Do you currently offer a guarantee of any kind on your personal training or bootcamp programs?

If you don’t then you’re SERIOUSLY missing out on what is arguably the most powerful marketing tool for growing your fitness business as well as keeping yourself a long way from being the best possible fitness professional you can be and should make it a priority to find a way to bring an element of guarantee into your business ASAP.

You see, the fitness industry is shifting.

Until recently it was perfectly acceptable to sell memberships, packages and individual training fees to the public who wanted to sample what you had on offer. This was the ‘normal’ way that fitness services were sold and the public got used to it and accepted the fact that what they were buying from the fitness coach was their time and expertise.

Yet now were reaching a point where the public have finally recognised that they don’t actually want to pay for a workout. They never did. What they want, and what they’ve wanted all along is the thing that the workout is supposed to deliver…

…Results!

Think about it, no-one ever tapped into Google “Wanted: personal trainer to chat to me in the gym and count to 10 a lot while I work out” or “Wanted: Insane, hyperactive and loud person to shout encouragement at me while I run around in a park, swing kettlebells and lift weights” did they? : )

The thing that got them online, the thing that had them email or call you was the thing that far too few personal trainers ever seem to sell. Results.

They want to lose fat or see their sixpack or lose their backpain or any number of other things that clients want, but fitness professionals rarely, if ever, sell these things specifically.

Oh sure, the web copy and the flyers talk about ‘amazing results’ or ‘drop a dress size’ or ‘get into great shape fast’ but these are just words. Advertising hype. Smoke and mirrors.

Promises count for nothing in the minds of most of your readers for the simple reason that promises are easy to make in ads. There’s generally nothing backing up your promises. No answer to the two-word question that every single person asks themselves when they read them for the first time.

“What if…?”

“What if I DON’T achieve that?” “What if I DON’T drop the clothing size?” “What if I DON’T lose 10lbs?”

As soon as they ask it, they’re looking for an answer, yet what they hear most is…

…silence.

Most fitness professionals don’t answer ‘what if’ after making their big promises, which is why most fitness professionals struggle to generate the kind of business they SHOULD be generating with the marketing.

And that’s where the guarantee comes in.

See, a great guarantee is the ultimate answer to the big ‘what if’ question in your prospects’ minds.

For example, at my personal training studios in London, I offer a huge answer to ‘what if’ that completely puts my prospects at ease and persuades them that there is no risk in doing business with myself and my team.

In fact, rather than simply reversing risk I make trying my services BETTER than risk free for my prospects by offering an amazing guarantee that none of my competitors will even contemplate using.

I promise them that if they sign up for my fat loss programs that they will lose AT LEAST a clothing size in 21 days or receive DOUBLE their training fees back by way of refund and apology.

Talk about a ‘what if’, right?

My prospects now know that I have exactly 21 days to prove the value of my team and my systems or they’ll not only get their money back but they’ll make it back with 100% interest.

Do you think this accelerates them through the know-like-trust continuum?

You betcha!

Do you think that they feel comfortable and confident in paying over their hard earned cash for my services?

Damned right!

See, by using a guarantee, risk reversal strategy or, in my case, a better-than-risk-free answer to the ‘what if’ going through their mind, I’ve removed the 2 largest objection that most people use for delaying, putting off or never even starting personal training.

I’ve removed the doubt that the result will be forthcoming. They KNOW that they will look into the mirror in 21 days and see themselves a clothing size smaller. No if’s, no but’s.

I’ve also removed the financial objection. This is based mostly upon uncertainty of the ongoing cost of membership and concern for if they’ll actually see results in exchange for their cash.

With both objections now shut down, I’ve positioned myself as the only logical choice for fat loss in the area where I operate.

Just imagine what this would do for YOUR business!

Imagine if from tomorrow you had a service based on a strong promise of amazing results that was able to answer your prospects’ ‘what if’ questions in such a way that they saw you as the only logical choice for fitness, fatloss or rehabilitation.

Do you think you’d see a massive influx of new clients to your business?

You KNOW you would.

But here’s the thing; most fitness professionals seem to be terrified of offering guarantees on their services. They’re worried about being taken for a ride, having people con them and ask for their money back. “There’s no way you can police your clients/bootcampers 24/7″ they tell me “How can you possibly guarantee your services under these circumstances? You’d go broke in no time!” they tell me.

And the truth is, this IS a possibility.

At least, if your marketing skills are better than your training skills.

If you’re not selective about who you allow to become clients of your company.

If you’re not into offering a service that extends beyond your 30 or 60 minute sessions.

If you’re not willing to create a systematic approach to exercise, nutrition and lifestyle advice that can be replicated and relied upon to deliver predictable and consistent results time and time again.

If you’re not truly interested in seeing each and every one of your clients achieve spectacular results.

If these things apply to you then you’re right. You SHOULDN’T offer a guarantee as you’ll probably become unstuck in no time. However, if you’re not doing or willing to do these things then you’re probably not going to become a success in the fitness profession regardless of what marketing you use as it’s clear you’re not really that passionate about what you do. Sorry!

Look, the times they are a-changing.

Pretty soon you’re going to find it extremely difficult, if not impossible to sell your fitness services the way you do right now; a per session or per course tariff system simply won’t be around in more than a couple of years from now or, if it is, it’ll be a low price commodity rather than a premium rate service.

Why not make today the day you move away from struggling to attract clients and selling commodities and toward having every serious candidate for fitness, fat loss or rehab in your area not only seek you out but come to you ready, willing and able to do business with you and ready to pay top dollar for it?

A Guarantee that answers the ‘what if’ that your prospects hear every time they see your marketing materials is the surest way to make that happen.

So get to it! : )

Dax Moy
Join My FREE Personal Trainer Success Community Today!

Tags: dax moy fitness marketing personal trainer training, personal trainer fitness marketing dax moy

This entry was posted on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 7:21 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.