Clarify who is your best client and how to best serve them<\/h2>\n
\u201cA lot of clients through COVID-19 have left, some have dropped off, and others have ghosted you or you haven\u2019t heard from them since this all happened,\u201d says Sean. \u201cWe understand people left because of hardship, but it\u2019s also a lack of engagement\u2014maybe they can\u2019t think about fitness right now and your business has been impacted as a result.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sean says now is the time to refine who the best customer is for your business. \u201cSome clients have disengaged but others are pumped to attend your online classes and sessions. This is really defining a new, super customer for your business!\u201d<\/p>\n
Is your model still profitable?<\/h3>\n
What doesn\u2019t work anymore? Sean explains that if you were running a high volume, low-cost group training model, this won\u2019t work.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Poor unit economics:<\/strong> \u201cIf you have a class of 20-30 people and when you reopen you can only have 10 people in your space, unit economics suggest you\u2019re going to lose money being in business.\u201d<\/li>\n
- More competition:<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s been increasingly difficult to profit from customers in the group model due to a ridiculous amount of competition from big box gyms and brands like Orange Theory.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Short-term challenges turnover blues:<\/strong> \u201cPeople are also tired of churn and burn with short-term challenges.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Reach the THRIVE ZONE<\/h3>\n
Sean explains it all starts with understanding, \u201cthe Thrive Zone.\u201d It\u2019s that inner section of client in between the:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Clients you love working with<\/li>\n
- Problems you love solving (ie. weight loss\/fat loss, muscle gain, athletes, pain management with seniors, etc.)<\/li>\n
- Business model that ensures you make a profit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Who is your ideal client?<\/h3>\n
You need to align your business with who your ideal client is, so you hit that Thrive Zone. It begins by getting clear on the following:<\/p>\n
The demographics:<\/strong> How old are they? Are they male or female? Are they athletes, stay-at-home moms, seniors, busy professionals or business owners, etc.?<\/p>\n
Says Sean, \u201cThis is important because there are very different reasons clients engage fitness. Someone in their 20s may want a six-pack, whereas a 70-year-old wants to not be in pain or go on medication.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"NPE,](\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/npe-webinar-recap-image-1.jpg\")
You need to align your business with who your ideal client is, so you hit that Thrive Zone. How old are they? Are they male or female? Are they athletes, stay-at-home moms, seniors, busy professionals or business owners, etc.?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The geographics:<\/strong> Do they work or live within a seven-mile radius from your brick-and-motor business? For your virtual services, it doesn\u2019t make sense to start marketing to every continent or language.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead, focus on connecting with prospects\/markets that fall within your audience or sphere of influence. I.e. If you mostly work with athletes, stick with that market rather than market to everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
The psychographics:<\/strong> Why do people buy from you? What are their goals and desires? What problems or challenges are they looking to overcome? How do they feel about those challenges? What does failure look like for them? What does success look like?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to know how they see the world, so we can engage and support them on their journey. Everything is different than it was two months ago, so we\u2019re facing more obstacles and challenges. Before it was, how do I fit in a workout with my busy schedule? Now it\u2019s, how do I fit in a workout when I\u2019m homeschooling the kids and I\u2019m trying to work from home.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s very important to start with who is your ideal client\u2014all good businesses are built on understanding the market you want to serve! Consider these questions:<\/h3>\n
- \n
- Which clients have remained loyal during the lockdown? Who has not?<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n
- What business model makes your business more competitive and more profit?<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n
- How can you update your client avatar to find more of the ideal clients for your business to grow?<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Re-engineer your business to deliver more value and upgrade business model to generate more profit and cash flow<\/h2>\n
\u201cEveryone is going to work hard\u2014you need to work hard with the right direction,\u201d says Sean. There are two important things to be successful in business:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Deliver great value to the client:<\/strong> \u201cIf you don\u2019t serve customers well, they\u2019re going to go somewhere else and they\u2019re not going to be your customers and will also tell people about not having a good experience at your business.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Understand the \u201cmoney math\u201d that drives profitability and cash flow with their business model:<\/strong> \u201cThis is where you don\u2019t have a background in accounting and finance, and you need help to figure it out.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How to lead clients to success<\/h3>\n
Whether you\u2019re serving clients online or in-person, the same components are there to lead them to success and deliver value.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Assessment:<\/strong> What do you need to know about them? What are their goals, needs, concerns, etc.?<\/li>\n
- Program design:<\/strong> The program will be based on what the assessment tells us. If they\u2019re an athlete, it may be a comprehensive program. For seniors, maybe it\u2019s more simplified.<\/li>\n
- Teaching technique:<\/strong> Make sure clients have good form and they\u2019re performing the exercise safely to get the most benefit.<\/li>\n
- Accountability\/support:<\/strong> Seniors need support to ensure they\u2019re doing exercises properly, while athletes may need to be challenged and pushed.<\/li>\n
- Nutrition\/recovery\/community:<\/strong> Other important factors to help clients stay on track and achieve success with your business. Food, sleep, and feeling part of a greater community all help them reach their goals!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Who are your potential target clients?<\/h3>\n
There are a few examples of some potential avatars that your fitness business should be targeting:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Beginners<\/strong> who lack confidence and feel uncomfortable at the gym but want a coach to support them. Through a private or semi-private training model (either virtual or in-person), the solution includes an assessment, program design, and live coaching sessions.<\/li>\n
- Intermediate clients<\/strong> who dislike working out alone and fail to push themselves. With a group training model, in-person or online live classes will help these clients connect and engage with your fitness community. They will also need accountability and support to push them out of their comfort zone.<\/li>\n
- Athletes or advanced clients<\/strong> who like to be supported to reach their goals to become the best version of themselves. They thrive best with private sessions (online or in-person) or semi-private in-person training. Assessment, program design, technique coaching, accountability, and support all help this client avatar.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"NPE,](\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/NPE-webinar-recap-image-2.jpg\")
Who are your potential avatars for your fitness business? They can be beginners who lack confidence, intermediate clients who dislike working out alone, or athletes or advanced client who like to be supported to reach their goals.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n How does your business make a profit?<\/h3>\n
You need to adjust and shift your business to ensure your business model makes a profit. Sean says there are seven key questions you want answered:<\/p>\n
- \n
- What is your training model?<\/strong> Is it group, semi-private, or private? Is it online, in-person, or do you offer both? Sean encourages one or two of these models rather than offering five different models. \u201cFocus on getting one model working well, make it successful, and it will be easier for you to be successful.\u201d<\/li>\n
- What\u2019s your pricing and packaging?<\/strong> How will you package solutions for leading your clients to their clients?<\/li>\n
- What are your gross profit margins?<\/strong> This is critical. You must protect your labor costs since that comes from your revenue. Remember, different business models have different margins. For instance, in a private model you can afford to pay more in labor due to fewer costs in overhead. In a bigger group model, more equipment is needed to serve more clients and therefore you\u2019ll have to pay less in labor.<\/li>\n
- What\u2019s your income goal?<\/strong> You get to choose your goal and decide what that means for you as a business owner.<\/li>\n
- What are your expenses?<\/strong> Your goal will be based on your expenses and cost structure of your business. Then you can answer the final two questions:<\/li>\n
- What\u2019s your average client value?<\/strong><\/li>\n
- How many clients will you need to hit your goals?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
You can now make clear decisions about the direction of your business model.<\/p>\n
Become better at sales and marketing to accelerate new client growth and earning more revenue<\/h2>\n
\u201cWe got to create a better runway for your business,\u201d says Sean. \u201cToo many business owners think that digital advertising is the answer to all their problems, and the truth is bad messaging combined with the wrong offers just make your business worse, not better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sean suggests letting go of marketing focused on discounts, promotions, and six-week challenges that take a lot of hard work and effort on your part. However, these types of clients end up leaving your business as fast as they signed up for your offer. You\u2019re then left with a bunch of email addresses, while not being able to lead effective conversations that inspire and lead your potential client to commit to their goals and your services.<\/p>\n
\u201cSales strategy is critical,\u201d explains Sean. \u201cEveryone wants to talk about ads, but they don\u2019t have the confidence to ask people to buy or sign up and this is the most important conversation you\u2019re ever going to have with a client. Why? It\u2019s the most coachable moment where you can lead them to say \u2018yes\u2019 and make a commitment to their fitness journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
Promotion vs. strategy<\/h3>\n
The first step is understanding the difference between marketing promotion and marketing strategy.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Promotion:<\/strong> Getting prospects to join a challenge or promotion is hallow and empty and attracts the wrong people to your business\u2014just looking for the deal of the day.<\/li>\n
- Strategy:<\/strong> This is where you focus on delivering the right message to attract the right person to sign up for your services. Here are four steps for finding that quality customer:\n
- \n
- Define your ideal client:<\/strong> Stay at home moms, busy professionals, athletes, etc.<\/li>\n
- Get clear on your sales strategy, offer, and message:<\/strong> Rather than just make an offer, educate clients on your services and explain to them how your services work, while sharing success stories from your business. Give facts about your business and tell them the difference between having a fitness coach and just watching online videos from people they don\u2019t know.<\/li>\n
- Master your sales system:<\/strong> Learn Sean\u2019s 7\u00bd step sales process\u2014it starts with pre-qualification, rapport, discovery, identifying needs, problem building, presentation, closing, and handling objections.<\/li>\n
- Use simple lead generation strategies:<\/strong> Lead generation is just like fishing. First, you need to understand the fish (client) you want to catch, the bait (your offer) you want to use, your fishing rod (strategy), and the right time and where to go fishing (lead source).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u201cSales strategy is critical! It\u2019s about learning how to be effective in leading conversations where people make a commitment to their goals,\u201d says Sean. \u201cIf you don\u2019t have a system in place, it doesn\u2019t matter how much marketing you do or how many email addresses you get. You\u2019re just not going to be able to grow your business effectively. The point is to not just get sales, but to get clients to commit to themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"NPE,](\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/NPE-webinar-recap-image-3.jpg\")
How do you accelerate new client growth and earn more revenue? Sean Greeley says rather than promote your business with ads, strategize with the right messaging to attract the clients who will sign up for your services.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n What are easy wins for marketing?<\/h3>\n
\u201cAs you begin to reopen, whether that\u2019s your virtual business, in-person, or a hybrid model, it\u2019s important to start with the easy win,\u201d says Sean. \u201cDon\u2019t make it harder on yourself to be successful, grab the low-hanging fruit first!\u201d What does that look like?<\/p>\n
- \n
- Engagement campaign:<\/strong> \u201cFor clients who ghosted you or didn\u2019t engage during COVID-19, they\u2019re not feeling good and haven\u2019t worked out. Now is the time to keep connecting\/engaging, and when they can get back in and there\u2019s an opportunity to serve them, you\u2019ll be there.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Reactivation campaign:<\/strong> \u201cFor clients who trained with you in the past and moved out of town, you now have a virtual service to offer them. It\u2019s a great time to connect with them and invite them to work with you.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Referral\/bring-a-friend campaign:<\/strong> \u201cIf you\u2019re delivering great value to the client, this is the time to make special offers to invite friends, family, and co-workers to come join your virtual services as well. It\u2019s a tremendous value add to give them something to bring more people into your business!\u201d<\/li>\n
- Organic traffic:<\/strong> \u201cMany businesses have closed for COVID-19 and their website hasn\u2019t even changed. Even if you just update your website\u2019s hub light that says you\u2019re open, you\u2019re going to get more traffic to your business.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Commit to growing your business and come back stronger!<\/h2>\n
Don\u2019t return to a new normal\u2014be better than normal! There\u2019s a lot more challenges people must overcome, and they need your support more than ever!<\/p>\n
In summary, make sure you re-engineer your training programs to deliver more value to your ideal clients, upgrade your business model to generate more profit and cash flow, and become better at sales and marketing so you can bring in more new clients and revenue.<\/p>\n
WellnessLiving also has the tools that make going virtual a breeze! Our Zoom integration<\/a> lets you seamlessly schedule your online workouts or appointments, send out automatic class reminders and direct booking links, and you\u2019re ready to livestream!<\/p>\n
On top of that, WellnessLiving\u2019s FitVID on Demand<\/a> feature allows you to upload and store your content. You then grant client’s access to your video library, so they can watch your workouts whenever works for them. Clients can also find and book your virtual and in-studio services directly from web searches with our Reserve with Google feature<\/a>!<\/p>\n
Interested to learn more how WellnessLiving can help grow your business? Book a free, no-commitment demo<\/a> today!<\/p>\n
![\"NPE,](\"https:\/\/www.wellnessliving.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Sean-Greeley-1.png\")
<\/h3>\nRequest a Free 1-on-1 Strategy Session with an NPE Success Coach<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Want to learn more about how to improve your studio\/gym\u2019s revenue, profitability, and cash flow?<\/p>\n
Get a free 60-min business strategy session with an NPE Success Coach. Here\u2019s what you can expect:<\/p>\n
- \n
- NPE will assess where you (and your business) are right now.<\/li>\n
- You and NPE will identify the biggest opportunities to create an immediate impact on your business and create a strategic plan.<\/li>\n
- NPE will show you the same systems, tools, and coaching frameworks that drive results for fitness businesses around the world.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
At the end you\u2019ll walk away with clarity on EXACTLY how to move forward right now and ensure the survival and continued success of your business. Click here for more details<\/a>.<\/p>\n
- Reactivation campaign:<\/strong> \u201cFor clients who trained with you in the past and moved out of town, you now have a virtual service to offer them. It\u2019s a great time to connect with them and invite them to work with you.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Get clear on your sales strategy, offer, and message:<\/strong> Rather than just make an offer, educate clients on your services and explain to them how your services work, while sharing success stories from your business. Give facts about your business and tell them the difference between having a fitness coach and just watching online videos from people they don\u2019t know.<\/li>\n
- Strategy:<\/strong> This is where you focus on delivering the right message to attract the right person to sign up for your services. Here are four steps for finding that quality customer:\n
- What\u2019s your pricing and packaging?<\/strong> How will you package solutions for leading your clients to their clients?<\/li>\n
- Intermediate clients<\/strong> who dislike working out alone and fail to push themselves. With a group training model, in-person or online live classes will help these clients connect and engage with your fitness community. They will also need accountability and support to push them out of their comfort zone.<\/li>\n
- Program design:<\/strong> The program will be based on what the assessment tells us. If they\u2019re an athlete, it may be a comprehensive program. For seniors, maybe it\u2019s more simplified.<\/li>\n
- Understand the \u201cmoney math\u201d that drives profitability and cash flow with their business model:<\/strong> \u201cThis is where you don\u2019t have a background in accounting and finance, and you need help to figure it out.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- What business model makes your business more competitive and more profit?<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n
- Which clients have remained loyal during the lockdown? Who has not?<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n
- More competition:<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s been increasingly difficult to profit from customers in the group model due to a ridiculous amount of competition from big box gyms and brands like Orange Theory.\u201d<\/li>\n