Hey Fitness Pros,
January is when you should be spending the majority of your marketing dollars. At Northwest Personal Training, we’ve got direct marketing post cards being sent to thousands of homes in our demographics, ads in various local newspapers and magazines, a number of social media and online coupon offers, enewsletter blasts and more. Bottom line – January is crunch time, our ‘make or break’ time. This is when people are thinking about getting back in shape. It’s just human nature that come January 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 right now the client is definitely ready to take action!
Mike Chaet from CMS (one of the world’s most reputable experts on the fitness club market) puts it this way – “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!” 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? January is when we set up the entire year for success. Here are some tips to ensure you set up the stage for an incredible 2012. Think of this as a Fitness Pep Rally (a ‘Win one for the Gipper’ speech!)
Be at your Best: Well, as a fitness professional, we expect that year-round, right?! But it’s even more important in January. 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!
Be present: If you can help it, try not to be away over the next few months. One of my 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 July & August and December (keep that in mind as you plan your 2012 vacations.)
Be mentally & physically prepared to work hard: 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 we will take care of them.
Hone your skills now: When you spend a lot of time and $$ to get people to check you out, you need to be master of the phone and tours. What a waste it would be if an individual is motivated to call or come in to check you out and their first impression is a poor one. Focus on customer service!
Get in people’s minds: Now is the perfect time to call or email those clients who haven’t been in for a while or haven’t made the commitment to their health and fitness yet. Now is the perfect time to ask for referrals. As people are thinking about fitness, you want them to think about you!
I hope January excites you as much as it does me. I love coming into our studios when classes are energized and at capacity, the private area is full and the studio is just humming. It always makes me feel like we’re really doing a good job and are positively impacting our clients’ lives. So embrace the busyness and celebrate it!
Yours in health, fitness and business,
Sherri McMillan
ps. If you would like to set up your business for success in 2012, one of the most important things you can do is invest in our Business of Personal Training system that has helped hundreds of personal training businesses reach the million dollar mark. Contact kari@nwpersonaltraining.com for more information.
