coffeehouse or to place an ad in the newspaper (and hope the phone starts ringing off the hook) than it is to at- tend a networking event. What most trainers don’t under-
stand is that the poster or advertise- ment approach is actually the hard- est way to find clients. It costs money, and you have to break through all the white noise and clutter of other mar- keting messages that bombard people each day.
But I’m a trainer not a salesperson If there’s one issue that always pops
up when I suggest that trainers get out and meet people, it’s the perception that they have to sell. The word “sell” sets most trainers into panic mode and they say, “Hold on, I’m a trainer, not a salesperson. I don’t like to sell.” Yes, I understand the feeling behind that statement. But if you don’t sell your services, how will you pay the bills? Selling is a natural part of client-
trainer relationship building. After all, personal training is a service. You went to school to become certified and at some point were hoping to make money from it, right? People know you aren’t going to work for free. They ex- pect to pay for your time. But wait, this article isn’t about
how to sell without selling. It’s about connecting with people first and not thinking about selling them anything. Use the following steps to get started:
1) Meet lots of people 2) Connect with them 3) Build a relationship
People
“WHEN YOU BUILD A RELATIONSHIP, YOUR INTENT IS NOT TO SELL BUT TO GET TO KNOW SOMEONE. YOUR MOTIVES SHOULD BE PURE AND FOCUSED ON MAKING A CONNECTION.”
Step 2: Connect with them
Once you meet and start the conver- sation, find a common interest. This is something you already know how to do because you’ve met strangers hundreds of times before and taken the time to learn more about them. It’s natural to want to find out more about people you’ve just met; you explore a topic you both have in common so you can keep the conversation going. Good listening skills and the abil-
ity to ask questions are really help- ful when striking up a conversation. Nobody likes an over-talker who dom- inates a conversation and never lets you say a word. It’s frustrating because you don’t feel like an equal in the con- versation. If you have a tendency to do all the lip-flapping, teach yourself to listen more actively. Trust me, people appreciate it! Being genuine in conversation is
important too. People can sniff out fakes from miles away. If you are fak- ing interest, faking listening or gener- ally faking trying to connect with a person, it won’t work. Just be yourself, and be curious to learn more about the person.
Step 1: Meet lots of Step 3: Build a
When you meet new people, the con- versation naturally gravitates to what you each do for a living. If you can ar- ticulate your job and services clearly, people will be interested and will likely ask more questions. This isn’t the point where you start
a sales pitch (and make people feel uncomfortable). Not at all! Instead, your job is to turn that stranger into a friend. If there’s a good fit for your services, then down the road you can turn that friend into a customer. If not, perhaps one of their friends will be in- terested in training.
Relationship
The beauty of building a relationship is that you aren’t hounding people to make a sale. You’re moving through the progression of meeting a strang- er, turning that stranger into a friend and, if there’s a good fit, perhaps that friend will become a customer. There’s no rush. Connect with that person often –
maybe over coffee, lunch or even a walk. Seek to help them in any way you can, and if they’re serious about wanting to train with you, offer them a sample ses- sion to give them a taste of what you of- fer. Make that experience enjoyable and memorable and they’ll want more.
When you build a relationship, your
intent is not to sell but to get to know someone. Your motives should be pure and focused on making a connection. Take the time to build the relationship and don’t worry about selling.
The process I’m discussing doesn’t
require a business card, brochure, flyer or website. These things are nice to have, but you can still get started if your marketing materials are yet ready. Don’t let excuses or plain old fear or lack of confidence get in your way. As the old expression goes, “Feel the fear, and do it anyway.” I am sharing this information be-
cause as a business coach I find many good trainers struggle to find clients, and they get discouraged when they can’t make their financial commit- ments. They think a business card will make the difference between get- ting clients and not getting clients. It doesn’t. If you think you can’t start gathering clients until you have a business card then you’re right. Why? Because you’re not getting out there and meeting people. Yes, always take your business cards
with you once you have them. But if you don’t have them yet, don’t let that stop you. When people ask for your contact information, ask for their cards instead or be creative and create a few personalized, hand-written VIP invi- tations for coffee, lunch or a sample 30-minute session. Be different, inno- vative and creative. Now go out there and start turning
strangers into friends and friends into lifelong, loyal customers. FBC
Donna Hutchinson is the author of The How-To Guide To Starting A Personal Training Business. She is a fitness business marketing coach and works exclusively with fitness industry profes- sionals looking to start, grow and operate prof- itable personal training businesses. Contact her at
www.edgefit.ca.
March/April 2011 Fitness Business Canada 39
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