Right Place, Wrong Time

Far to common when consulting with clients I am posed the same question time and again, "what are we doing wrong?" More often than not I find that the solution to the problem is right in front of the client. The client is either working to improve their product or to improve their marketing message. The kicker is.........they are usually working on one when the should be focused on the other. So, the next time that you are working to improve a particular area, ask yourself whether it is the correct object for improvement. BUT, before you undergo this self diagnosis remember that it is vital to determine whether or not there is a market for your offering. This factor is the foundation for every other action you take. If there is no market, it does not matter how you improve the product/service. If there is no market, it does not matter how great your promotional efforts are.

Have you created some sort of high energy program when the local demographic does not fit the population that would demand it?

Are you attempting to offer sports conditioning, when the majority of your clients are soccer moms?

Adapt your service, product, and marketing message to fit the demand. Your business must be a chameleon, conforming to the demand of the market. Shaping the marketplace to fit your product, although not impossible, is far more difficult than catering to buyer demand. As individuals we must also morph into the individual that the client expects. Above all else be yourself, but allow yourself to be everything from the tough drill sergeant to the big teddy bear. If you become only one specific type of trainer, then you only attract a particular type of clientele.......eliminating a segment that can mean huge profits for you. By the same token, if your strategy is to only target a specific population, so be it. Just be sure that that small segment will mean financial success well into the future. The only singular type of professional that I recommend that you aspire to become is an expert. Become an authority no matter what the demographic. This means that you must work constantly to remain on the cutting edge of what you do! ARE YOU FOCUSED!

"If it doesn't make dollars, it doesn't make sense!"

T. Boone Pickens, The Big Dog

Yes my puppy is growing and growing......well only about a pound, after all he's a minature schnauzer and only gets to be about 8 pounds. I have been able to cut down the number of late night walking. Mr. Pickens has now been trained to the point that I can open the door, he runs out and does his business, and he runs back into the house. GREAT! Particularly when its 15 degrees outside. In a few short weeks that little ball of fur has developed independence and a distinct personality, and accidents have grown few and far between. SO WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH YOUR BUSINESS? In a word, consistency. Consistent modification and improvement made to your organization will yield the business you dreamed of when you started. It then becomes a thoroughly organized and systematized animal that requires less monitoring to ensure profitable operation, but more importantly more allows for more time to create new opportunities. THAT'S RIGHT, once you have raised that puppy its time for a new one. But even if you are not ready for that next venture or next extension of your business, do what I do with T. Boone and give your business a bigger bone once its chewed through the first one. Continue to challenge yourself and your organization to get better, and in no time that puppy will mature into a guard dog...............of your success that is.

"If it doesn't make dollars, it doesn't make sense!"

Your Clients are your Greatest Marketing Agents

With the flush of new year's cash, its time to put it to work. Paraphernalia that clients can purchase or receive upon sign up is a great way to extend your marketing reach. Photo and video are another way to feature your clients and your business at the same time. Make them the stars, record images for promotional use on your website or future print ads. Not only do these images operate as great testimonials, but as progress tracking for your clients. In fact I used client images as "pre-new year's" reminders to former clients as a funny motivator to get the m back in the gym. VERY EFFECTIVE!

"If it doesn't make dollars, it doesn't make sense!"

The Mistake you Are Making Right Now

The time has come again, the big rush of new clients. Its a phenomenon that I call the "Resolution Rush." This short, usually lucrative, period is great for the fitness industry. Hordes of holiday guilt laden individuals seek out fitness services and products, as they resolve to get in shape and improve their health. This is also the time that many fitness professionals drop the ball. Many are flooded with clients and customers to the point that they often feel that they cannot take on any more. BIG MISTAKE! Even if your training schedule is overbooked, take on more clients. Remember that now is the time to stockpile clients to reduce the chance of the dreaded "summer slow season." Filter new prospects into group sessions, create a waiting list, register everyone for your newsletter to market to them in the future. When there is a flood don't grab an umbrella, build a dam, grab buckets, save potential sales for the future.

But the even BIGGER MISTAKE that you are making right now is.............slowing your marketing efforts. You may have invested in your marketing during the holiday season to spark interest in your products and services and now that the new year has started, you have stopped. Keep in mind that yo will have greater financial resources to have a greater impact. But also remember that you must make those dollars count! As an FMG member it is critical that you remember you basic marketing tactics in order to generate profits forever.

"If it doesn't make dollars, it doesn't make sense!"