Marketing Techniques

[GOMDC90]

As a personal trainer working in a studio gym, what marketing and advertising strategies do you guys recommend? I am aware that word of mouth is the best method of gaining new clients, but outside of this to generate new leads, what has worked well for you?

[KyleAaron]

Well, my three main sources of clients has been, not necessarily in order,

1. old clients returning
2. referrals
3. website

Old clients returning is straightforward enough, you just stay in touch, ask how they're going, did their kid finish uni yet, and so on. Stay connected not for the sake of the business, but because they're people you genuinely liked and cared about. Some of them will drift back, and if potential clients see you still having a warm relationship with former clients, that'll help them decide to come.

Current client referrals I used to have a reward system for, but never got anyone from it, so I dropped it. You'll find that some clients are so grateful for the help you've given them that they want to give you the gift of another client - and share results and experiences with their friend or relative. And funnily enough, giving them a discount or something for this is actually seen as an insult. "That's not why I did it." But a gift like chocolates or a massage voucher or something will be well-received.

The other source of referrals is not a client for me, but a doctor who sends me his patients. I didn't make that happen, he just started sending me people one day, he'd heard of me. That's because of my niche - serious strength training, even for older and/or beat-up people.

The website is a tricky one. That's because there are a zillion personal trainers out there. In Australia we have 35,000 registered with Fitness Australia, and another 15,000 graduate each year - most never actually work in the industry. So you've got to have something that makes you stand out - a niche. This makes you show up in google searches. Let's say you live in Tiddlywinks, Yorkshire, and work doing strength and conditioning for runners. If someone is a runner or a parent of a runner, then the first thing they'll do is google, "runner training Tiddlywinks Yorkshire" - and you want yours to be the first link they see in the results.

So you need a specialty. And it has to be a genuine specialty. Years ago when some PT profiles went up on the wall at the big gym I worked at, a client said to me, "Looking at these, Kyle, it occurs to me that you are the only trainer who does not specialise in weight loss." To which I answered, "Well firstly, me - weight loss? weight gain, more like it, and secondly - if everyone does it, is it really a specialty? "Oh but me, I'm really good at it, not like those guys." Okay."

So what's your niche?

[Ronin4help]

As a personal trainer working in a studio gym, what marketing and advertising strategies do you guys recommend? I am aware that word of mouth is the best method of gaining new clients, but outside of this to generate new leads, what has worked well for you?

No such thing as a marketing technique. There are marketing strategies and then there are sales techniques. Without a proven sales technique, your marketing strategies will not come to fruition.

[Ronin4help]

False, went to school for Strategic marketing and could write op a solid plan. In the words of the joker: "if you're good at something never do it for free."

False? I said there are marketing strategies. You claim you went to school for 'Strategic marketing'. You are essentially agreeing with me.

[Groo]

False? I said there are marketing strategies. You claim you went to school for 'Strategic marketing'. You are essentially agreeing with me.

That's weird I coulda sworn I said I don't agree then you negged me because how dare anyone disagree with you, right? Perhaps you should have asked which part I disagreed "bozo." I don't agree with sales techniques, please aware me on that works more than 20% of the time. Don't worry I'll wait here's some greens in the meantine

[Ronin4help]

It is weird because you DIDN'T say you 'don't agree'. You responded directly to my post with the term 'False'. Then in the same breath, you referred to marketing using the plural version of the exact same term I used 'strategies'.

Nonetheless, I would absolutely love to read one of your 'solid plans'. Post it PLEASE!!

[Groo]

It is weird because you DIDN'T say you 'don't agree'. You responded directly to my post with the term 'False'. Then in the same breath, you referred to marketing using the plural version of the exact same term I used 'strategies'.

Nonetheless, I would absolutely love to read one of your 'solid plans'. Post it PLEASE!!

Lol negs me and asks me for help.

Any ways I'd need to know where you're from to create a ****** ********** before I could offer you any advice.

Would you train someone for free? Probably not, it's sort of what you're asking me to do, isn't it?

[Ronin4help]

That's cute. You think I am asking for your help.

No, I want to see if you actually know what you are talking about. I am almost 100 percent sure you do not but there is only one way to find out for sure. Right?

[Groo]

That's cute. You think I am asking for your help.

No, I want to see if you actually know what you are talking about. I am almost 100 percent sure you do not but there is only one way to find out for sure. Right?

Baiting? That's a cute technique to get free marketing/branding advice. My degree suggests perhaps I MIGHT know a thing or two. You keep asking me for advice without giving me a relative geographic location. Hell even just link me to your social media accounts and maybe I can help you.

I don't create any generic plan for anyone, everyone requires a unique approach. You wouldn't give everyone the same routine , right?

@ronin or should I say Bert?

[KyleAaron]

Groo, stop being a cocksmock. On another forum there's a trainer who says how he trains clients is brilliant but he can't talk about it, it's sekrit because they pay him $3,500 a year for it. And really all he does is teach them goblet squats and swings and not to eat so much junk food. In other words: "secrets you must pay lots for" is bullsht.

Share, or be silent, don't be a pretentious dick.

[Ronin4help]

Now I am 100% sure.

BTW-The OP was wondering about marketing, which up until you lost your focus, we were all talking about. I was hoping to evaluate one of your 'solid' marketing plans (you know, the ones you learned about in school). Sharing one would have nothing to do with program individualization, so no feedback from me would be required.

[Groo]

Groo, stop being a cocksmock. On another forum there's a trainer who says how he trains clients is brilliant but he can't talk about it, it's sekrit because they pay him $3,500 a year for it. And really all he does is teach them goblet squats and swings and not to eat so much junk food. In other words: "secrets you must pay lots for" is bullsht.

Share, or be silent, don't be a pretentious dick.

Now I am 100% sure.

BTW-The OP was wondering about marketing, which up until you lost your focus, we were all talking about. I was hoping to evaluate one of your 'solid' marketing plans (you know, the ones you learned about in school). Sharing one would have nothing to do with program individualization, so no feedback from me would be required.

Please watch that video before you respond to any of my post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA

Now one of my "Expert Marketing plans" requires a market penetration strategy where you identify what a community needs most. My advice is to find local charity that supports that need because it creates a common why. Think about that, you wont go to a personal trainer because they say "I can get you fit." Now imagine instead your customers meet you through a charity but you just so happen to get people fit. It increases your brand reputation and builds customer loyalty.

Social Media

https://www.********.com/marshmellomusic/

https://www.********.com/Bodybuildingcom/

Why is that marshmello music and Bodybuilding.com have the same number of likes on ********, yet marshmello music gets at least 1000 times more likes? Social media is a terrible way to sell a product to people because people aren't there to buy something, they are their to fulfill their social need (Refer to Maslow's hierarchy of needs). In fact most advertising is absolutely horrible because if something is disruptive to your day, you will actually forget about it. Back to the point though, I totally agree that they are two different types of business but marshmello has gone from 900000 likes to 3.4 million in a matter of a year. The thing he does different is he doesn't really post about his music, he posts more humorous posts; which is genius. If you are able to make someone laugh, you actually active the reward center of their brain and make them like you more. There are different types of humor and I would HIGHLY suggest looking into affiliative humor that pertains to your current customer base.

Customer acquisition

So if you want to do promotions or anything make sure it pertains to your current customers and its not a misguided attempt to gain new customers. Depending on which study you believe, and what industry you’re in, acquiring a new customer is anywhere from five to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one. It makes sense: you don’t have to spend time and resources going out and finding a new client — you just have to keep the one you have happy. If you’re not convinced that retaining customers is so valuable, consider research done by Frederick Reichheld of Bain & Company (the inventor of the net promoter score) that shows increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%.

[Ronin4help]

I'm going to look through all this later today. Just didn't want you to think I disappeared on you. But from a glance, it looks pretty good.

[Groo]

He's right what can I say

[KyleAaron]

Seems like good advice to me.

[Ronin4help]

The Charity idea... this is a sales technique, not a marketing strategy. The difference between sales and marketing is perception. You are advising people to be deceitful (joining a charity for the sole purpose of selling the members something). Although deceit is and always will be a part of sales, it should never be a part of marketing. I am pretty sure they didn't teach you to do this in school.

The social media theory is also one I disagree with. The idea that disrupting someone during their moment of viewing pleasure will cause them to not buy something was disproven 75 years ago with the invention of the TV commercial. Advertisement starts with viewership. The smartest ads will always gravitate toward the highest viewership, regardless of the media platform. Your focus is on the likes. However, the money isn't on the 'like' audience, it's on the total visitor audience, which is much bigger and broader. The percentage of viewership is the only thing that matters to a marketing manager. This will come down to how targeted the audience is, how effective the ad is and how relevant the product or service is. This formula plays true on all media platforms, including social.

Lastly.. in terms of client acquisition, some of it I agree with and some of it I do not. This idea that all one has to do is keep clients happy is a little short sighted. There is no growth in client retention. If this is the focus then you will inevitably die out. Most of your energy has to be toward client acquisition. Yes, it is more expensive but that is the nature of business. This notion that one can survive without investing in oneself is not true. Investment is the only path toward growth.

[Ronin4help]

I guess at a glance, what I initially liked was the fact that you were finally taking the topic serious enough to post something of value. Whether or not anyone, including myself, agrees or not is not relevant. What is relevant is that you took the time and energy to post something you believed in and that alone will help improve the industry because it provokes thought and consideration... in other words it forces people to think. The thought process has for too long been removed from the mindset of many professionals today. So, agree or not... I like your response.

[Groo]

He's right sorry for wasting your
Time

[Ronin4help]

1) If you are seriously arguing the effectiveness of advertising than you need to get a refund for the money you paid in school. I am not going to spend hours on end debating something so ridiculous.

2) Neuropsychology is 'bro science'. It isn't a tangible science. It's all experimental nonsense.

3) Unless your 'clients' only set aside a few hours a day for training, they do not have a 'waiting list'. Please stop overstating your success. None of us are that gullible.

What school did you go to? They taught you the exact opposite of many of the best business schools in the U.S. I mean seriously, who advocates against business investment?

[Groo]

Ok you're right, I quit

[Ronin4help]

Making statements that are silly discredit your entire presence. You can't go around saying your clients 'have a waiting list'. Waiting lists are ONLY for products and services people cannot get anywhere else (e.g. LaFerrari, Laker's floor seats, Tesla 3, etc.) Why the F**k would anyone sit around and wait for an opening with one of your clients? They wouldn't. They would just go somewhere else and get a different trainer, one who is available.

[Groo]

As I said you're right.

Don't waste your time arguing with an idiot. They'll only bring you to their level and beat you with experience.

[Ronin4help]

I'm not arguing. I'm just trying to understand.

Your clients are very good at client retention...meaning their clients never leave them...but for some reason those same clients refer others for time slots that do not exist (because clients never leave)....so these referrals go on a waiting list...but because client retention is so high (because again, clients never leave), available slots never open up...so they wait forever?

I don't understand how that works. Nonetheless, I think I'm done with this conversation. Take care.

[KyleAaron]

Despite Groo wussing out by deleting his posts, we can guess the content from Ronin's replies.

Name these successful clients. We can all learn something by looking at success.

It's not just marketing, we get this in fitness, too. "I can't share my training secrets... I train elite athletes, who of course I cannot name... also special forces, but they're all anonymous, security, you know?" This may all be true, but we cannot be expected to act on hidden knowledge.

When people are evasive, there's usually a reason. I told my intern interviewing to ask numbers: how many gym members, PT clients, and PTs. If they won't answer your question, it's because their numbers are low, if they do answer, they think their numbers are good. This is ironic since of course if a gym has only say 20 of 2,400 members as clients, then that's a lot of opportunity for a new PT, unmet demand - and if the numbers are good like 120 of 2,400, maybe there's no space for a new trainer.

Vagueness and evasion is always for a reason.

[mystix]

Newspaper?

[Ronin4help]

Newspaper?

People still get the paper where you are?

[NorwichGrad]

A trainer once told me he goes to strip clubs to get clients.

He said he'll get lap dances and gives them his business card.


True story.

[KyleAaron]

My apologies, Groo, I went to respond to your comment, but hit "edit" instead, by the time I realised it was done, so I've had to delete it. I'm happy for you to post it again. In answer to your question, no, I don't want your advice. I'm as busy as I want to be, so my marketing is good enough for me. In any case I'm here as a mod, and my job here is to keep discussion moving in a productive direction. Being evasive, then answering, then deleting your answers, this is not productive. Your advice to me, though I don't want or need it, was productive, so I would leave it up for the benefit of others. So again I apologise for fcking it up.

[Ronin4help]

A trainer once told me he goes to strip clubs to get clients.

He said he'll get lap dances and gives them his business card.


True story.

I always liked this idea. It's not unique. I always thought it was smart because strippers have plenty of disposable cash, their bodies are how they make money, having a gym full of beautiful women is good for the trainer's overall well-being and the male client's who go there too and seriously... what an awesome work environment to be surrounded by hot women all day long.

[Groo]

I always liked this idea. It's not unique. I always thought it was smart because strippers have plenty of disposable cash, their bodies are how they make money, having a gym full of beautiful women is good for the trainer's overall well-being and the male client's who go there too and seriously... what an awesome work environment to be surrounded by hot women all day long.

Is it genius? I repped the NorwichGrad but think of the brand reputation. Yes a bunch of hot girls but your also the pervy guy that goes to a strip club. Perception is reality.