Fitness Marketing Made Simple Bluehost

No, it's not human billboards.

Nope, not better copywriting.

Nah, not testimonials either.

Niet, a better Google ranking ain't it either.

Yet, for some reason, fitness professionals all around the world have fallen for the fallacy that a building a great fitness business is a combination of one or more of these things and that the more of them you've got going for you the better.

Not true.

Not even a little bit.

The first priority of fitness business marketing isn't the marketing itself.

It's the fitness business.

People don't buy your marketing, they buy BECAUSE OF your marketing... but what are they actually buying?

The services that you sell through your fitness business are the first priority (or should be!) if you want to succeed.

If you were a farmer and sold crappy, bitter apples on the best, shiniest most attractive market stall in the most popular marketplace in your country, would you sell more than the other farmers?



Undoubtedly!

But once the customer tasted your apples, would they ever buy them again?

Get the point?

No matter what you've been told about marketing your fitness business, marketing should NEVER take priority over the quality of the product or service you're selling.

Never.

Now sure, having a great product doesn't guarantee the world will beat a path to your door, you STILL need marketing to make that happen, but better to have a great product that few people have heard about (yet) than to have a crappy product that everyone's heard about because your marketing over-promises.

Create a better product, create a better service THEN market the hell out of it.

Under-promise on your marketing and over-deliver with your service.

Forget what the marketing guru's tell you.

They don't have to stand in front of your clients and explain why your business didn't live up to the hype.

You do.

First priority of a successful fitness business?

Fix your service!

To Your Success

Dax Moy

To Join My FREE Personal Trainer Success Community Click HerePlease respond to this in the comment form below because I need 10 comments to continue posting.

I've been busy with my fitness businesses this year so far.

REALLY Busy!

I've spent 7 weeks out of the country so far this year working with my Personal Trainer Elite and Thailand Supercamp programs where I've been working hard at helping people achieve more in condensed periods of time than they normally achieve in an entire year of effort.

It's been amazing but, of course, it's meant that I've not been as active online as I'd normally be.

That's shown up a lot in my lack of blogging for the first quarter of this year... but that's all about to change : )

Starting immediately I'll be a much more regular online presence again and sharing a lot of useful 'stuff' that'll have fitness professionals really making some great improvements to their fitness businesses.

I'm going to start today by sharing some of the more influential reading material I've read so far this year.

As you know, I read A LOT, totally over 120 books a year every year for the last 7 years and not much less than that before then.

I believe this reading has been a MAJOR contributing factor in the the creation of the amazing life I now lead; as I've always said 'success is kept on the top shelf and the only way to reach it is by standing on all the books you've read'.

Now, whilst a lot of the books I read are pretty long, running to 300-400 pages, it's often the short ones that provide me with the biggest impact and most ideas for how I can change my business or marketing approaches to get more from my fitness business.

I like them because I can just dip in, get an idea or two and apply it to see how it works... and they normally work VERY well : )

Here's 3 of my favourite short reads from Jan 1st to April 1st 2011

1. Go-Givers Sell More - by Bog Burg



If you liked Burg's first book 'The Go Giver' you'll love this one. It essentially carries on the altruistic theme of giving but builds upon it by explaining why you'll make a lot more cash if you're a giver. An easy read but a valuable one if you're struggling with building your fitness business to critical mass.

2.The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk



I liked 'Crush it' but think this is a much better book. Vaynerchuk is essentially continuing the theme as laid down by Burg in the Go-giver but in his own unique style and with his own flavour for explaining why you need to show people you care and how to do that through social media. Another short one but well worth a read.

3. Ignore Everybody Hugh McLeod



Another short book but well worth a read, especially if you get stuck for ideas on how to increase your productivity and get some of those ideas that are trapped in your skull released to the world. A good, short read but don't let that fool you, it's a very powerful one too... if you're paying attention : )

4. Poke the Box By Seth Godin



Pretty much ANYTHING Seth Godin puts together is pretty cool and this is no exception. In this short read Godin puts forward the idea that it's more important to 'ship' (to produce and deliver) your products and services even in their imperfect state than it is to wait for the planets to align and to get everything just so. A perspective I strongly agree with. Poke the box is well worth a read.

5.Graceful Seth Godin



Yes, 2 short Godin reads in this list but they're both worthy, I assure you.

This one's about living and being your authentic self not just in business but in life itself. The more authentic you are, the more YOU that shows up in your business and your marketing, the more you get to attract those who most want what you are. Obvious... but genius too, especially when you consider that most people are playing the copy-cat game.

So there you go, 5 short reads that I KNOW will positively impact you and your fitness business almost as soon as you read them.

If you've read them already then tell me what YOU think and if not then come back and tell me once you've read them : )

To Your Success!
Dax Moy

Fitness marketing Made Simple



Agree or disagree?

It's not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or when the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worth cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt



It's easy to watch from the sidelines and criticise others for what they should or shouldn't have done.

It's easy to point out the flaws, the errors and the mistakes of those that have taken action have made whilst sitting at home in your armchair doing nothing.

It's easy to do the whole 'crabs-in-a-bucket' thing and attack those who are climbing higher, further and faster than you are right now and try to make them look and feel small for doing so.

It's all easy.

In fact, it's never been easier.

From behind a computer screen ANYONE can become an invincible warrior these days and 'seek out battle' with anyone else at the speed of a status update, safe in the knowledge that they'll never have to meet face to face to 'put up or shut up'.

From behind the computer screen, Guru's can pontificate and issue proclaimations to 'their people', their people can attack anyone who DARES to question their guru and pretty much anyone asking ANY kind of question that doesn't fit the answer of the day can expect to be pushed firmly into the bottom of the bucket where they belong.

Weird isn't it?

Sad too.

Because, just as it's easy to attack it's easy to do the opposite too.

It's EASY to say "Bloody well done" to someone who's put themselves out there, taken risks and worked their butts off to do something to make their lives different.

It's EASY to see those same flaws and errors and say "Hey, I love what you've done but have you thought about doing this to make it better?"

It's EASY to see those who are struggling to climb and offer them 'a leg up' to get there faster than they could have gotten there themselves.

And it's EASY to be a kind-hearted, generous and caring Guru who cares cares more about spreading the message than they do about any imagined insult from those who question it because they don't understand.

Sure, not everyone is ready to get into the arena right now and they shouldn't be made to feel less because they're not. Everyone moves at their own pace and we should respect that. Just as we should respect those who choose to go at a faster pace, rather than attacking them because we somehow feel 'less' when they run past us.

Buddhists would call this 'compassion'. Seeing the world through the other's eyes rather than trying to make it fit our own vision.

If you can see how you may have miscommunicated, created confusion or even offended then you can correct it making both yourself and the other person a winner.

If you attack them out of hand just because they don't share your views then both you and they lose.

The truth is, you are never going to be able to convince everyone that your way is the right way... so don't try.

Believe in yourself enough let them have their own opinions while you have yours.

If you can't tolerate others questioning you on why you do what you do then you don't really 'own' your answer.

If it's so fragile that others can't 'poke around' it then maybe it's not as sure as you think it is.

In any case, just chillax. Show some compassion.

There are more ways to get to the top than dragging others down and climbing over them.

Those in the arena and those who choose to be spectators share a symbiotic relationship. With no audience, there's no point being there in the first place and sitting in an arena with no athletes putting on a show would be no fun at all.

Both parties need each other.

Doesn't it make sense then that if you're going to get into the arena you dedicate yourself to being the best you can possibly be at what you do? Doesn't it also make sense that if you're going to watch from the sides you cheer as loud as you bloody well can for those who you are watching?

This isn't some kind of 'softly-softly' new age crap.

This is THE surest way there is to ensure that EVERYONE wins.

You DO want to win, don't you?

Then get out of the bucket!

Dax Moy

Here's a great FREE 'No Crabs'  Community! http://www.personaltrainersuccess.ning.com Enjoy this post? Leave a comment below and add to the discussion. Thanks!

Well, it's day 3 here at Thailand supercamp where 12 very motivated and very committed bootcamp coaches and personal trainers are beavering away to create the amazing content that will, by the en of the 10 days, become their best-selling fitness products that'll help many thousands of people and make them many thousands of of pounds in return.




It's been amazing to watch these guys over the last 3 days grow in confidence, skill and ability as writers before my very eyes as they've learned to take some of their very 'grey' and foggy ideas around their fitness products and turn them into amazingly sexy concepts that will attract and affect their readers in ways that few fitness products ever do.


These aren't bland and boring 'same-old, same-old' rehashes of other peoples' work, but rather, brand new, original and impactful ways of helping their clients to look, feel and perform at their best.


What's really amazing is that just 3 days ago, pretty much none of those guys thought of themselves as having a particularly original product idea. In fact, most of them were worried about going home at the end of these 10 days having only created another 'me-too' product to clutter up the fitness product market place.


And few of them though of themselves as particularly great or gifted writers either. In fact, most of them tell me that they often struggle for hours over a single blog post when they're at home. Yet out here at supercamp they're churning out pages of material faster than ever. In fact, most are producing more in a 10 minute period than they usually create in a whole hour of staring at the computer screens.


How come?


Why this big and sudden dramatic change in their skills and abilities as writers and product creators?


I'd love to take all the credit and say it's because of me and the super-sick 'ninja' writing skills and techniques I'm teaching them but that would be a lie. In fact, what I've shared with them so far is so Homer Simpson 'Doh!' obvious that anyone could think of it without having to spend a small fortune and flying to the other side of the world and get great results for themselves 'just like that'.


Ultimately, it comes down to what Mark Joyner of Simpleology fame calls The Law Of Straight Lines, or knowing where you are, knowing where you want to get to and not straying off of the path between start and finish for any reason until you get there.


Hardly rocket science is it?


Yet most personal trainers don't apply the law of straight lines to their writing, their marketing or any element of their businesses at all. Not a single, solitary part of it, but definitely not their blog writing or product creation.


Instead of getting really, really clear on what their post, article or product is going to be about they take the Nike approach and 'just do it' meaning that they're unclear about what it's really all about, what should be included or what should be left out of it altogether.


And instead of thinking about who they're writing the article or post for, what problems they may be facing or what their most desired outcome may be, they write to please themselves and go off on a mental 'walkabout' that's more about creating content for content's sake than it is about truly helping their readers to overcome the obstacles standing between them and their goals.


Instead of sitting down, paying their dues and dedicating their full attention to completing the task at hand, they multi-task, read facebook posts, check blogs and do a thousand other things... except write the damned copy!


In short, they don't follow the straight line.


In fact, they take a very wonky, meandering line that takes them every EXCEPT where they most need to be: the end.


As I said before, creating great material for your blog, your website or your product isn't rocket science. It's as simple and straight-forward and it get and can be effectively summarised is just 3 steps:


1. Know the problem you want to solve BEFORE you start writing


This is much easier if you build your writing around a question rather than a statement. For example, when deciding to put this article together, instead of saying "I'm going to write an article on how to write better" I asked myself "Why do so many trainers struggle to write their copy and finish their products?"



Subtle difference, but the answer you'll come up with isn't.


This question-based format helps you to do what you already do countless times a day with your real clients; answer questions and solve problems!


2. Know your 'voice' before you start writing


Some of my supercampers here were struggling to create content simply because they were trying to be something they're not. Their sentence structure, use of words, phrases and technical detail was being written more to appease or impress their peers in the profession rather than to genuinely provide the solution to the reader who most needs and wants their help.

You too might worry what other trainers will think of you when they read your stuff, but the truth is it really doesn't matter a single bit. What they think of you is nether here nor there, just as they shouldn't waste their time worrying about what you think.

You and everyone else in this profession do what you do because you genuinely want to help people overcome their health and fitness problems. Who cares if they do it with kettlebells and you do it with Zumba? All that matters is whether or not what you're doing is helping the people under your care, right?


That being the case, stop writing for your peers in that boring, monotonous, technical and stiff voice and start writing in a voice that shows you're passionate about what you do and that you genuinely care about the outcome.


In other words, write as YOU!


3. Get It Done!


You're no doubt aware of Parkinson's Law which states that 'tasks expand to fill the allotted time', meaning that however long you give yourself to do something, that's how long it will take.


Most of my students here in Thailand were simply not used to giving themselves deadline for their writing, instead thinking of just 'sitting down and writing an article' and allowing the Gods, the Universe or destiny to decide how long it would take.


This is how they end up with 'task creep' where what should have taken mere minutes still isn't complete days later. Parkinson's law strikes again!


What we've done out here (and I strongly suggest you do the same) is set a maximum time limit for the completion of each writing task and stick to it no matter what.


This means that if you give yourself, say, 1 hour to do your blog post and you're 58 minutes in, you'd better be using that last 2 minutes to wrap up and finish the piece and and getting ready to hit the 'publish' button. This simple act will discipline your mind and get you focused on finishing what you start and will result in hundreds more pages, posts and products by the end of the year than you could even begin to imagine right now.


Set a deadline and keep it. Publish the good, the bad and the ugly and your writing will improve massively.


Creating great content isn't difficult and doesn't need to be time consuming either (I wrote this post in around 30 minutes this afternoon) but it does take commitment to moving in a straight line rather than taking the circuitous route that most trainers tend to take.


Try applying these 3 super-simple content creation steps to your writing this week and see for yourself just how much more material you create. And remember, the more you create, the more you serve and the more you serve, the more you get paid.


Having ideas in your head serves no one. Not you, not your clients, not the world.


They have to come out and they have to be shared in order for you to make a difference and most of all, they have to get finished. After all, you only get paid for done, right?


To your success!


Dax Moy
Fitness Marketing Made Simple


Join my FREE Personal Trainer Success Community Today!Ideas anyone?

Whilst I'm not the hugest fan of social media the way most of the fitness marketing gurus seem to be these days, I can't help but admit that it's pretty damned cool for growing your fitness business... if you use it well, that is.

Trouble is, most fitness professionals, in my opinion at least, don't use it well at all.

Instead of 'doing facebook' the right way, the way that demonstrates their expertise, their knowledge, their skills, their abilities and, perhaps most important of all, their genuine desire to serve their tribe, they get involved in all manner of inane and, perhaps, insane behaviour that does nothing to strengthen their position in the marketplace and plenty to weaken it.

Swearing, having public arguments, posting pictures of themselves and their buddies getting drunk and whinging about their annoying clients, how hard they're finding things at the moment or those incessant photographs of what they ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the week do little, if anything, to take their businesses to the heady heights they claim they wish to be at and instead relegate them to the minor leagues in the eyes of both their clients and prospects.

"But my clients LOVE me" I hear you cry and, you know, you may well be right about that, but your behaviour with your clients that know you, like you and trust you can be VERY different in person or even in your own community than it can or should be in open forum areas like Facebook where you should be doing your best to impress.

Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't be yourself, you absolutely should, but your 'warts and all' self should be saved for people that know you, not areas where those that don't are getting to know you.

You may not think it hurts your image, you may even think it helps you to appear more approachable and human, but I assure you, most of the people you'd most want to be your clients think different. They may think you're humorous but most aren't overly impressed by overt displays of swearing, arguing and general silliness. After all, these aren't the qualities that most people are looking for in their trainer are they?

And that's the point!

EVERY time you go into Facebook, you're shouting "THIS IS WHO I AM!" at the top of your voice for, almost literally, all the world to hear.

Is what you're shouting what you MOST want people to think about you?

For many trainers, the answer to that question will be a resounding 'No!'

So that begs the question, "why shout it?"

For my part, Facebook has nearly always been used to shout out as loudly as possible 3 things. Just 3.

1. I know my stuff. 2. I care about you. 3. I can help you.

Why these three things specifically?

Well, because these are the only three things that really count from both a personal and a business perspective, that's why.

Every single day when I go online I'm looking for ways to demonstrate that I know my stuff whether in the area of fitness, diet, health, mindset or marketing, for this simple reason that this is what I want to be known for. An expert, a true resource in these areas.

That's why I'm always adding post links, starting (or entering) conversations on these topics and adding something a little more than general chit chat to each one. My aim is to show people that what I say is worthy of listening to, that I'm worthy of attention, that I'm 'a cut above'.

If I'm just going to be 'one of the crowd', just another 'also ran' then what would be the point of my involvement?

In every instance I'm trying to demonstrate that what I am is a true expert, a resource that is consistent in my message and my approach. Someone who can be trusted... even if you don't necessarily agree with me.

Second, I go online to demonstrate that I actually care about the people that are in my tribe (or who are thinking about joining it) and that I'm not ONLY out to get their money.

During my time on Facebook I answer quite a large number of PM's, instant messages and enter many conversations where people are asking for help or advice, despite that most of the fitness marketing guru's have told me this is bad practice and poor use of my time and resources.

I don't see how it could possibly be!

I mean, purely from a marketing perspective, how could speaking directly to your target audience and demonstrating your ability to solve their problems ever be a waste of time?

And from a human perspective, in a profession where we claim to be in service to others because we're passionate about what we do ever be the wrong thing to do?

Sure, you have to guard against wasting all your time online and there's only so many people you can help, but you CAN help, right?

And this helping without pay, just from the goodness of your heart, demonstrates your genuine concern and care for people who, funnily enough, ending wanting to spend money with you BECAUSE you care. It's self-serving to serve others, but in a good way

Last, but certainly not least, I'm demonstrating that I'm the right person with the right solution at the right time to help you get from where you are to where you want to be. As much as possible my answers are complete or I send you to resources that will give you the answers you seek like my videos, free reports, websites, communities or even other paid resources.

What I'm doing at all times is presenting you the opportunity to believe that I am the only logical choice for the solution you seek. By that, I mean that of all the people you can possibly think of, I'm the only one that makes sense to ask for help, even if that means paying money and even if it means paying a LOT of money for that help.

I become the only logical choice by DECIDING IN ADVANCE what my core philosophies as a person, as a coach and as a businessman are and making sure that these are consistently delivered through every interaction I make online.

Is it hard?

No, not at all!

Because these come from my core persona, I'm simply operating in my passion-zone and doing what comes naturally which is, quite honestly, demonstrating my skill, showing that I care and giving help where I can.

And you know, because of this I make a lot of money from Facebook.

A LOT!

And you could too, if you apply this same approach.

Decide who you want to be known as and what you want to be known for then simply ask "Am I being that person in this post?" and if not, don't post it.

Try it for a week and see how it works for you and your fitness business. I know you'll be pleasantly surprised : )

To Your Success!

Dax Moy

Join My FREE Personal Trainer Success Community HERE P.S - Tell me what you think of this post by leaving a comment. B.S or right on? Have your say : )Comment below.

I used to think that in order to become successful that I had to create unique ideas that no-one, not another soul on the planet had had and then do my best to market them before others had their own 'unique' ideas that were the same as mine (think about that for a second)

I used to think that if someone took one of my ideas and used it to make money then they were somehow stealing something from me and weakening my position so that my own success would falter and that if I did the same with theirs that this somehow made ME a thief.

I used to think "I can't do that, it's already been done... I've missed the boat on this" and quit projects that I'd been passionate about because someone 'beat' me to bringing it to market.

I used to.

But not anymore.

Now I realise that no idea is truly unique but that each of us has a unique way of applying (or failing to apply) our ideas to our lives. Because of this, there is more than enough room for EVERY idea any of us ever have.

If this wasn't the case then there would only ever be one of any type of commodity or item in the world.

One type of car. One type of TV. One type of washing machine. One type of [Insert what YOU do here]

But there's not is there?

There are hundreds, if not thousands of each of these things.

Why not one more?

Now I realise that every person who came before me and everyone who follows gets an equal share of all the information and ideas of all the generations who precede them. It doesn't make sense NOT to use it.

You wouldn't dismiss reading because someone else 'invented' it, would you?

You wouldn't rid your home of electricity because someone else beat you to it?

You wouldn't pass up medical help because you had no hand in the founding of medical knowledge, right?

So what if what you want to do is already in existence? If you want to do it, and do it your way then do it!

Life isn't like school.

There's no teacher who's going to mark you down for copying the kid next to you.

Copy all you want.... then improve.

Now I realise that Thomas Edison's formula for success is the fastest, surest way to guarantee that you get what you want from life.

"...start where the last man left off."

See, you really don't have to re-invent the wheel. In fact, that's just not smart. It's wasteful. But...

You CAN paint the wheel the colour your want it. You CAN use different materials. You CAN make it bigger or smaller, wider or narrower.

You CAN.

So, if it feels like success has been eluding you and that your 'unique' ideas never seem to go anywhere or that others 'beat you to it' before you get the rewards, then try Edison's approach.

Start where the last person left off and add your signature to an existing success.

It's always easier to improve on someone else's idea than start from scratch. That doesn't mean that the improvement isn't just as valuable (or more so) than the 'original' idea. The idea you improve upon may change millions of lives whilst the one you insist upon being original may never see the light of day... worth thinking about!

To your success!

Dax Moy Are You A Member of My FREE Personal Trainer Success Community Yet? No??? Get To It!! http://www.personaltrainersuccess.ning.com Now it's your turn. I want to know what you think. Comment below with a quick response...

Fitness professionals always seem to think that creating a large, 'viral' following of people who are 'on message' with their big idea is difficult... but it's not.

It's as simple as finding a follower, just one who loves what you have to say and is willing to get onboard with you and fall in love with your message as much as you are.

Once you've found them, make them welcome, treat them amazingly well and , rather than trying to lead them, allow to become an integral part of your message.

I've done that with my personal trainer community and my health and fitness community of over 6500 people and let them get to the point where the members pretty much run both sites by themselves because they love them so much. If you fancy yourself as a leader, you've got to understand that you're only as good as those who choose to follow you and they, in turn, are only swayed by the power of your core message. Your 'big idea'.

If your big idea is simply to make money you'll never get the followers you want and need. If it's to change the way the world eats then that's something else entirely.

If you own a community that's not growing or your members aren't responsive it's because your big idea isn't so big after all. Or maybe it's simply not clear enough.

Get bigger, get clearer and then treat those first followers like royalty and THEY will do the work of creating something special.

Just like the guys in this video...



See how easy it is?

If it works for a dancing man, surely YOU can make it work for your fitness business?

Now, get to work : )

To your success!

Dax Moy

Join My FREE Online Personal Trainer Success Community TodayLeave your comment below...

Ok, so we're really moving now with these fitness business healthchecks and, from the feedback that I'm getting from most of my community, it seems that most trainers are really underperforming in most areas.

But don't panic and don't get all down or negative about it.

Now that you know where you're falling down, you can do something about it. Simply look at all the areas where you scored a zero and you've got a great recipe for finding the thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of pounds or dollars that are hidden in your fitness business right now.

It's there. That's the crazy thing about all this. The money is there, you just have to do the right things to get your mitts on it : )

Today let's continue our investigation by looking at how you actually promote yourself and your business through your knowledge of fitness marketing. Let's see how you stack up : )

As usual, award yourself 10 points for every question you can answer yes to and zero for each one you can't.

Let's do it!

1. Do you know the ONLY four ways in which to grow your business? There are only 4 ways, no matter what you can think of...do you know them?

2. Do you have a clear and effective system of getting new clients? Note the keyword 'system'. This implies that you have a specific set of times, ways, methods rather than randomly throwing out ads, tweets and status updates or last minute sales.

3. Do you have a clear and effective system of increasing the number of sales from your clients? Again, it's a system. Do you have a method that guarantees your clients will buy more from you, more often?

4. Do you have a clear and effective system of increasing the value of the sales from your clients? Do you generate more from your sales with upsells, cross sells, down sells?

5. Do you a clear system of generating referrals from your existing clients? Simply asking once in a while isn't a system...

6. Do you have in place a series of strategic alliances or joint ventures that ensure the endorsement of those in a position to send you qualified clients? Do others send you clients or do you have to go get them all yourself?

7. Do you have a clear visibility strategy that positions you as an expert through writing, presenting and public relations activities? Are you the only logical choice in your area for what you do? Be honest... remove your personal bias!

8. Do you have a networking strategy that positions you before people in positions to influence the buying decisions of your prospects? Do you get in front of people regularly? Yes or no?

9. Do you have a system of acquiring and growing a client/prospect database? If you have less than 1000 people on your mailing list after a year or more of putting up your opt-in box or fre report the answer is 'no'.

10. Do you have a website that is optimised in terms of content, data capture and search engine ‘findability’?

Is your website on page 1 of google? Does your google maps listing dominate the top section of the search engine?

So, how'd you do?

Less than 70 and I can guarantee you're leaving 30-grand or more on the table every year.

Less than 60 and you're working far, far harder than you need to.

Less than 50 and you're struggling (or will be) to keep the phones ringing and bring in fresh blood to your business. You'll also struggle to get staff too as you'll never be able to get them busy enough.

You've GOT to get this promotion strategy right. Without it your business simply cannot grow and you will forever be doomed to having a job where there boss is an ego-centric megalomaniac who expects you to work every hour God sends with no guarantee of reward and no income when you're sick or go on vacation.

Not good.

Build a business, not a job and everything changes.

Fail to do that and you get more of what you've been getting.

Your choice!

In the next episode: Your Performance Assessment

To Your Success!

Dax Moy Fitness Marketing Made Simple

Join my FREE Personal Trainer Success Academy NOW at http://www.personaltrainersuccess.ning.com

P.S - Leave me a comment : ) *What about you? What do you think?

By all accounts the first 2 instalments of the 'Is Your Fitness Business Sick?' series has been showing many of you that you're still a good way off of getting your business to where it needs to be in order to extract the maximum profits in the fastest and easiest way possible.

Don't be too hard on yourself though, the truth is, MOST fitness business owners are struggling with these exact same problems. Well, most except those who are making a ton of money, that is : )

For those guys, this is old news and barely worth talking about.

But if this is all new to you or, at least, if USING it is all new then understand that you are leaving tons and tons of money on the table that's yours for the taking, and all of it without having to do a single thing to improve your fitness skillset one little bit.

(Understand, I'm not saying that you shouldn't, you want to be the best you can be but you don't HAVE TO know more than you know now to double or even triple your income)

In the first 2 instalments you got to see how issues with clarity, focus and being target-specific were costing you, today let's look at your packaging and how you present yourself and your business and see how and where that's keeping you from being as successful as you could be, huh?

Same drill, 10 points for yes, a big, fat zero for no and add them all up at the end.

Ready?

Packaging 1. Do you have a clear, attractive and effective business identity that fits your UMI?

What is it? Can you actually describe that identity? If you can't, you don't have one!

2. Can your clients and prospects clearly describe what that identity is?

If they were to describe your branding/identity, what would they say?

3. Does your identity clearly tell prospects ‘What’s in it for me’ to do business with you?

Is the identity you've created for yourself and your company and products one that makes it clear that you're 'a cut above' ?

4. Do you have a uniform or personal identity package that clearly differentiates you from your competition?

Be honest here, do you?

5. Do you have a web-site that offers clients and prospects information that is valuable, useful and easy to read?

As in, it's not just a salesletter with some crappy banners and pictures of models curling 2lb weights and all that crap, but one that tells the story of your business in a way that leaves prospects better off for having visited.

6. Do you have branded marketing materials such as letterheads, brochures, flyers and business cards that both identify you in a unique way and clearly convey your magnetic marketing message?

If they say 'vistaprint' or any other company's name on the back the answer is no. Likewise if they're on cheap paper, card or material.

7. Do you know what makes those materials attractive to your prospects? (Or are you simply working on personal taste?)

How do you know that your prospects are actually attracted to your 'stuff'?

8. Do your materials have ample strategic and tactical evidence of the efficacy of your services? Such as testimonials or endorsements and other social proof.

9. Do your materials clearly explain your risk-reversal strategy?

If you even have one! If you do, does it have pride of place on all of your materials?

10. Do you have clear proof that your packaging materials actually contribute to your business by bringing in new clients?

How do you actually KNOW that your packaging is contributing to your business bottom line?

Again, if you scored above 8 you're doing ok here, 7 and under and you're struggling. Less than 5 and BOY you need to think about how and why you're cutting corners with your business!

It's not all about polish. You don't have to spend a fortune on top-notch kit (unless you want people to spend a fortune on you) but remember, people DO judge a book by its cover and your cover, your packaging, may be actually costing you hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands a year because you're playing cheap.

Think on this.

Think on it well.

Is a lack of excellence in your packaging actually robbing you and your business of what it could be making?

Dax Moy Fitness Marketing Made Simple



Tomorrow: Your Promotion Assessment



Thoughts?

In part 1 of this series you assessed your positioning in the marketplace to see where you REALLY stood in terms of having a solid foundation in terms of your uniqueness, your magnetism and your ability to attract your ideal clients to the services that you offer.

If you're like most personal trainers who I've given that test to in the past, you probably failed miserably : )

Don't feel too bad, even a bad score is still useful knowledge... if you act upon it to make it better!

In today's little assessment we'll look at your pricing and try to see how healthy your pricing strategy is in relation to where it could (and should) be.

Just like the last assessment, give yourself 10 points for every question you can answer yes to and zero for every no.

Your maximum possible score is 100.

Let's see how you do with this one : )

1. Do you know the current lifetime value of your clients?

In financial terms how much is the acquisition of a new client actually worth to you?

2. Do you know your average client acquisition costs?

How much do you spend to get a new client to join your company and take up your services? Do you know?



3. Do you know your current client attrition rate and what is the major cause of them leaving?

What is the EXACT rate of client attrition, at what stage of the relationship fo they tend to leave and why?

4. Do you have a clearly defined pricing policy that clients understand and agree with?

Do they understand why you charge what you charge and feel that you're good value at that rate?

5. Do you have a clearly defined Advantageous Training Concept (ATC)?

Is there an obvious reason to train with you that makes you the only logical choice in your area for the kind of service that you offer?

6. Do you have a clear ‘back end’ sales strategy?

Do you have 'something else' to sell them other than your primary service?
7. Do you regularly assess your local competition for fee structuring and service provision?

Are you up to date with your marketplace competitors. Do you know what they charge and what they're offering right now?

8. Do you understand what makes your fees more or less attractive than those of your competitors?

Are you clear about why people feel the way they do about your prices?

9. Do you know the top five reasons why people buy from your competitors rather than you?

Be honest and objective here, why would someone choose your competitors instead of you?



10. Do you feel that you are currently being paid what you are worth?

Can you explain why or why not?

Well, how did you do?

A decent level of pass would be 80/100.

70 and under means you're probably playing a pretty arbitrary and reactive game when it comes to pricing, basically making up your prices based upon whatever the market is dictating at the time.

50 or less and, well, let's just say that you don't really know your numbers when it comes to money : )
Trouble is, if you don't know your numbers, you don't really have a business. You have a roulette wheel where each week you're hoping you'll be lucky enough to win.

Building a successful fitness business requires that you know your numbers. It's like keeping score. If you're you're not keeping score then, well, you're not really playing the game are you?

So, how'd you do?

Come on, do tell : )

Dax

P.S - Want to know how well you're doing on promotion?

20 Comments in here 'buys' you the promotion assessment : )



Thoughts?