For the past two weeks we’ve been diving a little bit deeper into what it looks like to be marketing a personal training business. We’ve dug into the challenges of marketing a service-based business like personal training and how to turn those challenges into strengths. Today I wanted to get to the roots of what it really means to be a service-based business and how to really use it to your advantage when marketing for it. The personal training business is inherently a service-based business. And any and all service-based businesses inherently imply a personal touch from its provider. This is the largest distinction a service-based business has over its competitors. The personal touch or personal interaction. Building and maintaining relationships is truly what your business is going to be built upon. Because it is so relationship focused, you need to use that to your advantage in marketing your personal training services.
You need to let customers know who you truly are. The fastest and most efficient way to do this is by building trust with your clients. How do you build trust? Building trust in a consumer does take some amount of time, but it will be mostly based on the quality of the service. The value they receive from your services will ultimately instill trust in you and your brand. A very practical way to do this is to have a well developed website for your services. In today’s Internet Age, shoppers are more reluctant to buy anything without doing research on it first. And with our laptops, tablets and smartphones with us most of the time, it is easier than ever to find out anything about a certain product or service.
More than 70% of the American population thinks that every business should have some sort of presence in the social media world. Being active on social media is another great way to gain the trust and loyalty of consumers. The best thing to remember with social media is to be professional and to be authentic. No one cares about you posting about every one of your business related items under the sun. They care about the people behind the service. They want that personal touch. On your website and on social, make sure you are being real with your clients and potential consumers. Share your business’ story, pictures and even get the rest of your staff involved (if you have some).
Remember, a service is about the value it gives. Most of the time money is not the issue. If I know “Plumber A” is more expensive and is known to give a quality service but “Plumber B” has a cheaper rate and is known for leaving more leaks after he’s done, I will always choose “Plumber A”. I want quality in the services that I hire, not just the cheapest one I can find. Show all of your potential clients that your personal training service provides more value than your competitors. Yes, you might pay a little bit more, but you will train them to get results over the long haul. Again, show them that personal touch. Give them a couple free sessions to see what your services are like. Don’t just be all business all the time, learn about these people. Find out a couple facts about them and impress them with that personal interaction.
Another huge way you can market to your potential and current clients is to be a part of their lives. Show them that you care about them and communicate that. Send them a card on their birthday. Send an encouraging text a couple times a month. Give them some inspiration via social media when you see they are struggling with something. Make sure you are communicating with them on a regular basis. The flip side of that is not to overstep boundaries. Don’t get annoying with it, but a gentle sales pitch or marketing campaign doesn’t hurt either. Not only will this keep your current clients, but a constant flow of communication will make it easier for you to ask your currents about giving you referrals.
While marketing for a service-based business like personal training has a lot of challenges, they can be easily turned into positives for you. Just remember that the basis of a good service-based business is that personal touch. It will be built upon and even fall to what that personal touch looks like. If you implement it well, your business will most likely strive. If it is not done in a service-based business or not done well, it is likely to fail.
Ryan Farrell started working with the National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT) in 2012. As NFPT's Marketing Coordinator, Ryan is responsible for aiding company reputation by building brand awareness and establishing strong working relationships among NFPT, its affiliates and industry partners.
