1. Personal Trainer Relationship to the Client
This is by far the most important relationship you are going to create. If you don't learn anything else in this blog, please learn that your client is why you are successful. It is not about you, your looks, or your cool resume, it is about your client, their looks, and their cool results. Kevin Eikenberry, a top-notch business consultant and customer relationship expert said, "customer relationships are the recession buster." This is completely true, if you are thinking about how you can't, they can't, or it can't, than you won't, they won't, and it won't, but imagine if you only had one client. Imagine if you could not get any other job and this client was our only hope. What would you do for and with this client? This client would be showered with thanks, gratefulness, and appreciation. This client would also get 100% of your energy every time he or she was with you. The client would probably get value for their price beyond all perception. Now imagine if you could do this with all of your clients. Do you thiink this might create buzz? Do you think they would be telling other people about you and your incredible personal training? I would guess--yes.
Top 10 Client Relationship Builders
1. Smile-Your positive aura is your biggest asset in relationships. Professor Jorgenson's studies at CSULB proved your smiles can change the attitude of whole groups of people to be "pro-you" if displayed often. It is the opposite effect with frowns. People will be "anti-you" if frowns are displayed often.
2. Ask questions-This shows you are listening and you care. As long as the questions are relative. This can also build your "yes" points if you are asking the right questions, and your client will be more likely to say yes to you in all situations.
3. Take notes-This also means you are listening and shows you care. Taking oraginized notes also makes it easire to help your client when you have more than one.
4. Set up a challenge-This gets their involvement in you, your training, and more importantly in themselves. There is nothing like conquering challenges, especially on a daily basis with their favorite trainer.
5. Don't be afraid to say "no"-if done correctly, this will set up healthy boundaries that may have not been in place with the contract. Don't ever let yourself be used.
6. Make the contract very clear and understood-this may mean reading it to the client, but in the long run you will thank me and your client will thank you. This creates a very professional relationship, while setting healthy boundaries, so you can feel free to explore the friendship that coincides with your professional relationship.
7. "Be lavish in your praise and hearty in your approbation"-This is a quote from an American steel millionaire, Charles Schwab, and is referred to frequently in Dale Carnegie’s famous book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People." This is no small task, and its return on investment is astronomical. If you don't know what it means, get a dictionary and find out now!
9. Encouragement is key-Don't criticize, condemn, or complain. This will zap your clients motivation, effort, and energy. Countless studies have shown encouragement works better and more often.
10. Use their love language-If you don't know how they like to be treated well, have them describe how they show others love and appreciation. More times than not this is exactly how they want to be loved and appreciated.
2. Personal Trainer Relationship to the Potential Client
If you don't have clients, this is for you. If you want more clients, this is for you. The relationship to your potential client, which we will call your customers, is going to reflect the same attitude and action as your clients. Each customer is a person, just like you clients, so if it works for your clients, why wouldn't it work with your customer? It does and it will. Now you just need to get in front of people. How do you do that? Where do you start. Well, there are a thousand (maybe more like a million) different ways to do this, but I am going to keep it simple.
Top ways to reach your customer base:
1. Give all of your family members free training sessions and treat them as you would your actual clients. All you have to do is ask how many sessions they want to train per week and then go into your contract from there.
2. Give all of your friends free training session and treat them as you would your actual clients. All you have to do is ask how many sessions they want to train per week and then go into your contract from there.
3. Talk to 5 related business i.e. chiropractors, doctors, health food stores, supplements stores, and the list goes on. Don't know any search for them on facebook..
4. Search facebook for friends and businesses. Be there FRIENDS do not sell them. If you are putting relevant material to your business and then becoming actual friends with people through interaction and communication, they will ask you. This does take time, but if you put in work you will see return.
5.Join groups and treat the people in the group the same way you would the above friends. (Any online or offline group)
6. Perform a free seminar or educational meeting and send invites to all your people online and offline.
7. Publicity Stunts-make a character for your business and then do something funny or interesting.
8. Hand out your information
9. Make videos and send them to everyone.
10. Partner with local activity groups or competitions
11. Start a sticker campaign
12. Write interesting, relevant, and/or educational articles online and/or offline
13. Join a cause-donating to a cause and then tell people about your involvement
14. Volunteer your time with groups of people
15. Hang up posters
16. Start an advertising campaign (if you have the money, or finance it if you don't)
17. Organize and distribute testimonials
18. Partner with local health professionals
19. Tell your story
20. BE THE EXAMPLE-playing the part is essential and it creates buzz
21. Don't be afraid to ask for referrals
For more information on these ideas and for more ideas, go to our blogs on marketing.
3. Personal Trainer Relationships to Professionals and Businesses
This is similar to the two above, except now you are meeting with a potential partner. You will be networking to create leads and help your local businesses grow too. This is about giving more than it is about receiving. Your gift is your relationships with your clients, and any local business can benefit from your relationships. I wrote a paper on this exact topic and gave it to all of Innovative Results trainers. We partnered with over 50 local businesses in less than a month with this technique!
5 R’s to Business Networking-Turning Reconnaissance to Reward
By: Aaron Guyett
1. Research
a. Website, listing, print, etc.
i. Name of owner, manager, PR Representative, HR Rep, Gatekeeper, etc.
ii. Information for letters, proposals, offers, etc.
b. Relation to us
i. Recent news/publicity in media
ii. We use them…or could use them…
iii. Our clients use them…or could use them…
c. Set appointment to meet
2. Rendezvous
a. Eye contact, aesthetically pleasing, firm handshake, and sincere gratitude or compliment
b. State relation to us (see above)
c. OFFER #1- Because you… or because of your…(relation to us) I would like to personally offer…(innovative ideas like hand out your marketing, or have me and my team use your product)
If yes, then…
d. OFFER #2-I am speaking for Innovative Results when I say we would like to extend our services to you and your staff free of charge (POC 1 month, staff 1 session, hand them partnership and/or affiliate letter)
If yes, then…
e. OFFER #3-If your company likes the training or is interested in improving its productivity through health and fitness we could perform 1 free corporate seminar. (Hand them the corporate fitness letter)
If yes, then…
f. OFFER #4-We would also love to give your company first chance at sponsorship of our huge summer event (hand them the proposal and contract)
If yes or no, then…
3. Record-After all offer answers to spreadsheet
4. Report-Send updated spreadsheet information to info@myproresults.com
5. Reunion-Follow-up over the phone, email, and in-person (at the gym or their location to conclude offer answers, and forward all further inquiries through your team leader).
The offers may change a little, but the concept is still there. They are concerned about what you are going to do for them, and this is what you are going to emphasis in the meeting, on paper, and with your actions. These partnerships can greatly increase your awareness and clientele in very little time.
4. Education/Personal Development Relationship to The Trainer
This does not mean you have to get more certs. This does not mean you have to spend a dime. With a library card and an internet connection, you have way more information at your fingertips than you will ever need. Education and personal development is more of a lifestyle change than it is sitting through a workshop or grueling semester of college courses. I am not saying that workshops and university is pointless or useless. It has and will continue to work for countless people on their road to success. If this is your strength, than by all means, USE IT! For those of you who want a different approach, be prepared for maximum information and maximum results. This is going to coincide significantly with the next Relationship layer, "Becoming and Expert."
First of all, who is your clientele and what do you enjoy? If you don't have these answered you may be getting educated with the wrong information. You are looking for exponential increase in return on your smallest investment. What your clients are into and what you are into is the material that you need to be reading. "not every reader is a leader, but every leader is a reader." Don't let your position fool you--you ARE a leader.
11 Ways to be the most educated, experienced, and self-aware personal trainer in your market:
1. Find out what you are doing right, doing wrong, and what your clients are into-This is easy sit down with them and ask them.
2. Run a simple search on the topics and subjects on google, wikipedia, and/or any other comparable search engine. Don't forget your local library, too!
3. Organize your approach to the material. Most impactful and important first. You will refine this as you go, don't beat around the bush--get into it!
4. Begin reading, bookmarking and taking notes.
5. Schedule this in as part of your day--EVERY DAY!
6. If you spend two hours a day or more on a particular field, YOU will be the expert in at most 10 years, even less with more dedication
7. Use your material you read daily!
8. Track your progress daily! This will encourage you, because you will see that it is working!
9. Get an accountability partner or group to do this with. The social networking will be amazing for them and for your business!
10. Do something outside of your field periodically for perspective and creativity boosts!
11. Be positive about every moment, even in the hard parts and failure--This is the Valley of Insight or your growth areas!
5. Personal Trainer Relationship to Becoming an Expert
If you are doing all 4 of the above concepts and actions daily, there is no reason we shouldn't be calling you an expert in a couple of years. If you already had experience and education, you may be an expert already.
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