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!"