How did today go? First Monday in January? Pretty darn good, I’m hoping, or you need to call, text or stop by right away for some business first aid!
This is the time to shine! Everyone is fresh, excited, ready to tackle new goals! They’re calling, emailing, stopping by the front desk….right?
Get over yourself! Don’t settle into thinking, this is great and this is going to be a great year…just yet. This is not really a result of everything you’ve been doing yet. This is a result of being in the right place (fitness business) at the right time (January). People will come to you right now- keeping them and keeping your dance card full is important.
While you have this momentum- it’s fun to be tired from working and talking and helping clients all day right? – use the extra little spring in your step to do something MORE every day. Send out 10 postcards from people you still haven’t heard from yet. People who maybe you send something to before the end of the year but didn’t respond. That card expired. They were at grandma’s and they won’t call to find out if you’ll honor it, they’ll throw it away. But if you try again and remind them again they may be ready to act. Follow your gut feeling. when you go through the prospect list; you know who is a good bet, who needs it and knows it. Offer them something- 10% off a training package, a no risk one group session trial before they register.
If you’re going to get different results, you have to be different, do things differently. Go the extra mile today and make this a great year, not a great start out of the gate and a DNF at the end.
Encourage New Year’s Resolutions! Today I overheard a fitness pro say “Don’t have them make New Year’s Resolutions; 97% of them fail.” That’s not the answer! Just don’t make them using the same formula that 97% of people use!!! Do it differently! Teach people how to make resolutions that stick and become a part of life. You know how to teach effective goal setting. New Year’s Resolutions are wonderful…they let everyone start again- and you can do it every month or week. In fact, don’t you do that every day?
1. Write and send out 5 postcards for a discount or special offer every day this week. (= 35 marketing pieces to 35 specific people you know)
2. Call everyone who took the holidays “off” and get them on the calendar for the rest of the month. Don’t book one session at a time, book the rest of the month, and ideally the rest of the package they have now. (=more contact hours in your schedule right now)
3. Ask for referrals, ask a client to bring a friend to a session if they’d like to try partner training as a fun way to combine social time and a workout, book your current clients for higher frequency of training this month while they are excited and get them to use that momentum to get results they love! (=filling your schedule by contacting the people who already love you)
4. Add one session a week, or even half a session a week and talk about “the rest.” Work on their nutrition by reviewing their diet logbook. Focus on sleep, stress, ways to make the office, kitchen and eating out healthier. They’re exited about seeing results now and need your help in seeing how to do it with small changes. (increasing your hours, allowing you to have greater influence over their complete wellness)
Keep campaigning! You haven’t won the homecoming queen award yet, but you’re in the court!
Make time for your own workout!