Personal Fitness Professional - January 2008 - (Page 20) elementary, my dear W ATSON J Acquiring clients may not seem effortless to you, DETECTING NEW WAYS ON HOW TO ACQUIRE CLIENTS | BY MARILYN GANSEL but I have a feeling that if Sherlock Holmes, the remarkable detective in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s murder mysteries, were commissioned to attain clients for your gym or personal training studio, he might respond with “Elementary, my dear Dr. Watson!” Why? Sherlock Holmes was a sleuth who looked beyond the obvious clues. His method of deducing the obvious and using evidence as a means to investigate further is one that we as fitness professionals can employ to our advantage. Looking beyond the “obvious” and looking for the “opportunities” may well be a logical step to client acquisition. Let’s consider some investigative methods to attract new clients: EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE A CONTEST WINNER Contests are fun, exciting and motivating, and they can be held several times a year. You can hold your contest for short periods of time — 12 weeks, for example. Each challenge can have a different theme, but the best part of the competition is the participants working together as a team. Provide a goal for each competing group, and find prizes within your community to serve as a reward. Where do you find the contestants? Look in your community; enlist firemen, policemen, school teachers, town officials, chamber members, realtors, library staff, doctors and postal workers. The list is endless. IT’S ALL IN THE WORD Advertising is costly. Besides, print, television and radio ads are often seen or heard once by a reader or viewer. And, unless you have an unlimited budget and can run your ad several times a month, these ads may not provide you with the results you hoped for and can also quickly deplete your bank account. It is also my experience that people do not use your services based on a print or broadcast. They don’t know you, your educational background or your expertise. In my experience, word-of-mouth and referrals from current clients are the best way to publicize. I offer each client who sends me more clients a complimentary one-hour personal training session as a way of saying “thank you.” This is a win-win for both the client and me. Just think: a referral costs nothing, and the result is a new client who has heard of my reputation as an elite fitness professional and has seen a transformation JAN-FEB2008 · WWW.FIT-PRO.COM in the referring client. Plus, the client who referred a family member or friend receives a free one-hour session. Get the word out by telling clients about your referral program, but also remember to continue distributing your business cards to everyone you meet and leaving current promotional materials at doctors’ offices, libraries and retail businesses. You can also invite physicians, physical therapists and alternative care providers for a short, half hour, introductory, complimentary session. That way, they experience your training method and can enthusiastically tell their friends and patients about you. MEET AND GREET Training pays the bills, but you cannot spend every hour of your day executing workouts — you need to add to your client base. After all, clients leave on vacation; many have second homes and can be gone for an extended period. Clients also relocate. People become ill or, for financial reasons, discontinue training. So how do you restock, so to speak? Get out and about! Join your local chamber of commerce. Become active in community activities, charities and events. Be proactive — this is a handson, practical approach to finding clients. You need to be seen. You need to be heard. Engage in conversations with everyone you meet and greet about what you do. Exhibit your passion. Promote yourself without seeming egotistical. Be real and true to what you believe in. Networking groups are another way for you to introduce yourself to other businesses. 20 http://WWW.FIT-PRO.COM
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