I often say that the fitness industry is like the Wild Wild West. It’s unlike many traditional occupations where there’s a direct path. If you want to be a doctor, you go to college and medical school, then complete a residency. If you want to be a lawyer, you take your LSAT, go to law school, and pass your bar exam. But if you want to be a trainer, the path isn’t exactly clear. You could have an online certificate, college degree, or no formal background at all. Additionally, there’s so much white noise in the fitness industry that it’s hard for potential clients to decipher the good from the bad.
If you want to help more people and have greater success, you have to stand out from the crowd. Here are four tips on how to position yourself uniquely in the fitness industry and get more clients.
1. Be Clear on Who You Are and What You Do
First and foremost, you need a simple and definitive elevator sales pitch. And yes, we are talking about sales! When you decided to be a trainer it’s likely because you loved helping and coaching people. However, sales will always be a part of your job until you are so successful that you have a waitlist.
You need to clearly define and articulate who you are and what you do. Keep in mind if you try to reach everybody you will end up reaching nobody. Sure, you may be able to help everyone, but who do you enjoy working with the most and what do the majority of your clients come to you for?
Once you are clear on that, now ask yourself what makes you different? Why would people work with you over other coaches? If you are the weight-loss person, what is it about working with you that’s different from everyone else? How will you help your clients succeed? Once you get clear on this it will make your marketing and future interactions with potential clients that much more successful.
2. Tell People What You Are Up To
This is where we get into the first step of sales. If you are like me when I first started this process, you may be cringing at the word sales. But here’s the deal: selling is all about value. If you believe in what you do and that you can help people, you have to be sharing your message!
I know many coaches who don’t want to come across “pushy” when around people or on social media. The thing is, all too often people don’t know what they need. That’s why they need you; the expert needs to let them know what you offer and how you can help. They have a problem that you can solve, and all you’re selling is the solution. It’s a win, win!
If you are using social media just to show pictures of your dogs, the food you eat, and share the places you have traveled, you’re missing out on a great opportunity. It should be so obvious that you are a world class coach that they immediately think of you when they need help.
This may seem harsh, but if you think people will just come find you and sign up for your services without posting or telling people about it then you are arrogant. The most important thing you can do is simply tell people what you are up to! This doesn’t have to always finish with a call to action (Sign up for my program, Buy my E-book, etc). It could be as simple as sharing who you are, what you do or a simple tip for the day.
3. Always Be Curious
This is the real secret to sales. Yep, there’s that word again. Getting more comfortable with it? Sales is about building relationships. It’s not pushing a product on someone or convincing them to buy something no matter what. If you want to sign on more clients, you need to get to know them. And the easiest way to do that is ask questions and get curious.
If someone is commenting or messaging you on social media, then simply start a conversation WITHOUT making an offer. Find out what’s important to them, what they struggle with, and what keeps them up at night. When you get to know them you’ll build trust and be able to speak to their pain points. Then when it’s time to make an offer you no longer are “selling”—you’re simply telling them how you can help solve their problem.
The same is true if you’re actually talking with someone interested in your services. A potential client doesn’t come to you just so they can lose weight. They want to lose weight so they can fit in their clothes. And they want to fit in their clothes so they can feel more confident. And they want to feel more confident so they can be comfortable in their own skin and enjoy life.
4. Share the Success of Your Clients
It’s a good start to tell people what you do, why you do it, and how it will help them reach their goals. It will take you to a higher level to show proof of concept. Be sure to post and share about the success of your clients. Whether that’s a photo transformation, results from when they started to now, or how they feel after working with you.
In addition to this I recommend showing pictures or videos of the people you train. This will allow potential clients to identify with the people you train with. When they feel like they can relate to the people you work with, it creates more buy-in that you are the right trainer for them. And they will believe you can give them the same results.
5. Walk the Talk
Lastly, make sure you are showing up as the person you claim to be. Meaning you need to live the lifestyle you are preaching. If you tell people they need to train 5 days a week then you better be training 5 days a week. If you teach that you can eat your favorite foods and lose weight then you need to be the prime example.
This is part of telling people what you are up to. While it’s important to highlight your clients, you should also be showing what you do and your lifestyle. Especially if you are in the online space. This allows people to feel like they know you, and ultimately people buy from people. Use this as a way to form a relationship and be relatable to your clients.
If you start implementing these tips you will be sure to connect with more people. Because when you offer a clear solution to their problem and are able to create a deep connection, people will be lining up to work with you!
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