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!
