Why Should A Prospect Choose Your Business Over The Competition?
Your business should be the most well known and respected fitness solution for your target market in your community. If its not, then you’re blending in with the competition and likely struggling to bring in new clients.
Taking the top position in your market shouldn’t be complex. It does require a great strategy and disciplined approach.
Positioning is being able to clearly communicate what you do and who you do that best for. You should attract your target prospects and repel others.
3 Keys To Successful Positioning For Your Fitness Business
Differentiate. Address. Articulate. Your Local Market Positioning™ should be able to accomplish these three objectives to be successful.
You need to differentiate your service from the competition. Clearly being able to communicate why a prospect would choose your business over others is a powerful marketing skill that will help you take top position in your community.
Addressing important customer buying criteria is next on your list. You’ll need to determine what matters to your prospects when they are making a decision for hiring a personal trainer or joining a gym.
Articulate key service characteristics that make you the best choice. You need to be able to put a little spin on things to make them attractive for your target market. What is better about your service, how you deliver it or the results it provides than your competition. You get to decide how your training services are perceived by your audience. They can either blend in or stand out.
Avoid These Positioning Mistakes
The most common mistake, but one that is detrimental to your marketing success, is having bland and boring differentiators. You’re going to want to state the obvious in your differentiators and create a list of things that you think make you stand out, but in reality don’t matter to your prospects.
Differentiators such as using assessments, creating personalized workouts, caring about your clients, etc fall into this category. It doesn’t mean they can’t be differentiators, but you have to do some work to craft them up into something that is impactful.
The second most common mistake is relying on a list of features as your differentiators. If equipment or technology is listed as a differentiator you’re at risk. It’s easy for your competition to wipe out your differentiators by implementing it into their business.
Placing too much of an emphasis on your education can be a mistake as well. Simply relying on your certifications or a degree isn’t impactful. On the flip side, if you have a lot of experience (more than most any other fitness pro) or advanced degrees that allow you to stand out, such as being able to practice as a physical therapist or being an exercise physiologist those can be used to your advantage.
Remember, for your positioning to be great it has to differentiate, address, and articulate.
Creating Powerful Differentiators
You’re looking to have 3-5 strong differentiators to use in your marketing. Each of these differentiators may not secure your spot at the top of your market, but when put together they should ensure your business stands out as the top choice.
Here’s a quick rundown of how to create your differentiators:
- List all the features of your service
- List all the benefits your client will get from your service
- List any statistical data, tangible results, and awards you’ve won
- What are the top 5 buying criteria of your clients?
- List your top 3-5 competitors, their positioning, and the rates they charge.
If you take your time answer these questions and complete the exercise you’ll have a foundation for your differentiators.
Compile the top differentiators that specifically address your Ideal Client’s buying decisions and that help you stand out from the competition. There’s a good chance you’ll have 5-10 possible differentiators.
Spend some time crafting them into powerful statements that make your business the obvious choice for your Ideal Client.
Once you feel like you have your top 3-5, stop and ask why each of these is meaningful to your Ideal Client. Check to make sure that’s clear in your statements.
Your Positioning Statement
Now that you have a solid list of things that make you stand out it’s time to create your positioning statement. This is comparable to an elevator pitch or unique selling proposition.
The positioning statement for your business should address who you are, who you help, how you help them and why they should choose you.
It looks a little like this…
“Fitness Revolution helps fitness business owners create a successful business they love through strategic business coaching programs with highly trained, experienced Success Coaches using a proven system for delivering results.”
Yes, that was a shameless plug 🙂
A powerful positioning statement will be able to explain how you get the client their desired results. It should also prompt more questions such as “how” and “tell me more about that”.
Consider how you can explain what you do in your programs in a way that is attractive and appealing to your Ideal Client.
Taking Over The #1 Spot
Creating your differentiators and positioning statement won’t automatically help you get to the top of your local market. You’ll need to test them in your market, refine them, and use them everyday in your marketing to get to, and hold that top spot.
When you’re able to differentiate, address and articulate your Local Marketing Positioning the marketing you do will be more impactful. Things will become easier and you’ll notice that you’re attracting more of your Ideal Client.
Your Local Market Positioning should permeate all of your marketing. It helps you make decisions on where to market, your message and the types of marketing you do in your community. It’s a filter to ensure you’re focused on the things that will help you be the #1 fitness solution for your target market.
