Got Referrals?

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by Nicki Anderson

If you want your clients to spread the word about you, make sure that they find value in every aspect of your services.

Have you ever thought, “I know I’m a good trainer, so why don’t my clients tell others about me?” Yes, increasing your number of referrals can be one of the most frustrating challenges of this business.

For example, I once offered my clients complimentary sessions in exchange for referrals, yet interest remained low. On other occasions, I tried various other “freebies,” thinking that referred clients would knock down my front door, but the onslaught of fresh faces just was not in the stars. Eventually, I realized that the problem was neither my clients nor the stars. It was me.

Do They Think Enough of Your Services?

I set my ego aside and posted a subtle yet clear questionnaire to discover why my active clients were not referring more new clients. Almost all of the responses were “I never think about it” or “My friends can’t afford a trainer” or “My friends are lazy and never work out.” In these responses, I saw a common thread: lack of perceived value.

If a client’s personal training sessions improved the quality of her life, why wouldn’t she “think about it”? If a client’s friend were lazy, why wouldn’t he share his insight on the value of consistent exercise? I had a response to each of the specific reasons given, but my clients obviously did not see enough value in their own personal training sessions to recommend me. This was not good.

I explicitly asked my clients why they continued to pay me $60 per session when they didn’t see the value in it. They focused on how nice I was (value) and how great the sessions were for stress management (value). However, they also mentioned that their training sessions with me were the only times when they worked out. Oops. Here I was, educating my clients about the importance of consistent exercise, and they were exercising only during the one or two times a week when they saw me. It couldn’t be just their fault. I began to realize that, as their trainer, I might not have been clear on my value and responsibility.

Perception Is Everything

Think about your favorite restaurant. Why do you keep going back? Is it the food? The service? The ambiance? Whether it’s just one of these or all of them, you perceive a value that brings you back again and again. You’ve probably even told your friends about that fabulous restaurant, right?

Whether it’s a restaurant, your training studio or a shoe store in a mall, the marketing secret is the same: You have to determine what you provide to make your clients want to send their friends and family over in droves. Ultimately, you’ll identify value and service points similar to those things that your favorite restaurant extends to make you want to come back and share the experience with others. If you aren’t getting as many referrals as you would like, ask yourself these questions:

When a client comes through my door, how is my greeting? What is my facility environment like? Is it clean and updated?

Do I review goals with the client on a regular basis? (You need to remind the client why he came to you in the first place. If he is not meeting his goals, why not?)

What do I bring to personal training sessions to make me so outstanding that I ought to get referrals left and right?

What do I do for my clients when they are not here? Do I give them “homework” to keep them motivated and on track? Do I e-mail them during the week?

Do I give 150 percent at each session or simply go through the motions?

Have I made worthwhile accomplishments with my clients, or do they come back simply because I’m fun to talk to?

I would think that the last question is a very common issue for PFTs. As trainers, we love the gift of gab, but, after a few sessions, it isn’t necessarily a value any longer. Clients first come through your door because they want to make changes, and your job is to lay reality out for them. You can share what the possibilities are but must keep them on the straight and narrow.

In other words, never promise anything that you cannot deliver. If you can motivate your clients to make changes, they will see value in your service. On the other hand, if a client isn’t willing to do the work, it’s probably best to part ways. Never hang on to clients who don’t make progress or don’t feel that they get value from your service. They are the worst PR for your business.

Another potential trap is a client who has grand notions about his potential results when he signs on with you but never achieves them. Because he thinks that you have a great personality and that he can share his woes with you each week for much less than a licensed therapist charges, he stays with you. However, is there really any value in that for either of you? It certainly will not induce him to send others your way.

Make It All Count

You don’t have to do the obvious things to add to your value. Personal touches, such as sending a client a card on her birthday or anniversary or sending a note of congratulations once she reaches a specific goal, enhance perceived value as well. You can also provide educational or motivational articles regularly, give clients a water bottle when they come to work out and review clients’ goals with them every other month. Consistent excellence in your service increases your value.

Bottom line: The service that you provide must be above and beyond your clients’ expectations. Once it is, they will see the value in what you do and what you provide. Believing that the service they get from you cannot be found anywhere else adds to their perceived value of your business. Even your continuing education is an added value. As long as everything you do contributes to your clients’ success in some way, those referrals should knock down your door!