When you run your own business, converting your hard-earned marketing leads into paying clients is a really important skill to have in your kit. Now there are whole businesses out there that specialise in teaching trainers this process and perhaps they are very good at teaching you to convince people to buy. You will find no-doubt they are effective, sales mind-tricks have never really sat well with me.

What I want to show you today is the variety of questions that I developed in my business that every trainer could use to confidently convert their leads without resorting to ninja mind tricks. I feel comfortable that way (because it shows the client you actually care) and I also know that our conversion rate by using these 4 questions is consistently above 80%. Let’s get cracking on the keys to fitness marketing…

Let me set the scene:

“It’s January 2010 and you are have just launched three new marketing strategies to find the year off to a good start and make the most of the new year resolution weight loss rush. You have set up promo for the local businesses close to you, you have written an article from my newspaper and you have contacted your entire database with a new Year promo offer.

As your entire planning and hard worked has now been put into action, you sit with your fingers crossed. Hoping like mad that this marketing mix and your regular lead generators will provide you enough leads to possess a strong start to the year….. and then the phone rings and you smile to yourself with excitement.”

Ok, now it’s time to access work. You planned long and worked hard to generate these leads, so converting everyone of them is your goal. One thing you need to do is forget about your business, forget about making money, forget about how many clients you need just to break even. You have to clear your mind of all that because the phone conversation you are about to have needs to be completely focused on one person – the lead.

Before we even get into the questions, the golden rule of any type of interaction is to develop some rapport with your lead. Now this serves to relax the lead (the majority of people WILL be nervous about calling a trainer the very first time) also to relax you. Ask them where they are calling from? How there Christmas break was? Did they go anywhere? Is this Fitness Marketing? yes it is.

After you have had a little chat (and sometimes in case you are both feeling good, twenty-four hours a day chat for 5 mins), it is time to get into the questions. Now commonly, people will ring up and simply state:

“I am just ringing to discover how much your personal training sessions are?”

This little gem is probably the major reasons why I started to implement the four questions. When I am confronted with this one, I answer with a question:

“Before I get into all the, can I ask you when you have had a personal trainer before?”

Now I normally don’t like answering people back with a question, but in this circumstance you should regain control of the conversation and get the lead to begin to start to talk about themselves a little. So a respectful spin towards the conversation can greatly assist.

So to the first of our four questions:

Question 1

Can I ask should you have had a personal trainer before?

And if they so no, phone:

Have you used a gym or boot camp before?

If you still get a no, try the last option:

Have you exercised before?

Now depending on their level of training experience, they’ve got had a trainer, used a gym or boot camp at least done some exercise before. So question one is focused on establishing a basic exercise history you could build your conversion on. Once they have answered your initial question, you then ask another question based on their answer…

Question 2

Why did you leave your last trainer / gym / boot camp?

The funny thing about human nature is that we tend to enjoy bitching and moaning about things. Now me, I can’t stand it. But if you ask most people about a bad experience, they will advise you with great detail. Here is the opportunity to determine what your leads views as important it a service (all in their own personal words).

“I just found that they weren’t very punctual with starting my sessions on time and with re-assessments”

“That’s terrible, I don’t blame you. How were the results?”

“Ok to start of with but after while I sort of felt like a forgotten client”

So with a simple little investigation, you will understand that this lead places great importance on session punctuality, assessments and an on-going customer service experience (as all clients should). You can ask many questions from their initial answer to determine a number of great detail’s about how your lead ticks. Whilst, your lead is thinking “this trainer actually cares about me” which happens to be true (and rare).

The more open questions you ask; your lead will become more relaxed and confident that you really are the solution to their problem.

Question 3

What do you need to leave of your training?

Heard that before? I bet they have too. And here , you are free to take the conversation to another level. Establish what their goals are and then the next phase is to really investigate what this goal means to the lead. Some further questions you could ask here are:

-Have you achieved this goal previously?

-What has previously stopped you achieving this goal?

-Why would you like to do this goal?

-When was the last time you achieved this goal?

These additional questions will then give your lead further opportunity to discuss with you the REAL reasons why they would like to start training. Every client wants to achieve something – the skill is to establish what that something means to them in this first conversation. For implementing this, by finding the time to have this discussion with your lead, you will create a relationship where trust and care are the foundations of your business.

This creates loyal, passionate clients who love to tell their friends about your service because you do more than anyone else ever has for them. Just ask and listen. When you have listened, it is now time to outline your services focusing on the areas that are important to your lead (because you just wrote them all down J).

Question 4

In a perfect world, would you’d rather train in the mornings or later in the day?

This question will depend on the assumption that they’ll start training. If you are getting good vibes from the lead you can then attempt to book them into their chosen timeslot. If they need some more convincing, after that you can start to field any questions that they may have.

Make certain you use the information they’ve provided you as your triggers to them and don’t like in a service and simply play to your strengths. Sometimes a complimentary session is needed and sometimes people want to consider it overnight. If someone wants to take into account it, ask them when it is Ok to give them a call at … pm tomorrow to check in. Try to always make a sale, comp session booking or return call time. That way you always stay in the loop.

Now these four questions have served me well through the years. I know you too can feel comfortable talking to people about their exercise history, what they wish to achieve and why it is important to them.

Now I am certain that you’re using or have heard a version of these questions before, they aren’t new to our industry. The real power of these questions lies in the depth of the investigation. The more you dig and discover, the more information you receive and the more your lead feels like you care about their needs (which is true). I believe that this simple fact of digging a little deeper in addition to touching the surface with people ‘s that this approach converts so well.

No bullshit, no sales – just treating people with the respect and time that they deserve. THis is the key to Fitness marketing and having great customers to show.

The UK’s largest privately owned health club group, Fitness First, has signed a deal with Volkswagen Vans  and Audi to supply company cars to its staff over the next four years.  Over this time, Fitness First will take on 190 new vehicles to gym managers and staff at its 160 sites across the UK.

The vehicles, which range from Volkswagen Golf 1.6-litre TDI to Audi A4 models were selected after a tender process which took into consideration not only the vehicles themselves but also, and just as important, the manufacturers’ aftersales and support networks.

Fitness First’s HR director Neil Tune, explains: ‘We treasured to acquire vehicles which were reliable, of high lineament and with competitive whole-life costs.  But they also needed to be desirable for our drivers and to reflect the qualities of our own company.  The dual badge deal with Volkswagen and Audi allows us to select a variety of cars in line with our five-tier company car social system and we were also very impressed with retailers who are creditworthy for the supply of the cars.’

next initial negotiations with the fleet departments at Volkswagen and Audi, the vehicles will be supplied through Breeze Volkswagen and Poole Audi which are both ready close to Fitness First’s head office in Poole, Dorset.  They have been financed through Lex on a three-year contract hire basis and Lex will also be responsible for the vehicles’ service and maintenance via its Auto Van Leasing  network.

Tune continues: ‘Breeze VW Vans  and Poole Audi have been extremely helpful.  Their standards of client?s service are second to none and I’m happy that these local businesses have been so tight involved in the transaction and these vehicle will be a worthy addition to our van lease fleet

Years ago, before I knew what I now know I was focussing a lot of energy on doing Cardio because I head heard that was what the Pros did in order to get ripped quick.

Of course, I now realize that Cardio is but one of the Four main factors that you must consider when trying to get shredded. Namely:

• Diet

• Cardio

• Exercise

• Rest Time

This article will show you 4 simple little adjustments you can make to all of the above that will accelerate your fat loss to a whole new level.

(This is just one of the many tips, strategies and techniques found in the acclaimed Underground Secrets of Bodybuilding System)

Wise Man Once Say…

I used to be obsessed with Cardio exercise. I lifted weights – sure. But honestly I believed back then that the only way I was going to get lean was to hit that Treadmill longer and harder than the next guy.

The Gym owner watched me do this for a number of weeks, and truthfully I was becoming frustrated with my lack of visible progress.

He took me to one side and told me something that has stayed with me ever since.

‘What is the point of all that Cardio to burn 250 Calories when your post workout shake contains 500?’

It stopped me dead in my tracks.

Of course, what he was telling me was that it is crazy to expect to lose fat when you are putting in more calories than you are expending.

From that day on I promised to myself I would research every aspect of Muscle Building and Fat Loss and concentrate on proven principles that worked for me.

Change These 4 Little Things and Double Your Fat Loss In 4 Weeks

Split Your Plate

A really useful technique is to imagine your plate is cut into four sections.

Quarter One should have your Protein. Quarter Two your slow release Carbs. Quarters Three and Four should have only Vegetables.

That way, you can be sure that you are getting the full range of nutrients that your body needs to build muscle and are only consuming enough Carbs to supply you with much needed energy. Thus effectively motivating Fat Loss.

Use Daily Life As A Cardio Workout

Here’s another great tip that I have never forgotten and I use it every day.

‘Never take another Elevator in your life.’

This one minor adjustment to your life will have you burning Calories even when you don’t realize it.

Never get in another Elevator. Always take the Stairs.

Plus, pick up the pace of your walking speed by 10% and that in itself will greatly increase your fat loss.

Cycle Your Weight Training

People love to lift heavy. It’s a fact of Bodybuilding that whether we admit it or not, there is something primarily masculine about lifting the heaviest weights possible every time we go to the Gym.

However, when your goal is to get ripped quick you need to be performing more sessions of high volume, high rep training. This means using a lighter weight but you will be burning extreme amounts of Calories and bringing definition to your muscle groups.

Sleep For the Right Amount Of Time

Most of us know the importance of a good night sleep in relation to muscle building and fat loss. However, what people don’t realize is that the body’s sleep cycles happen in 1.5 hour bursts. This means that in order for your body to release HGH (Human Growth Hormone) you need to be sleeping in 1.5 hour sessions. So Seven and a Half hours is always better for you than Seven and Nine Hours is better than Eight and a Half.

THE SECRET

There are many Underground Bodybuilding Muscle Gain and Fat Loss Secrets that the majority of people are totally unaware of.

If you are interested in these and a full Bodybuilding system that includes an extensive guide to supplements, a detailed nutritional program, a complete weight training regimen, a full motivational action plan, practical day to day tips and full email personal training support then visit www.truthfulcomparisons.com

 This system has taken the fitness industry by storm and has helped thousands achieve the dream physique they never thought was possible.

Plus there is a great eBook and audio course that you can get for free when you visit.