Disclaimer: I am still fleshing out my business blog, so for now I will post on my fitness blog, the ability to market is critical. Some of the common mistakes entrepreneurs make will be listed below.
Although, this article, is geared towards personal trainers, you can replace the word personal trainer, with your profession and title.
In general most people don’t know how to market, or think they don’t know how to market. This results in them spending money on pyramid schemes or people who call themselves “business/marketing gurus”.
This post is going to paint in broad strokes, why most trainers and entrepreneurs fail in their endeavors.
Why do you need to understand marketing?
The answer is simple once you have a workable plan, you can effortlessly increase your sales, and quality of life without scrambling every month.
You get to train the type of clients that keep you passionate about your craft. Which will keep you from burning out.
Top reasons that keep personal trainers from understanding marketing and succeeding.
You don’t understand what marketing is, so you keep buying programs off Facebook, and other websites. Even though they clearly scream out scam.
You don’t understand what working from, and revising a marketing plan will do for you and your business.
You don’t understand what kinds of benefits you can reap, from marketing.
The Simplest Definition of What marketing a service looks like
The goal of marketing is putting out information, in such a manner that it only or mostly attracts the kind of clients you actually want
One important question, to ask yourself.
Are you the kind of person, that you’d want to buy from?
If the question is no, than you need to make a list of the things you need to change, before continuing with this post.
What marketing looks like
The goal of any marketing campaign is to do the following:
Present information, in a way that engages your potential customers.
Qualifies your potential clients so you train more of your desired demographic.
Aligns your services and interests with your potential clients.
What marketing isn’t
Mindlessly following trends, and fads.
Clout chasing, doing things for likes and social media fame.
Trying to look like a successful business owner, by being flashy, and spending more money on flashy trinkets, vs investing in your business or craft.
How to present information, in a way that engages
Most of the time, having an ego, being self-absorbed will kill any business. So I always advise entrepreneurs to avoid being egotistical.
Over the past 7 years I’ve sold more training, by being empathetic and sympathetic to what my clients needs are. While, in the same amount of time, I’ve seen countless trainers, over promise, and under deliver results.
When presenting information to your potential clients whether its online or in person, its important to understand your their needs.
Most trainers talk exclusively about what they can do, and don’t ask what their potential customers needs are. The reason for finding out their needs, should go without saying, you won’t grow a business by thinking the world revolves around you, like a toddler.
Qualifying Clients
Qualifying clients , refers to making sure you guys are a good fit. There is nothing that will cause karma to rear, its ugly head, more than a money hungry personal trainer or entrepreneur.
When you make sure you have clients, who are a perfect match, for you with in reason, you’ll never get tired or burned out. Your passion for your craft will only increase, and refunds and headaches from clients are non existent.
The problems with most trainers is they will absolutely take anyone, and do things outside of their expertise. This will only hurt your business, because the likely hood of getting good testimonials and reviews will be near impossible.
Qualifying, means asking specific questions and explaining to your potential client how you personally run your business. This will ensure there are no misunderstandings, or problems, later.
Align your services with the needs of your clients
A lot of trainers, don’t go after their true demographic. while working in any gym or for yourself. You have to figure out what needs, you can fulfill that will still keep you happy and satisfied at the end of the day.
If you don’t appeal to the readily available market, you’ll never succeed.
What marketing is not
Marketing is not copying what others are doing and hoping it works, its not following trends and buying cheap or sometimes expensive BS how to get rich schemes either.
It’s not clout chasing, and thinking you know it all neither.
In the next posts I will go over simple ways of generating and picking up new clients.
This concludes you don’t know how to market.
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