"Oh, well let me think about it"

[djz]

When you get there, is the answer usually NO? When someone tells you "oh, well let me think about it", what are the chances of you hearing back from them? Is giving someone time to think about it, a bad thing, because they'll find tons of excuses to not do it?

[KyleAaron]

You won't hear from them again. It's just a non-confrontational way of saying, "no."

Don't pressure them, just leave them to it. They won't be a client, but if you're pushy word gets around, if you're laid-back and non-desperate, people get interested.

[bartwaldon]

You won't hear from them again. It's just a non-confrontational way of saying, "no."

Don't pressure them, just leave them to it. They won't be a client, but if you're pushy word gets around, if you're laid-back and non-desperate, people get interested.

That's good thinking!

[PerFit]

If you ever let a client say that to you, you have not prequalified them correctly

[Mr.ILL]

You won't hear from them again. It's just a non-confrontational way of saying, "no."

Don't pressure them, just leave them to it. They won't be a client, but if you're pushy word gets around, if you're laid-back and non-desperate, people get interested.

This. ^^ and that

[Keltron]

It's pointless to pursue after that.
But oddly enough, I've actually had about 4 people total who actually thought about it and ended up buying... few and far between though..

[Simmo0508]

If you ever let a client say that to you, you have not prequalified them correctly

This.

Gotta know where you stand in terms of the possible refusals, before they even book their consultation. Things like money + time should be discussed prior, during that pre-qualifying stage.

[KyleAaron]

Depends where you are, you mightn't get to prequalify them. Self-employed, you bet. Employed by a gym? Whoever comes through or is around, that's who you're talking to, no prequals happening.

[bigw10921]

You need to find out what it is they need to think about..

[WoofieNugget]

"I need to think about it" means they have another objection or reason for not buying that you haven't uncovered yet. If you can probe just a bit more and find the real reason and take care of it plus ask for the sale often you can turn this around.

Using the line "what is it you need to think about? I want to make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision." will usually prompt them to tell you the real reason. "Well, it's a lot of money", "well, I need to talk to my wife", "well, blah blah blah". Overcome one more time and then if they still aren't going to budge, let them go. Just don't give up on the first no.

[tentex87]

What do y'all mean by pre qualify? Does this mean determining if they are interested in training before scheduling an assessment with them?

[Keltron]

"I need to think about it" means they have another objection or reason for not buying that you haven't uncovered yet. If you can probe just a bit more and find the real reason and take care of it plus ask for the sale often you can turn this around.

Using the line "what is it you need to think about? I want to make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision." will usually prompt them to tell you the real reason. "Well, it's a lot of money", "well, I need to talk to my wife", "well, blah blah blah". Overcome one more time and then if they still aren't going to budge, let them go. Just don't give up on the first no.

This is salesman stuff right here. A salesman is someone who's product doesn't sell itself.

If I get a no, I just let it go... because the next person always buys

[bigw10921]

Sometimes, No means ,not right now..I never close the door behind me..Uncover and address their fears and objections..Objections are different than conditions..Objections are, fear, not being sure...etc..Conditions are,,,Broke..etc

[Keltron]

Sometimes, No means ,not right now..I never close the door behind me..Uncover and address their fears and objections..Objections are different than conditions..Objections are, fear, not being sure...etc..Conditions are,,,Broke..etc

well, I guess you're right about that.
Are you a trainer yourself?

[ggecko22]

This is salesman stuff right here. A salesman is someone who's product doesn't sell itself.

If I get a no, I just let it go... because the next person always buys

Ya, it is being a salesman. To succeed in life, you have to be a little aggressive at times, you cant just sit back and pray things work themselves out- you have to make them hapen. I'm not saying come off as a car salesman, but you can be persuasive with tact and class. Look, if the person is overweight and/ or has no clue what they're doing, the bottom line is that they do in fact need a trainer- if not to help them reduce their risks of a slew of diseases, then, at the very least, to preent them from wasting their time and being non-productive at the gym. With that being said, if they initially say no, there is an underlying reason why they are hesitating- it is too expensive, theyre not sure the have the time, theyre afraid of failing again, theyre not confident in your ability to help them, etc, etc. Probe a little, knowing that they are in need of your help, find out what the objection is, and overcome it. If, the whole time, you keep in mind that you truly are trying to help the person and forget about the $, you should come off as genuine and sincere, not like a "salesman". EVERYTHING in life is sales.

[WoofieNugget]

This is salesman stuff right here. A salesman is someone who's product doesn't sell itself.

If I get a no, I just let it go... because the next person always buys

Actually, a salesman can also be someone who believes in his service. How many people walk up to you and say "I'd like to sign up for x sessions right now"? If this happens often enough for you to be able to never try to present your services to anyone, good on you. Otherwise, you have to sell yourself.

Sometimes people around here make selling sound like it is a bad thing. By selling people my services, I am helping them. If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't do it.

[unauthorized]

Just remember - People don't "need" a pt.

Everyone in the world can be interested in a PT. They'll set up a consultation, and meet you. Some will flake and some will find a reason to not hire you.

Being interested in hiring a PT and actually hiring one are 2 different ball games. You can't convince anyone that they "need" you, because nobody "needs" anything in life. Everyone "wants". We live in a lazy society, where people will talk, but never do the action. Like the saying goes "easier said than done"

For me, i'm over sitting there trying to sell. Last time i did that was 6 years ago. It reminds me of a guy taking every girl out he can find, spending money on her trying to convince her, that he's the one for her. LOL.These days, i leave it on the table. They either want it or they don't. If they don't want it, coming up with excuses, i let them be, and move on to someone who will actually do it rather then someone who will just talk about it. This works best for me.

The number one reason people say no, is because of cost...period. Nothing else. It's like when you walk into a car dealership and you want that brand new car. You'll sit there and try to get it the cheapest you can, have the salesman waste energy on trying to get you to sign, only for you to just get up and leave, talking about you'll think about it, call them back, etc. They'll start calling you trying to make a deal. This is the mentality the norm have, and they apply to anyone that is trying to sell them something.

Money is king. If you live in los angeles, i guarantee you will get sick and tired of trying to sell your services to anyone out here. Out here, you don't want to be the trainer that everyone knows to keep calling them trying to sell them PT. People will stay clear away from you. People are CHEAP!

[SerpentHearted]

Being interested in hiring a PT and actually hiring one are 2 different ball games. You can't convince anyone that they "need" you, because nobody "needs" anything in life. Everyone "wants". We live in a lazy society, where people will talk, but never do the action. Like the saying goes "easier said than done"

Totally agree with this. I'll tell you a story because I like stories.

Last night I got a PM on ******** from my friend telling me to check out her wall, because a friend of hers had posted on there "oh you know dave h? I plan on getting some personal training with him" and my friend was giving me the heads up that there's a potential client out there I should pounce on.

So i go check and it's a lady who'd actually added me on ******** through another mutual friend a while back and wanted to come and train with me... but I ended up deleting her because whenever I'd send her a msg saying "hey will I see you at group training this week? here's my number and the location, give me a call or sms if you get lost or have any questions" I'd never even get a reply. After 2 or three times I just deleted her because that's how I roll, you know? I don't keep chasing after tyre kickers in my social or business life... if you wanna do something, here I am, lets rock n roll! If not quit wasting my time.

So that was maybe 4 months ago and... well it just kinda blows my mind, you know?

The number one reason people say no, is because of cost...period.

This part I'm not sure I agree with. I'm not sure what it's really about but I don't think it's money. Especially my group classes which were dirt cheap and I can't even keep track of the amount of people who've been telling me since this time last year that they're going to start coming to training soon. A bit like you said above, I think there's some (perhaps the majority of) people out there who think talking about something is as good as doing something, you know what I mean?

[KyleAaron]

I disagree, money is not the main issue for most people. Value is.

Everyone has a certain amount of funds, and a certain amount of stuff they'd like. Most can't have everything, they make choices. Why do they buy this and not that? Because they see value in one thing, and little or no value in another. Why does the woman wearing $400 sports shoes and a $120 tracksuit and driving a BMW tell me that PT is too expensive for her? It's not because she doesn't have the cash, it's because she doesn't see it as having value for her.

Because PT is a service, people can find it difficult to see the value in it until they've experienced it. And some will have some bad PT and so assume it's all like that. This is why if you're working in someone else's gym it's so important to be generally social and helpful. I'm not talking about free sessions, but rather about a few minutes with several people, some time for you to demonstrate your competence and establish trust and rapport. All this over time adds up, so that people you've known for months suddenly want to do PT one day.

Most won't be interested. Only 3% of gym-goers, on average, are going to do PT. Most don't see the value in it. A few will, provided that you demonstrate your competence and establish trust and rapport.

I have known many PTs who see it all as a sales issue. They generally don't last in the industry, they're more suited to working in a supplement shop or something. They remind me of stronglifts.com's Mehdi, who actually boasts that less than 5% of his income comes from his "coaching" (online), the other 95% from marketing stuff. That's nice for him he's making money - but he's not a coach or trainer, he's a marketer.

[bigw10921]

well, I guess you're right about that.
Are you a trainer yourself?

Why yes I am....I am also the East Coast rep for a company called Cormax..We manufacture the only safe way to perform ballistic and plyometric exercises with real weights..CORMAX.US is the website

[KyleAaron]

In other words, "trainer" on paper, no clients, just a salesperson.

Salesperson is a fair job. But it's not being a personal trainer, which is who this forum is for.

[PerFit]

The number one reason people say no, is because of cost...period. Nothing else. It's like when you walk into a car dealership and you want that brand new car. You'll sit there and try to get it the cheapest you can, have the salesman waste energy on trying to get you to sign, only for you to just get up and leave, talking about you'll think about it, call them back, etc. They'll start calling you trying to make a deal. This is the mentality the norm have, and they apply to anyone that is trying to sell them something.

Money is king. If you live in los angeles, i guarantee you will get sick and tired of trying to sell your services to anyone out here. Out here, you don't want to be the trainer that everyone knows to keep calling them trying to sell them PT. People will stay clear away from you. People are CHEAP!

So why am I the busiest PT studio in town but I am by far the most expensive yet the cheaper ones are going out of business? Why arent all my clients going to them?

Cost is not the problem. It is perceived value.

If people value something very highly, they will find money for it. Look at people who take stupid loans to buy expensive cars, or waste all their money on extravagant clothing. Most people cannot afford these things but they buy them anyway because they place value in it.

If you can build enough value in you product, people will buy it.

Sales isnt a hard thing, nor is it a cheesy thing. Its not about putting the hard sell on people. Its about asking the right questions and giving the right info.

If you EVER sit down with someone who you have spoken to about training before and they don't purchase training from you, its YOUR fault because either

A) You did not prequalify them correctly (never sit down with someone who does not fit the bill when you correctly prequalify. They will just waste your time)

B) You did not present your services in a way to build value within your clients.

You have no one to blame but yourself.

[askthetrainer]

When you get there, is the answer usually NO? When someone tells you "oh, well let me think about it", what are the chances of you hearing back from them? Is giving someone time to think about it, a bad thing, because they'll find tons of excuses to not do it?

If your consultation ends up w/ the phrase in the Thread title, you obviously didn't do the consultation correctly...

[Simmo0508]

If your consultation ends up w/ the phrase in the Thread title, you obviously didn't do the consultation correctly...

As Jules said, you wouldn't come across that phrase in the first place during a consult if you had pre-qualified correctly.

Do not book an appointment in your daily schedule for an initial assessment with a prospect UNLESS they have ticked the boxes to your personal criteria prior - say for example with prior phone calls, emailing, in-person conversations etc.

Consults are never the problem. The problem is people hardly ever pre-qualify. Generally, consults are just so you can get the paper work out of the way and learn about their body and fitness and a quick physical. Consolidating on what you've already discussed prior, and finalising a deal/package/direction.

[BeckieA]

Actually I find cost is not usually the main problem,its their expectations and level of motivation that are usually the main hindrances. I've also had people contact me through FB wanting to train and then either disappear or give a raft of excuses. the client has to be ready to engage with a trainer and commit,if they are not in that headspace then its a waste of time for all concerned.

[unauthorized]

So why am I the busiest PT studio in town but I am by far the most expensive yet the cheaper ones are going out of business? Why arent all my clients going to them?

Cost is not the problem. It is perceived value.

If people value something very highly, they will find money for it. Look at people who take stupid loans to buy expensive cars, or waste all their money on extravagant clothing. Most people cannot afford these things but they buy them anyway because they place value in it.

If you can build enough value in you product, people will buy it.

Sales isnt a hard thing, nor is it a cheesy thing. Its not about putting the hard sell on people. Its about asking the right questions and giving the right info.

If you EVER sit down with someone who you have spoken to about training before and they don't purchase training from you, its YOUR fault because either

A) You did not prequalify them correctly (never sit down with someone who does not fit the bill when you correctly prequalify. They will just waste your time)

B) You did not present your services in a way to build value within your clients.

You have no one to blame but yourself.

Move to Los Angeles, and let's see how busy you will be?
People value money, not a service. People dedicate themselves to only 1 thing in life, and that's going to work everyday so they can get that valuable paycheck.

What is so better about your service than the next trainer?
What do you do differently from the next trainer?
Why should i pay you $50 per session and the other trainer charges $25 per session, and does the exact same thing as you?
If someone is paying a trainer $50 per session, that doesn't guarantee that person is getting valuable #1 service.

The dumbest, laziest trainer in town can be the busiest, money making making trainer, if he or she invest money, and knows how to market themselves. A great trainer who does neither will go out of business.

[BodyQuest1]

So why am I the busiest PT studio in town but I am by far the most expensive yet the cheaper ones are going out of business? Why arent all my clients going to them?

Cost is not the problem. It is perceived value.

If people value something very highly, they will find money for it. Look at people who take stupid loans to buy expensive cars, or waste all their money on extravagant clothing. Most people cannot afford these things but they buy them anyway because they place value in it.

If you can build enough value in you product, people will buy it.

Sales isnt a hard thing, nor is it a cheesy thing. Its not about putting the hard sell on people. Its about asking the right questions and giving the right info.

If you EVER sit down with someone who you have spoken to about training before and they don't purchase training from you, its YOUR fault because either

A) You did not prequalify them correctly (never sit down with someone who does not fit the bill when you correctly prequalify. They will just waste your time)

B) You did not present your services in a way to build value within your clients.

You have no one to blame but yourself.

I really appreciate your thought-provoking posts...Can you please give examples of PreQualifying questions then?

[BodyQuest1]

\

The dumbest, laziest trainer in town can be the busiest, money making making trainer, if he or she invest money, and knows how to market themselves.

that trainer might not be so "dumb" then after all for the knowledge he/she has of marketing and investing(being financially intelligent) nor would he/she be "lazy" then as it DOES take HARD work promoting thyself

[KyleAaron]

The dumbest, laziest trainer in town can be the busiest, money making making trainer, if he or she invest money, and knows how to market themselves. A great trainer who does neither will go out of business.

The dumb lazy trainer who just knows about marketing will indeed be busy... for a while. Then they'll run into the problem of their clients getting no good results. So the clients will drift away, the marketing trainer will get some more, and so on - eventually they'll run out of potential clients.

As I said above, I've known a lot of trainers who think only of the marketing and not at all of the training. None of them last long in the industry, and they turn bitter about it. We've got a few who are regular posters here.

Yes, you need marketing ability, you need to know how to talk to people. But you also need to be a competent trainer.

Why should i pay you $50 per session and the other trainer charges $25 per session, and does the exact same thing as you?

You shouldn't pay more for the same service, no. You should choose based on whoever gives the better service. If you can't think of a reason you're worth more as a trainer than your competition, well you perhaps need to further your education, experience and communication skills so you'll have a reason.

At my gyms, we have over a dozen trainers at both. Some trainers have zero clients, while at both gyms 2-3 trainers account for over half the total sessions done. Yet everyone pays the same rate for PT. If your theory that people choose only based on price were true, then the clients and sessions would be spread evenly amongst all 12-18 trainers. And yet they're not.

Obviously, some trainers are perceived as better than others by potential clients. If we were all independent, then those trainers could charge more for their services and not lose many or any clients. Whereas the trainers currently with 0-3 clients, they could have $5 sessions and still not getting anyone new.

I do wonder about the competency of a personal trainer who argues that competency is irrelevant to career success. It doesn't seem like you're giving yourself a glowing recommendation.

[PerFit]

Move to Los Angeles, and let's see how busy you will be?
People value money, not a service. People dedicate themselves to only 1 thing in life, and that's going to work everyday so they can get that valuable paycheck.

What is so better about your service than the next trainer?
What do you do differently from the next trainer?
Why should i pay you $50 per session and the other trainer charges $25 per session, and does the exact same thing as you?
If someone is paying a trainer $50 per session, that doesn't guarantee that person is getting valuable #1 service.

The dumbest, laziest trainer in town can be the busiest, money making making trainer, if he or she invest money, and knows how to market themselves. A great trainer who does neither will go out of business.

wow... your comprehension skills are terrible. where did i say my services were better? I never made that cliam (even though I do beleive it is true).

If you read correctly you will see I said that I was able to qualify and consult potential clients more effectively. People perceive more value in my service, thus pay more for my services.

you really are a numbskull.