Did you know that 99% of businesses fail within the first three years? Not because they’re business idea wasn’t brilliant, but because of poor marketing. Not very promising statistics, hey? After hearing that, I would assume you’re probably not too keen on running out and starting your own business. But before you throw the towel in, let me share with you some key marketing points that will help your business flourish. Seeing as how personal training is totally dependent on the number of clients purchasing your services, I think you’ll find these fitness sales systems especially helpful.
Lead Generation:
Without leads coming through the door, it is very difficult to follow up, complete and close a sale. That being said, your fitness sales system should provide regular lead flow from a variety of sources including both online and offline strategies. Personally, I prefer online strategies. Not only do they reach a larger audience in a shorter time span, but also are far less expensive than traditional marketing strategies. A few online strategies you should consider using include:
- Email Marketing – Specific information and special promotions can both be delivered via email
- Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Linkedin, are all places that you can make a profile, and establish a group of followers. You can develop contacts and develop new leads, as well as post about promotions, special offers, etc.
- Google AdWords – This isn’t for everyone because it can be costly…however, if you’re business has the budget, I would suggest partnering with Google’s paid advertising program to drive leads to your website.
These are just a few suggestions out of many online marketing strategies, as you know that the possibilities online are almost infinite. In addition to online lead generation strategies, you should also do some more traditional marketing such as fliers, promotions, ads in local newspapers, etc. Once you have developed a successful lead generation, you need to work on developing a successful lead conversion. Which leads me to my next point…
Lead Conversion
This is a vital step in your fitness marketing strategy. It’s great if you have a strong lead generation, however it means little if you can’t convert those leads into paying customers. Whether it is your personal responsibility to handle lead conversion for your business, or you have a sales team in charge of it, it is extremely important that you have a plan developed so that you have a high success rate in converting leads.
Once you have a plan developed, it is equally important to follow up on your plan to ensure it is being followed. A great fitness system means nothing if it isn’t adhered to. Furthermore, track the success of different types of lead conversion. There’s no point in continuing a selling technique if it proves to be unsuccessful, right? Tracking this information will make it possible for you to see what works, what doesn’t, and what areas can be approved upon. It will give you the opportunity to make changes to certain techniques over time, so that you can develop the most successful lead conversion rate possible for your business.
Drip Marketing
I’m sure you are already aware that not all people from your lead generation will become paying customers on your first or second follow up attempt. Sometimes, people aren’t ready to become paying customers at the time of your lead conversion efforts, but that doesn’t mean they will NEVER become paying customers. This in mind, you need to be able to convert leads into paying customers over time through successful drip marketing. It is imperative to build a drip marketing system to follow up with all leads that cross your path. Most commonly, drip marketing tactics include emails and mailers containing valuable info, as well as special promotions etc. that interest and catch the eye of your reader.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
It is important to consider pitfalls you may encounter on your success journey so you can plan corresponding solutions. Common fitness sales system pitfalls include:
- Lack of focus in terms of marketing – Instead of overwhelming yourself and doing every marketing strategy known to mankind in the first week, focus on 2-4 marketing techniques to get you going. Once you feel comfortable handling those, add more. It’s better to have a couple solid, well thought out and planned marketing techniques than 50 unorganized ones.
- Lack of preparation – If you have a team of sales people converting leads for you, make sure there is an easy-to-understand plan put in place for them to follow. Remember, failing to plan is planning to fail.
- Lack of tracking – as I mentioned before, if you don’t track what works, what doesn’t, and what improvements need to be made, how are your marketing techniques supposed to get you the clients you need?
Make your business’ fitness sales system a priority and I promise you will see results! Don’t be one of the business owners that gets wrapped up in day-to-day operations and misses opportunities to grow their business successfully. As you create and tweak your own personal traning sales system, keep all the key points mentioned above in mind .