Marketing and Sales Articles

You’ve decided to take your business into the 21st century and dip your toe in the social media world. You’ve mapped out your objectives, identified your audiences and created the messages necessary for a strategic communications campaign. Now, how do you effectively use all of the tools at your disposal to implement a campaign that’s as effective as possible?newsletter_teaser: You’ve decided to take your business into the 21st century and dip your toe in the social media world. You’ve mapped out your objectives, identified your audiences and created the messages necessary for a strategic communications campaign. Now, how do you effectively use all of the tools at your disposal to implement a campaign that’s as effective as possible?

Fitness professionals: Do you market your services by emphasizing the long-term health benefits of physical activity? If so, you’re not alone. Healthcare, business and public-health professionals have presumed that promoting the health and longevity benefits of exercise will motivate people to get moving. As it turns out, a different message might be more effective. A new University of Michigan (U-M) study has found that the most convincing exercise messages focus on immediate benefits that enhance daily quality of life. newsletter_teaser: Fitness professionals: Do you market your services by emphasizing the long-term health benefits of physical activity? If so, you’re not alone. Healthcare, business and public-health professionals have presumed that promoting the health and longevity benefits of exercise will motivate people to get moving. As it turns out, a different message might be more effective. A new University of Michigan (U-M) study has found that the most convincing exercise messages focus on immediate benefits that enhance daily quality of life.

The growing prevalence of social media is having a tremendous influence on how we get our news, the way we communicate and our behavior as consumers. In the business world, the impacts of social media are just starting to be felt, but the recent economic downturn has definitely sparked growth in the use of it as a marketing tool.

The term social media typically refers to popular online tools like Facebook and Twitter™. However, social media broadly includes any form of media used to communicate and interact with an audience. When fitness professionals leverage social media tools to engage clients, colleagues and fitness enthusiasts, the resulting increase in the pros’ online presence can further their career opportunities. This is why IDEA FitnessConnect offers a range of social media tools to assist fitness professionals in generating new business.

IDEA FitnessConnect (IFC) is reaching greater audiences by syndicating its information to top health and fitness websites. Think of it as embedding the directory within a third-party site, making it easier for fitness professionals to reach potential clients in high-traffic areas. This also positions many fitness pros in front of new markets. You can select which websites display your profile information. By clicking on “Privacy Settings” in your profile page, you can enable (or disable) your profile on each website.

One of the best sales lessons I ever learned came from watching an amateur 10K race from the finish line. The winning runners made excellent times, easily cruising across the finish line while barely breaking a sweat. The next group had obviously undertrained and overpushed, stumbling to the race’s end flushed and sometimes physically ill. Last were those who clearly embraced the joys of strolling and socializing, but who seemed unconcerned about how well they finished.

FFitness professionals often use success stories and client testimonials to strike an emotional chord with potential clients. Personal trainers who incorporate these elements into their pitches (often via “brag books”) may find them powerful during new-client interviews or business development meetings, according to Derrick Wilburn, MBA, IDEA presenter and director of education for Achieve Fitness USA (Wilburn 2010). But what if potential clients or business partners do their initial research about you over the Web?

According to the 2010 IDEA Personal Training Programs & Equipment Trends report [IDEA Trainer Success, September 2010], only 19% of respondents offer online training programs. Nearly 50% provide online client reminders and information. These data may seem unimpressive now, but IDEA member Jason Bosley-Smith, CSCS, believes the Internet is the perfect venue for business growth. He recently traded his brick-and-mortar training facility for www.thefitrx.com, a website that provides online coaching and training, among other offerings.

Fitness professionals are not the only ones maintaining profiles on IDEA FitnessConnect. Program directors and club owners are also leveraging their clubs’ presence in this directory to feature staff, increase member leads and reinforce marketing efforts.

“Close” is a worrisome word in sales, often evoking cringe-worthy images of high-pressure boiler-room selling tactics, used-car lots and plaid suits. Canned one-liners aside, the “close” is simply the final part of a conversation when you ask the big question, “Yes or no?” As this involves securing both a decision and money, it can be the most stressful part of selling for both fitness pro and customer.