Hey Fitness Pros,
As trainers, if we aren’t skilled at helping people overcome their mental barriers to taking action, then they’ll just keep THINKING about starting an exercise program forever and never actually DO anything about it! It’s our job to help people overcome the obstacles that are preventing them from reaching their goals and living their best life!
Fortunately, the obstacles that most of our clients will present us with are very common and predictable. We just need to know what they are and be prepared with a system and questions to help them overcome those obstacles to success.
For example, I’m sure you’ve heard these before…
• I want to think about
• I don’t know if I’ll stick to it.
• I’ve tried before and never experienced any results.
• I can’t afford it.
• I’m too busy
When handling someone’s concerns, try the following system guaranteed to get clients to stop thinking and start doing!
Step One: Listen to the entire concern without interrupting
Step Two: Paraphrase and repeat the obstacle back to them. Let their brain hear what they just said. When they hear it coming from your mouth, the brain processes it differently and often, they realize that the obstacle is not valid and they need to stop thinking and take action. Don’t forget this important part of handling an objection. Most trainers forget to do this and it costs them a lot of money and the opportunity to help someone!
• “It sounds like you’re concerned that you might not be able to stick with this long enough to experience great results.”
• “So, you’re a bit concerned with how much this is all going to cost.”
• “It sounds like you’re not sure how you’re going to be able to fit exercise into your already busy lifestyle.”
• “It sounds like you want to take some more time to figure out if this is really important to you and you’re ready to make the commitment to achieving your goals.”
• “So you need to talk to your husband to discuss whether he will support you in your efforts to achieve these goals.”
Wait – for them to agree with the paraphrase, to talk themselves into taking action or to pose another obstacle. For example, after you paraphrase they might say:
• “Yes, that’s correct.” Then skip to the next step.
• “Well, I am concerned that I won’t stick with it because I’ve tried exercise before and never succeeded but I guess that’s what I’m hiring you for. You’re going to help me stick with it and provide the accountability I need. I think I just need to do this and stop dragging my heels.” They just convinced themselves to take action, you can now close by getting their commitment – scheduling an appointment, asking which package they would like to go with..
• “Well, I know you’ll help me stick with it. I guess just more concerned about how much this is all going to cost.” Go back to the first step. Paraphrase and repeat the obstacle back to them. Once you get affirmation and are dealing with the true obstacle, move to the next step.
Step Three: Show understanding – “I can completely understand that”, “Many of our clients had very similar concerns when they first started with us…”
Step Four: Ask questions and/or Give information – see below
Step Five: Close – Schedule an appointment, Decide on a package/service, Decide on payment options, Fill out paperwork etc.
They’ve come to us because they are interested and they recognize the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. We just need to show them that we can help them! Here are some ideas to help you deal with some of those typical objections. Depending on your personality, you may feel more comfortable with certain approaches and uncomfortable with others. Go with what feels right but just be prepared.
“I can’t afford it” Objection: (Scenario – they can afford our services but just need to be shown the value)
Client: “Wow, I’m a bit surprised at how expensive this is going to be.”
Fitness Pro: “It sounds like you’re a bit concerned with how much this is all going to cost and whether you’re ready to make that investment.”
Client: “No, I’m ready to make an investment to some extent… I guess I just want to know exactly what I’m paying for.”
Fitness Pro: “I really respect that you want to see the value in what we’re going to do together – it tells me that you’re taking this very seriously and that’s important. So let me ask you this – do you see the value in having us oversee your program, monitoring progress, holding you accountable and ultimately making sure you achieve your goals”.
Client: Yeah, absolutely.
Fitness Pro: That’s great. So you’ve told me that your health and fitness is very important to you and it sounds to me like you’re ready to take action, so is there anything else keeping you from getting started?
Client: No, I guess not.
Fitness Pro: So it sounds like you’ve already made the logical decision. Many people spend their whole lives just thinking about achieving their goals but you’re actually going to do something about it so you should feel really good about that. Okay, then…Let’s go get you scheduled and take care of the details.
“ I want to think about it” Objection: (Scenario – they want to keep thinking but really need to start doing…)
Client: “Thank you so much for your time. I’m going to take all this material home with me so I can think about it and I’ll call you next week to let you know what I want to do.”
Fitness Pro:: “It sounds like you need to take a little more time to decide if this is something that you really want to do for yourself…”
Client: “Yeah, I just need to absorb it all.”
Fitness Pro: “I really respect that you want to make sure you’re making the right decision. This is an important step towards reaching your goals and I’m glad you’re taking it seriously. What is it that concerns you the most?”
Client: “Oh, I don’t know. I guess I just need to figure out which membership option I should go with and how many times I should work out per week.”
Fitness Pro: So, you’ve already told me that your health and fitness are really important to you and it sounds like you’re ready to take action but you’re just trying to figure out which option would work best, correct?
Client: Yeah.
Fitness Pro: Well, that’s what we’re here for. I’m here to help you to make the commitment to yourself and do what you need to do to be at your best. A lot of people spend their whole life thinking about taking better care of themselves but never actually DO anything about it. But you’re here today so it sounds to me that you’re ready to stop thinking and actually start doing. Am I right?
Client Yes, that’s correct.
Fitness Pro: Okay, well let’s review your options again so we can make a decision today and get you started right away.
Client: Sounds great.
“I want to talk it over with my spouse” Objection: (Scenario – there are really other obstacles…)
Client: “Thank you so much for your time. I’m going to take all this material home with me so I can discuss this with my husband and I’ll call you next week to let you know what I want to do.”
Fitness Pro: “So it sounds like you just want to make sure your husband is okay with all of this…”
Client: “Well, no, he totally wants me to do this, I guess I’m just more concerned with spending all this money and not sticking with it. I guess I don’t want to feel like a failure.”
Fitness Pro: “I’m so glad to hear that your husband is in support of you doing this. That will help a lot. So it sounds like you’re more concerned with whether you’re going to actually stick with the program long enough to experience results.
Client: Yeah, I’ve started exercise programs in the past but I always quit after a few weeks.
Fitness Pro: “Sue, I can totally understand that concern. You’re not alone. Many people start an exercise program on their own with little or no success. See, that’s why you need us. We will design a routine that will help you achieve the results you want. We will update your program on a regular basis to give you variety and keep you challenged. Our goal is to keep you motivated and on track. So if that’s what you’re worried about, you can stop worrying now. That’s why we’re so special. We will provide you with the accountability to stick with it!”
Client: Yeah, I guess that’s the missing piece.
Fitness Pro: Great, well, let’s go get you scheduled for your appointments and finalize all the details.
“I don’t have the time” Objection: (Scenario – They are really busy and need to be shown that exercise can fit into their life)
Client: “This all sounds great but honestly, I just don’t see how I’m going to fit exercise into my life. I work, I’ve got kids and my life is crazy as it is.”
Fitness Pro: “So it sounds like you’re having a hard time figuring out how you’re going to fit exercise into your already really busy life.”
Client: “Yeah, I just don’t see how I can make it happen.”
Fitness Pro: “I can completely understand in fact, we actually specialize in helping really busy clients fit fitness into their schedules. Most of our clients have work, family and social commitments that compete for their time leaving very little time leftover for workouts. But what most people don’t realize at first is that exercise actually gives you more time instead of taking up time. You see, exercise actually gives you more energy, and stamina. You’ll actually be more productive so that you’ll be getting things done more quickly and with still more time left to enjoy the important things in life. And that’s what it’s all about right?
Client: “Yeah, you’re right.”
Fitness Pro: “Okay great. Plus, we’ll make sure your workouts are effective and efficient and that you’re not wasting any time in the gym and getting maximum results from your workouts. That will save a ton of time too. Let’s go get you scheduled for your workouts and finalize all the details.
Client: Sounds great.
Get prepared: I would encourage you to make a list of the common obstacles you deal with and a variety of different scenarios and then actually write out a script of things that you would feel comfortable asking or saying. By helping your clients take action you are helping them reach for their very best life and in the process, you will be positively impacting your business, sales and ultimately, your life too!
Yours in health and fitness,
Sherri McMillan
ps. Speaking of sales, we are offering 20 % off my “Make or Break your First Session with Prospective Clients E-Video” until the end of May. I provide you with all the information to help you and your team conduct an amazing first session with a client and dramatically increase sales and closing ratios. Click on the link below.
http://www.businessofpt.com/comp-session-evideo/
pps. As you probably know, we sell the license to utilize all of our business systems for only $1999 (payment plans are available!). That’s everything we use to run our million dollar training studios…marketing, sales, operations, programming, HR systems and more. But what you may not know is that we also sell various components of our system a la carte. So let’s say you only need or can only budget for our sales systems, you can just go with that and then add on various other components of our business model as needed or as the funds start rolling in! Here’s the link to our whole system and the A la carte options.
https://www.nwfitnesseducation.com/subs/products/systems.php
