(and What to Do About it) 3 Reasons Your


Prospects Aren’t Showing Up


BY CLAIRE GARRIGAN


“I can’t tonight. I’m washing my hair.” “Oh sorry, I fell asleep.” “Who? What? Er, sorry, wrong number.”


You’ve heard them all right? No, these aren’t lame excuses girls


give to ghost-out on dates. These are the all too familiar sounds of would-be clients who fail to show up to sched- uled appointments. So what’s a personal trainer to do? As much as clock watching and


complaining about AWOL clients seems to be a favourite pastime in our industry, you can help avoid the whole no-show situation by following these three tips.


1 Give them a reason to show up


Of course the first thing potential cli- ents ask about when they call is price. The problem is that if you tell them the cost on the phone, there is no incen- tive for them to meet with you. In their minds they have all the information they need, and there’s no need to meet because all you’ll do is sell to them (and what customer wants that?). The next time you get that call, try


saying something like this: “Sure, I can definitely help you with


that. I have a lot of options available so the cost depends on a few factors....” Then go on to do some mini goal


setting (see next point), followed up by asking for the appointment. “What I’d like to do is invite you in to meet with me so I can go over the different options in more detail and so you can ask me any questions you have. I have time available today at 2:00 or tomor- row afternoon at 5:30. Which one of these works best for you?”


2 Show that there’s value in the appointment


Even if they aren’t paying for the ap- pointment, prospects still need to see the value. Otherwise why would they spend their time with you? Even if this is a paid session, more


people are afraid of wasting their time than wasting their money. People only want to spend their time on something if it’s going to solve a problem. So show them that you have a solu-


tion. This is much more enticing then a “free assessment with a personal trainer that usually costs $99!” What’s valuable to them is their goals, not the number of treadmills you have or your TRX certification. Show the value through mini goal setting. Ask them:


• What’s your number one fitness goal right now?


• How long have you had that goal? • Would you like achieving this goal to coincide with an upcoming event in your life?


Wrap up the conversation by sim-


ply saying, “I can definitely help you with this. When you come in for your appointment we can chat more about your fitness goals, and I can show you


some options that can help you meet them.”


3 Let them know what to expect


When people doesn’t know exactly what to expect in a new situation their imaginations run riot. Prospects come up with all kinds of


scary scenarios: you’re going to crush them in a workout, everyone in the club will be judging them, they’ll look dumb, etc. Combat these ideas by explaining step by step exactly what will happen:


• “I have you down for 2:00pm to- morrow to meet with me, and again my name is Claire.”


• “When you arrive tell the front desk you have an appointment to see me. We’ll start with a quick tour of the facility.”


• “Then we’ll sit down and go over your goals in more detail, and I’ll show you some pricing options.”


• “Then you can let me know if you have any other questions. Whatever you decide to do, we’ll go from there.”


So there you have it. Get ready to


free up your schedule for less clock watching and more training. FBC


Claire Garrigan is a Halifax-based fitness sales coach dedicated to helping fitness profession- als close more sales, make more money and have happier clients all while keeping integrity front of mind. Contact her at www.theselling- fitnessblueprint.com.


November/December 2017 Fitness Business Canada 27


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