We just got back from spending a relaxing week on the Oregon coast. Spent a lot of time on the beach playing with my son Andrew, ate plenty of fresh seafood (great crab cakes) and went on several geo caches.
If you don’t know what a geo cache is, imagine it as a worldwide treasure hunt where you search for hidden caches using a handheld GPS and coordinates given to you from a website.
It’s a really cool way to get in a good hike and explore the more scenic areas of the places you visit. You can learn more about geo-cache at: www.geocaching.com.
Enough about my vacation, let’s talk about getting YOU more clients.
While on the parking lot shuttle in the airport last week, my wife and I met a couple who just got back from a Caribbean cruise.
I asked them how the cruise went and the husband pulled up the sleeve of his t-shirt and showed me a large bruise in his armpit area. Apparently he injured himself while working out on day three of the cruise.
If I were still actively training clients, I would have easily had this couple as paying clients. Then I got to thinking. Back in the day when I had my training facilities I got new clients literally everywhere I went.
I’ve gotten clients from a Starbucks (both employees and customers).
I’ve gotten clients from a restaurant (the manager to be exact).
I’ve gotten clients while shopping at a grocery store.
And I’ve gotten clients from many other retail shops that I’ve visited.
Sure, I’ve also gotten rejected and the occasional no thanks, not interested. But more often than not I’ve gotten a name and phone number that later became a consultation appointment.
So let me ask you this: When was the last time that you prospected while buying coffee or groceries, or eating at a restaurant? Or how about your dentist or doctor or their front desk staff? (My dentist was also my client)
Not all of your marketing efforts have to be postcard, ad, or publicity campaigns. Sometimes a little self-promotion goes a long way. The old “Hi how are you?” and a smile is a great conversation starter.
And if you wear your “work shirt” while out and about, or in our case a bright red polo shirt with the words Fitness Trainer on the back, then you’re sure to find yourself in a conversation with someone who wants your services.
Think of all the people that you come into contact with everyday. How many of them do you think want fitness and weight loss solutions? And isn’t that what you offer?
Unless you have someone handing you clients, you’re in the sales and marketing business just as much as the fitness business-and that means self-promotion, self-promotion, self-promotion.
Think about this the next time you’re out and about. Sometimes the easiest marketing tools are the most overlooked 😉
Next week I’ll show you the anatomy of a successful postcard marketing campaign and an actual example that one of my mentorship clients used to get ten new clients in two weeks.