Marketing and Sales Articles

According to the 2008 IDEA Personal Training Programs & Equipment Survey, personal training continues to rank highest among health and fitness programs offered (Schroeder, forthcoming). In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (2007) forecasts a promising future for trainers, estimating a 27% increase in employment of fitness workers ...

It used to be that only those with disposable income availed themselves of personal training services. Now that more middle-class consumers are turning to personal trainers, the field has become even more competitive. That means trainers need to find a way to separate themselves from the pack. One way to do that is to generate more sales. Unfortunately, most trainers are ill-equi...

In recent months, we have all heard these unnerving terms in the media: economic downturn, recession, weak market. The fact is, we are hearing these phrases so often because it’s true: we are in a feeble economy, characterized by sluggish consumer spending and rising unemployment. In fact, according to the Kiplinger Business Resource Center, “The United States economy i...

Obtaining a full client load is a crucial aspect of a personal trainer’s job, but getting those clients can often seem the most laborious and difficult task of all. Whether working the floor at a large, full-service gym or striking out as an independent contractor, each trainer must find a way to attract new clients or all the hard work and dedication put into earning his title will be for naug...

When health club chains announce they are coming to town, what happens to the business of local, independently owned facilities? How can any small business compete when its resources and staff are dwarfed by those of larger outfits? Is there any way to prepare or to level the playing field when dealing with such formidable competition? Be Prepared

Branding. It’s one of today’s hot business buzzwords and often attached to wonder companies like Starbucks, Apple and Nike. But branding isn’t just for the megacompanies. In an increasingly competitive world, branding is equally important to small companies and even individuals in business. In fact, creating and carrying out a great brand is often easier for a small comp...

Recent statistics show that 41.3 million Americans belong to health clubs (IHRSA 2005). If you are a personal fitness trainer (PFT) who works at a fitness facility, you don’t need to go outside the facility’s doors to sell your services. A large potential market is already in the gym, so you just have to figure out how to approach the people right in front of you. The key is t...

Sales By C. Noelle Brownson, with Gary Harvey For example, explain, "I like to think that my coaching services are available to people with a variety of budgets. I find that clients who are motivated and comfortable in the gym need a coaching session only once every week or two and then they can complete the rest of the workouts on their own, checking in with me for a new program at least once eve...

group exercise Visionary Marketing HOW YOU PROMOTE YOUR GROUP FITNESS PROGRAM CREATES AN IMAGE OF YOUR BUSINESS AS A WHOLE. By Maureen Hagan, PT T he emphasis and value you place on programs, classes and instructors says a lot about your business and how you value and treat customers. Existing and prospective members rely on the information you give them to form an opinion and make a decision....

If you’ve ever looked into creating a product for fitness consumers, you’ve probably noticed that this market is saturated with weight-loss and shape-up tool...