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If you want to engage prospective clients, then you need to leverage social media to your advantage. Because face it, there’s a good chance someone out there needs what you’re selling.

But:

If you’re committing these social media marketing mistakes…not only will your message fall flat…

It could turn off the prospects you want to attract to your facility. In part one, you discovered two mistakes gym owners make when crafting content for social media. Those two mistakes are:

• The importance of having engaging content…
• Why knowing your prospects hopes, dreams, and fears can help you create the RIGHT content that engages every time.

These are extremely important—because if you don’t know your avatar…and you’re just posting for the sake of posting…

Then your message won’t work—and you will have a harder time engaging who you want.

In today’s post, you’re going to discover the next 2 mistakes preventing you from bringing in new leads.

Two Costly Social Media Marketing Mistakes Preventing Your Business From Growing

There are 8 mistakes in total that we will cover…

But these two may be the biggest mistakes gym owners make when trying to grow their business, build engagement, and attract new leads on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others.

And once you see the next two mistakes…you’ll understand why these are business killers and can easily cause your leads to dry up.

Those mistakes are:

3. You’re Copying Someone Else’s Content

When it comes to marketing, you’re told to model what’s working in the industry. And this is great advice, since it can give you new ideas on how to interact with your audience and how to attract the clients you want.

But:

Just because something is working for your competitor…doesn’t mean it will work for you.

If you’ve done the legwork and you already know what your audience is looking for, you can create fun, engaging, and high-quality content. And this is why it’s crucial to know what your audience wants so you can have a much greater impact than copying what someone else is doing.

4. Using Every Platform There Is

There are plenty of social media sites to choose from that will give you an opportunity to get your message in front of your ideal prospects. But, just because they are there, doesn’t mean you need to use all of them.

By focusing on one or two platforms at a time, it will allow you to create better content, and help you deliver that content with images, videos, and live broadcasts.

Remember, in order to be good at social media marketing, minimize your efforts on one, or possibly two, social media sites—and understand that being present on every social media platform might detract from your marketing message.

The Take Home Message

Social media may be one of the best mediums to get your message in front of potential clients, as well as your current members. But there are two important factors you need to remember:

• MODEL what’s working in the industry, but DO not COPY it.
• Avoid using every social media platform out there.

The more you can refine and focus your message, the better your content will be. This could give you the opportunity to become the “expert” in your niche—and gives your audience the content it craves—so they come back time and time again.

Your social media message could be one aspect holding you back from growing your fitness business.

And fixing those mistakes could help you grow and thrive.

But:

There are 5 other business mistakes we are seeing that could be slowing your growth, and preventing you from reaching your true business potential.

Click the link below to see the 5 OTHER mistakes—and how you can solve them:

[DISCOVER] The 5 Other Mistakes Crippling Your Business

In this series, we are going to give you some tips to make your social media advertising strong and engaging. Everyone knows how important social media is to growing your business.

But, if you’re doing it wrong, then your message won’t reach the right people…preventing them from knowing and falling in love with your business. For example, the top-known fitness businesses, to A-list celebrities and Influencers, everyone is leveraging these platforms to grow their personal brand.

Are you?

If you are, but you’re not getting the traction you feel you should, then you could be making some costly mistakes in your advertising game.

The Top Mistakes You’re Making With Social Media

As a business owner, you want to get your message in front of the right people. And most of your clients are online in some capacity. It could be a stay-at-home mom, an active older adult, or even an athlete…most every demographic uses social media to some degree.

And you should be using it to your advantage. Statistics show that 1.6 billion people use Facebook each day…more than 500 million people are active on Instagram…and 145 million people send out, or read, various tweets on Twitter.

From these numbers, there’s a very good chance your potential clients are waiting to hear from you. If you’re currently advertising on these platforms…or you’re trying to engage your list…but you’re not successful…

Then you may be committing some common mistakes. But, if you’re able to fix these mistakes, you can leverage your social media accounts to draw in new leads and grow your business. In this 4-part series, we will tackle the 8 most common social media mistakes you may be making right now.

Here are the first two:

1. Your Content Needs An Upgrade

If you’re not getting a lot of engagement on your posts, then it could mean your content isn’t very good. Even if you think it is, your potential clients may not.

Be creative and really find out what they want. The higher quality your content is, the more engagement you will get. As a result, sites like Facebook and Twitter may reward you and push it to the top of feeds, if you have quality content.

2. You Don’t Know Your Ideal Client

Again, knowing your clients, inside and out, is the key to creating the most engaging content that may attract your ideal client. If you work with a particular group of people, for example, be sure you’re tailoring your content to what they want to read—not to what everyone wants to read.

Although you may want to help everyone, and you feel your content will do just that, it’s better to write to your niche, to create more shares and likes on your content.

The Social Media Series Continues…

Social media is one of the hottest channels for attracting your ideal clients. But if your message isn’t clear…or doesn’t resonate with your potential clients, then your time may have been wasted.

For instance, if you start by fixing these two mistakes…you may be better positioned to drive in new leads, and attract the clients you want.

If You’re Struggling To Get Leads From Facebook….

Either your Facebook ads aren’t working…

People are engaged…but not responding to your ads or content…

And your tweets aren’t getting the feedback you were hoping for…

You’re not alone. After all, you’re a gym owner, not a social media maven. But…

If you want to take your message to the next level…we can help. Our Success Coaches can help you develop a social media plan to get your message in front of the right people.

If you’re interested in getting your social media marketing back on track, schedule your 55 minute Strategy Call Today:

Discover How We Can Help Solve Your Social Media Marketing Issues

A lot of gym owners want to get “back to normal” and focus on fully reopening their gyms. But it’s not just gym owners…but the members and staff as well.

More gyms have either shut their doors, or changed their entire business to maintain their income and revenue. Although returning to “normal” may seem less likely with each passing day…there is hope on the horizon.

With the latest vaccine announcement from Pfizer, it seems that getting back to normal could happen relatively soon. And when that day comes to return to “business as usual,” will you be ready?

Most gym owners may not be ready, which could pose problems to grow your business.

However, if you have the right plan, you can prevent headaches that may come when you’re ready to fully reopen, and get back to what you love.

How To Be Prepared When Restrictions Are Lifted

Every day, it seems like we are getting closer and closer to the fitness industry getting back to normal–and having less restrictions. And this is great news for most gym or fitness business owners.

But are you ready when it’s time to reopen? Most gym and fitness business owners follow a steady approach—with online workouts keeping you afloat, so you can focus your efforts on implementing safety strategies, new programs to meet client demands, and serving your current clientele–while trying to grow membership and revenue.

If you want to make it easier…then you need a plan in place, one that will take the guesswork out of growing your business when restrictions are gone.  Here’s what we recommend to get you ready for the fitness industry getting back to normal:

Revisit Your Pricing

Although it’s important to maintain your current pricing structure, it may be time to adjust accordingly. For example, if you offer online training, you need to adjust your pricing to reflect the alue this service provides. You should also offer more affordable package plans, implement new front end offers, and encourage autoship memberships to meet your consumer where they currently are. Start thinking how you can make signing up an investment in their health.

Tighten Your Sales and Marketing Processes

The first lockdown resulted in membership and program revenue dropping off. So you got creative with programs and memberships, just to maintain membership and revenue.

Getting the right message to current and potential clients, and marketing your current programs and services may net you more leads that could join with the right sales approach in place. This is a crucial step, and could help your business grow once you reopen.

Keep Your Staff Motivated—And Improve Their Current Skills

The landscape in the fitness industry has changed. Online programs, video libraries, and Zoom workouts have kept businesses from completely shutting down during the lockdown.

When the dust settles, and we’re back to normal, your staff may need to improve both online and in-person services—to deliver the best customer experience possible. It’s important for them to understand the expectations, what their clients want, and the best way to help them reach their goals.

Plan, Plan, Plan

As the fitness industry gets “back to normal,” it’s will be important to invest in strategies to make this transition as smooth as possible. But some gym owners may not be ready for a grand reopening, which could limit their growth and overall success.

If you implement these tips now, you may be ready—which could take your gym, or fitness business, to the next level.

In order to be successful, you need to have a dialed-in plan, with clear, concise steps to fix current issues you’re facing. Once you get going, and these mistakes aren’t corrected, it could slow growth and lead to more sleepless nights.

But once the mistakes are corrected…

And you have your sales, marketing, and lead generation strategies in place…

You could see tremendous growth in your business, now and in the future.

Honestly, there is no better time to start building your success plan. Because face it…being ready for the future should be your #1 priority right now.

If you’re struggling right now…

Even if you don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel…

Things are looking up…and you need to be ready to go when people start resuming their normal lives.

Now, if you don’t feel like you’re as ready as you should be…

Then we’re here to help you. We’ve helped over 26,000 gym and fitness owners take control of their future, and “bulletproof” their businesses.

And so can you.

For a limited time, we’re offering FREE strategy sessions to help you to fix the BIGGEST problem you currently have.

But you need to hurry because all of our available slots are almost gone.

No gimmicks…or pushy sales tactics…and no obligation.

You’ll walk a way with an EXACT plan to fix the BIGGEST problem your gym faces right now.

CLICK HERE to schedule your session (before time runs out)

You know your marketing message is one of the best ways to get your message in front of others—especially the people you want to attract into your gym.

But when you’re marketing, it’s better to focus your message on one person—as opposed to a large group of people.

This allows for a stronger, clearer, and more concise message that will resonate with your target market. Even if you want to attract thousands of people to your gym, you’re not going to be successful if you’re trying to market to all of them—and not just a small segment.

Each person has specific needs and goals they want to accomplish. And if your marketing focuses on everything they may want, the message may appear cold and out-of-touch. But, if you’re able to focus your efforts on speaking directly to one person…then your message may impact countless people.

And that’s because they feel that you “get them,” which makes it much easier to sell them on a program or service.

Here’s a quick tip for making your message resonate:

When designing your marketing, pretend you’re talking to your mother…your spouse…or a close friend who has professed a particular need, or result, they want to accomplish. This way, when you’re crafting your marketing message, you’re doing it in a way that will make you feel more connected and engaged to your audience.

If you’re able to satisfy the need of one person…and they are able to share what your gym was able to do for them…

Then they more likely to talk about their experience, which can translate into more business for you–as people read and hear about others experiences that may closely match their needs or pain points.

So…in order to make your marketing more effective, you need to:

• Market to one person—so you can be more connected to your target market.
• Understand how your service can impact their lives—and how it solves their problem.
• This will also give you the information you need so you know how your product can fit into their day.

Take Home Message

Your marketing message is what drives leads into your gym. But having the wrong message, or worse, a message that doesn’t resonate with your target market, could ultimately prevent leads coming into your gym.

If you’re able to speak to your market by focusing on one person—you can finely tune your message, helping you attract the clients you want.

Fixing your marketing strategies can go a long way to boosting leads and sales. And it also happens to be one of the most common mistakes gym owners face.

Just ask Jonathon Price, who struggled keeping his training business open—while dealing with QUADRUPLE the overhead.

He was sitting at $6,000 in revenue…and was the only trainer. He was burnt out…and didn’t know where to go next.

But once he jumped on a call with one of our Success Coaches…he walked away with a plan that eventually led to the breakthrough his business needed.

He had a record month in October—clearing $25,000, while employing 4 trainers. He’s confident he wouldn’t be where he is today without having Fitness Revolution in his corner.

If you want to be like Jonathan—and all our other successful business owners…

Then schedule your FREE call with one of our success coaches today, and we’ll help you fix the biggest problem your business is having. And we’ll do it in less than 55 minutes:

Here’s where to get started.

As a gym owner, you that in order to succeed, you need to have plenty of leads coming through your door. Not just any leads, but the leads you know will join your gym, and become lifelong ambassadors for your program.  And this is why you have a lead generation marketing strategy in place.

If your lead generation marketing game isn’t up to snuff, then the people you want to attract may not see your message. Before you start to pick apart your current systems, you may need to look at some common lead generation mistakes gym owners make when trying to attract quality leads.

Assessing Your Lead Generation Strategies

Lead generation is one of the most important metrics in sales and marketing. Although the message you deliver is important…

If you don’t have any leads coming through your door…then your sales team doesn’t have anyone to sell too.
And this becomes a problem since your message may be muddled with every other gym or personal trainer marketing to them.

So how can you tell if your lead generation strategies are working or not? Testing and tracking each lead generation tactic you’re currently running.

If you track your metrics right, you can uncover what’s working—and what’s not working—so you can make the adjustments needed.

Let Us Help You Fix Your Lead Generation Mistakes For FREE

The 5 Lead Generation Mistakes Gym Owners Make

Everyone, business owners included, make mistakes. It’s a part of life. But when it starts to impact your revenue and business growth, then eliminating the mistakes is extremely important.

Take a look at these 5 mistakes and see if any of them you can eliminate:

1. You’re Targeting The WRONG People

If you want your message to resonate with the people you want to walk through the door, you need to be sure you’re marketing to them—and not to everyone.

And, if you have built your customer avatar correctly, then you know exactly who you want to work out on your facility. Once you know who you want to target, it will become easier to market and attract them.

2. The Customers Aren’t In The Right “Buying” Frame of Mind

When potential clients come into your gym, they are obviously looking for a solution to a problem they have.
But, depending on where the buyer is on the buying spectrum, one person may not need a lot of coaxing to sign up, while another person does.

Knowing where your prospect is on the buying spectrum can make selling the right service, or providing the right information for an informed decision, will go a long way to making the sale.

3. Your Marketing Isn’t Clear

You need to make sure your marketing message is clear—and easy-to-understand, concise, and cuts through the fluff.

4. You Haven’t Segmented Your List

First off, if you don’t have an email list, you need to start one. Email marketing is one of the easiest ways to communicate with your audience. And building a list of potential buyers can be a goldmine for your business.

But, this doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. You still have to have a clear message—and it needs to go to the right segment on your list.

People are interested in what THEY want…not what you think they want. Be sure to segment your list, so you can send the right message each time.

5. It’s All About You…and Not About Them

As great as you are, your prospective clients don’t really care. They only care about what you can do for them, and how much it will cost to get what they want.

The more your marketing message stresses YOU, and less about what your prospect wants, the more they will tune you out.

Catering your message to the prospective client, you may find it easier to lead them through the buying process.

Fix These Common Lead Generation Mistakes

If you’ve been in business a long time, then you already know that getting more people through your door will ultimately grow your membership and revenue.

Most gym owners commit certain lead generation mistakes that could cost them clients and revenue.

But if you’re able to correct these mistakes, you may see people respond to your message, come through your door, and become a new member. And if you can repeat this process, your business is going to grow, and you will have more freedom to do other things.

Remember…

Having the right strategies for Lead generation is only one part of the problem. There are other mistakes in marketing…sales…and referrals that could keep you from growing your business.

That’s why our CEO, Nick Berry, created a short video highlighting some areas our coaches are hearing about now…and how we can fix them together.

We’d Really Enjoy Your Feedback On This Video

Most gym owners want to be helpful, not annoying, right? You got into fitness to improve people’s lives – not to be an obnoxious salesperson.

But running a successful business requires you to make sales. And, lucky for all of us, there’s more to it than smiling Mr. Selfless on one end of the spectrum – and the used-car salesman in the plaid jacket on the other end.

Too often when it comes to sales, you can feel like your own worst enemy.

The secret is overcoming your self-limiting beliefs – the nonsense we tell ourselves that holds us back from reaching our potential.

Here’s an example. Many fitness professionals think that if they don’t hear back from a prospect after an initial sales call, then the answer must be no.

• “If the prospect wants to join, they’ll call us back, right? They know we’re here.”
• “What else is there to say?”
• “I don’t want to be That Guy and bug him or her.”

Our Success Coaches hear that one a lot. But actually, it’s not true. You’ve got to make multiple follow-ups – often as many as eight!

That’s right – and if you think about it as an ongoing part of the “getting to know you” process, it’ll feel less uncomfortable. It’s not about hounding someone – it’s just simple psychology that’s been proven time and again. Often, we humans need to hear the same message seven or eight times before it sinks into our skulls.

Remember that people are busy and have a lot on their plates every day. Maybe Mrs. Miller meant to call you back, but her kid got sick… or her sink backed up… or she’s a little nervous to ask a simple follow-up question…

It’s probably – almost definitely, totally, 100 percent for sure – NOT ABOUT YOU. And if it is, then Mrs. Miller can either ignore your or say, “No, thank you.” That’s HER decision.

Let yourself off the hook by being genuine about yourself and your intentions; learning how you can help the prospect; and sharing your concern for their health and wellbeing. No used-car salesman ever did that, right?

The simple truth is, you’ve got to gain the confidence to make the sales calls and get the business. It’s one of the top six challenges gym owners face.

Click HERE to discover what the other challenges are.

And, we promise, you won’t become “That Guy.”

Most gym owners come from a training background, not selling. And the same is true generally for the people they hire.

So, after you’ve learned to become a salesman yourself, you’ll want your team members to sell like you do. 

You’ll need a process to train them, give them the necessary tools and confidence, and track progress. Here are five touchstones to guide you.

1. Foster the Right Mindset

Start by clarifying what you’re selling. It’s the support, accountability, and development of an action plan – the benefits of your programs, not just the programs themselves. Show them that prospects can choose to buy from you, buy from a competitor, or stay in their current situation. And finally, create a safe environment to fail, reflect on mistakes, and hone their sales skills.

2. Have an Airtight Sales Strategy

Establish a sales strategy that everyone follows. This leads to consistency and to judging what’s working and what’s not. We recommend Fitness Revolution’s 5-Step Sales Process. It uses principles of behavior change science to build motivation, and to help prospects understand why they need to make a change — so you  can then show why you’re the best solution.

3. Create Sales Conversations with Roleplay and Observation

Like any skills set, sales competency takes practice and repetition. While roleplay can be uncomfortable and not entirely realistic, it’s the best way to get some experience under your team’s belt before putting them in live sales situations.

4. Provide Live Experience

Give your staff the opportunity to sell on their own. The goal here is for them to develop comfort and confidence in executing the sales process, which leads to better sales development and performance. So, start with lay-ups – not those prospects you know will be tricky.

5. Debrief

Debriefing sales conversations is vital for you to keep a pulse on how your sales staff is performing and developing their selling abilities. It also provides you the opportunity to give feedback and sharpen their skills – and to see what you might need to tweak overall.

Finally, remember to check your own mindset.  If you struggle with trusting employees to have effective sales conversations, then you may need to take your time getting to Step 4. Remember that developing your sales game is never “done.” You’ll want to keep investing in your team members and in yourself.

Besides having issues with sales, and the virus, gym owners have been struggling with 5 additional business killers.

Click HERE to discover what they are!

You spend a lot of time and energy on your marketing. 

Have you ever wondered if it was reaching the right audience or producing more clients for your business? 

Successful gyms bake marketing into their operations and budgets. They know it’s something they must keep up all the time – that it’s not an “extra” for when you have a little more time or money, or when you’re feeling creative.

But too many gym owners don’t create a real marketing plan. They just throw a bunch of  random activities and promotions at the wall and see what sticks. 

Marketing your fitness business requires a strategic and calculated approach, especially now when so many things are unknown or out of your control. And, while not all marketing will work, you need to know what’s effective so you can optimize or replace it. 

Keep Track of Your Process and Results

The best way to know if your marketing is bringing new clients and generating revenue is to measure your process and results.

If you think you don’t have time for this, you’re wrong. Either assign it to an assistant or schedule a time block, at least three days a week, to manage your tracking.

It doesn’t take much. Just record:

• Total number of leads
• Source of your leads
• Date the lead was acquired 

This will let you see your overall lead number and which channels or sources are producing.  

Turn Leads into Clients

Effective marketing doesn’t just bring in leads. It brings in leads that turn into paying clients.

The next step in your tracking is identifying which leads participate in your Front End Offer and when.  

From there you want to track which leads turn into clients, the date of conversion, and the value of each client to your business (contract length X monthly membership).  

This will show which marketing channels and types of leads are turning into paying clients. Then you can decide how to invest your time and money. 

You can do all of this with a simple spreadsheet or Google Sheets with formulas to track your marketing success. Fitness Revolution Coaching Partners have access to a Lead Tracker set up and ready to use. 

Want Help?

If you are ready to take the next step with your business and build out a predictable plan to get new clients we’d love to chat with you to see if we can help. You can shorten your learning curve by applying the tools and knowledge that FR has acquired by working with hundreds of fitness business owners. If you would like to speak with a member of the FR team to see how we can help you get unstuck please apply for a FREE 60-minute Discovery Call below.

Do you struggle with sales?

Many gym owners do – and it’s easy to see why. They come from a training background, with experience and passion to help people reach fitness goals. Now, as business owners, they find they have to also learn how to sell, and it can be a challenge.

We’ve been there. And we’ve counseled hundreds of gym owners through this awkward phase to become expert, confident salespeople. 

How? With our simple 5-step process. Here’s an outline of how it works.

Step 1: Welcome and Building Rapport.

When you meet your potential client, focus on doing just two things:

• Set the tone by building a genuine connection.
• Set expectations about the meeting and your relationship.

Show that you care about the person and what has brought him or her to you. Ask open-ended questions. Listen. Share a bit about yourself, without shifting focus.

It’s a real conversation, not a sales monologue. You want to draw from your prospects what they want to change – and the emotional component is key. Show that you’re here to help whether they sign or not.

Step 2:  Explore Aspirations.

Encourage your prospect to look to the future and dream a bit. Go beyond something typical and short-term (“I want to lose 15 pounds”) and let him or her describe what life could look like in a year. 

If this takes a little pressing, you’ll find it’s worth it. Share a bit about yourself, if that’s necessary.

This will open them up emotionally and reveal important aspects of their values.

Step 3: Uncover Afflictions.

This flows beautifully from Step 2, so do it at the same time. Explore the tension between what they want and what they do. This identifies the pain points or afflictions that stand in their way.

We all have beliefs about ourselves, but sometimes there’s a gap between our self-image and our behavior. That can motivate us to change our actions to match our self-belief. 

When prospects see this gap, you’ve already helped them immeasurably.

Step 4: Collaborative Evaluation

Together, the two of you will evaluate the pros and cons of the prospect taking action – and of not taking action.

What’s good and bad about getting in shape?

What’s good and bad about continuing everything as it is?

It’s the biggest choice at stake — to change or not. And it has the biggest impact on closing the sale.

Step 5: Recommendations and Commitment

Repackage what your prospect has told you and maybe add a recommendation about, say, small group training twice a week.

Then, share a story about a client who had a similar challenge – and how that person succeeded. 

And finally, pose the commitment question, emphasizing the prospect’s freedom to choose: “Based on what we’ve talked about, what do you see as the next step?” This reinforces the themes we’ve followed all along:

• You’re genuinely concerned about helping them.
• They truly can make the necessary changes.
• It’s their decision to make – no pressure.

That’s a quick summary of our 5-step process. We’d love to talk about it in more depth and share how we can help you achieve your business goals. Schedule a free consultation with one of our Success Coaches today.

We asked some of our Success Coaches two questions about overcoming “analysis paralysis.” Every day, they talk to independent gym owners across the country and share their combined decades of experience in guiding them to success. Here’s a look at their answers.

Now, more than ever, identifying what you need to change and taking swift action can mean the difference between being profitable and being bankrupt by the end of the year. Overcoming “analysis paralysis” is crucial to creating and continuing positive business momentum.

1. What symptoms do you identify in fitness business owners that indicate they may be struggling with analysis paralysis?
2. What is your best advice for overcoming a pattern of overanalyzing and lack of action?

Success Coach Craig Myers:

1. Simple tasks take longer than they should, and important decisions take even longer. Another symptom is changing things up too often because you’re over-analyzing every detail and expecting perfection.

2. For ordinary tasks, set a goal for how many you can finish within a certain time. With big decisions, accept that sometimes you don’t have all the information. Have confidence in yourself to make the decision. Leverage your resources, like our coaching, to speed things up and provide perspective.

Talk about it with one of our Success Coaches – Schedule your free call now!

Success Coach Ben Ludwig:

1. It’s easy to compare yourself to others – How is everyone else doing virtual training, how are they marketing, etc. I see so many owners deviating from their long-term visions and following rabbit trails until it’s hard for them to answer “how and why” their decisions are tied to their goals.

2. Make sure whatever decisions you make align with your long-term vision, and don’t fear making the wrong decisions. Your clients will appreciate you trying to make the most of your situation, and they are more willing to endure through your struggles than you might think.

Success Coach Asa Ivers:

1. Fitness business owners who struggle with analysis paralysis also struggle with fear and trepidation.We have a tendency to be perfectionists. I see many owners over-scrutinizing adaptations or ventures, and hesitating to make any changes.

2. First off, organization is key; prioritize the lowest-hanging fruit. Second, the KISS rule: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Your delivery might have kinks to work out, and that’s OK. Third, prioritize yourself to ensure you are staying well.

Success Coach Mike Allen:

1. They tend to avoid making decisions, then change them and stress out. They usually over-plan and under-execute. A history of being a perfectionist or a deep thinker can amplify their analysis paralysis in times of increased risk or high demand.

2. Be aware of the signs. Identify the cost to you and your business. Take full responsibility by realizing it’s a choice. And break the pattern — set deadlines, or create a rule against revisiting decisions.

Success Coach Madison Allen:

1. Taking too long to make a decision; gathering more research than needed; getting more stressed in general. When they’re grasping for certainty and are unwilling to take any calculated risk, that’s a big symptom of cumbersome overthinking.

2. First, determine which business decisions are worth your time, energy and efforts. Not all decisions are created equal. Second, make deadlines for decisions and projects; discuss this with your coach.

Success Coach Pamela MacElree:

1. Right now, everything is constantly changing, so we have to act swiftly. I’m not suggesting that you act without thinking, but rather to not wait for perfection and just take some action to move the needle forward.

2. Refer to your long-term vision frequently. Each day be sure you’re doing something to move you forward. Make sure you are not the person stopping you from achieving your goals.

We have an awesome team of Success Coaches here to talk about this and everything else to shorten your learning curve. It starts with a free consultation, so schedule your call today.

Smart gym owners work hard to establish a company culture. It’s crucial for customers, employees, and the business’ image in the community. 

Protecting your culture is just as important as building it. And sometimes that means seeing management challenges through a different lens, like when to remove a team member or a client from the environment.

Those decisions are sometimes difficult but always necessary for the greater good.

Threats Can Come from Inside or Outside

Consider these two scenarios. 

In one, the employee who’s supposed to open the gym at 5 a.m. oversleeps a few times, requiring you to scramble and face an upset crowd of members waiting to get inside. The first time, you pick up the slack and end up working two full shifts in a single day. The next time, you have to wake up another employee and ask her to rush down and handle it.

This might look like a simple employee problem, and it is. But it’s also a culture problem. This is NOT how you want to do business – with customers, employees or your culture.

In another, you have a male customer who repeatedly makes sexist comments to the young woman who works at your front desk. It’s disrespectful and uncomfortable for her, and it’s inhibiting her ability to do the job. She’s unhappy and feels trapped. Others are noticing.

What’s your responsibility here? Should you keep taking the customer’s monthly dues and tell your employee to ignore it? Or do you tell the customer to find another gym and show everyone what’s important to you and your culture?

Culture Shows What You’re All About

Your culture reflects your values. Those values must include things like reliability, professionalism, meeting (and exceeding) expectations, and treating clients and coworkers respectfully.

Your culture determines not just who comes to you as a teammate or customer. It determines who stays. Who’s happy. Who spreads good news about you in the community.

It’s a huge part of retention – of clients and of good employees.

You can’t grow without protecting it, even when it comes to making difficult choices about difficult people.

But when you see those bad actors in this light, it can give you that extra guidance that you’re making the right decision to show them the door and protect those who remain.

Let’s discuss these and other management challenges in your free consultation with a Fitness Revolution Success Coach. Schedule it today.

What kind of business leader do you want to be?

The kind who insists on doing everything yourself? Or the kind that empowers team members to handle certain tasks based on their ability and rank?

Delegation is the key to establishing a true business, rather than just having a job that requires you to do everything. It’s the process of empowering employees, properly managing them, and refocusing your time on the bigger picture.

The 4-Step Process

But how do you delegate with confidence? We have a four-part process. Here’s a summary of a longer article I wrote last year for our partner PT on the Net.

1. Identify the activities to delegate. These will be either single tasks or ongoing items.

2. Establish who’s responsible and their authority. The tree analogy is helpful in matching employee to task. It has four categories of its own.

•     First, leaf decisions are day-to-day actions an employee can handle without reporting everything to his or her manager.
•     Second, branch decisions require reporting but no discussion.
•     Third, trunk decisions are significant and could harm the tree, so they need to be discussed before any action is taken.
•     Fourth, root decisions are mission critical and could kill the tree – so these should not be delegated. 

3. Delegation of activities. Make a list of the specific activities you’re delegating and how much authority the individual has for each. Explain everything, ask for the employee to repeat it all back to you, and encourage him or her to ask any questions. You want to be sure you’re both on the same page about expectations.

4. Coaching and accountability. The employee now has taken over the specific activities assigned to him or her, but will need ongoing support, accountability, and coaching to ensure the outcomes from these new tasks and responsibilities are met.

Delegation Is Crucial for Growth

Delegation is an essential management function. It gives the gym owner more room and efficiency to develop the team while also focusing on the vision for the company and the responsibilities that only the owner should be handling.

It can take a while to find your comfort zone with “handing things over.” But that’s a normal part of it, and you’ll get more confident with practice.

Let’s keep talking about this. Schedule your free consultation now with one of our Success Coaches to get a more thorough understanding of the process and to get some guidance on any issues you might be having.

Most people who decide to open a fitness business have some past experiences in common. For instance, they’ve probably been a personal trainer. Maybe they’ve held management positions with an employer and risen high in the ranks.

Thinking like a trainer and a manager is important. But to really succeed, you have to assume another role and think like an entrepreneur.

This mindset is crucial so you can make better decisions for the success of your business. It’s about how we see ourselves. It’s about the stories we tell others about who we are. And it’s centered around critical thinking and decision making.

Here’s an overview of what I mean.

Why It Matters

Entrepreneurs quickly learn that they’ve got to do more with less, that time is crucial, and that decisions add up to consequences good or bad. It’s the difference between owning a job and owning a business.

So think about the essential qualities of a successful gym owner. How do you go about making smart business decisions? What questions drive your critical thinking and problem solving?

Remember that, if your leadership doesn’t develop, then neither will your business.

Essential Qualities

A successful gym owner has:

•     Stakeholder awareness. Who they are and what their perspectives are. What’s your goal with them, and how do you want them to feel?
•     Strong communications skills
•     Information gathering and staying informed
•     Presence – How you’re seen and heard
•     Adaptability – Making changes in real time as needed
•     Critical Thinking. It starts with self-guided questioning. What’s happening right now? What possible changes are coming? What am I missing?

How an Entrepreneur Thinks

Leaders are always thinking about how to grow and develop these critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.

They follow a framework for making smart decisions that’s based on knowing their purpose, limitations and risk, and then developing a plan.

I hope this gets you thinking about how, with a slightly different mindset, you can start thinking like an entrepreneur to grow your business into something great.

We have an awesome team of Success Coaches here to talk about this and everything else to shorten your learning curve. It starts with a free consultation, so schedule your call today.

Everybody wants leads, but most independent gym owners are missing a golden source right in front of them: referrals that are highly valuable and mostly pre-qualified.

Too many fitness pros take a passive approach to gaining referrals from clients, employees, and other contacts. 

“If you know anybody who needs help with training, tell them to call me,” they say.

But it takes more than that. You need a system to keep referrals coming all the time. And don’t be afraid to ask for them. It’s not too much to ask. Just think how happy you are to tell a friend about a great service or product. 

This simple, five-step process will get you the referrals you need to grow your business.

The 5 Steps

1.     Consider Your Cost Per Acquisition. To learn what that is, take your marketing budget (let’s say it’s $500), divide it by the number of closed sales (let’s say 20), and you see what you spent to get each new client (in this case, $25). This gives you a starting place to see how much you can spend on incentives.
2.     Identify Your Incentives. You can provide gift cards, swag, a percentage off your services, or a donation to a philanthropic cause (theirs or yours). Maybe offer a tiered system, with better stuff coming with each new referral from the same person. The incentives should motivate people to refer you to others, so make sure they align with what they want.
3.     Outline Your Opportunities. These can be people (high-value clients, employees, clients with large social circles); actions (point of sale, when someone shares or likes your content on social media); client achievements; events and promotions like open houses or referral contests.
4.     Entice With Ease. How do you talk about this? Don’t leave it to chance, which leads to weak language and requests. Don’t let the burden of outreach fall on your client. You want to take control of the conversation to get and develop the lead. Make sure your messages are consistent and clear.
5.     Systemize For Success. Set up this process so it operates with ease. Commit to asking for a certain number of referrals within a certain time. Keep track of who you’ve asked for what, so you don’t wear them out. Monitor results and adjust based on performance.

We’ve created a cheat-sheet that goes into much greater detail about this five-step process. Click here to get it now, review it at your own pace, and let us know if you have any questions.

Remember that referrals are some of the most valuable and qualified leads you can get in your business.

Be intentional with your messaging. 

And train your team so everyone has the tools and skills to capitalize on opportunities.

We asked some of our Success Coaches two questions about moving into the online space. Every day, they talk to independent gym owners across the country and share their combined decades of experience in guiding them to success. Here’s a look at their answers.

Question 1: For fitness business owners thinking about offering a permanent, online Core Offer or Front End Offer, what variables should they consider in the creation and strategic design of their new service?

Success Coach Asa Ivers:

Am I making a reactionary decision by adding an online service, or does this fit into my business model?

Do I want to offer this service long term?

How much manpower will I need to invest in maintaining my online offer?

How can I set the pricing correctly to not detract from my in-person training?

Talk about it with one of our Success Coaches – Schedule your free call now!

Success Coach Madison Allen:

When moving into the online space for the first time, it can be easy to get lost in the operational and execution details of your offer, while overlooking the strategic decisions.

Is this designed around the outcome I’m best at getting for clients?

Does a sufficient market exist for this Core Offer to be successful?

Do I have a clearly defined ideal client for this program, and do I have a strong, local market positioning statement that will attract that ideal client?

Success Coach Mike Allen:

Start by examining the “why” behind this effort. A lot of independent gym owners didn’t have a choice but to branch into online offers with the uncertainty of COVID-19. But that’s different from permanently expanding offers online. Develop an understanding of how this fits in with the long-term, strategic direction of your business, if it does at all.

Success Coach Craig Myers:

Understand why a permanent online offer is the right move and get clear on the ideal client for it. Capacity is critical. Do you have the resources to maintain a permanent virtual service in addition to an in-person service? Get a solid idea of what you’re capable of delivering at a high level. And remember, an online offer doesn’t have to be live coaching/training.

Question 2: What are the first three action steps a fitness business owner should take in launching/promoting a new online offer?

Asa:

Determine what you’re offering and how you plan to communicate with clients in the program.

Figure out how much time and manpower will be demanded. This will give you a baseline for pricing. Also, take into consideration your in-person offer so that you don’t price your online as a competitor to it.

You may want to do a “soft launch” and start with a small test group as you work out any kinks. Once you have a systemized program, then get rolling with larger-scale marketing.

Madison:

The first step is to get centered on what you’re offering and what problem it solves for clients.

Next, determine how you’re going to deliver the service operationally. Who will handle the delivery? What resources are needed to deliver the service? How will you measure the success of the service?

The third step is to get the word out using internal, online and offline channels.

Mike:

Step 1: Outline the offer. Identify the ideal client. Craft your product positioning/differentiators.

Step 2: Figure out your resource allocation (team, capacity, marketing needs, etc.) and what you need to accomplish this. Consider operational elements — how are you going to deliver a world-class experience with your online training?

Step 3: Start marketing it.

Craig:

Get clear on your offer — what the service is and the pricing. Consider three broad categories: selling a product; selling a limited service; full-service training.

Prepare operationally. Get the tools and resources you need to deliver a great experience. This may also include beta testing with current clients or prospects.

Use the Triple A method to create your marketing plan and go.

 Our Success Coaches are here to help you with this and everything else you need to make your gym a success. Set up a free consultation now.

If you’re working toward a goal, then you need to measure your progress. That’s true whether you’re a gym owner trying to grow your business or, say, a fitness client trying to lose weight.

And in both cases, it’s helpful to use KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to see how you’re doing and make necessary adjustments.

Two KPIs are Leading and Lagging Indicators. What are they, and why are they important to your business?

Leading Indicators

• You can think of leading indicators as inputs. These are the activities and actions you take to reach a desired outcome.
• Your leading indicators influence and foretell your lagging indicators.
• Leading indicators tend to be harder to measure but easy to influence.

Lagging Indicators

• You can think of lagging indicators as outputs. These are the results or outcomes from your leading indicators.
• A change made to your leading indicators will change your lagging indicators. 
• Lagging indicators tend to be easy to measure but harder to influence, since they’ve already happened by the time you can measure them.

As an example, let’s consider that prototypical client who wants your help to lose weight – a certain number of pounds in a certain timeframe.

No problem. You know how to do the math. Let’s say he’ll need to train with you three times a week for three months while eating 1,800 calories per day. Those are your leading indicators – if he does these things, they will lead him to his goal.

You’ll be able to measure the lagging indicator, or how much weight he has lost, after it’s happened.

Make sense?

A Sales Example

So, how can you apply this principle to your business? Here’s a simple example.

Let’s say you currently follow up with clients three times once you have their information. You close about five clients a month, and you need to get to 10 closes a month.

You can start by doubling your follow-ups (leading indicator) to influence the likelihood of moving closer to your desired outcome (lagging indicator). 

Or, consider the four pillars: leads, front-end offers, core offers, and clients lost. Your leads could be a leading indicator for your new COs, for example. You can increase leads by some factor to move you closer to a new COs goal.

KPIs are just one of the important ways to measure your progress. Let’s talk about systems and procedures your gym needs to get you where you want to go. Our Success Coaches are expert at this, so schedule a free one-on-one call now.

How many times has this happened to you?

You head to a team meeting stoked about getting updates, leading a productive discussion, and adjourning with everyone clear on expectations. But you get there to find some people don’t know what the meeting is about, stragglers keep coming in late, someone forgot to prepare his report, etc.

If you’ve been in business for more than  a week – as an independent gym owner, an employee, or even as a solo-preneur – then you’ve been hit by this kind of disorganization.

The problem extends beyond what goes on in your meetings and leads to a “putting out fires” operation instead of a high-performing team. You and your staff all need your own Weekly Operating Routine.

Routines are part of the systems and procedures every successful business establishes – and maintains. They keep everyone on the same page, with clear direction. And that applies whether you’re running a good-sized operation, a small team, or you’re on your own. 

Fitness Revolution Success Coaches are experts at helping you set up a Weekly Operating Routine that covers all your bases and keeps you on track. We have a fully charted plan, and management tools to keep your priorities and metrics clear.

2 of the Basic Components

Everyone should start with a Weekly Kickoff meeting. This is where you set your focus to manage the week ahead so it doesn’t manage you.

Review your priorities and metrics 15 minutes before the appointment so you’re bringing to the table everything that’s expected of you. 

If you work alone, schedule this like a meeting and make sure you honor the time to check in with yourself, commitments and goals.

Then, at the Weekly Wrap-Up Meeting, be sure to close out each week by counting wins and casting a vision for the next week. Incorporate new information, update your calendar, and set priorities for the next week.

How to Run Great Meetings

A Weekly Operating Routine includes several meetings and check-ins. Having a Weekly Operating Routine makes it so much easier on you, as the business leader, to make sure they’re all professional, productive, and no longer than necessary.

Here are some tips to run a great meeting and make sure you get buy-in where you need it.

1. Set the expectations for attendance, preparation, and participation beforehand. Give them time to make adjustments. Then hold your team accountable. Remind them of the 3 Ps of each meeting: Purpose, Preparation, Presence.
2. Hold meetings at the same day/time every week. 
3. Start on time, finish on time. Every time. 
4. Make this the most important appointment on anyone’s work schedule. If you learn to treat it that way, it will be that way. 
5. If your meeting is live, have printed copies of all the relevant documents. If you meet online, make sure your agenda has a place where you can link to them.
6. Keep your agendas consistent. Most sections should be crisp and efficient with little discussion. Make it clear that one section is the place for discussion.  Identify the facilitator who will manage the meeting and keep everyone focused, and the agenda manager, who will take minutes and share post-meeting information with everyone.

We’re happy to share more about the Weekly Operating Routine and our systematic approach to making your gym a success. So, let’s talk. Schedule a free one-on-one chat with one of our Success Coaches today. 

We all spend time and effort on social media, websites and blogs to promote our businesses. But there’s another, traditional way to get free exposure to the masses in your area, and it’s often overlooked or dismissed.

That’s free media coverage on TV and radio and in newspapers. Yep, the old dinosaurs still have plenty of value for you – particularly now with so much huge, serious news happening everywhere.

And, you might not realize it, but newsrooms everywhere are understaffed and overworked. They want local, positive stories related to bigger events going on all around us – and businesses helping people stay healthy during a pandemic? Huge. They don’t have time to think about what would be a good idea. They need you to make it easy for them.

In other words: What you do is newsworthy, especially this year. Getting featured or quoted in local media can be highly effective in gaining brand exposure, presenting yourself as a community expert, and building connections.

What makes something newsworthy

The first step in getting the attention of reporters and editors is to come up with a story that fits their needs. They didn’t go to work each morning thinking about how they can promote you or fitness in general. They are probably not aware of what’s trending in fitness – or what you are doing to provide a safe, effective workout to help your community.

They want legitimate news, so make it easy for them to see newsworthy elements, such as:

• Timeliness – Something just happened, is happening, or is about to happen
• Novelty – a new, fresh angle
• Human interest and emotion
• First-best-longest-strongest
• Impact – dollars raised, pounds lost, lives improved

For TV, add in visuals and think about how it looks. People exercising? Responsibly? Happily? GOLD. Examples today include:

• How gyms are helping charities, healthcare workers, and other local businesses through these tough times
• Outdoor exercise classes or group training
• Helping “older” people with online training (This one has it all!)
• If you’re allowed to welcome people into your location, what are you doing to ensure a clean, safe environment?
• Gyms lending or giving equipment to members at home
• Fitness professionals lobbying state and local leaders about Covid-19 restrictions, focusing on how you help people.

Next, you need to contact your local media, whether it’s a big-city newspaper, a free weekly, a radio host, or a TV reporter. Follow these tips.

• Take the time to find the right reporter or editor to email with your pitch. Don’t just call and ask to talk to someone or send an email blindly. Some reporters “cover” local businesses; health and fitness; or “positive” community news. Look for them.
• Point out what makes the story relevant right now or at a specific date in the future (an upcoming annual 10K, a local historic anniversary, etc.) 
• Do not suck up and do not insult. No comments about “lamestream media,” “fake news” or, “I know you don’t like to report when good things happen…”
• Be sure your email has your contact information – email, cell phone, land line, social media.

Even before you start pitching your story

Build relationships with local media people even if you don’t have something specific you want covered. Let them know who you are and what you’re all about, and suggest they keep you on file for when they need to interview a local trainer, businessperson, fitness expert, and so on.

• Follow their social media accounts. “Like” or comment on their posts. But don’t be a stalker or too flattering.
• Always be courteous, transparent and honest. Don’t oversell. Don’t engage in controversy about anything. It will only come back to haunt you.
• Stress how you want to help people, and make clear the key messages you promote about health and fitness.

What you do matters. Sometimes, it’s also newsworthy. So, make the most of this potential to reach a huge audience with your message for free.

Schedule a free consultation with one of our Success Coaches to discuss possibilities in your market and other ways we can help you grow your business now and in the future.

We asked some of our Success Coaches two questions about how to set and adjust goals for the rest of 2020. Every day, they talk to independent gym owners across the country and share their combined decades of experience in guiding them to success. At this point in the year, it’s good to look back at how Covid-19 affected you — and how you can move beyond its enormous impact to finish strong.

Question 1: What adjustments should gym owners be making to their year-end goals?

Success Coach Asa Ivers:

First, really dive into your financial numbers to see how you’re trending against your projections, what’s realistic, and what needs to be revised. Second, for many gyms, this is an opportune time to tweak their business model, class sizes, times, etc. 

Talk about it with one of our Success Coaches – Schedule your free call now!

Success Coach Mike Allen:

We’re still in a time of uncertainty, so accept that things are somewhat unpredictable. That being said, you tend to hit what you aim at, so aim at what’s most important. Set goals knowing that you may need to make adjustments along the way. Balance the immediate needs of “putting out fires” with the long-term strategy of the business. 

Success Coach Craig Myers:

Reflect on your long-term vision as the first step. Don’t get caught up in the uncertainty of “how” you get there —  focus more on the “why.” Reconnect with the reasons you do what you do. It’s either going to affirm you’re still on the right course, despite a few more zig-zags than you would have imagined, or uncover important differences that may affect short-term decisions.

Success Coach Pamela MacElree:

Set metric goals to move you back to where you were when the pandemic started. It’s hard for most of us to accept that we might not end the year with the initial goals we set. Being a little forgiving of ourselves is important, since for the most part we had no control over it. Getting back on track and working toward growth is a reasonable way to address the rest of the year.  

Success Coach Madison Allen:

Don’t get caught up in outcomes or the metric goals that are behind pace or no longer feasible. The best type of goals for the rest of this year are process goals, the ones that are made up of action plan or strategy adherence that’s completely within your control. These are distinct from outcome or performance goals because the focus is on behaviors that influence the outcome.

Question 2: What reflection questions will smart business owners be asking themselves? 

Asa:

Do I have sufficient cash reserves to sustain a shutdown? Can my business model adapt to another one? In hindsight, is there anything I would have done differently? What opportunities do I have from this?

Mike:

What can I learn from other gyms in slightly different circumstances (lost more clients, reopened earlier, had to re-close etc.)? How’s the competitive landscape today? What resources or assets do I need? Am I focusing on what’s really most important? What direction can I get from my coach here? 

Craig:

What have we always done really well? What has always been a struggle, and why? What tools or systems are we missing? Where do we stand financially and what’s the trend? Am I leveraging my coach, my team, my network effectively?

Pamela:

How can I continue to grow my business outside of what I’m used to? How can I start to solve problems for my clients before they come to me with them? What have I learned in the last few months that showed my strengths and weaknesses – and how can I leverage the strengths while working on the weaknesses to grow as a leader?

Madison:

What can I learn from the past six months? What has changed in the landscape that will affect resetting my goals? Which process goal would have the biggest positive impact on the business if I made it my top priority?

Our Success Coaches are here to help you with this and everything else you need to make your gym a success. Set up a free consultation now.

Success Coach Asa Ivers joined Fitness Revolution in 2017 and has helped countless independent gym owners reach their goals. Asa graduated magna cum laude from Touro University in California with a business degree and a minor in marketing. She started in fitness as a trainer 15 years ago, then created and ran a successful gym. Asa loves applying her business knowledge and fitness passion to help gym owners succeed. We recently talked about coaching gym owners through this challenging time. 

Talk with one of our Success Coaches – Schedule your free call now

Q: What’s the No. 1 challenge that gym owners are facing right now?

A: We’ve been able to coach everybody over to virtual offers and keep their revenue streams. But limiting beliefs are the biggest challenge. I’ve had a lot of clients who felt, when this all started, that they couldn’t do a virtual option, for instance – and we help immediately with that. We know the best methods to implement and how to roll your clients. But then there’s the limiting belief that, “I’m not providing the same level of service, so I shouldn’t charge the same amount.” But in reality, most clients understand their hands are tied, so it’s the gym owner’s own self-limiting beliefs that can cause them to shoot themselves in the foot when it comes to maintaining that consistent revenue stream.

Q: How do you coach them out of that?

A: Basically by asking them  a series of questions to help them realize that it’s their own self-doubt that they are basing this on, and not what their clients are actually thinking. When they come to that realization on their own, then we move forward, full-speed ahead with maintaining the same revenue stream, the same cost for their services, and rolling their clients over into a virtual option. I also have them consider the flip side: If you discount your services now, then what happens when Covid is over? Well, then you’d have to raise prices on them – and they’d have an issue. More often than not, the gym owners are very happy that they did not discount their service.

Q: What’s the top opportunity available now?

A: A lot of times, the logistical pieces are so difficult for people to draw out. How do I go virtual? How do I provide this particular service? Do I provide the same programming? All the questions that come along with it can be overwhelming to businesses that don’t have the support system like we provide at Fitness Revolution. We’re able to help right away. We stay aware of what’s happening among the different states, and I coach individual businesses – there’s no plug-and-play, “one size fits all” template.

Q: What’s your advice about freezes, suspensions, and cancellations?

A: You need a policy in place outlining what constitutes a freeze, what the parameters are … Is there a financial situation, a job loss due to Covid? A freeze policy isn’t open ended. It outlines the circumstances in writing. Speaking of policies, you need to have a plan in case an employee or member tests positive or was potentially exposed. I help gym owners draft an email that says everything they’re doing, following or exceeding state mandates, etc. You want to have it ready if that situation unfolds – and be ready to roll clients back into virtual if that’s needed. 

Q: This is a smart time to stop all my marketing, right?

A: No, absolutely not. Do not stop your marketing. A lot of people have been thinking, “I’ll just pause marketing because I’m going to focus on servicing the clients that I have.” No, don’t stop. There’s a lot of businesses that are stopping to save some money. Maintain your virtual options and market to it. Make sure you clients, prospects and community stay informed about what you’re doing.

Asa is just one of our awesome Success Coaches here to help get you where you want to go. Set up a free call now with one of them to learn what we can do for you right from the jump.

No one wants to think about having to close your gym again. And we don’t want to be alarmists here.

But the sad truth is, it might come to that point. We’ve already seen at least two states – California and Arizona – order gyms closed again after a surge of coronavirus cases. With numbers also rising elsewhere, and with the wild ride we’ve all been on already, we believe it’s best to be prepared – or, at least, not caught by surprise.

So, let’s talk about how to get ready in case it happens in your state, too. 

Talk about it with one of our Success Coaches – Schedule your free call now

First: Don’t Think We’re in the Clear Yet

Having the right mindset might be the most important thing right now. That means acknowledging that you might have to close your gym again – and then developing a plan to have on hand just in case.

Hopefully, you won’t need it. And you can always change it. But the gravest mistake would be to forget about it and think it’s all in the past.

What To Consider Now

The good news is, we’ve been through this before, so we know more about what to expect. That doesn’t mean you can just automatically repeat what you did before and assume everything will be OK. 

Here are some things to be thinking about.

• Keep Marketing. No matter what. Your clients and prospects need to know if you’re still open, what your hours are, how to register for online training, etc. It’s up to you to keep telling them – and there’s nothing unethical or troubling about promoting your services. Remember that people need you now more than ever.

• Keep Your Virtual Options. You might have maintained online training throughout the crisis, even if you were already allowed to reopen. (And we know many of you have NOT been allowed to reopen yet.) If you discontinued your virtual offerings, then get them fired back up immediately. Don’t wait for the bad news to come. You want to be ready to continue operations smoothly, without having to start anything over again during crunch time.

• Remember Your Sales Calls. Whether you’re fully open, online only, or offering hybrid solutions, you still have to make your sales calls to bring people into the business as members. It’s a fantasy to think we can rely on our online sales copy to close the deal. 

• What You Know Already. You know from before how to maneuver in a challenging situation. So, apply that hard-won wisdom now before your hand is forced. You know what your income and expenses look like ideally and what they need to be under duress. You know how to manage your time and your team. You know how to consult with your landlord, tax adviser, and accountant.

• Some New Advantages. The market is thinner now, since some gyms have had to close. You should be using that to your advantage anyway – and recognize the bigger opportunity for you now to bring gym-less folks into your fold. Outdoor training might be an option for some of your members now, so consider the possibilities. What other circumstances are different now that you can shape into opportunities?

• Rely on the Basics. Keep the health and safety of your team and clients at the top of your priorities – and make sure everyone knows it. A clean gym will continue to be a powerful selling point. Focus on delivering the best experience possible; survival will come through customer service. Manage your expenses.

Again, we don’t want to alarm you here. But make no mistake: You need to stay aware of what’s happening in your state and industry so you can always be prepared. This is an ongoing challenge – and we are here to help with countless resources to get you through it. Set up a free call now with one of our Success Coaches to get your mindset right and your plan down on paper.

As a fitness professional, you’re familiar with how to develop training plans for clients. First you conduct an assessment. Then you ask about their current situation and goals. And finally you develop a map to guide them to success.

But are you doing the same for your business?

Just like those clients, you need a path to help you get where you want to go. At Fitness Revolution, we help you learn where you are with your business now, where you want to take it, and what an individualized journey to success will look like for you.

Schedule a free consultation with one of our Success Coaches now

Making a plan is liberating, not constricting. Think about it: You know how easy it is to get lost in your thoughts about The Big Enchilada, but breaking it down helps you see how to take the step-by-step (bite-by-bite?) approach. This makes it manageable while also shortening the learning curve. And remember — you can always make changes later.

Stage 1: Sell, Sell, Sell.

Your main goal here is to get clients. But you might be limited by self-beliefs like “selling is bad” or “I’m not cut out for this.” Success here comes when you have happy clients making referrals, and your consistent sales efforts are delivering consistent, although slow, growth.

Stage 2: Marketing Machine.

Now is the time to hone your marketing processes so you’re generating leads. You’re typically wondering if you’re charging enough money, and if you’re really cut out for this. You know you’re ready for Step 3 when your aligned marketing messages bring you controlled leads and you’re hitting your sales goals.

Stage 3: Systems Wise.

You’re wondering about making the best use of your time, and you want a break. You’re feeling lonely because you’re spending so much time on work, and you still feel like there are never enough hours in a day. But as you become more of a manager with documented systems in place, you develop enough business understanding that you can even take some time off!

Stage 4: Manager Leader.

This is when you really develop as a manager and a leader – growing from being a service provider to an orchestrator. You might find it hard to give up the day-to-day tasks or to have confidence in the time you spend managing. Success comes when you have an accountable team, more freedom, and time to spend on personal development.

Stage 5: Entrepreneur.

Believe it or not, the biggest challenge here is often boredom. You might feel like you’re not “breaking” new things in the business, and that your employees don’t even need you anymore. But now you have the time and money to develop your team and business further, or maybe even focus on new opportunities and an exit strategy.

We have helped countless independent gym owners by remembering that each one is unique while going through a process we know front to back. It’s probably like the way you’re proud to develop training programs for each client based on individual needs, abilities and goals. You love helping people, and so do we.

It starts with a conversation, so let’s talk. Set up a time for your free consultation with one of our Success Coaches. We’ll do an assessment, learn about your goals, and start helping you through the stages of your fitness journey.

The fitness marketplace is crowded with competitors – and today, of course, it’s also packed with uncertainty and profound changes. So, differentiating your gym is crucial and a fundamental part of your marketing strategy.

Meaningful differentiation showcases your gym’s unique strengths and it shows your value in a way that separates you from competitors. It makes it possible to win business by competing on your own terms without competing on price.

 Schedule a free consultation with one of our Success Coaches now

You give up your market share when you don’t have differentiators, don’t use them, don’t test or revisit them – or simply have weak differentiators, like “We deliver results” (because everyone can say that). Those are among the most common mistakes to avoid. Without strategic differentiators, you’re not telling prospects why they should choose you to solve their problem. You’re just hoping they figure it out on their own.

5 Factors in the Solution

1. Discover. Try to establish three proposed differentiators. Start by asking five ideal clients why they chose you initially. Then consider what problem that solves for your prospects. What are your competitors saying? Will this play a role in the prospects’ buying decision?

2. Dissect. Score your potential differentiators on a scale of 1 (weakest) to 5 (strongest) based on three factors: the benefit to the prospect; the rarity in your marketplace; how hard would it be for someone else to say and prove the same thing? 

3. Develop. Rank your potential differentiators from strongest to weakest. Add up the total across all three categories for all three differentiators, and list them highest to lowest. The one with the score closest to 15 is probably your strongest. Then write a first draft answering: what is the differentiator (its title); why it matters to prospects; how you accomplish this (its description).

4. Document. Polish your differentiators so they’re ready to go. Write a headline – three to five words describing each. Then write a description – a short, credible statement that describes the why and how you listed at the end of Step 3. 

Here’s a well-known example from Planet Fitness.

Headline: Judgment Free Zone

Description: We seek to provide a comfortable, safe and energetic environment where everyone feels safe and accepted.

5. Differentiate. Use, test and refine your differentiators – always, for as long as you’re in business. Don’t ever assume you’re “done” with this. Start by considering where you will use the differentiator? On your website, social media, etc. Then keep testing and refining so your differentiators remain effective no matter what happens (like, oh, maybe a global pandemic). 

How does all this change in the “new normal” and how much do you keep of what you had before? What still applies? What new opportunities are presenting themselves?

For example, the idea of safety is at the top of everyone’s minds. You can go a step further by developing it into a differentiator. What safety procedures have you developed? Have you branded your cleaning process? Are you using CDC and WHO guidelines to your advantage?

There’s more to talk about – like how to make your online offerings stand out, and why you should never rely on price as a differentiator.

So, schedule a time to talk, for free, with one of our Success Coaches. We can discuss specifics to build your differentiators and we’ll help you leverage them across your marketing efforts and positioning.

Independent gym owners often struggle with setting prices. The process is more complex than usual these days, with the common addition of online training and hybrid services in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.

Fitness Revolution leaders discussed this in a recent webinar. This is a recap of some of the key points covered in the webinar, which you can view on the page of resources we have gathered for you.

Remember that pricing should be set with objective intentionality and based on solid principles. This is the same whether we’re talking about in-person, virtual or hybrid offers.

Here are five steps to follow.

Always Be Making Money.

You need to be making money on every class or session. Find your break-even point by evaluating monthly expenses and spreading them out between your total offerings; figuring out how much it costs to run one class or session; and documenting that baseline by the month, week, and class or session.

For example, it if costs you $2,000 a month to run your business, and you run 40 sessions a month, your average cost is $50 per session.

Set A Price.

Start by figuring out pricing for your Core Offer (CO) and Front End Offer (FEO) or secondary offers. Remember, your core offer is the economic driver of your business. The FEO will typically be priced at around 75 percent of our core offer at a prorated rate.

Example: Your CO is 30 days of training at $200. Your FEO is 14 days of training, or $100. At 75 percent, that’s $75.

Frame Your Price.

To do this, you must know your audience and price appropriately. Luxury pricing won’t work if your audience is focused on bargains, and vice versa. 

Learn the details about how to set prices to remove customer barriers. Did you ever wonder why prices are often set at $4.99 instead of $5? There are proven reasons for this. Use 99 cents for cheaper services ($19.99) and 95 cents for higher-priced items ($79.95). See the webinar for more useful insight on tactical pricing.

Identify Adjustments.

Think about when to raise your prices – at the start of a new year, perhaps, or when your operating costs have increased. Consider how to implement the increases. Will they be across the board, just for one program, or bundled together?

Again, be deliberate. Discount only with a strategic intention that aligns with your business direction. Is the value different on a virtual offering than the physical version? Or is this something new just for online? These kinds of questions speak to the change in supply or demand, and to the change in value of what you’re offering.

Avoid Pricing Mistakes.

Sometimes the easiest pricing strategy is to avoid common mistakes. So don’t price off your competition alone, don’t price yourself in the middle, and don’t default to discounting. Don’t try to please everyone, and similarly, don’t let your own beliefs or ambitions dictate your pricing. Remember: You’ve got to be objective about this.

Be sure to watch or review the webinar for more details. And please, schedule a time to talk with us in a free consultation with one of our Success Coaches now. 

If you’re like most independent gyms, you’ve seen your revenue decrease during the coronavirus crisis.

That’s why we devoted our webinar last week to the topic of recovering from revenue losses. You can find all our recent webinars among the free resources we’ve gathered for you. (There’s a ton of great information, so be sure to see take a look.)

Without minimizing what’s happened, we are here to tell you that there is hope – and we can help you get started on your process of recovery. Here is an outline of the plan.

First, you need to determine your cash runway. This is a crucial metric to understand your gym’s financial health, and it will inform your plan to recover revenue.

Follow these three steps.

1. Gather Your Financial Information: gross revenue; fixed expenses; variable expenses; operating margin; cash on hand; capacity percentage.
2. Project Your Runway. This means how many months a business can last before burning through all its cash on hand. With current, accurate numbers, this is the easiest formula to project your runway: Cash on Hand divided by Net Monthly Loss = Cash Runway in Months. Here’s an example. Say you have $20,000 on hand; gross revenue at 60 percent capacity of $36,000; fixed expenses of $40,000; variable expenses of $6,000; operating margin of negative $10,000… You have 2 months of runway.
3. Build Your Plan. This will depend on how many months of cash runway you have. For example, if you have a month or less of cash runway, then – among various tactics – you can reactivate campaigns to win back prior contacts, former clients, previous prospects, etc. With up to 3 months of runway, you can focus on moving customers from lower-tier programs to higher-tier programs; upsell a secondary service or product; charge more for services and bundle them together; and more. Gyms with longer cash runways have different options, as well, like selling non-recurring products and services (courses, retail items and more).

There are many tactics and approaches, all depending on your situation. We go into them in greater detail in the webinar. And we are here to talk about it anytime. Let us help you figure out where you are right now and how we can get you started on recovering from those revenue losses. Schedule a time for a free consultation with one of our Success Coaches now.

If you borrowed money under the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), you should know about new changes that give you more flexibility in using the money and paying it back.

President Trump just signed into a law a measure that brings much-needed relief for borrowers. The bill was recently approved in the House and Senate.

Here are some highlights.

• Extension of covered period. PPP borrowers can choose to extend the eight-week period to 24 weeks. The flexibility is designed to make it easier for more borrowers to reach full, or almost full, forgiveness.
• You can spend more of your proceeds on non-payroll costs — but be careful. The payroll expenditure requirement drops to 60% from 75%. Borrowers must spend at least 60% on payroll, or none of the loan will be forgiven. Currently, a borrower is required to reduce the amount eligible for forgiveness if less than 75% of eligible funds are used for payroll costs, but forgiveness isn’t eliminated if the 75% threshold isn’t met. 
• You’ll have longer to replace FTEs/restore salaries: Borrowers can use the 24-week period to restore their workforce levels and wages to the pre-pandemic levels required for full forgiveness. This must be done by Dec. 31, a change from the previous deadline of June 30.
• Businesses that remain partially or fully closed through the end of the year will get new relief: The legislation includes two new exceptions allowing borrowers to achieve full PPP loan forgiveness even if they don’t fully restore their workforce. Previous guidance allowed borrowers to exclude from those calculations employees who turned down good faith offers to be rehired at the same hours and wages as before the pandemic. The new bill allows borrowers to adjust because they could not find qualified employees or were unable to restore business operations of Feb. 15, 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
• Any unforgivable amount has more favorable terms: Borrowers now have five years to repay the loan instead of two. The interest rate remains at 1%.
• You can defer certain payroll taxes even if you received a PPP loan: The revisions  allow businesses that took a PPP loan to also delay payment of payroll taxes, which was prohibited under the CARES Act.

Have questions on making the most of your financial planning? Go here to reserve time to speak with one of our coaches for free! 

If you started offering virtual training during the coronavirus quarantine, you might be among the many gyms planning to continue offering it even after the crisis is over.

So, you might find yourself operating two marketing tracks: one for virtual and another for in-person training.

It might seem like a lot to think about, but we’re here to walk you through it. This was the subject of a recent webinar, and you can watch the video here for a longer discussion. 

Download our free list of resources to protect your business during the COVID-19 crisis.

First: Let’s Review Some Basics

1. Keep doing what has worked in the past. The best starting place is the marketing plan you had before COVID-19. You can make changes to it, but don’t throw it out and start over.
2. Maintain realistic expectations, track your results, and (even now) balance short-term needs with long-term goals.
3. Messaging must be clear, concise and conclude with a Call to Action – what do you want them to do now? Click for more information, download a resource, etc.
4. Focus on them – your clients and prospects – rather than yourself. 
5. Pick three things to do, and get good at doing them consistently. That’s one each for these three channels: internal, offline and online. Choose activities based on your strengths, resources and their ability to generate revenue.
6. Track and measure your marketing efforts – leads, FEOs, sales opportunities, and execution of your marketing activities. Sound familiar? It should – because we’re talking about sticking to your plan for the most part. 

Marketing Your Virtual and In-Person Offers

Good marketing is based on foundational principles that should get you 90 percent of the way there. These principles apply virtually, in person, during COVID-19… All the time.

There’s a lot more “keeps” than “tweaks.” But let’s take a look at the 10 percent difference you can make with some minor adjustments.

Marketing Messaging

Tweaks: Speak to what makes your offer virtual and not just a product they can buy and use on their own. Highlight the new value, and leverage social proof for virtual offers. You want them to understand this is working and they can get good results with it.

Keeps: Stick to the basics of marketing message. (We go over the six key components in the recorded webinar.) Health and safety should always be a priority – and should be front-facing right now.

Marketing Activity

Tweaks: Shift a higher percentage of marketing to the online choice. Introduce virtual FEOs. Evaluate how much time and money you want to invest.

Keeps: Use all three channels (internal, offline, online). Create quarterly promotions and “insurance” marketing activities.

Tracking & Measuring Your Marketing

Tweaks: Adjust testing periods since you might not have the luxury to wait several months to see how something’s performing.

Keeps: Use of minimum metrics, designated testing periods.

Be sure to take advantage of the free COVID-19 resources we’ve gathered for you. And schedule a time for a free one-on-one consult with a Fitness Revolution coach. We can help you with virtual and in-person marketing, plus everything it takes to make your gym successful.

Some people see an obstacle and focus on how it’s blocking them.

But successful entrepreneurs see challenges as opportunities.

In these days of the pandemic, we all face plenty of these situations. Your success depends largely on overcoming obstacles and seizing opportunities inherent in today’s world.

Here’s a look at three common situations and how some of our top-performing gyms are spinning them to gold.

Download our free list of resources to protect your business during the COVID-19 crisis.

Topic No. 1: Safety. This is the primary concern for everyone – your employees, clients, prospects and community. You want to build trust by providing a clean and safe facility; present positive optics about what you’re doing; and protect the culture you’ve created.

What Top Performers Are Doing: They’re communicating with all their stakeholders so much they might feel like they’re over-communicating. (Impossible.) They’re looking ahead, regardless of whether they’re allowed to reopen yet, with contingency plans and ordering cleaning supplies in advance.

Topic No. 2: Losing Revenue. Most independent gyms have suffered some level of revenue drop. Most businesses of any kind probably have. It’s part of the current state of the world, but you can take steps to improve.

What Top Performers Are Doing: They’re expanding their short-term and long-term offerings to create new revenue streams with virtual training and nutrition coaching. They’re reducing costs wherever it makes sense. And they’re watching for opportunities to take clients to the next level of service – from, say, group training to individual training. 

Topic No. 3: Retaining Clients. Keep delivering your best service and experience. People want more community and engagement now. You can cultivate client connections and peer relationships to increase that sense of belonging that clients crave. And you can get to know them better, which will inform every aspect of your business.

What Top Performers Are Doing: They’re increasing their touchpoints with clients by making personal phone calls, sending texts, and even writing notes by hand. They’re providing opportunities for clients to interact, like virtual happy hours and game nights. And they’re asking clients about their needs to find new ways to meet them.

If much of this sounds familiar, that’s good! It means you are relying on the strong foundation you’ve developed – and you’re making adjustments as needed rather than ditching your whole business model and starting from scratch. Have confidence in what you’ve done, and show it by keeping a steady hand while remaining open to adjustments.

We’ve been updating the free resources to help you through the COVID-19 crisis. It’s such a fluid situation, and different from state to state, so stay aware of what’s happening in your area. And schedule a time for a free one-on-one consult with a Fitness Revolution coach. We can help you ensure you’re a top performer now and when all this is over.

Our weekly webinars have produced great conversations about how to solve problems for gym owners. One recently addressed how to maximize revenue in your business, including virtual training in the era of the coronavirus.

You and all business owners already know the importance of what we call The Big 3: marketing, sales, and retention. Keep up the focus on those three basics, always. 

But here, we want to share eight additional tactics that we shared during our webinar – action items you can put into effect right now to improve your revenue.

Download our free list of resources to protect your business during the COVID-19 crisis.

1. Price Increases: Where should you raise rates, and for whom? Can you increase rates across the board, or just for new clients or programs? Yes, you might lose a few people who were looking for a reason to bail anyway. But you can minimize losses with proper communications.
2. Up-Selling: After a customer buys your main offer, what service or product can you sell to increase the purchase amount? For semi-private training, for instance, sell them a MyZone belt or similar item. For virtual one-on-one clients, show them the value of buying resistance bands from you.
3. Cross-Selling: You know how your TV, phone, and Internet services might be bundled together by one provider? You can do the same by offering similar packages to sell things like nutrition coaching and supplements.
4. Ascension: Move clients up from your low-tier program to a higher level of service that costs more. Transition them from once-a-week virtual training to three-times-a-week personal training.
5. Frequency: Increase the frequency of purchases, and reduce the time between purchases.
6. Reactivation: Win back prior contacts, including: cancelled or frozen clients; prospects that never sold; people who took your FEOs (front-end offers) but didn’t convert to COs (core offers).
7. Expansion: Introducing (and selling) new programs, like virtual nutrition coaching, stress management, or life coaching.
8. One-Time Sales: These are products  and services that you might sell only once to each client, like meal-prep or cooking courses; yoga mats and water bottles; and video libraries.

Be sure to check out the free resources we’ve gathered to help you during this time, and schedule a time for a free one-on-one conversation with a Fitness Revolution coach. We’re here to shorten the learning curve and drive you to the next stage of your success journey.

This time of year brings annual rituals like spring cleaning, pruning limbs and pulling out weeds. They’re necessary chores to get ready for a new season of growth. And this year, we can apply the same idea to our gyms amid the coronavirus crisis.

So, take the time now to review your systems, procedures, programming and personnel. What can you do to make subtle improvements or to try freshening up here and there?

We’re not suggesting a deep overhaul of your business strategy. Stick with your core offering and pricing structure.

Download our free list of resources to protect your business during the COVID-19 crisis.

But, with your staff members’ help, you can probably find plenty of smaller but helpful improvements to make. Here are a few thoughts to get you going.

• We know some gym owners who were able to renegotiate their leases – and even get some more space that they’re now turning into a useful addition.
• Others are applying fresh paint, replacing worn-out carpets and banged-up lockers, and shining glass and fixtures. That all adds up to a spiffy-looking gym, which is important in looking clean and safe, as well.
• Review your team. Who might be able to take on new responsibility? Is there someone you’ve been meaning to release? Now is a good opportunity to make these kinds of changes.
• Class size and offerings: Do you want to focus on training in small groups only? You might not have a lot of choice, depending on reopening guidelines in each state. But coordinate with your online and hybrid offerings, and consider what will be easiest to manage should you have to temporarily close again due to COVID-19.
• Can you find better deals on supplies or services? You might want to stay with your current providers but still be able to renegotiate better terms for yourself.
• Review your programming and equipment. Will each component still be relevant after reopening? Sometimes a good idea from a few years ago no longer holds up, even without a global pandemic. 

Remember we’re talking about nuance here. No major overhauls. Remember why you made the smart decisions you did, and be sure any revisions are important. You have enough on your plate without creating unnecessary work.

Also, download our free resources to provide information and context, and let us know how we can help. We’re always happy to talk.

With states starting to loosen Covid-19 restrictions on businesses, how developed is your plan to reopen your gym?

A major component of that plan must be communications – and as you’re developing the rollout, remember who you need to speak with before going public:

Your team.

Download our free list of resources to protect your business during the COVID-19 crisis.

That’s right. Before you announce your plans to your members or community, you need to meet with your employees first. 

Don’t assume they’ll do what they’re told, or that they’re as thrilled as you might be to reopen. They might have fears or other issues you need to address before going public.

You should also talk to your business coach or mentor. If you don’t have one, click on our resources document here to talk with one of ours. A Fitness Revolution coach can help you prepare for these conversations – why they’re important, and how to keep them productive. 

Why You Need Their Input

Savvy business leaders already know to communicate clearly and regularly with their employees, pandemic or not. You see it from the well-managed Fortune 500 companies as well as the best-run small businesses. 

Your employees have valuable insights and thoughts to share. Granted, they might also have thoughts that aren’t so valuable or insightful – just like everyone else. And that’s OK.

• You can’t manage a smooth reopening without their buy-in and support.
• You’ll learn valuable insight about your staff, business and customers.
• You’ll build rapport and respect by showing that you listen as well as dictate.
• Your team will appear united with clients, prospects and the community, which will increase your success with clients and prospects.

Two Main Reasons They Might Balk

If some team members say have misgivings about coming back, ask them why and listen.

First, is it possible some of them just don’t want to work? Maybe they’re enjoying the “time off,” happily drawing unemployment, and don’t have their head in the business. You might have some individual personnel issues. And this is the best way to spot them, rather than having to react later.

Second, others truly might be uncomfortable about coming back, mingling with other people, touching items that others have touched, etc. Address their concerns if possible. It could make your gym a better environment for clients, as well. 

Tell your team what you’re doing to protect their health and safety. Develop consistent messaging and deliver it in all channels. Remember it’s on to communicate with each of them, and to be sure they understand what you’re doing and what steps you will take in the future.

You Might Have to Let Go of Some

If unemployment benefits are part of the conversation, remind everyone that you offer more than a paycheck, maybe even healthcare benefits at some gyms. 

You might have to make decisions about individuals. Can someone manage administrative work or virtual workouts from home? Can you divvy up in-house time so no one feels singled out?

You might need to let some people go. Again, better to know now so you can be proactive about it.

For those who have received PPP or have applied, remember that you need to maintain the number of your full-time equivalent positions – not the same people in them.

This is a difficult time for everyone. Ultimately, you’re the one to decide what’s right for your business. We’re here to help, with free resources to provide information and context – along with the invaluable relationships gym owners develop with our coaches. We’re always happy to talk.

Everyone’s wondering when they can reopen their gyms. While we can’t give a certain date, we can tell you that right now is the time to plan for it.

It’s a confusing period, and the situation will keep changing in the weeks and months ahead. Reopening gyms is in Phase 1 of the federal reopening guidelines announced recently by President Trump. It will be up to individual governors when to allow states to reopen. And it will be up to each business owner after that.

Check out our free guide to reopening your gym after COVID-19.

This post will help you create your own reopening plan, along with an ongoing operating plan, as we keep adjusting. It’s time to ask questions, do research, make best-guess decisions – and remember that not everything will go according to plan. That’s OK — you’re creating a guide, not a pillar.

Here are questions to consider:

• What do I need to be thinking about right now? 
• What do I need to be doing right now?
• How will reopening affect my service delivery, revenue and expenses?
• Will my pre-pandemic business model be sustainable in the new market?

We recommend following these planning steps:

• Review your current business plan/strategy
• Determine what adjustments you need to make to operate right now
• Talk to your Fitness Revolution Success Coach™ (if you don’t have one, talk to one of our FR Success Coaches here)
• Firm up your plan and act swiftly and decisively (while assessing and adjusting weekly)

Here are some topics to guide your thinking.

• Services: What adjustments should you make? Consider class size, physical space, and social distancing. Will you continue online training? Do you have outdoor options?
• Plans: Do you have them in case someone tests positive or you’re ordered to close again?
• Money: What’s your plan for clients coming back from freezes? Will you need separate pricing and marketing for in-person vs. virtual training? Update your budget to account for additional cleaning. Create processes for tracking PPP or other government funds.
• Communications: Include staff, clients, prospects, vendors, neighbors, etc. Use every channel. Repeat consistent messaging. Tell them about service changes, new rules, safety procedures, and anything they’ll need to feel confident about returning.
• Safety: How do you keep your gym clean and everyone safe? Intensify your cleaning procedures to include door handles, light switches, water fountains, etc. Update supply lists. Consider outside help. Post signs so staff and members know what you’re doing.

By planning now and continually reviewing, you’ll serve your clients better today and on the other side of this. You’ll be better prepared to bring on new clients, as well, and to keep your staff united – and everyone safe.

Check out the free guide we’ve put together to prepare your business.

When the coronavirus lockdowns hit a few weeks ago, many fitness pros quickly moved online. It was impressive to see gym owners, studio owners and trainers adapt to keep their clients engaged and exercising.

But, let’s face it. We were all hoping “this thing” would be over within a few weeks and we could return to normal life.

Now that we know otherwise, it’s time to take another look at your online experience. You might need to make some adjustments to improve what you’re doing and ensure your folks are having the best possible experience.

Download our free list of resources to protect your business during the COVID-19 crisis.

Like it or not, this is your reality now, at least for the time being. And it’s your responsibility to give the best online training experience you can. It will keep your clients coming back. It will encourage them to refer their friends to you. It will position you strongly for future growth when “this thing” really is finally over.

Here are a few tips to help you level-up your online game.

1. We recommend Zoom. We’ve been using Zoom for years at Fitness Revolution and have found it to be simple and reliable. People can easily use it right off the bat. And it has a depth of features that make it appealing. It lets you see all your clients, and it lets them see you – and each other, providing that key social component they’re craving right now. Spend a little extra on the Pro account so you have more freedom.
2. Test, test, test. By doing a few dry runs, you and your team will be able to iron out the kinks for the smoothest experience when you do go live. If you’re already up and running – keep looking for ways to improve the “little things” as well as the bigger ones.
3. Play three roles. You and/or your team members need to play three roles during online workouts – demonstrating movements, acting as coach/cheerleader, and offering cues via the chat function. You don’t all have to be together, of course – and you can even perform all three roles by yourself, if necessary. 
4. Open/Close. Prepare a PowerPoint slide to start and end each session. It should have tips and reminders about upcoming events.
5. Share the workout in advance. It builds anticipation, and it also lets your people know how much space and what equipment they might need, if any.
6. Make sure you’re visible. Stand at least 7 feet away from the camera, and make sure your head and feet can be seen.
7. Schedule social time. Plan for a few minutes before and after the workout to let people socialize via Zoom. This is an opportunity for them, and also and a great way for you to continue the community you built up in your brick-and-mortar space.

By providing top-level customer service now, you’re going to retain clients and attract new business. And you might even be building a permanent service option that will endure even after “this thing” really is finally over.

Be sure to check out the free resources we’ve collected here to protect your business and keep you posted.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, some business owners are unsure about how much focus they should devote to making sales. Fitness professionals have asked us repeatedly if they need to be selling at this time – or just generating leads to use later.

It’s a fair question with a simple answer: You have to keep doing both, now and always.

Download our free list of resources to protect your business during the COVID-19 crisis.

This is not profiteering. It is not unethical. It is not inappropriate. 

It’s your commitment to your business, your employees, your customers and your community. And like everything else nowadays, it just takes nimble thinking and determination to continually assess and re-evaluate.

Let’s break it down into four components.

Messaging. Strong communication is everything. You must position your offer well. Remember:

• This is the new normal. At least for the time being, you’re an online fitness business owner, so embrace it.
• Customers’ fitness needs remain, and they still want your expertise, time and support. Your messaging should lead with the value and benefits you bring, like accountability and community.
• Keep the focus on how you’re helping clients and on what your prospects need.

Marketing. You never stop getting new leads and building your prospects list. It’s an essential task of your business. Try ideas like these to gain email addresses:

• Create compelling content to drive traffic to your blog, podcasts and webinars.
• Give away valuable resources (like e-books and cheat sheets) as lead magnets.
• Run a sweepstakes or a contest.

Selling. Leads are important, but you’ve got to convert them to bring in any revenue. Here are some smart tactics:

• Direct-response advertising on social media or search engines will direct traffic to your offer.
• Referrals and “bring a friend to Zoom” promotions are opportunities for exposure, community-building and feedback.
• Exchange email blasts with a joint-venture partner. (This is good for building your list as well as selling.)

Adjustments. Keep your long-term offers and pricing strategies in place. Add value wherever you can. But in rare instances, consider how you might make modifications.

• Can you change the terms – say, from annual to monthly agreements, or make one-time sales to some prospects?
• Create a new front-end offer at a lower price point and see what adjustments you can make to transfer them to your core offer.
• Have something like this as a last resort, unpromoted: a low-cost, weekly option for clients in a financial jam. 

By always spinning both the marketing and the sales wheels, you’re doing the right thing for your business now during the crisis – and for the future, whatever it might look like.

Fitness Revolution is here to help you through these challenges. We’re sharing resources here to protect your business and to help you stay alert to the challenges and, yes, opportunities ahead. 

If you’re like millions of people, you turned on your computer or TV this morning and swiftly got caught in the swirl of anxiety-inducing news, opinion, advice, complaints, misinformation, and grief mixed in with random cat videos and inspirational quotes.

It’s enough to make you want to go back to bed, pull the covers over your head, and hope for a miracle.

Download our free list of resources to protect your business during the COVID-19 crisis.

So, stop for a minute. Breathe. Clear your mind. And focus on guideposts to help you stay on track. When your mind drifts away in scary “What If” scenarios, return your attention to the basics of what you can do about it.

Expenses vs. Investments

What are some investments that you must maintain, even during tough situations? Here are three that will keep you strong now – because this is no time to become a weaker business.

• Marketing. Communicating with your market is always critical. Every day — period. Keep reaching out to clients, nurturing prospects, and generating leads.

What are your differentiators? Some larger chains can’t provide the virtual options that you can. Some of your other competitors are refusing to market and will disappear over time. If they’re around when this all ends, what kind of relationships will they have with clients and prospects then?

• Consulting. You don’t want every negative comment on Twitter to send you into a tailspin. By the same token, you need coaches, mentors or consultants in your corner to help you see the big picture.

It’s so easy to get in our heads, lose perspective, or miss valuable insight that can come from someone removed from the daily grind of our business. A good coach or mentor is watching the industry overall and talking with others in your situation, so he or she can reveal connections and pathways to consider.

• Personnel: Your team is a vital resource. It’s invaluable to delegate to employees so you have time to focus on mission-critical activities.

Divvy up duties. Assign trainers to lead online sessions. Put some in charge of updating individual clients. Your employees are valuable assets to deploy strategically.

Costs You Can Manage Right Now

• Cancel non-investment costs: These produce no income and are not required to keep your business alive (premium versions of apps, software subscriptions, entertainment, etc.)
• Apply for government aid: Assistance is available to help small businesses. Look into your options, starting with the Small Business Administration. Once you’ve taken steps to increase revenue like this, you can try to trim basic expenses.
• Then, negotiate with people you pay: Talk with your vendors, suppliers, accountant and landlord to explore flexibility they might have. Try to meet in the middle somewhere.
• Hold off on upgrades: That big piece of new equipment you’ve been wanting to buy? Delay purchases like this for now.

Amid all this uncertainty is great opportunity. More will be emerging that you might be able to see today. Keep your eyes open. Remember the guideposts and the principles that put them there.

In times of crisis, people seek leadership – whether in medicine, government or business. And now more than ever, your gym’s clients and prospects are counting on you to help them stay fit, which includes reminding and updating them about your services and expertise.

We’re not talking about dispensing medical advice or running for office.

We’re talking about marketing in a way that is helpful to your community and smart for your business.

Download free resources to help during the COVID-19 outbreak. We’ll keep updating with more information.

That means adjusting your services and offerings, yes. It also means communicating. It means marketing.

And that’s not only morally OK, it’s absolutely the right thing to do.

First, let’s address a misconception we’re hearing from some fitness professionals. We’ve been asked recently if it’s somehow unethical to promote your business and seek payment during the coronavirus crisis – as if the idea implies taking advantage.

It does not. You must continue marketing, which is a necessary business function – a “must have” rather than a “nice to have.” Don’t retreat into a limiting belief about your value out of a vaguely uncomfortable feeling. There is no ethical conflict in responsibly reminding people you can help them and providing a service in exchange for a reasonable fee.

Let’s clarify what’s OK by sharing an appalling example of what’s not: Price gouging of hand sanitizer or medical equipment during a public-health crisis. Would you even consider hoarding Purell and selling it at astronomically inflated prices to desperate neighbors? Of course not. Now, THAT is unethical.

Contrast that to staying in front of your clients and prospects, providing modified workouts or training online, sharing useful information and positive coaching, and – yes – doing so for money. Remember that your customers are counting on you to help solve a problem, and your employees are counting on you to stay in business.

Here are some actions you can be taking:

• Keep your messages clear and helpful.
• Pro-actively help your people transition with information and attentive customer service.
• Reduce what you’re spending on ads to maintenance level.
• Focus more on content marketing, which is much cheaper. That means posting on Facebook, sending more emails, and updating your website.
• Explore high-demand joint ventures, like meal delivery.
  
• Review our free, downloadable FAQs for help on pricing, delivering services, marketing and more.

Keep your eye on the future, too. What new opportunities will come out of this? What potential obstacles could you face? Where will your competitors be in a few months? The ones who disappear now will have the hardest time re-emerging.

Change is inevitable. But focus on elements of success that remain solid, like keeping your eyes open; caring for customers and team members; and sharing what you have to offer.

We’re all having to be flexible, creative and service-focused during the coronavirus crisis. The good news is, you’re not alone in figuring out how to proceed to protect your team, your clients and your business.

If you can’t deliver your services in person, then you need to be able to do so virtually. You can offer recorded training online, or set up live streaming sessions for individuals or groups.

But first, remember this: Don’t overthink it. Your clients know you’re in an unprecedented situation, and they won’t expect everything to be perfectly buttoned-up right away. You can always adjust, and you should. But right now, what they need from you is communications, support and – the reason they came to you in the first place – training!

We’ve gathered free resources to help during the COVID-19 outbreak. We’ll continually update it with more information.

When trying to decide what to include, keep in mind:

• Your core offer 
• The price point 
• Base access and touchpoints off their current service level. For example: you may need to meet with a Personal Training Client weekly via Zoom vs. monthly for a Group Training Client.
• Consider how you distribute the workload and among your staff.

We have identified three situations you might be in regarding all this, and we’ve developed guidance on steps for each of them. 

No. 1, The Basics: My gym just closed and I have nothing virtual set up yet.

Do This Now: First, email or call clients and let them know what to expect from you – even if you don’t have every detail figured out. Second, create a private, free community on Facebook or Instagram and share a similar message, encourage client interaction, and share daily workouts, motivations, and recipes.

No. 2, Improving Your Virtual Delivery (Group Training): I’ve done the above, and want to add value to my virtual Group Training.

Do This Now: Lead live workouts daily via Zoom or Facebook, share instructions so members can join, and let them know what space and equipment they’ll need. Also: personally check in with clients, while also sending a weekly email with a Google form that lets them share progress. 

No. 3, Improving Your Virtual Delivery (Semi-Private and Personal Training): I have the basics covered. How do I improve my non-group training?

Do This Now: Consider designing monthly programs delivered individually through emails, training platforms, or Google sheets). Find out what equipment they have, include links to demo videos, and check in weekly so they can share their progress and questions. You might develop nutrition coaching, as well.

The global pandemic is disrupting everything for everyone – but remember, we will get through it. And it’s up to everyone to support each other and keep their businesses and services available as much as possible. 

Consult this list of free resources we’ve put together for you – on protecting your business, communications, and more. Stay strong!

As the coronavirus causes disruptions large and small around the world, no business is exempt from its effects – including yours. 

Gyms might experience a drop in attendance. Clients might have questions about sanitation and safety. You and your team could feel confused and disoriented in this unfamiliar territory.

It’s all totally understandable.

But you’re not alone. 

While the world struggles to figure out how to proceed, we have put together some recommendations and resources that can help you through this challenging time.

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESOURCES ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

Business Recommendations

• See if you can adjust programming to reduce the use of equipment that can harbor the virus. And try to accommodate safer exercise environments by reducing class sizes, increasing space for members, and taking classes outdoors.
• Create a new offer or consider restructuring a current offer. For example, can you share an online training library or provide home training? Lead group sessions via Zoom?
• If you allow freezes or cancellations for medical conditions, you’ll need to clarify what that means.
• If you have a 24-hour cancellation policy for classes and sessions consider being flexible or even waiving it temporarily.
• Don’t stop marketing. It’s not a discretionary expense, but a long-term investment essential to the health of your business.
• Be clear in your messaging. Overcommunicate. Often. Many times. Over and over.

Managing Optics

You need to consider how your business will be viewed by your members, team, and community. Be genuine and authentic in your approach. This is a chance to display leadership during difficult situations and to live your core values.

Make sure:

• Members know their health and safety is your No. 1 priority. List steps you’ve always taken, along with any additional steps, to foster a clean and safe environment. Reinforce that a healthy lifestyle is a major guard against infection. They need to rest, sleep, hydrate – and exercise even if they’re not coming into the gym.
• Your team knows how to handle member questions. Keep them informed but not panicked. Urge them to stay home if they’re not feeling well.
• You have an external message that shows your awareness of the situation; any developments in your business, such as confirmed cases; and what you’re doing to prioritize health and safety in your community. Keep all your communication lines open, and be a good neighbor.

Resources

Finally, staying informed is your best weapon. These are credible sources for ongoing information.

• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
• World Health Organization 
• IDEA Health & Fitness Association
• U.S. Department of State

Remember to download our detailed recommendations and resources in PDF form.

It looks like coronavirus will be around for a while, but it will end someday. In the meantime, be careful, be kind, and be patient. We’ll get through it.

When you were creating your business, who did you envision as the ideal client?

Were you building a gym primarily for, say, young men who want to be competitive bodybuilders?

For women in their 20s and 30s who want to stay in shape before, during, and after their pregnancies?

Or were you aiming to attract, say, people over 60 who are interested primarily in functional fitness?

It’s not enough to just think about your ideal client and move on. You also need to create a fully developed Ideal Client Profile – and then use it constantly to attract new leads, convert them to clients, and shape your entire marketing programs. These are ongoing efforts throughout the life of your gym – whether you are just opening your doors or you’re ready to expand with new locations.

Where is your gym on the success path? Take our short, easy and free survey to find out where you are, so we can help you get to the next stage.

At Fitness Revolution, we’ll help you build Ideal Client Profiles for each of your core offerings. That’s one part of this, and crucial. But just as important is the next step, which too many gym owners ignore: We’ll show you how to use the profiles to serve your overall growth strategy. Here are some of the key points about Ideal Client Profiles.

• They determine your marketing activities by defining your main audience.
• You use them when creating your marketing calendar. If your ideal client has kids in school, for example, then you probably don’t want to run a promotion during spring break.
• They help you decide what to include in your newsletters, ads and social media posts. Who’s reading this? What do they want to know about?
• They help you decide where to focus your marketing time and money. Where does your target audience look for information?
• You should refer to your profiles when changing your website.
• And you’ll review them when deciding to attend networking or community events.

If you don’t know who you’re trying to reach – or if you don’t regularly remind yourself about your defined, intended audience — then you’re just talking into the wind.

Ideal Client Profiles help you identify your target audience, get their attention, and communicate why your solution is best for them.

Throughout the life of your business, you might have more than one core offering. And you might want to pursue multiple types of “ideal clients” for different services. These same systems will help you stay focused on each of them.

And just like you must know your audience to focus on them, you also must know your current stage of success so you can get to the next one. We’re here to guide you on that success journey by first evaluating where you are right now. Answer 10 short questions here and we’ll be off and running.

Overcoming sales objections is key to growing your business. But before you can overcome them, you need to understand them. 

Most skepticism falls into one of two categories. Either there’s a lack of understanding between you and the prospects, or they don’t see how your service will solve their problem.

If we understand what’s underlying their objections, we can respond with points that will make the sale – or, at least, gain insight into adjusting our sales process, if necessary. And that is huge: We get better sales conversations in real time, and we learn how to deal with similar objections in the future.

Fitness Revolution teaches a highly effective sales process. That’s the first element of overcoming objections. We also provide response strategies to bust through these roadblocks.

Here are a few examples of decoding the objections.

• Price. “It’s too expensive” or “I can’t afford it” are the most common pushbacks. What they really mean: They’re not sure your service is worth the price or that they’ll get a return on their investment.
• Thinking. “I need to think about it.” What they really mean: This could be true, a genuine part of their buying process. But it could also be a smokescreen to get out of the conversation because they don’t see the value.
• Decision-maker. “I have to talk to my significant other.” What they really mean: Again, this could be true on its face. Or… it could be another way to dodge the real reason they’re reluctant to join your gym.
• Time. “I just don’t have time to commit to a program.” Ah, we hear this all the time, right? What they really mean: They don’t truly understand your service – or they like the way they’re living now more than they value what you can do for them.

Here we have identified the four most common types of objections and translated them into bottom-line truths that can help you in the next steps of the conversation. Strategic responses will a) address the true nature of the doubts and b) keep the conversation moving toward a sale.

Your sales process has stages, obviously. And, so does your gym’s business development, whether you’re a newbie or a road-tested vet.

We help you get from one stage to the next (and the next…). First, we need to learn where you are right now on that fitness journey. So, take our quick and painless 10-question survey to give us some basic information about your current situation. We’ll evaluate where you are today – and what you need to do tomorrow and beyond.

Objections to that?

Overruled.

Growing your business can come with common growing pains. But if you know where you’re headed, challenges can be a good thing, providing lessons on how to improve and clarity about direction. 

Let’s think about hiring, for instance — staffing up with the right people in the right roles at the right time.

What does your gym need at this stage? Give us 2 minutes and we’ll show you how to keep moving toward success. 

Whether your gym is just starting or is far along on its success journey, you need a recruitment process to identify the best trainers, assistants, marketers and more – new team members who will help get you to the next stage of development.

You’ll find yourself wondering when’s the right time to expand with a new position? Which role deserves the most attention at this point? How do I not get burned (again)?

It’s all part of building a real business and not trying to do everything yourself.

You need a good recruitment process, and Fitness Revolution helps gym owners build a system that will contribute to your growth at every stage. Here are a handful of concepts to consider.

1 – Stages. The recruitment process should have stages of its own, from creating a job description to sharing it, then screening candidates, interviewing top prospects, and onboarding a team member. You can’t just wing it every time; employees are simply too important to your growth.

2 – Salary. Whichever role you’re filling, you need to know the pay range you can afford right now. You don’t want to pursue, say, a senior trainer when you can pay only for a newcomer. Conversely, you don’t want to miss out on top talent by lowballing them.

3 – Clarity. Create a job description that states the responsibilities of the job. Clarity is good for candidates, you, and your other team members. Also include how a new hire’s performance will be evaluated, and how the role fits into the gym’s overall mission and culture.

4 – Mining. Just like you have channels in place to generate customer leads, you’ll need to identify the places to look for talent. The good news is, you probably already have many of them: your friends, associates, social media, community involvement, and professional organizations. But how do you engage them to help with hiring?

5 – Questions. You need to know more about a candidate than basic qualifications. For instance, how do you determine if he or she brings the right intangible qualities? Be prepared with a script or at least a conversation guide for phone screening and face-to-face interviews. Consider, too, background checks and references at the proper point.

Fitness Revolution has helped countless gyms grow from conception through each stage of development, all the way to successful achievement of goals.

We do it by first learning where your gym is today on its own road to success. And we do that by asking you 10 short, simple questions that yield key insights about what’s coming – including the next potential pain and how to turn it into just growth. Start right here.

Last month, in this article, we talked about the different channels you should have in your marketing investment portfolio. This month, we’ll discuss how much you should be investing in that portfolio.

The majority of independent gyms are underinvesting in marketing.

And because of this, they are getting left behind as boutique franchises buy up market share with their corporate branding campaigns AND large local marketing budgets.

According to CMO Survey by Duke University, Deloitte Consulting, & the American Marketing Association, the average service business spends 12% of revenue on marketing.

Based on my experience in my own gyms and working with hundreds of other gyms at Lead Engine Marketing, investing 6-8% in marketing will replace your monthly churn and keep your head above water, while 10-12% is necessary for growth.

However, not every gym has the financial bandwidth to invest 12% of revenue in marketing, but every gym owner has control over how they invest their organization’s time.

Based on this concept, we will reframe how we think about the term ‘investment’ and look at it as both money investment and time investment.

Total Marketing Investment = Money Investment + Time Investment

So how do you invest 12% into marketing when you don’t have the resources to afford that?

Here’s an example…

1 – Let’s say you want to grow pretty aggressively, so you decide to invest 12% in marketing.

Total Marketing Investment = 12%

2 – Your business can afford to invest 5% of revenue in marketing.

Money Investment = 5%

3 – This leaves a 7% balance that you must account for in time.

(Total Marketing Investment = 12%) – (Money Investment = 5%) = (Time Investment = 7%)

4 – Let’s say your staff consists of you + 1 full-time employee + 1 half-time employee, your total available working hours per week is 100 hours.

Total Available Working Hours = (You = 40 hours) + (FT Employee = 40 hours) + (HT Employee = 20 hours) = 100 hours per week

5 – So according to our formula, 7% of time should be invested in marketing, so 7 hours per week should be scheduled for marketing activities.

Marketing Time Investment = 7% x 100 hours per week = 7 hours per week

These hours can be assigned based on your organizational chart, but they should be built into your organization’s weekly calendar on a recurring basis.

(And remember, marketing activities are activities to develop new leads, not selling existing prospects)

 Growth requires investment. Investing money might buy you some speed, but even if you can’t afford to ‘go fast’, you can still ‘go forward’ by investing your time accordingly. And now you have the 12% Marketing Investment Formula to help you make the proper allocations.

If you feel like you’re underinvesting in marketing (while your competition is buying up your market share) and you’re ready to work with a team of Facebook ad experts to manage your digital marketing investment portfolio…

Companies that develop a strong culture succeed more than those that muddle around without a clear presence or identity.  

And a key component of a company’s culture is its values: What are the its beliefs? How does it guide its people’s behavior and standards?

Values shape every decision a business makes. For example, internally, values define standards for hiring, firing, and rewarding employees – and externally, they guide your relationships with clients, vendors, and your community.

So, every business needs to develop, identify, and promote its values. This grows more urgent as you develop your company through the stages of its success journey. Surely by the time you’re scaling your business, creating a public identity, and staffing up, you need to know what you’re all about. And you need to make it clear to everyone every day.

What’s your gym’s current stage of business development? It just takes 2 minutes to answer 10 questions to find out.

How, then, do you figure out your company’s values? It’s a slow, thoughtful process – not something to bang out in a single meeting. And here are a few ideas to keep in mind. 

1. Brainstorm with your leadership team and your employees about the qualities your company should exemplify. (Remember, there’s no right or wrong answer or good/bad suggestion when brainstorming.)
2. Group the ideas to clarify their meaning and avoid redundancies.
3. Start eliminating them, aiming for 3 to 7 ideas that you want to build into action-oriented values.
4. During the process, use some extreme ideas to find out what your gym is all about. For instance, do you want your culture to be direct and no-nonsense, even if it seems rude? Or do you want it to be nice and conflict-averse, even if it means no one’s ever really clear about touchy subjects? Are you so “innovative” that you rush to seize every new technological tool – or so afraid of new things that you miss out on useful advances?
5. Be sure everyone feels included – from top down AND from down up. You won’t get employee buy-in if it’s all an executive order, while the team will need your leadership in words and actions.
6. When you have your list of proposed values, put it in a drawer and forget about it for a month. You might want to make some adjustments after some time has passed.
7. Finally, make your values known to everyone all the time. Display them in your company handbook, on your website, and at the sign-in desk. Promoting your values distinguishes your company like a stake in the ground: This Is Us (and This Is NOT Us).

Fitness Revolution’s client-partners receive thorough coaching on how to develop and share your core values. We’ll also help you keep an open mind for an occasional tweak that honors where you’ve been while clarifying where you’re headed.

Values make up your culture, and the right components of both will get you to the next stage of business development – and beyond. Let us evaluate where you are today on your success path – and how to get you all the way to the goal. It takes just 2 minutes to answer 10 questions and get started on the ride of your life.

To keep clients coming back year after year, you need to do more than help them reach their fitness goals.

You need to engage them on a continuing basis — while they’re in your gym and even while they’re away.

“Engagement” is more than just a buzzword. It’s the connection between your client and your business through various channels – in person, through social media, through email marketing and advertising, in your community, etc. It’s how you create strong emotional bonds so they feel like a part of your business.

But it’s about much more than feelings. Evidence is clear that clients who are highly engaged spend more money with you. They stay longer. And they bring you more referrals.

Whether your business is just starting out or is already established, you need consistent, dedication to keep your customers engaged.

You have big dreams about where you’re headed. But do you know where your business is right now? Find out in just 2 minutes with our simple, free survey.

Here are 7 tips to use every day.

1. Apply the Human Touch. Yes, social media and automation are important. But so is making in-person connections with your clients and getting to know them face to face.
2. Create the Right Client Experience. From onboarding through the initial 30 days and beyond… remember that a successful marriage doesn’t end at “I do.”
3. Improve Customer Service. Take complaints seriously. Treat an unhappy client like an opportunity – to turn around a bad situation or just to learn from it. Make sure even your front-desk person knows how to respond to a little friction.
4. Love Your Fans. Find your most enthusiastic supporters and encourage them to keep spreading the word about how happy they are with your gym. Don’t take them for granted.
5. Keep It Real on Social Media. Make sure you’re accurately presenting your gym and your brand. Do it to express your values and share information, not to impress or promote a false image.
6. Promote Client Successes. Telling stories about a customer’s victory is a classic win-win. The clients meet their goals, and you have a powerful piece to promote your services.
7. Share Valuable Content. Most of the time, that means it’s not a direct offer or a pitch for your gym. Engaging content is interesting, educational, emotional, or even just amusing.

Engagement is a basic part of retention, which is crucial to building your business from one stage to the next. What stage are you at now? What else is important to reaching your ultimate goal?

We’re here to help you navigate your success journey. Start here with 10 easy questions that will take less than 2 minutes to answer. We know you’ll find the results engaging, to say the least.

It’s so easy for gym owners to focus on getting sales that they sometimes forget to spend enough time on keeping the clients they already have.

But to ignore retention is to invite failure. You need a system to ensure that you’re not leaving any client behind from month to month. Engage them continually so they stay longer, make more referrals, and spend more money.

Retention is one of the biggest indicators of how your business is doing, at any stage of its development. It’s important for a new business to bake retention strategies into its operations – and retention remains just as crucial for an established gym trying to grow or expand. 

Where’s your business in its journey to success? Click here to take our short survey to get your free evaluation. 

Plus, we all work hard to acquire clients. It’s easier and cheaper to keep them than to replace them. And with a steady month-to-month client base, you have more stability in your revenue, you can plan with confidence, and you can build a better culture for employees and customers alike.

We created our No Client Left Behind system to give you the tools to engage them from the start and throughout their time with you. The system is easy to follow and based on just a few concepts.

Here’s the key idea: A client’s most critical phase with your gym is in the first 30 days. It’s easy to see why. He or she is coming into a new environment, learning new concepts, and applying them in ways that might be awkward. Change is hard for anyone.

So, you have to make it easy on them, particularly in the first month. That involves:

• An onboarding to welcome clients and establish expectations. You can’t let them feel like they’re wandering around in the dark.
• Weekly reports based on attendance that you use to follow up with people who don’t show. It demonstrates that you care and reveals potential problems early.
• Surveys also show you’re interested in the newcomer’s reactions and opinions, and they give great ideas for improving your customer experience. 

If you provide a good, clear first 30 days, you’re on the road to long-term engagement. That’s when they love working out with you because they feel great about themselves. That’s when they bring in friends and family. That’s when your gym becomes a part of their lives.

But to start, of course, you evaluate a new client so you can provide the best, most personalized experience. And with the same goal for new gyms we work with, Fitness Revolution gives our newcomers a 10-question survey that takes just 1-2 minutes to complete so we can guide their gym to success. Take it here to get started.

Next week we’ll share seven tactics to keep your clients highly engaged so they’re less likely to leave and more likely to keep bringing you more revenue.

Everybody wants to make a sale as quickly as possible, right? Wouldn’t it be great if we went from getting a lead to closing the deal – just like that?

Well, that’s a nice fantasy. But reality calls for a system to nurture leads through your sales funnel. You’ve got to actively guide them through it, from the first time someone expresses interest in your service to when you sell your core offer.

“Systematic nurturing” is critical but not so complicated. You need to build it with five key components.

1. Data collection. Keep track of all leads’ names, contact information, date you got the information, and their stage in the funnel.
2. Communication intervals. Establish a consistent rhythm for reaching out to leads and moving them to the next stage. For example, you could try, “Day 1 — Call; Day 2 — Text; Day 3 – Email.”
3. Boundaries. What do you do if the lead responds to your outreach? What do you do if he or she doesn’t? You need to set up standards for each possibility along the way. And decide how many times you’ll try to connect before deciding it’s a dead end.
4. Tracking. Make a note of all your efforts and results – say, each time you called or sent an email, and how the lead responded.
5. Followed By All (FBA). Everyone on your team must take the same steps. Systematic nurturing depends on consistent execution. You want all your follow-up to look and feel the same.

To nurture your business toward your goals, you need to know where you are today. Answer 10 questions and we’ll tell you now. For free.

Now, here are three components that systematic nurturing does NOT need. These are common beliefs we have about ourselves that can hinder us in the sales process. Apply a little psychology and self-love so you’re not blocking your own progress with these limiting beliefs.

1. A non-response means “no.” Actually, a non-response is just that and nothing more – and definitely not a rejection. Research shows it takes an average of eight follow-ups to get a meeting with a new prospect. People are too busy with their own lives to pay that much attention. They’re counting on us to make it clear we have the right solution to their problem.
2. Follow-up makes me feel icky and annoying. Nobody likes to be obnoxious. But the key is where you apply your focus. Are you mostly concerned with what you can get out of this guy? Or are you sincerely trying to help him solve a problem? When you make that shift in thinking, you’ll see yourself as offering value, not being a bother.
3. “I shouldn’t have to follow up. If they want me, they will call me.” It’s a variation on “If you build it, they will come” — but remember, “Field of Dreams” was a fantasy, too. In business, we have to work to engage our customers, even after we think we’ve already done our part. Consumers want businesses to take the initiative rather than passively wait. Make it easy for them by following up systematically, or you’ll lose them along the way.

Don’t limit yourself with these kinds of beliefs. Systematic nurturing gives you a guide to follow that’s more reliable than insecurity and second-guessing.

The truth is simple: Having a follow-up system for nurturing your leads is an essential part of a successful, high-functioning sales process.

Gym owners – where are you now in your path to success? Give us 2 minutes to answer 10 questions and we’ll tell you. Then, we’ll start guiding you to get where you want to be.

The opportunity in Facebook ads has been both a gift and a curse for gym owners. 

Never before has the attention of your ideal clients been so quickly accessible. However, because of this ease of accessibility, many gyms have become overly dependent on a single lead channel. So if Facebook changes a rule or impressions become more expensive (as it typically does over the holidays), these gyms are left scrambling for leads.

To avoid becoming one of these single channel gyms, you should look at your marketing like an investment portfolio. You can reduce your risk to changes in the market by diversifying your channels and consistently investing in them.

Here are the 3 categories of lead channels you should be invested in to diversify your marketing portfolio:

Low Volatility, Low Volume

In investment terms, low volatility, low volume lead channels are the savings account of your marketing portfolio. Referrals are the best example of this type of lead channel.

These leads are low volatility because you will likely close 75%+ from these channels and low volume because your leads will be limited by the number of clients you have and the number of people they are willing to refer to you.

If you are in a stage in your business where you want to maintain your current number of clients, investing in low volatility, low volume leads is a sound strategy. 

Medium Volatility, Medium Volume

Medium volatility, medium volume lead channels are the bonds of your marketing portfolio. Inbound traffic sources, such as search traffic to your website/online content or walk-in traffic if you are in a busy shopping center, are examples of this type of lead channel.

These leads are medium volatility because you will likely close around 40-50% from these channels and medium volume because your leads will be limited by the number of people in your area actively looking for you.

If you are in a stage in your business where you want single digit % annual growth of number of clients, investing in medium volatility, medium volume leads is a sound strategy.

High Volatility, High Volume

High volatility, high volume lead channels are the stocks of your marketing portfolio. Direct response digital ads, such as Facebook ads, are examples of this type of lead channel. 

These leads are high volatility because you will likely close around 10-20% from these channels and high volume because, although you are limited by your market size, you can control how often your ads are placed in front of your audience.

If you are in a stage in your business where you want double digit % annual growth of number of clients, investing more in high volatility, high volume leads gives you the opportunity to grow fastest.

What’s the Ideal Long-Term Marketing Portfolio?

The ideal long-term marketing portfolio is consistently investing in all 3 types of lead channels and has the ability to increase or decrease your investment in certain channels depending on your quarterly/annual growth goals.

If you’re a gym owner who wants to grow your revenue from low 6-figures to mid 6 (even 7) figures by investing in Facebook ads AND you want a team of professionals working to maximize the return on your ad investment…

There are some really scary stats out there when it comes to sales follow up…

According to the National Sales Executives Association only 48% of sales people never follow up with a prospect. Yet, 80% of all sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact with a prospect.

Here are the stats for sales people’s activity in follow up:

• 48% of sales people never follow up
• 25% of sales people make a second contact and stop
• 12% of sales people only make three contacts and stop
• 10% of sales people make more than three contacts

Now, check out the stats on closing deals:

• 2% of sales are made on the first contact
• 3% of sales are made on the second contact
• 5% of sales are made on the third contact
• 10% of sales are made on the fourth contact
• 80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact

You can either look at that and think “why do I have to follow up so much” or look at it and see all the amazing opportunity because most sales people are lazy.

But, we get it…

Follow up is tough. It’s grueling work that can wear you down.  

So, we’re always looking for ways to shorten the follow up cycle and engage with a prospect sooner. That’s why we recently implemented a text message follow up for new prospects (like brand new) that has doubled our engagement results and conversions to a Discovery Call.

This is best used for a new lead or prospect within a day (hours if you are able) of them entering your pipeline.  

Here’s the script:

Hi [Prospect First Name],

Its [YOUR NAME] from [YOUR BUSINESS NAME].  You recently [action they took].

I wanted to see if/when we could set up a quick 5 min call to discuss [results they want]?

There are few reasons this works…

First, text follow up is best for those prospects who are familiar with you and your brand. The fact that a new prospect just took action on something (click an ad, complete a form, download a guide, etc) means that they are primed to solve a problem and know who you are.

Second, you identify yourself and your brand right out of the gate.

Third, you keep it short and sweet.

Finally, you add some value. The call to action of setting up a call to help them brings value to the relationship.

Implementing this text message into our first contact with a prospect helped us get them engaged in a conversation and moved them to a Discovery Call or quick qualifying call.

BONUS

If that single message doesn’t work you can follow up 2 days later with this…

Hey, just checking back in to see when we can chat.

That simple follow up helped us to move 4 prospects further down the sales pipeline in our first attempt at using it.

Feel free to personalize and adjust these texts to fit your business and your Ideal Client.  

If you want some help putting together a follow up system schedule a 60 min Discovery Call with us and we’ll breakdown your sales pipeline and get a solution in place.

This is part 3 of our “How To Overcome Objections” blog series. You can see Part 1: Price Objections and Part 2: Think About It Objections by clicking the links.

One of the most difficult objections to overcome is the decision maker objection. Outside of being incredibly pushy or borderline arrogant trying to get someone to make a significant purchase without speaking with a spouse or significant other is difficult.

The best way to avoid this objection is to defuse it earlier in your sales process. During your Discovery Call with the prospect make sure that you let them know that you expect them to make a decision at the end of your Success Session.  

If you do that and still get the decision maker objection that shows up as “I need to talk it over with…”  you can use these start questions. Remember, these are questions to get the conversation started not pushy ways to get someone to buy.

That’s fair. What do you think they will need to know to support your decision?

This question allows you to answer any unknown questions the prospect has and is masking as someone else’s. It also helps you prepare them to persuade the other individual to support them.

If the decision was 100% up to you would you join today?

It’s always easier to put the pressure of telling you no on someone else. This question will help you determine if the prospect wants to join but really needs to talk it over with someone or if they are just afraid to tell you no.

Listen closely to the answer and any indication they are uncomfortable giving you an answer. If you sense that it is the prospect’s way of not having to upset you or tell you no remind them that it’s okay to come to that decision.

Have you mentioned to [person] that we were meeting today?

Most of the time if a person mentions that they are meeting with a personal trainer to another decision maker in their life they would discuss the possibility of signing up. So, if the answer is no you can ask why they didn’t mention it. If the answer is yes you ask if they talked about the criteria that would need to be met for them to sign up and where you missed the mark.

Do this in a very nurturing way to gain understanding. Avoid being confrontational.

What would make [person] say no?

You want to smoke out anything that would be a deal breaker for the prospect and the decision maker. Find out what these deal breakers are and prepare your prospect to overcome them or get around them in the discussion with the other decision maker.

How can I help you prepare to talk with them?

This is a great way to advocate for your prospect. Show them that you are there to help them get through this and make a great decision. Provide them information, talking points and assistance in any way possible.  

Get Your FREE Closing Scripts…

If you have trouble closing sales or need a powerful script to help you overcome objections download our free scripts and audio now.  

Want more client referrals? Here’s a quick checklist to make sure your referral program is on point.

You can improve your personal training sales by honing in one simple skill that you are already doing every day.

Analysis of a $60,000 transformation challenge

There’s nothing more frustrating than having a client throw up an objection that you weren’t expecting and can’t overcome it. Instead of convincing them and pushing them to make a decision take this approach.

Let FR show you how and when to hold planning sessions that will propel your business forward and help you see faster results.

One of the fastest ways to grow your business is to look at what others have done to grow and find success in theirs. That doesn’t mean you copy exactly what they do, or that your business has to look exactly like their business…

Business doesn’t have to be complicated, in fact when it comes right down to it there are 3 things that will determine your success. These 3 things are the blueprint for fitness business owners to use if they want to see faster growth and take their business to the next level.

Do you know how much a lead is worth to your business? Here’s how to find out…

Growing, or scaling your fitness business isn’t easy. It takes more than a FB ad, a couple checklists and great training. If you would look at many fitness businesses that have found some success, usually in the $10,000/mo-$25,000/mo revenue range, there is one thing that really holds them back…systems.

We are going to provide a few tips to help you develop better fitness business systems.

Train your team how to handle difficult situations, think on their feet and help grow your fitness business with these role playing tips.

Learning more about pre- and postnatal coaching is one thing, but turning that knowledge into results for your clients (and growing your business) is another.

If you don’t learn how to build a team and get results through them you will always be stuck with a JOB not a business.

As you are faced with new challenges as a fitness business owner it’s critical that you develop the courage and confidence to make the decisions required to get your fitness business to the next level.

It’s easy to get stuck spending all your time working in your business and never find time to work on your fitness business. Here are some quick tips to help you accelerate your growth.

Frustrated with leads ‘ghosting’ you? Here are 5 ways to ease your frustration.

If you want to move up to the front of the pack and transform from a self employed fitness pro to a fitness business owner you need to follow these 3 rules.

You spend a lot of time and energy in your marketing. You need to know what is working and what’s not. We cover how to determine your marketing success in this blog.

The X’s and O’s of running a fitness business and being a fitness entrepreneur are relatively easy to discover and implement in your business. However, if you don’t master your mindset you’ll struggle to find success.

When your growth stops how do you get ‘unstuck’ in your fitness business? There are 4 key areas you need to focus on as the business to kickstart your growth again.

Many fitness business owners end up stuck. There’s a common cause of ‘getting stuck’ at all levels and a simple way to ‘get unstuck. I’ll explain in the video…

Getting more clients and adding revenue is challenging for any business, but fitness business marketing can particularly difficult due to low budgets, manpower and time. Here’s what will work for you in 2019.

Maximizing your time and getting the stuff that matters done is critical to your fitness business. Here’s what no one else is telling you about productivity in your fitness business.

Don’t make these 3 critical fitness business mistakes if you want to maximize your growth and get fast results.

There’s a log of information out there telling you how to run and grow your fitness business. We put out at least one new blog post and video per week covering a variety of topics from marketing and sales to time managment and hiring.

Here are the top blog posts, videos and free resources from 2018…

Top Fitness Business Blog Posts 2018

With over 270,000 views here are the most read blog posts from 2018!

13 Questions To Ask In Every Personal Training Sales Consultation

The Fitness Pros Ultimate Guide To Maximizing Productivity & Achieving Your Biggest Goals The

How to Use Social Media for Your Personal Training Business

The Fitness Pro’s Guide For Business Success

How To Build Systems To Automate Your Fitness Business

Top Fitness Business Videos 2018

With over 41,000 total minutes of video watched from our YouTube channel here are teh top videos from 2018…

Top Fitness Business Free Resource 2018

Killer Testimonial Cheatsheet

How To Create Your Fitness Business Marketing Plan

Surefire Closing Scripts

Fitness Business Marketing Calendar

High performing fitness business owners ‘always be marketing’, even when it’s hard, because it’s a necessary behavior for their success.

If you want to transition from being self-employed to being a business owner you need to build a great team. Your business should be able to run without you there 100% of the time. Unfortunately, many fitness business owners who start off as great trainers or coaches struggle to let go of the day to day operations in their business

You’ve got some big goals for your personal training business. Most of those goals are probably tied to increase your personal training revenue or profits.  

To increase your revenue you have to:

• Increase the number of new customers
• Increase the value of each sale
• Increase the frequency of sales

Let’s take a look at 3 simple ways to increase your personal training revenue.

Raise Your Prices

When is the last time you raised your rates? I know, I know…it can a scary proposition to increase the cost of your services. The little voices in your head start telling you that you’ll lose clients or won’t be able to sell new clients because of your increased rates.

For most personal training businesses the opposite is true! It will be no more challenging to sell at your new rates than your previous rates. And, your current clients won’t all jump ship.

Look at increasing your current client’s rates by $5-20/mo. That small price increase won’t be enough to drive anyone away. For new clients you can increase your rates by $20-50/mo or 10-25% depending your comfort level.  

Invest In Your Marketing

There’s a good chance that you aren’t investing enough into your marketing. The best way for most personal training businesses to increase revenues is by creating more opportunities to sell their services. Those opportunities need to come in the form of new leads.  

Learn how to run Facebook ads, expand your social media marketing, increase your networking, start your email list, etc. If you don’t have the time to learn how to do it or don’t want to learn how to do it then outsource it.

Lead Engine Marketing is the lead gen secret weapon for many of our best coaching clients here at Fitness Revolution. For a small fee you can have someone set up your Facebook ads and send leads into your funnel so that you can focus on closing those leads.   

Offer High End Services

There’s a good chance 10% of your current clients would be willing to spend more money with you for high end services. Putting together a premium offer, with big margins, for your best customers can help you generate some revenue easily.

You could offer nutrition coaching/planning services, individualized training (such as a few 1-1 sessions month), all access passes to your workshops/challenge, or concierge level services. With the concierge level services you would partner with meal prep companies, massage therapists, chiros, etc to create a package for this individual at a premium.

Increase Your Wallet Share

This is a term that I recently heard and didn’t really get until I spent some time thinking about it. Your current clients, your entire market really, has a set amount of money they are going to spend each month. If you can provide valuable services or products to increase the share of that money then you’ll have no issue growing your business.

This is not about being greedy! These clients are going to spend the money either way. They would love to spend it with someone they already know, like and trust (THAT’S YOU!)

If you need a little help increasing your personal training revenues book a complimentary call with a member of the Fitness Revolution team to uncover hidden opportunities in your business.

Discovering the opportunities that will put your fitness business on the fast track for success can be a challenge. Always staying caught up in the day to day of running your business can distract you from the strategic level thinking required for breakthroughs.

The Fitness Revolution Fitness Business Alignment System™, the most effective strategic approach to running your fitness business, is set up to allow you to step out of your business at key periods during the year to plan and adjust as needed to hit your goals.

No matter how this past year has turned out for you a solid Annual Business Review can help you get the momentum you want for the coming year.  

If you want a complete overview of the annual planning session check out this blog post.

Your Annual Business Review will be a success if you follow this simple advice…

Step Away From The Gym

Trying to evaluate your current progress and strategically think about what you need to accomplish next is extremely challenging if you do it in your daily environment. Get outside of the gym for a few hours to prepare for and complete your Annual Business Review.

You will be tempted to check off a few tasks or complete your daily work if you try to do this in the gym.  

Find a place where you can settle in for a few hours to think.

Don’t Rush It

Transitioning from your daily routine to strategic thinking can be difficult. Often times I’ll find myself struggling for close to an hour to get in the flow of thinking strategically. It takes practice and is definitely a skill to develop.

Make sure you give yourself ample time to make this transition. Avoid giving up when things seem difficult or you get stuck on a thought. Often times the moments after that, if you are willing to grind through it, are where the magic happens.

Don’t Worry About How

You’ll be tempted to fix a problem right away or might get tripped up because you don’t know how to accomplish something that you think is really important. Stay out of the ‘how’ and on the ‘what’ in your review and planning sessions.

What the heck does that mean?  

Don’t worry about the steps needed to take to get your plan done or accomplish a goal. You can figure out HOW you will do it later. The most important thing to focus on during these sessions is WHAT you need to accomplish or fix.  

If you stick to that your mind will open up and you can explore out of the box solutions to your problems and attack them from different angles.  

That change in approach is what leads to big breakthroughs.

Need help…

It’s not easy to get through this alone. Oftentimes a business owner is too close the issues to really be able to step back and see the path to hitting their goals. That’s why a coach is so valuable when creating your plans. They challenge you to look at things differently and help you develop as a business owner. If you’d like to see if coaching could be a good fit for you let’s give it a test run! Schedule a complimentary Discovery Call today…

The fastest way to help more people is to learn how to attract more of them into your personal training business. If you’d like to get more personal training clients for your business, and who wouldn’t, then marketing is critical.  

Let’s assume you have the required credentials, certifications or education to deliver great results (and that you are doing it with the clients that you have now). You won’t extend your reach, help more people and, in turn, make more money if you don’t learn to promote yourself and your business.  

There are 3 simple steps you can take to improve your marketing and get more personal training clients! Keep reading to find out what they are…

Get Clear On Your Ideal Client

The power of identifying your ideal client isn’t in having a nice avatar or profile to add to your business strategy. You get the biggest benefit by learning how to understand the pains, challenges and fears that your Ideal Client deals with on a daily basis.

Luckily, your training programs solve those problems for them!  

Here’s a short list of info you need to build into your Ideal Client Profile:

• Name
• Age
• Family
• Occupation
• Income
• Home Type
• Neighborhood/Subdivision
• Hobbies
• Activities
• Pains
• Goals
• Challenges
• Fears
• Objections

Build Your Ideal Client Marketing Plan

Now that you are clear on who you are marketing to and what problems you can help them solve with your training programs getting your marketing in front of them will be much easier.  

A great marketing plan will include marketing activities that work to get the attention of your Ideal Client and motivate them to take the next step with you. This plan also needs to be diversified. You don’t want to rely on one source of leads to get more personal training clients.

You should have an internal, offline and online marketing activity in play at all times. The minimum acceptable is one activity per channel. The perfect amount of marketing is the amount that helps you reach your sales and growth goals.

Figure out how you will get your marketing message out to your Ideal Client. This includes referral programs, social media, Facebook ads, networking, public speaking, writing, podcasts, etc.

When creating your marketing plan consider how your Ideal Client will see your marketing and what you’ll ask them to do to take the next step with you. It’s easy to say you’re going to write blogs for your marketing, but if no one sees the blogs you write they aren’t going to produce for you.

The most effective marketing activities usually require the biggest investment of your time, energy or money. For example networking is still very effective (when done right) but it requires time or Facebook ads can get you a lot of leads but require a financial investment.   

Measure Your Results

There’s no way to know what is working or how to speed up your growth if you don’t measure your results. Tracking your leads, where those leads come from and your conversion rate from lead to client will give you a lot of insight into your marketing.

Remember, the real outcome we want to achieve with marketing is more personal training clients. Getting 1,000 leads is great, but not if none of them become clients.   

You want to be able to look back and know what marketing activities brought in the most leads, which produced the most clients, and your overall conversion rate. With this information you can identify bottlenecks or key areas to improve your marketing and sales.

The Best Plan Needs Action…

A perfect marketing plan is only good if you implement. Imagine creating the perfect workout for your client, guaranteed to get them the results they want in record time, but they didn’t show up to the gym to actually put in the work.  

They end up with the same poor results they’ve always got from training, right?  

That’s how many fitness business owners treat a marketing plan. They create it, spend time building a marketing calendar and never get out to actual market!  

If you need some help creating a great plan and a little accountability to ensure you implement it schedule a complimentary call today where we’ll discuss your current marketing and put a plan together to get you more clients and increase revenues.

Running a personal training business is tough work! From the day you decide to start you will be faced with challenges, obstacles and difficult decisions that you’ve likely never thought about or been prepared to handle.

Taking action and implementing the following 5 key elements into your personal training business will give you the best shot for fast growth and success.    

A Sales System That Delivers Predictable Results

The fastest way to fail in your personal training business is not being able to get clients to pay you for your services. You have to be able to get clients to pay you, and pay you what you’re worth, if you want to grow.  

The first step is creating a system that you can use during your consultations that increase your chances of success with the sale. Here are 7 sales tips from fitness pros who have crushed their sales goals.  

A Marketing Plan To Generate New Leads

Learning how to implement marketing systems and put a marketing plan in place for your personal training business gives you control over your growth. You can’t survive off word of mouth marketing and referrals forever.  

The best marketing plan for personal training businesses is the Triple A Marketing Method. In less than an hour you can create a plan to attract more leads that is based on your strengths and allows you to focus your efforts on the highest return activities.

You have to take action if you want to get more clients. This plan show you how to get crystal clear on what actions to take.

A Productivity Routine

You don’t have an endless amount of time or energy to run your personal training business. The busy you get the tougher it will be to get it all done. This is why you need an operating routine in your business that allows you maximize your productivity.

Your productivity routine should improve communication within your business, allow you to stay focused on the most important projects and get more done in less time. If you feel like you are always running around with your hair on fire your current routine isn’t working.

Delegate Lower Level Tasks

Every minute you spend on a task that keeps you from marketing, selling, training or falls outside of your highest priorities as the business owner is lost opportunity. It’s costing you money!

Enter the skill of delegation. From the solopreneur to the business owner with a large team delegation is a skill that must be developed and implemented to grow the business. There will be a time where you’ll have to ‘wear all the hats’ in your business, but it shouldn’t last long.

Systemize & Scale

Developing systems and scaling a personal training business is often misunderstood. These are typically buzzwords that get thrown around in the industry.   

Systems are a set of tasks completed to deliver predictable results. However, systems shouldn’t be built out so in depth that they hinder the people trying to implement them. The systems you put in place should empower the people running them to do their job more effectively.  

Here’s a short article showing you how to create systems using the 20/80 rule.

To scale you need to be able to replicate those predictable results your systems create.  That requires that you hire the right people or outsource the right tasks so that others are getting results for you.

BONUS: Get A Coach

A business coach can help you get results faster.  They will have the experience and expertise to know what questions to ask you, understand the solutions to your problems, and teach you how to think like a business owner.  

Having a coach is like having a cheat code for a video game.  It removes a lot of the obstacles that keep you from having success.  Your clients hire you to help them devise a plan to reach their fitness goals and a business coach can do the same for your business/personal income goals.

If you want to see how a coach can help or where to start click the button below to schedule a complimentary call…

Learning how to properly qualify a prospect in your personal training sales process is a skill that all fitness pros need to acquire. Avoiding the trap of qualifying off budget alone will help you convert more prospects into clients.   

Many prospects ask about price or what type of programs you offer because they don’t know where to start in their discovery process. You need to step up and take the lead in these conversations by redirecting the questions and focusing on their needs.

If you need a more indepth review of a process for qualifying prospects make sure to watch our How To Qualify Leads And Close More Sales For Your Fitness Business Video.

You don’t need to ask all 20 of the questions below when qualifying a prospect. Use this list as a guide to help you accomplish your end goal and booking a Success Session or consult.

20 PERSONAL TRAINING SALES QUALIFICATION QUESTIONS

1. Why are you looking to join a training program now? What triggered your decision to join? What’s made this so urgent or important?
2. What experiences, good and bad, have you had with other fitness programs? What do you want to be different this time?
3. What results do you expect to see from the work we do in our programs?
4. What are your personal goals?
5. What’s your most important and urgent priority?
6. What’s keeping you from overcoming or your challenges?
7. What have you been doing to overcome this challenge?
8. What have you done in the past that you would like to be doing today?
9. What do you want to be the best at?
10. What’s is the value of your health and fitness?
11. Are your current efforts showing results?
12. What do you struggle with most?
13. How could you improve your relationship with health and fitness?
14. How did you discover us? Have you taken the time to look at similar services?
15. Who’s involved in making the decision?
16. If you don’t join this program, how will you meet your goal? What will you do?
17. How will you determine if we have been successful?
18. If you don’t reach your goals, how will it affect your life?
19. If we are able to help you reach your goals, how much is that worth to your quality of life?
20. What makes you lose sleep at night? Or what do you need so you can sleep at night?

Need Help Growing Your Sales & Income?

Schedule a complimentary 60-Minute Discovery Call with an expert on the Fitness Revolution Team to help you find a solution to your growth challenges. On this call, you’ll be able to uncover the obstacles holding you back from reaching your goals and put a plan in place to overcome them. It’s time to end the guesswork and frustration so that you finally create the income and business you want.

Most fitness business owners dread the holiday season that ends the year. Client consistency declines and new clients are holding out until the start of the New Year to make any changes.   

You can still increase sales and get more personal training clients during this notoriously slow time of year. Here are a few tips to ramp up your marketing and get more clients…

Run a Holiday Challenge

Back when I was running my studio there was a statistic that came out stating the average person gains 10 lbs between Thanksgiving and the New Year. To help our community combat this weight gain we ran a short 21 day challenge between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

People are busy during this time of year and fitness is usually a second thought, but if you can make it easy for someone to maintain their weight or even lose a few pounds over the holidays with a small challenge you can bring in some extra revenue and get some great Front End Offer clients to convert to Core Offer clients in the New Year.

Reactivate Previous Clients

There’s a good chance that former clients are going to be looking for a fitness solution in the coming year. Comb through your list of former clients and create a reactivation campaign for those who left on good terms or just fell off from your programs to bring them back. \

Holiday Gift Card Programs

During Black Friday or Cyber Monday you can sell holiday gift cards to your current clients to provide as gifts or to use themselves for upgrades. You can sell gift cards for a specific Front End Offer, pre-sell a New Year Challenge, offer discounts on gift cards or provide upgrade packages to generate some new sales.

Premium Programs

Many of your best clients are willing to invest a little more with you for a premium level program. Run a few specials to your best clients to offer them additional training, premium level services or paid in full packages that generate some extra revenue for you at the end of the year.

Be careful here not to discount too heavily or to take a big hit on your monthly recurring revenue coming in from these clients.  

Give Back To Your Community

Find an organization to partner with during the holidays to give back to your community. You can volunteer your (and your client’s) time, donate money, or collect food/gifts/money for an organization.  

This is a great way to get some exposure but also to help those who need a little help. Each year in my studio we did food drive, charity bootcamps, adopted a family and a ran a toy drive during the holidays. Our clients were always happy to participate, we got some good exposure in the media and from the organizations we helped and collected a few leads along the way.  

It’s up to you…

You can sit around and complain about the holidays being slow or people not wanting to start their fitness programs during this time of year or you can take action. With the right plan and some focused marketing activities you can grow your business during this traditionally slow time of year for personal trainers.

Pick one or two of the tips from above and include them in your marketing plan for the rest of the year.

Need Help Growing Your Business?

Schedule a complimentary 60-Minute Discovery Call with an expert on the Fitness Revolution Team to help you find a solution to your growth challenges. On this call, you’ll be able to uncover the obstacles holding you back from reaching your goals and put a plan in place to overcome them. It’s time to end the guesswork and frustration so that you finally create the income and business you want.

As a business owner you can only grow your business to a certain level by yourself. The long hours and endless tasks will burn you out if you don’t find a way to build a fitness business team to help you out.

Most fitness business owners make their hires out of desperation, especially at first. You let the stress pile up, push burnout right to the brink and then finally decide you’ll make a hire. You quickly find someone you think can ‘do it all’ and bring them on. Instead of planning their onboarding you throw everything you don’t want to do at them and hope they figure it out.

It may not seem that unplanned while you are going through it but very few first time managers and new business owners make a great first hire. They end up having to replace that person within a few months and end up right back where they started.

If you want to make a great hire check out our “How to Hire The First Employee For Your Fitness Business” article and implement the process laid out there. Once you have that person in place it’s time to build them up and reinvest the time you spent on the tasks they will take on into developing them.

A great team member, one who is going to help drive your business growth, will want 3 things:

1. What should I be doing and how well
2. How will I be rewarded
3. How can I improve my performance?

What Should I Do & How Well?

Clarity provides energy. When your team knows exactly what they should be doing and what you expect of them they can do their job well. Usually, when you have someone underperforming in their role the first place to look is at their manager…that would be you!

The best place to lay out your expectations is in their job description. Instead of relying on a long list of tasks and responsibilities for the position we recommend that you clearly state 1-3 Core Responsibilities.  

These Core Responsibilities are the priorities for the position and will provide clarity for the team member who needs to perform them. These are usually listed out in 2-5 word statements such as “New Core Offer Client Growth” or “Deliver Training Sessions”.   

But, that’s not enough. You need to let them know how you measure their performance in these areas and so right under the Core Responsibilities on the job description you will list the metrics you will use to assess their performance in each. These should be something you are already measuring as a KPI or something that you can easily measure.

These won’t be meaningful if you list them but don’t follow through with managing to them!

Once you have defined the Core Responsibilities and Metrics for the position you’ll need to review them and clearly explain them to the team member. Once they have a solid understanding of what to do and how they will be assessed its time to set goals for them.

Each of your metrics should have a quarterly, monthly or weekly goal that you are reviewing with this team member in your Weekly Individual Meeting. These goals are the performance expectations for your team member.  

This clarity and weekly management of the metrics will allow you to get ahead of any issues and help your team member improve their performance.

How Will I Be Rewarded?

If a team member exceeds your performance expectations and knocks it out of the park with their goals they want to know how they will be rewarded. This isn’t always in the form of monetary compensation, but letting them know exactly what they can expect is important.

You can reward your team members with bonuses, incentives in pay, extra time off, gifts, or even simple recognition to the rest of the team. How you reward your team members is up to you and your budget, but you need to recognize and reward great performance.

Don’t confuse this with giving them extra for meeting expectations! You are paying them to do a job, so you expect them to hit your goals. However, if you have a superstar that comes along they will anticipate exceeding your goals and want to be rewarded for it.  

Save your rewards for exceptional performance! Reward and recognize more of what you want to see from your team.

How Can I Improve My Performance

Superstars are constantly looking to improve their performance, learn and grow. You need to nurture that need and help them with continued education and performance development.  

Working with your team members to identify the areas they need to work on to see improvements in their performance is critical. Much of your time as a manager is spent thinking about how to help your team and this is one of the best ways to do it.

Investing in professional development through certifications, courses, workshops or coaching can pay off big time for you as a business owner.

Business owners fear investing in their team members and having them leave. In most cases when you invest in your team they will become very loyal to you and your business. There are instances where a team member outgrows your business and needs to take the next step in their career which you aren’t able to provide at the time. That’s okay, and you should encourage them to do so.

If you get the reputation of developing superstars and helping the accelerate their career you will have no trouble finding great people to help grow your business.

But, if you don’t develop your team for fear that they may leave you will be stuck with subpar team members.  

I’d take my chances with superstars!

Put together plans to help each of your team members develop as a professional in this industry and become superstars in their position. You won’t regret it.

Hiring is the first step…

Hiring great people is just the first step as a manager to building a team of superstars. There’s a good chance you won’t be hiring team members that are already great at the job you hiring them for and they will require some development and training.   

You need to reinvest your time, energy and money into developing them so that they can help you grow your business.   

Want Help Developing & Building A Team?

Schedule a complimentary 60-Minute Discovery Call with an expert on the Fitness Revolution Team to help you find a solution to your growth challenges. On this call, you’ll be able to uncover the obstacles holding you back from reaching your goals and put a plan in place to overcome them. It’s time to end the guesswork and frustration so that you finally create the income and business you want.

Growth comes in many forms. One of the keys for your success as you build a fitness business will be transitioning from the technician to the manager to the entrepreneur. Adding staff to your business will be a challenge at first, but the biggest challenge will come in the form of you transitioning to a manager role.

There’s a good chance you’ve never managed a team before now. You’ve always ‘just got things done’ because that’s what you do. As you bring on staff to fill in for all the non-management level tasks, your role will change more and more to manager. At some point, these positions will be highly developed so that on any single day, your business should be able function without you being there, as the everyday tasks will be taken care of by your well-trained staff.

However, you are still required to hold the business together when it comes to systems and people management. Systems management requires that you constantly evaluate that the systems you have in place function as you want and that you have developed and documented the systems required for smooth operation of the daily work that needs to get done in your business.

Systems management requires that:

• The completion plans you have are as detailed as necessary for both accuracy and ease of use
• Your filing systems (where people put documents and when) and client management systems are consistent and prevent loss of client information
• Your personal training systems not only optimize clients’ results but also are able to be understood and re-created by your coaches
• Your marketing systems bring in new leads
• Your sales systems to convert leads into clients

People management requires that:

• You consistently evaluate your staff to ensure they are able to follow your systems as written
• They are put in the best possible positions to be successful
• They are engaged and inspired to do their best every day
• They are empowered to develop personally and professionally to be more effective employees

During this phase of your business owners journey, you should be optimizing your management systems so that you can hire and train managers to replace you. Managers you hire should be trained on how to carry out these systems, manage their teams and delegate accordingly.

Want Help Developing Systems & Building A Team?

Schedule complimentary 60-Minute Discovery Call with an expert on the Fitness Revolution Team to help you find a solution to your growth challenges. On this call, you’ll be able to uncover the obstacles holding you back from reaching your goals and put a plan in place to overcome them. It’s time to end the guesswork and frustration so that you finally create the income and business you want.