How to renew existing clients
This should be the simplest procedure in the game. You have already sold them once, they love your product and have great results from your service. I like to think of this as a pure inventory problem. Once they get low it's time to "put in an order", i simply let them know when they have about 5 sessions left. Why do I notify them when they have 5 sessions left?
There are two reasons. The first is so that if any objections to renew pop up from your client you now have 5 full sessions to overcome them. Because you know them so well by now it should be easy to reason with them in order to make another sale.
Then once they are at their second to last session i like to redo their monthly results. This gives them another chance to assess their position. Usually they will still want to lose weight or work towards some other goal. The monthly results report will remind them of this, and it's a great nudge towards a buy without you needing to pressure them.
Then on the last session, if they have not already renewed you will simple ask for the sale. In this case I usually use the results close:
Well Sally you have lost a total of 15 pounds we have 8 more to go, I think you should sign up for xx more sessions.
It's a very simple statement, and because of the statistics you have collected about them you can be very exact just as if your giving out a prescription. At this point there are usually no objections, because they would have come up during the last 5 sessions and you have over come them. But if they do, use the protocol you have already mastered to overcome. think back to the section on how to overcome objections. I suggest you look back at it now and review the techniques.
At this point I also like to sit them down and go over their previous results and set a new goal. Do you really just want to lose 8 pounds? Or should we make that 10, or maybe they want to run a marathon. This gives you a chance to do 2 things. Number 1 is upsell, if they want to make a bigger goal they may need a few more sessions. They have already agreed to buy so it will be easy to add in a few sessions. The second option is just to make sure your client is getting what they want. Give this method a try, I know it will work for you.
Check back each wee as I release more techniques from my book. "The step by step guide to selling personal fitness training".
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Using statistics to sell personal training
Collecting statistics and using them to sell
When you go to buy a car or a computer, the sales person presents you with many facts figures and statistics. You know exactly how these products will work and preform when you use them. The same is not true when our customers come to purchase personal training from us. The most common facts and figures that we use to sell are about fitness, not personal training and are very general. They are things like, you can lose weight, you can gain muscle, you might look better, you should be stronger. The list only goes on from here. If I was buying personal training I would never have been satisfied with these kind of statements. I want to know exactly what I can expect.
So as a trainer I began to record everything I did with my clients. Flexibility, strength, improvement in running/rowing, body measurements, body fat percentage, and lean muscle mass. I then used specific calculations to create statistical averages to present to my clients. I was able to change my entire sales process. My pitch now sounded more like this:
You can expect to be:
Xx% more flexible
Xx% stronger
Xx% faster
to lose xx inches per month
To lose xx weight/body fat/ body fat percentage
Gain xx lean muscle
This sales pitch was wildly successful for me. My closing percentage went from 30-40% into the 80-90% range. Everyone I ran through my sales process came out the other side wanting to buy. I was able to focus more time on my clients and getting referrals and less time trying to sell.
I also compared each of my clients to my averages each month. I would be able to know when my clients were slacking off. I could say things like, you didn't improve in your cardio this month where you not keeping up with you own workouts? In personal training accountability is huge, so being able to be this precise can dramatically effect the results your clients receive. Which in turn will yield more referrals, and more money for you.
I was also able to use these averages as a way to improve myself as a trainer. I could see where I needed to improve the exercise programs I had my clients on to maximize their gains. It became like a competition to see if I could always beat last months results. Which made me learn, and produce a great product. You can do the same, it's very simple.
Check back each week as I post new tips and tricks. Also keep looking back as my book "The step by step guide to selling personal training" is about to be released.
When you go to buy a car or a computer, the sales person presents you with many facts figures and statistics. You know exactly how these products will work and preform when you use them. The same is not true when our customers come to purchase personal training from us. The most common facts and figures that we use to sell are about fitness, not personal training and are very general. They are things like, you can lose weight, you can gain muscle, you might look better, you should be stronger. The list only goes on from here. If I was buying personal training I would never have been satisfied with these kind of statements. I want to know exactly what I can expect.
So as a trainer I began to record everything I did with my clients. Flexibility, strength, improvement in running/rowing, body measurements, body fat percentage, and lean muscle mass. I then used specific calculations to create statistical averages to present to my clients. I was able to change my entire sales process. My pitch now sounded more like this:
You can expect to be:
Xx% more flexible
Xx% stronger
Xx% faster
to lose xx inches per month
To lose xx weight/body fat/ body fat percentage
Gain xx lean muscle
This sales pitch was wildly successful for me. My closing percentage went from 30-40% into the 80-90% range. Everyone I ran through my sales process came out the other side wanting to buy. I was able to focus more time on my clients and getting referrals and less time trying to sell.
I also compared each of my clients to my averages each month. I would be able to know when my clients were slacking off. I could say things like, you didn't improve in your cardio this month where you not keeping up with you own workouts? In personal training accountability is huge, so being able to be this precise can dramatically effect the results your clients receive. Which in turn will yield more referrals, and more money for you.
I was also able to use these averages as a way to improve myself as a trainer. I could see where I needed to improve the exercise programs I had my clients on to maximize their gains. It became like a competition to see if I could always beat last months results. Which made me learn, and produce a great product. You can do the same, it's very simple.
Check back each week as I post new tips and tricks. Also keep looking back as my book "The step by step guide to selling personal training" is about to be released.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
How to generate leads in order to build your personal training business
lead generation
When I hired new trainers they always asked, where do I find new clients? Well the answer to that is lead generation. You don't find clients you find two kinds of people, type one are people interested in training, and type two are those who have not considered a personal trainer before. Now people who are considering purchasing a trainer will usually contact a gym, or a trainer or will ask someone they know for a referral. I will tell you from experience that there are many more people in category two, those that have not thought about hiring a personal trainer yet.
Should you focus only on one group? Certainly not, however those people in group one will be filtered towards you using the methods discussed earlier. When you establish proper protocol for referrals with your clients your immediately focused on group one. So in the initial stages of your career and during slow times group two is where you should put in more effort.
So where do we find these people in group two? The simple answer is that they are everywhere. Every time you have a conversation with someone wherever you are you MUST mention that your a personal fitness trainer. This will lead to a conversation about your career and what you can do for people. This will develop their interest in personal training. The next thing you need to do is offer them a free personal training session. This should feel natural to you by now. Now where most people fail with this is, they hand out their card and tell the person to call them. This will result in zero leads, how can you change this? Very simple, ask for their name and number and tell them you will call on a specific day to set something up.
The next step is to call them when you said you would. Invite them down, I usually say that I love to share my talents with new people and that they will learn a lot. Set an appointment on this initial phone call. Then it's simple you will put them through the sales process like any other potential client.
Another place you can find clients is in the gym. This was covered in an earlier post (approaching prospective clients in the gym) so look back and review those methods. The reason I like to stress that you should approach people in the gym is because it's the best and easiest way to make a sale. They are already interested in fitness and have made it a part of their lives. They also are already in your place of work. So just walk up and introduce yourself.
Another method is asking friends and family to refer their friends to you. This method is not as effective, but if you really need a sale you can usually get one or two this way. I always offer a prize, here is an example.
Send an email to all friends and family:
Dear friends,
This month I am running a special promotion for new clients. If you know anyone that is thinking of hiring a personal trainer please give me their contact information so I can offer them a free session. In return the first person to refer me a client that signs up, will receive free training this month with me.
Very basic but it gets your point across and usually you will end up with a few leads
One of the most popular methods of lead generation is a draw box. These are boxes that offer something free in order to entice people to put their name and contact information into your draw box. In my experience with these, a lead box will give you between 5-20 leads per week. If it's less than that move the box. When you call these leads you simply say that they have not won the grand prize but you would like to offer them 2 free personal training sessions.
Lead generation is so easy, but you should set yourself a goal to reach each month. 20,50 or 100 leads work well as goals. Usually for every 20 leads you have you will get about 5 that show up for the free session. Out of that you should be able to close 1-2 sales. So get out their and practice approaching people and offering free sessions.
Keep checking back, each week I will continue to post new techniques for increasing sales, until my book "The step by step guide to selling personal fitness training" is released. The book will contain information not found in this blog as well as charts and scripts to use to maximize sales.
Train Hard
Jared Roy
When I hired new trainers they always asked, where do I find new clients? Well the answer to that is lead generation. You don't find clients you find two kinds of people, type one are people interested in training, and type two are those who have not considered a personal trainer before. Now people who are considering purchasing a trainer will usually contact a gym, or a trainer or will ask someone they know for a referral. I will tell you from experience that there are many more people in category two, those that have not thought about hiring a personal trainer yet.
Should you focus only on one group? Certainly not, however those people in group one will be filtered towards you using the methods discussed earlier. When you establish proper protocol for referrals with your clients your immediately focused on group one. So in the initial stages of your career and during slow times group two is where you should put in more effort.
So where do we find these people in group two? The simple answer is that they are everywhere. Every time you have a conversation with someone wherever you are you MUST mention that your a personal fitness trainer. This will lead to a conversation about your career and what you can do for people. This will develop their interest in personal training. The next thing you need to do is offer them a free personal training session. This should feel natural to you by now. Now where most people fail with this is, they hand out their card and tell the person to call them. This will result in zero leads, how can you change this? Very simple, ask for their name and number and tell them you will call on a specific day to set something up.
The next step is to call them when you said you would. Invite them down, I usually say that I love to share my talents with new people and that they will learn a lot. Set an appointment on this initial phone call. Then it's simple you will put them through the sales process like any other potential client.
Another place you can find clients is in the gym. This was covered in an earlier post (approaching prospective clients in the gym) so look back and review those methods. The reason I like to stress that you should approach people in the gym is because it's the best and easiest way to make a sale. They are already interested in fitness and have made it a part of their lives. They also are already in your place of work. So just walk up and introduce yourself.
Another method is asking friends and family to refer their friends to you. This method is not as effective, but if you really need a sale you can usually get one or two this way. I always offer a prize, here is an example.
Send an email to all friends and family:
Dear friends,
This month I am running a special promotion for new clients. If you know anyone that is thinking of hiring a personal trainer please give me their contact information so I can offer them a free session. In return the first person to refer me a client that signs up, will receive free training this month with me.
Very basic but it gets your point across and usually you will end up with a few leads
One of the most popular methods of lead generation is a draw box. These are boxes that offer something free in order to entice people to put their name and contact information into your draw box. In my experience with these, a lead box will give you between 5-20 leads per week. If it's less than that move the box. When you call these leads you simply say that they have not won the grand prize but you would like to offer them 2 free personal training sessions.
Lead generation is so easy, but you should set yourself a goal to reach each month. 20,50 or 100 leads work well as goals. Usually for every 20 leads you have you will get about 5 that show up for the free session. Out of that you should be able to close 1-2 sales. So get out their and practice approaching people and offering free sessions.
Keep checking back, each week I will continue to post new techniques for increasing sales, until my book "The step by step guide to selling personal fitness training" is released. The book will contain information not found in this blog as well as charts and scripts to use to maximize sales.
Train Hard
Jared Roy
Thursday, November 10, 2011
4 easy ways to get your personal training clients to refer you clients
Referrals
How can you build your business without having to sell? The answer is referrals. If you have a great product to share with your clients they will refer you friends, family and co workers. However there is a way that you can maximize these referrals to make sure they are coming in consistently. In my career I was able to stop selling and doing cold calls because my clients were referring me all of my business. You should have a goal that every client you have you try to get between 3 and 5 referrals. This way your chance to sell your services increases. You should be able to sell 1 of every 3 referrals that you get. Here are the systems I use.
Invite a friend: This technique is a great way to keep things fun and fresh for your clients. They are spending thousands of dollars on your services so they deserve some perks. Also I have noticed that they like to show off to their friends their new found athleticism. So it's easy choose a day each month and let all your clients know that they can invite a friend to join their exercise session that day. After the session ask them how they liked the session, then offer them two more for free. This is where the sales process starts again and you can try to close a new client.
Charity bootcamp: With this technique you set up a charity bootcamp where everyone can come for free as long as they bring a non perishable food item. Put up signs around your city, and contact businesses and have sign up sheets for their employees. Once the bootcamp is full you won't need to market it anymore because people will invite their friends for the free bootcamp. Then once again offer every new person two free personal training sessions, and start the sales process again.
Ask for referrals: This is the simplest and most effective in my experience. Each month you simply ask your clients if any of their friends would benefit from a free session. Most of the time they know someone, and if they value your service they will have no problem helping you out.
Trade services: You can find a professional to trade services with. For example you can find a hair stylist and give them free sessions in return for them referring you clients. If you find the right person this can be a great source of referrals. Make sure that they have a lot of clients, and are very social, and encourage them to talk about their exercise program with their clients. Set a referral goal each month, once again that goal should be 3-5 referrals.
Referrals if done right can be 100% of new business coming In, and it's so easy to do. The problem is that people are afraid to ask for referrals. I always found it funny that trainers didn't like to ask for referrals, it's like it's a secret that we need clients and that we need to sell. Most of your clients work in a sales driven business they understand that you need to sell and that you need referrals. This is NO SECRET. We are all in a sales based society and are used to this phenomenon, how often do you go to a salon and see a sign refer a friend for a free cut? Don't hide behind insecurity it will only make it harder to sell.
Check back for my next post on lead generation where I demonstrate my techniques for acquiring leads. Also stay tuned for my book "The step by step guide to selling personal training" in it I will have all of the charts you will need to keep track of referrals to maximize your success.
Train hard
Jared Roy
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
How to follow up with your personal training clients to get referrals and make more sales.
Follow up service
Follow up is necessary in any sales position. You need to call anyone that did not sign up to see if they are interested again. Also you should be calling clients after they have signed up to ensure they are happy and to ask for referrals. Another opportunity for follow up is with old clients. Call them to see how they are doing, maybe they need to start up again or they can get you a referral. Every time you follow up it's a chance to make another sale, another chance to put money in your pocket. So how do we do it?
Follow up with a potential client:
Call 3 days after your second free session. Usually when the sales process ends without a sale. It's because you have not conquered the price objection or they really do want to think about the purchase. 3 days is enough time for them to think about the purchase so calling to ask them if they have thought about it is a great move. Invite them in to talk about it. This will give you another chance to close them.
If you did not overcome the price objection then I suggest to call them each time there is a new promotion or some new program you can show them. For example: this month we have a special price/free sessions with purchase/ group x package, etc. There are many things you can try, but the goal is always to get them in your office again for another chance to close.
Follow up with current client:
Initial follow up: This should be done within 48 hours after the sale. You want to call to make sure the client understands the contract, confirm the next session, answer any questions about the service they will receive, tell them your excited to work with them. I also always ask if they have any friends that would benefit from a free session. Many times they will refer a friend, so you get another chance to sell. This call is to make the client feel good about the purchase and the service, and of course to get a referral.
Monthly follow up: this should be when you do their monthly results assessment. But don't stop there, ask them how they feel and if your meeting their needs. This is a chance for you to grow as a trainer and to learn where you can improve. It also let's you show your clients that you really care. This is also another chance for you to ask for a referral. I usually tell them to invite their friends to one of their sessions for free. Example: don't forget this Friday is bring a friend day. They get to join your session for free. Very easy yet effective.
Follow up with old clients:
I do this call monthly for three months. How does this work? They are already used to the monthly assessment so just follow that same path but this time your asking how their training is going, make sure they are still exercising and motivated. Ask if they need assistance with anything, maybe they have a question to ask or want to learn something new. This is your opportunity to see if they need your services again.
Practice your follow up skills. They are valuable for getting referrals, which is the easiest way to find clients. They already know someone that uses your services and is getting great results, so most of the work is done. Now it's just up to you to ask for referrals.
Check back often I have more great tips to share with you guys. Don't forget my book "the step by step guide to selling personal fitness training" is almost ready to publish. It will have all my best tips and tricks as well as charts on how to keep track of all these sales tactics.
Train hard
Jared Roy
Follow up is necessary in any sales position. You need to call anyone that did not sign up to see if they are interested again. Also you should be calling clients after they have signed up to ensure they are happy and to ask for referrals. Another opportunity for follow up is with old clients. Call them to see how they are doing, maybe they need to start up again or they can get you a referral. Every time you follow up it's a chance to make another sale, another chance to put money in your pocket. So how do we do it?
Follow up with a potential client:
Call 3 days after your second free session. Usually when the sales process ends without a sale. It's because you have not conquered the price objection or they really do want to think about the purchase. 3 days is enough time for them to think about the purchase so calling to ask them if they have thought about it is a great move. Invite them in to talk about it. This will give you another chance to close them.
If you did not overcome the price objection then I suggest to call them each time there is a new promotion or some new program you can show them. For example: this month we have a special price/free sessions with purchase/ group x package, etc. There are many things you can try, but the goal is always to get them in your office again for another chance to close.
Follow up with current client:
Initial follow up: This should be done within 48 hours after the sale. You want to call to make sure the client understands the contract, confirm the next session, answer any questions about the service they will receive, tell them your excited to work with them. I also always ask if they have any friends that would benefit from a free session. Many times they will refer a friend, so you get another chance to sell. This call is to make the client feel good about the purchase and the service, and of course to get a referral.
Monthly follow up: this should be when you do their monthly results assessment. But don't stop there, ask them how they feel and if your meeting their needs. This is a chance for you to grow as a trainer and to learn where you can improve. It also let's you show your clients that you really care. This is also another chance for you to ask for a referral. I usually tell them to invite their friends to one of their sessions for free. Example: don't forget this Friday is bring a friend day. They get to join your session for free. Very easy yet effective.
Follow up with old clients:
I do this call monthly for three months. How does this work? They are already used to the monthly assessment so just follow that same path but this time your asking how their training is going, make sure they are still exercising and motivated. Ask if they need assistance with anything, maybe they have a question to ask or want to learn something new. This is your opportunity to see if they need your services again.
Practice your follow up skills. They are valuable for getting referrals, which is the easiest way to find clients. They already know someone that uses your services and is getting great results, so most of the work is done. Now it's just up to you to ask for referrals.
Check back often I have more great tips to share with you guys. Don't forget my book "the step by step guide to selling personal fitness training" is almost ready to publish. It will have all my best tips and tricks as well as charts on how to keep track of all these sales tactics.
Train hard
Jared Roy
Sunday, November 6, 2011
4 easy steps to overcome objections when selling personal training.
How to overcome objections
It is very rare not to get an objection, so be prepared for them. I try to think of objections differently than most people. I feel like I am reasoning with them, to help them make a buying decision. If you feel like you are trying to convince people to buy then you will come off that way and it may reduce your ability to close sales. Assume that the person wants to buy, and there is a small problem in their way that you need to help them overcome. Your selling a product they need and know they need so be confident and assume the sale.
Step 1: Listen to the problem, get a good understanding of the issue and ask a few questions. Usually if you listen and ask them to clarify what they mean, they will end up telling you the answer to their own objection
Step 2: Rephrase the objection as a question. For example "it's too much" you would say "so our price is too much"? This will force them to answer and give you more information again. The more information you have the easier it is to know how to overcome an objection.
Step 3: You will now use the information you have gained to attack the objection. So you think the product is too much money because it's $1000, well really that's the price of coffee each day. I am sure you can make that work. This is very simple keep feeding what they say back at them.
Step 4: Ask your closing question again. This is where many people fail when trying to overcome objections. They don't re-ask for the sale, and continue to talk about the objection instead. Remember people always need to be asked to purchase.
Memorize these steps they will work for you. Remember this is a reasoning process, your not convincing them of anything. Your just sampling showing them that something they want but think they cannot have, is easily accessible to them if they think about it in a different way. It's very easy, listen, ask, repeat, close the sale.
Remember all of these techniques need practice so don't expect it to feel natural your first time. But stick to it and you will be a master sales person in no time.
Don't forget to check back each week as I release small pieces from my book. "The step by step guide to selling personal fitness training".
It is very rare not to get an objection, so be prepared for them. I try to think of objections differently than most people. I feel like I am reasoning with them, to help them make a buying decision. If you feel like you are trying to convince people to buy then you will come off that way and it may reduce your ability to close sales. Assume that the person wants to buy, and there is a small problem in their way that you need to help them overcome. Your selling a product they need and know they need so be confident and assume the sale.
Step 1: Listen to the problem, get a good understanding of the issue and ask a few questions. Usually if you listen and ask them to clarify what they mean, they will end up telling you the answer to their own objection
Step 2: Rephrase the objection as a question. For example "it's too much" you would say "so our price is too much"? This will force them to answer and give you more information again. The more information you have the easier it is to know how to overcome an objection.
Step 3: You will now use the information you have gained to attack the objection. So you think the product is too much money because it's $1000, well really that's the price of coffee each day. I am sure you can make that work. This is very simple keep feeding what they say back at them.
Step 4: Ask your closing question again. This is where many people fail when trying to overcome objections. They don't re-ask for the sale, and continue to talk about the objection instead. Remember people always need to be asked to purchase.
Memorize these steps they will work for you. Remember this is a reasoning process, your not convincing them of anything. Your just sampling showing them that something they want but think they cannot have, is easily accessible to them if they think about it in a different way. It's very easy, listen, ask, repeat, close the sale.
Remember all of these techniques need practice so don't expect it to feel natural your first time. But stick to it and you will be a master sales person in no time.
Don't forget to check back each week as I release small pieces from my book. "The step by step guide to selling personal fitness training".
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