MOMMA!

We all got ‘em, and we all love ‘em.

Now’s the time to really show the love.

Mother’s day is May 10th.

If you need a fitness client infusion, consider offering something really special for all the mothers on your list.

You could start by sharing your favorite story about your mom, illustrating what a difference she made in your life with her unconditional love – or a lesson you learned from her that’s shaped who you are.

That becomes your “reason why” for extending a special fitness marketing offer to all the moms out there (takes it from being just another Mother’s Day “sale” to a much more personal promotion).

If you’re doing group fitness training, you could offer 21 days for just 21 bucks, with all the proceeds going to mothers against drunk driving, or some other charity related to moms.

With a hook like that, you can get some publicity and get the attention of your list.

Have all the moms you know invite all the moms they know.

(Blog participation – ask your list to share their favorite story about their mom on your blog. Get them involved with your blog. Build a community, don’t just push out info.)

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GUARANTEED REFERRALS

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When is there the most “heat” in a relationship?

It’s always in the beginning, right?

The real “excitement” is always early on. Just think about your personal relationship with your husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend.

As the relationship matures, many things get better. But it’s hard to recreate the heat generated in that first stage.

A common fallacy is the belief that you’ll always get more and better referrals from fitness clients who’ve been with you for a while and seen the results in the mirror.

In some cases that’s true. But it’s also true that you can generate an equal number, or more, referrals during the initial “hot” phase with a new client.

Because they are excited.

But in order for that to happen, you have to really over-deliver.

Not just to get fitness referrals, but also to get new fitness clients to fully comply, both physically and emotionally.

Your job #1 in that first stage – usually about 21 days – is to “convert” the client to your philosophy, get them over the “hump,” and get them to fall in love with you.

Your job is to romance them.

The more love you show, the longer the heat lasts, and the more intensely it burns.

Your “love” is the fuel they need to burn brightly.

Enough with the metaphor, let’s talk nuts and bolts.

Regardless of whether the client is one-on-one or group fitness training, he or she needs to be assigned a program – a plan.

A plan makes the path clear. It’s the roadmap. It’s tangible. People can grab it, hold onto it. It’s not nebulous. It’s not ethereal. It’s not a promise, it’s real.

Obviously, for group clients like boot camp, the program is going to be more generic, less personalized. But there still needs to be a program.

For everyone.

And that program needs to include action steps, measurement and accountability.

For at least 21 days.

If I were you, I’d include some form of reporting for each of those 21 days. Some way the client can give you feedback, every day, on what they ate and how they burned calories.

And some way for both of you to measure those metrics.

It doesn’t have to be sophisticated. It could just be a journal. But they need to be held accountable to completing the journal every day for 21 days.

Submitting it to you each evening via email.

Then you get on the phone with them twice each week and briefly discuss it. Inspire them, coach them, dote on them, romance them.

Do THAT for every new fitness client and not only will you get compliance and radical results, you’ll also form a relationship so tight, a bond so secure and heat so hot, that when you ask for referrals, they will flow like water to you.

Yes, it’s a lot of work…for 21 days…to solidify that relationship. But this IS a relationship business. And no marketing you do externally can ever compare to the power and effectiveness of internal, romantic relationship marketing.

None.

No magic bullets, just smart fitness marketing,

Eric Ruth

P.S. If you liked this, you’ll love the free group training teleseminar Sean and I will be doing on Wednesday evening. We have a REAL limit to the number of lines available because we’re taking your questions live, so if you want to attend, register right now at:

http://www.npe-tools.com/groupteleseminar.html

Here’s another personal trainer marketing post you may enjoy.