. Do you have defined business goals? We spend all day helping others set and achieve goals and yet often are not properly managing our own.

Yes this is simplified but I’m sure many of you can relate to similar situations. Below is a short video inspired by one of my mentors internet supermarketer Craig Balantyne on just how easily you can have months of marketing planned ahead and a instant picture on how you might evaluate the results and plan for the future to predictably reach your personal training business goals.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/fXAG-6IjNBc[/youtube]

Posted in Personal Trainer Marketing, Personal Training Business Tips Tagged marketing calendar

My Favorite Exercises to Use With Older Adults

Published by Cabel on October 13, 2012 | 1 Response

It’s always been my belief that Profitable Personal Trainer should be about more than just great business building systems and effective personal trainer marketing tactics. Though it’s clear that there has always been a gap when it comes to simple, practical, effective business education through the standard personal trainer education channels; most of us are always programmed to watch for useful technical and coaching information that allows us to be continually better trainers.

Here is another guest post from Cody Sipe, PhD, him and Dan Ritchie, PhD are two of the most effective and successful guys I know when it comes to training older adults, they really do create miracles at Miracles Fitness. I hope you find this helpful, take it away Cody…

I’m often asked what the best exercises are for older adults and I always reply “best for what?” I’ve researched, studied and tested more exercises than I care to remember to try and figure out which ones are the best for improving physical function. It is difficult to make an absolute list because the best exercise for an older adult is determined by their current needs and abilities. However, after two decades of training older adults there are several that have risen to the top of my list because they offer a multitude of benefits for clients, can be easily modified or varied, and can be used with a wide range of functional levels. So here are a few that you’ve just got to try.

Standing 1-arm Cable Row: This is a great functional way to challenge the posterior chain with a small transverse plane demand. Put clients in a split stance with legs slightly bent in order to resist the forward pull of the cable. Posture is key so cue them to stay upright and “solid” during the rowing movement. Do not allow them to twist about the waist. You have the option of doing this with same foot forward as the hand holding the cable (ipsilateral) or opposite foot forward (contralateral). Switch back and forth from session to session for variation. Vary the height of the cable to alter the line of pull and create a new demand.
What time is it?: Awesome exercise that includes multi-planar lunges while challenging cognitive processing. Have clients stand in an open space and imagine they are in the middle of a clock face that is on the ground. 12:00 is in front of them, 3:00 to the right, 6:00 behind and 9:00 to the left with all of the other numbers in their normal positions. Call out a time, such as 12:00. The client should lunge to that time and then return as quickly as possible. For the numbers on the right side of the clock they should lunge with their right foot and vice versa for the left side. You can increase the cognitive aspects of this exercise by calling out the times quickly so they have to react quicker or by calling out 4 or 5 times in a row that they must remember. This exercise is very scalable. For frailer clients or those with balance problems I have them step instead of lunge. For advanced clients I have them perform upper-body tasks simultaneously with the lunge.
Power Stands: Getting out of a seat is a common, everyday task. In order to add a power aspect to this movement I have clients perform chair stands explosively. They begin in a standing position and lower themselves slowly to the chair. Once they transfer their weight to the chair they must “explode” and stand up as quickly as possible. The movement should be similar to jumping but without plantarflexion so that they clients don’t actually come off the ground (for the few that could). Foot position affects performance and varying foot position can be beneficial. The basic position is feet in front, shoulder-width apart. You can also do wider than shoulder-width with toes pointing slightly out or shoulder-width but with a staggered stance (one foot slightly ahead of the other). When using the staggered stance you can have them take 3-4 steps after standing like if they were taking off from the chair to race someone.
Through the Gait: Practicing different gait patterns has huge benefits for older adults. Their gait tends to become stiff and inflexible so that they cannot negotiate environmental demands as easily such as steps, slopes, slippery surfaces, uneven ground, etc. Some of my favorite gait patterns to use are Monster Walks, Sleeping Dog, Carioche, Braiding, Red Light Green Light (yes like the children’s game), Heel Walks and Toe Walks. Cueing vision is very important. Clients have a strong tendency to look at their feet the whole time. Cue them to keep their head up and focus on something across the room. Safety is also a major issue. Be sure to use an open area and stay close to them so you can catch them if they stumble.
Knock-outs: You can use a low-inertia cable column, a Keiser (pneumatic) cable column or a resistance tube for this movement that focuses on anterior core stability. Do not use an old school cable column that doesn’t allow you to perform fast movements without the weight jerking around. Have clients grab the cable with it anchored at about chest height. The client gets in a staggered stance and turns away from the cable so that they can perform a 1-arm chest press. Keeping an upright posture have the client “punch” in front of them by extending their arm and twisting their body slightly. They should not lean forward but rather maintain their upright posture throughout. A great variation of this is to have them stand beside the cable. So let’s say the cable is anchored to their right. They will step to their left and turn their hips and body to the left simultaneously while punching. Since they have turned their body they end up in a lunge position punching straight ahead. So it is as if they are trying to punch someone beside them. In fact, I typically stand beside them and put my chin out as a target and tell them to try to knock me out (one person almost did when I stood a little too close!).

Posted in Personal Trainer Certification, Personal Training Business Tips Tagged older adult training

The Top 10 11 Reasons I Train Older Adults

Published by Cabel on October 8, 2012 | 1 Response

Today we have a great guest post on Profitable Personal Trainer from Cody Sipe, PhD. Cody and my good friend Dan Ritchie run a personal training studio specifically catering to the older adult population. The work that they’re doing changing peoples lives really lives up to their name “Miracles Fitness.” All of us can learn from them when it comes to considering the business side of personal training as doesn’t it make sense to cater to the wealthiest population segment with the most flexible schedule?

Take it away Cody…

I’ve spent the past 20 years focusing on older adult exercise and I’ve learned a lot during that time, especially when it comes to why I do it. Mainly it’s because I love it which is why I’ve stayed with this group for so long and why I plan on continuing to work with seniors. After all, if you’ve got to work 40+ hours per week it better be doing something you absolutely love or you are going to plod through life miserable. If you’ve been thinking of making the break and specializing in fitness for older adults then maybe this will inspire you to get off your duff and do it already.

It’s rewarding. To see someone’s entire life improve because you are training them is very satisfying. And not just because they’ve dropped a few pounds or look better in their jeans but because they can now go to the store by themselves or play with their grandchildren without getting tired. That’s good stuff. These people really, really need our help.
Drop your ego at the door. Older clients just don’t have the same ego as many younger clients. They are very pleasant to work and get along with. They aren’t there to try to impress you or make themselves look good. They are there to get your help.
Meaningful results. Adding 10 lbs to someone’s bench press might be meaningful to some trainers but I prefer results that really matter to life. Someone stands up for the first time in 6 months. Someone stumbles and doesn’t fall (finally). Someone can now garden again without pain. Those kinds of results are meaningful to me because they are meaningful to them.
They appreciate you. I’ve been given cards, cookies, food, trinkets, kisses (you bet), etc. from my older clients just because they are appreciative of what I’ve done for them. It is nice to feel appreciated.
Loyalty. While younger clients tend to be fickle and hop from fad to fad older clients tend to remain more loyal to those they have developed a relationship with. So older clients stay longer and pay longer than most younger clients do. Plus their lives are more stable so they are less likely to move out of the area, get a new job or have other events get in their way of training. Treat them warmly and fairly and they will be your clients for years and years.
Humor. They’re funny. Flat out funny. There are always a few guys who want to be the life of the party and have a new joke every time they come to the gym. I can almost guarantee a couple really good laughs every day.
Life stories. Older adults have led interesting lives and I really enjoy hearing about their life experiences and the wisdom some of them have to share. It makes my life that much richer.
Giving back. I believe in giving back to the community as do most older adults. We run charity events all the time and our clients participate well in those events. It unites us and gives us a common bond because we share some of the same values.
Huge potential clientele (and growing every day). Face it, if you want job security then train older clients. They are the fastest-growing segment of the population and will dominate the market for the next 20+ years (and there aren’t a lot of trainers dedicated to serving them). Plus they have a huge interest in staying healthy and they have the money to pay for training. That is why our fitness business has been so successful. We have focused on the largely ignored and completely misunderstood older market while purposefully ignoring the 20-30 year old client that everyone else is going after. In so doing we have dominated this “niche” market and become the “go to” local experts.
I feel at ease. Honestly, I just feel more at ease with older adults. I really don’t prefer to train younger women (which my wife appreciates) and younger men bore me. I can just be myself and transparent with older clients. It is so nice not to have to impress your clients with your physique or your knowledge or your cool clothes. I can just relax and do my thing.
Make full use of my expertise. Training older adults isn’t easy. There are a lot of factors to consider such as medical conditions/diseases, medications, injuries, age-related changes, exercise preferences, etc. But I don’t want easy. I want to be challenged and use the expertise I’ve developed over the years and older adults provide a great outlet for that energy.

Posted in Personal Trainer Marketing, Personal Training Business Tips Tagged older adult marketing

Interview the Expert

Published by Cabel on September 27, 2012 | Leave a response

I have something I call the “5 Pillars of Strategic Partnerships” that many of my coaching clients are becoming very familiar with. It’s a very low cost (basically no-cost) way to gain a huge audience in any community and have top professionals in your area excited to promote your personal training business.

This short video covers the first and most important step, it’s old skool meets new school but it is working amazingly well so I decided I wanted to share it with as many people in our personal training business community. Watch the video and I’d love to hear what you think.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/h0nfp4cyrrY[/youtube]

Posted in Personal Trainer Marketing, Personal Training Business Tips

How-to Get Everyone on EFT

Published by Cabel on September 24, 2012 | Leave a response

I find so many fitness professionals are really afraid to talk to their clients about automatic billing for services. Because they are afraid to talk to them about it when they do the results are just as bad as they imagined, people resist, say no, question them and more.

Automatic billing is essentially for the longevity of your business and more importantly it’s even better service for your clients. You see every month (if you’re not billing automatically) you’re spending time focusing on when people need to pay, invoicing, record keeping, and re-selling when what you should be focused on is THEIR GOALS.

Let’s face it, no one is going to reach their goals in a few sessions, and you have no idea when you start with them just how long it will take because that’s primarily decided by your relationship with them and ultimately their consistency, commitment, all as a measure of your support and accountability.

Your clients shouldn’t be worried about their billing, they should be focused on their goals, you shouldn’t be worried about billing them, you should be focused on their goals, ultimately with EFT your goals are the same. The video below will help you with that conversation.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/M0e2IhLdHPU[/youtube]

Posted in Personal Training Business Tips, Selling Personal Training Tagged EFT

Run your personal training business as a business

Published by Cabel on September 20, 2012 | Leave a response

There are many personal trainers who are very good at improving the shape and fitness level of their clients. They retain very specific and detailed measurements of the improvements made. However, when it comes to running their own business, they are much less rigorous and organized. This leads to a lack of development in their personal training business and it performs at a much lower level than it is capable of. In simple terms, running a business like this means that the business leaves a lot of money on the table.

A lack of systems and organisation leads to poor retention rates of clients, poor lead generation figures and ultimately low revenues. There are a number of strategies that can be implemented to maximise your income level.

The first thing that you need to implement in your personal training business is a set of systems. A business is essentially a system that operates for profit, but many small business owners don’t consciously set up the system. Inside the overall system of running the day-to-day operations, you need to have a formal lead generation system. This is the way that you attract and bring in new prospects (either to call you or to sign up for your newsletter).

You also need to have a sales system in place to convert prospects into buyers or clients. You can create a template that you use for a prospect when they call you or visit your training centre. It is much better to have a sales script that leads to the sale.

You also need to have a training system in place. This will help you to asses the client and design a program especially for them. Having a template system is more effective than trying to create a brand new training program each time you get a new client.

Another system that you need to have in place is a referral system. As you are working locally, this is a very powerful form of marketing. You can set up a systematic referral system with your current clients and other local business. There are many businesses that deal with the same clients you have. For example, hairdressers are a great example. They have a large number of clients that would like to loose weight and may be interested in a personal coaching session. You can contact the local hairdressers and offer them a monetary incentive each time they make a referral to you. You can also do this with other local businesses. It will cost you nothing unless you gain a client, so the system requires no money.

You should also create a system of offering memberships instead of training packages. Selling in terms of memberships is a different mind-set to take and it will improve the value of your personal training sessions. You can sell memberships of 12 or 24 packs. This will immediately add a great deal of income to your bottom line, and members will feel much more included in your gym.

These simple systems will ensure you run your business as a real business. They will make everything more specific and lead you toward your income goals.

Posted in Personal Training Business Tips