So many times when a fitness professional loses the sale it’s because of one or two things:
1.) they don’t quite believe themselves that they can help the prospect they’re trying to close
2.) they miss the boat and swing for the sale before they’ve even created a relationship with the prospect
So which is it most often for you?
If you aren’t quite believing the fact you have it in you to help this person, there’s no shame in not being able to help all the people all the time. But if you need to emerge yourself with peers and learn new information and test yourself to get the confidence you need in order to sell yourself, first to you then to someone else.
Most trainers don’t love selling. If that’s true for you, you are not alone. If you focus on problem solving and how you will help the client reach their goals or overcome their challenge you’ll be doing the part of the job you love most, and in the end you will also close more sales.
Reframe your thinking about why you are saying what you do during a sale. You’re gathering information. Your listening to what’s important to them. You’re asking the right questions in response to learn more. You’re paraphrasing so that you can be sure you got it right and they will feel heard. You don’t nees a sales ‘pitch’ to do that.
Yes, you do need to have a system. You need to rehearse and role play. The reason for that is so that having a conversation that is natural an unrehearsed is the outcome. When you go to a movie- a good one, it seems real, right? But you know they had a script and they rehearsed it and memorized it…until it sounded like them and natural. Once you Have nailed the basics then you can deal with anything that comes up much easier because situations might be similar but no two will be exactly alike.
Learn why they are talking to you today.
Learn what they want and why it’s important to them.
Learn their history and what they’ve tried in the past.
Find out the real value of the results that they want.
Find out if anything will get in the way of them getting it.
Then suggest a training program that makes the most sense for them.
If you have to find an alternative or second best, do that. But start with what you as a professional trainer believe is best and work from there.