Every month our organization emails out a monthly newsletter to our PFP clients. And every month we receive the same inquiries about why the same Fitness Consultants (FCs) continue to produce consistent personal training sales results and why others continue to fall short of the mark. It's not unusual for our top FCs to convert 30% or more of all new fitness club members to a package of one on one personal training of no less than 12 session and in many cases anywhere from 36 sessions right up to 144 sessions. In fact last month Denise Reid at the Athletic Club in Guelph Ontario wrote $55,000 in personal training sales out of her little Fitness Consultation Office combining two 144 session packs, three 72 packs and an amazing 208 session renewal program along with her other sales. Time and time again our top FCs write more personal training business than entire fitness departments because they take their position and career seriously and they focus on selling truths.
Our FCs make no apologies for the fact that they love to sell what they're most passionate about and what they most believe in. They're all about selling truths and making the best possible diagnosis and prescription for their clients. They understand that clubs that only sell memberships and do not disclose the total picture of what it takes to get real results for life are doing a tremendous disservice to their communities and to the fitness industry as a whole. Pro Fitness Program FCs simply sell the truth that results come out of a combination of motivation, intensity, education and technique, safety, flexibility and mobility and fundamental nutrition and that a coach will provide guidance, support and an overall plan that will be executed over a specific period of time to ensure the most effective and efficient path to real lasting results.
If you ask me it's imperative that the number one focus of our FCs is completing as many quality Fitness Consultaions as possible in the course of the month. It is also a must that whoever fills this role is fully committed to the postion on a full time basis and derives the majority, if not all of their income from this role. In many of larger facilities our full time FCs complete over 100 consultations per month. In smaller markets and smaller clubs that number should never fall below 2 consultations daly or no less than 50 per month. That always involves going beyond waiting for members to walk through door and buy a membership. It requires a marketing plan and strategy that targets existing and former club members, corporations, local businesses, trade shows and simply the desire to go out into the community and educate people on the misconceptions of diet and weight loss and what it really takes to develop a healthy lifestyle.
Our PFP Business Consultants are qualified and full trained to work with your FCs and Trainers in developing a marketing strategy to increase traffic to your personal training departments. We have been extremely successful recently in using Craig's List to recruit qualified individuals who are eager to start a career in the fitness industry. Our 4 - part, industry specific interview process guarantees that we uncover the right fit for the position from the start. We follow that up with our training manuals, DVDs, phone and email support along with conference calls with other experienced FCs in the PFP family of clubs. If you are truly a club that wants to have a large impact on your community's health and wellness and at the same time are in business to be profitable and grow your personal training business, allow us the opportunity to directly work with your FCs to set goals and marketing strategies thereby ensuring the best possible member experience as well as full time rewarding careers for your fitness team. At the same time please allow us to take a page out of the Jack Welch shool of business and either transition those who are not performing to another area of your club or towards another career choice that better suits their skill set. We owe it to our organizations and to them to constantly give feedback and make sure they're in a position or occupation that best expresses their passions and skill set - let's not deny anyone that.
Jeff Russo - The Motivational Guru
Comments
Jeff,
Have you also identified whether or not these more successful fitness consultants are able to articulate why they themselves are successful? I am wondering if they are more conscious of their tact than consultants that demonstrate inconsistent performance. If one is aware of which skills and language provide results, they are able to repeat this process and acquire consistent sales unlike consultants which may deliver varying presentations and therfore varying results. Your thoughts?
Chris,
You make a very valid point and it obviously comes from your years of experience working in fitness departments and doing consultations and personal training yourself. These successful Fitness Consultants have a set plan in terms of their interview questions, assessment and gym floor demonstration and they are well trained when it comes to dealing with client's concerns and objections. If they didn't have anything standardized they would have nothing to measure what was working and was not. They most definitely focus on improving language, analogies, order of presentation and rapport building skills. It is a clearly a learned skill set that requires practice and correction. Thanks for bringing that up.