Client Development

6 keys to client development

1. You must get in front of prospective clientele
2. Be understanding and empathic to wants and needs of your target market
3. Speak to your prospective and current clientele in benefit-orientated language.
4. Present yourself and/or your business as the answer to the wants/needs of yours clientele.
5. Be adaptable
6. Follow Up

You must get in front of prospective clientele

The business of personal training is ‘Personal,’ and to that extent it means becoming more personal.  The best known way to get personal with someone is to physically get in front of them.  Please don’t misunderstand: all the ways to market your business are important, but the bottom line is that all that internet marketing and social networking is designed to get the prospective client to have direct contact with you. 

There are many ways to get in front of prospective clientele: one-on-one, in a group setting, through word of mouth referrals, and by replicating yourself.  Just get off your butt and meet your target market!!!

Be understanding of and empathic toward the wants and needs of your target market.

Being able to grasp the struggles and concerns of your target market will allow you to communicate directly to the prospect, either through your marketing materials or in any personal situation.  Knowing the emotional buttons to push to help lead your prospect where they want to go is vital to the success of your business.  This is by NO means a harsh sales tactic. The truth is, if the prospect is willing to read and/or listen to the information you present, they are viewing you or your business as a means to an end. 

Speak to your prospective and current clientele in benefit-orientated language.

Don’t waste your time going through all your credentials and latest and greatest exercises.  Those are just features.  Talk to them in terms of what you can do for them.  Talk to them about the results they can expect if they take action with you.  Keep the conversation focused on their wants and needs.

Present yourself and/or your business as the answer to the wants/needs of your clientele.

Once you have established an understanding of the needs and wants of your prospect and have spoken to them in benefit-orientated language, you can begin to present yourself, your business or your program as a means to an end.  Show them how they will achieve the results they most desire by adhering to your guidance and direction.

Be adaptable.

Be able to match the services and programs you offer to the needs and wants of your clientele.   Not all clients’ goals are 100% the same – there is always a little variation.  So be able to adapt to those situations.

Follow Up.

Follow up is huge.  This is how you keep your client accountable to their commitment to you and how you keep accountable to your client.  This also follows under the realm of ‘Say what you’re going to do, and do what you said you would.’  This applies to current clients, prospective clients and life.   This is the critical step that allows you to solidify your position as a professional.

Hiring Bad Trainers

Hiring trainers is one of the quickest ways to bring monies into your business. In fact not many business owners realize that hiring trainers is a revenue stream. In fact it is often looked at as one of the business headaches. Here are some quick pointers to identify if you are in fact ‘Hiring Bad Trainers’. Do your trainers:

 

• Consistently making excuses for low or no sales?
• Procrastinate on performing sales or marketing-related activities?
• Ignoring directions and only doing what they feel comfortable doing?
• Measuring success not by the number of sales closed, but by how much time or effort is put into something?
• Creating conflict with others in order to deflect attention from their own non-existent or low production/performance?
• Sabotaging co-workers or stealing prospects and sales leads?

Do your trainers work the training room floor, speak with prospects and go the extra distance. Are the:

 

• Trainers sitting at their desk or on the internet?
• Studio floor is cluttered with weight or weights not be racked?
• Fitness equipment is dusty or not working properly?
• Engaging the members on a first name basis?

 

Mind you this is certainly a short check list. But the point here is that there if far more to being a successful trainer. As the owner or department head that hires trainers expectations need to be clearly stated. The end goal would be to have the trainers develop a clients list and earn a good living. This would make both the trainer and owner happy. But often time what gets lost is what the expected of the trainer that will lead them down the road to ultimate goal and that is obtaining clients.

Take a moment and evaluate your current trainers to see if they are meeting the minimum requirements list above. Tune in next time for some tips on how to set up the expectations for your training staff.

 

Finding the Right People

There comes a point in the life or our business that we find oursleves needing to hire staff. Typically, that is a good thing because it signals that our business is growing. However, finding, hiring and keeping qualified employees and/or independant contractors is no walk in the park as many business owners will tell you. It requires a lot of research and planning because of how crucial your employees and or I.C.'s will be to the success of your business.



Putting together a team that has the right skills provides your business with an opportunity to grow and to meet its challenges head on. It's not an exaggeration to say that the right people in the right jobs can provide your with a distinct competitive advantage. Which brings us back to the point we just made--hiring the right people takes time and effort.



To increase your chances of hiring the right people, consider following these steps:

1. Take a good hard look at your business structure and budget before you decide to hire someone. Ask yourself some objective questions such as" do you really need additional personnel for the long term? Are you experiencing an increase in work load that will only last for a short period of time or do you expect it to continue? Can you afford to hire additional staff? This includes not just the salary aspect, but also fringe benefits and federal, state and local taxes assoicate with hiring someone.


2. Develop a clear idea of what you want that person to do and the job qualifications they should have. From this, you will be able to create a concreate job description that can guide you through the interview process.


3. Create an advertising and recruiting strategy that will allow you to find the right person for the job. This means you need to determine which advertising avenues will yield the best candidates. For example, if you are perateing on a limited budget are you more likely to find qualifiied candidates for the position of a certified personal trainer in your local newspaper classifieds or through the web?


4. Confirm that you have selected the right person for the job. Often overlooked but extremely important is the need to perform those all important reference and education checks.


5. Ensure that all parties understand the terms of employment. Draft a letter of employment that outlines any terms and conditions of employment to avoid any misunderstandings that may occur down the line.


6. Finally, orientate your new employee and provide ongoing training and support. Again, this is another often overlooked area. Do not stop with a simple walk around your facility or an introduction to other employees. Providing ongoing educational opportunities is not just an investment in your employee, but an investment in your business.

While it may sound corny, it holds true...our employees/I.C.'s are our greatest assets. Treating them with respect and providing guidance and assistance so that they can grow both professionally and personally contributes to our own business success. And, that's something we can all appreciate.

Hiring Trainers

When it comes to growing your personal training business it is important to create additional revenue streams. Amoungst the traditional revenue streams that come to mind such as, product/equipment sales, supplements, etc. Although somehow most trainers who own their own business fail to recognize that hiring trainers is in itself a means of adding additional income to their business. For those who have hired trainers I have no doubt that you have your share of stories to share both good and bad. Today I would like to share some tidbits for trainers seeking either their first job in the industry or looking to move on to a different facility. Here are top 3 things you need to have:

1. A plan. During my own personal experiencing conducting interviews I should have termed this "get a clue". But to get back on point I strongly encourage you to have a plan in mind about how you are going to pick up a client base and what you have to offer to a future employer. It doesn't matter if you are a independent contractor or an employee if you come to the table with a plan that is marketable you will truly stand out.
2. Know the Company. Spend some time prior to your interview or for that even before you apply and learn about the company. Know if the company is going to be a good fit for you. Does the company provide the opportunities your are seeking? Ask questions during the interview and recruiting process that generally show interest in the company.
3. Qualifications. Please be sure all qualifications are current. This would include: certifications, CPR, & liability insurance.

Make no doubt this is not a complete list, but if you are looking to get a leg up during the interviewing process make sure you have to above items covered and you will be at the top of the pack for landing your firs or next personal training position.