No one likes a salesman.
Especially in the fitness industry. I remember as a 17-year old, walking into the brand new Globo-Gym that had just landed in Australia.
Bright lights.
Brand new equipment.
Gorgeous, young girls giving tours.
And a 10ft high waterfall in the foyer.
At the time, it was like nothing else in the country.
As I walked in and “toured” the centre, they practically locked me in the office until I signed. They wouldn’t take no for an answer, and tried every sales technique under the sun
• The Columbo Close…
• The Assumptive Close…
• The Puppy Dog Close…
• The Backwards Close…
• The Hard Close…
• The Relationship Close…
• The Take Away Close…
You name it, they tried it.
I somehow escaped without buying. But I wasn’t alone.
As it turns out, everyone has had a similar experience from gyms or personal trainers. As an industry, we have a bad name.
But this can be a good thing. Whilst your prospects will have pre-conceived ideas of what they’ll expect when they first meet with you, you can use that to your advantage.
You can do the opposite – be totally cool, be ‘non-weird’ or salesy, and seek to understand their point of view.
This will not be what they expect, and they will immediately like you more for it.
And, you’ll make more sales.
How?
Here are 7 upgrades to your sales process so you can make more sales WITHOUT being weird.
1. Don’t impress
Too many fit pros try to impress their prospects.
They list off their qualifications, body building titles, how many courses they’ve done.
No one cares! Stop trying to impress your prospect with your credentials.
Do this instead: stop and listen.
2. Assess
You want to sit back and asses if this person is a good fit for your tribe or not.
Ask great questions, listen, and try to work out if they will fit your culture or not. Never be afraid to let them know if you’re not suited to work with each other.
There is no amount of money that will make up for someone that is a bad fit.
Do this instead: be willing to say NO if they don’t fit your culture or personal values
3. Forget The ‘Gift of the Gab’
It’s a myth that you need to be a loud, charismatic extrovert to be a good closer.
Sure, that can work. But if you’re a natural introvert like me?
Don’t worry, introverts can be great closers. Ask questions, listen well, and show you genuinely care.
Do this instead: listen. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason.
4. Match Their Style
I’m no NLP guru, but I do know that matching your prospects style will help to build trust.
You can match their pace, their hand movements, and their body language.
Do this instead: You don’t have to completely change your personality with each person. Just match some subtle queues.
5. Find their Why
It’s NEVER about the physical goal. There’s always another goal ‘behind’ the goal
Let’s say you’re meeting with a prospect, and she says she wishes to lose two dress sizes before her birthday. Now you need to dig a little deeper…
When they say that, ask them why…
“Well, because I want to feel good.”
“Why?”
“Because I have two kids, and I want to keep up with them.”
“Why?”
“Because by 3pm each day, I’m completely exhausted and I just want to crawl up and sleep”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want people to judge me for being lazy or a bad parent.”
“Why?”
“Because I want my kids to know that I love them.”
“Why?”
“Because I never knew whether my parents loved me or appreciated me… I still don’t.”
Whoa…See that?
Notice that the first few reasons are almost always tied to status? This one was about love…and not about losing weight.
Do this instead: Listen for the “why” behind their why.
6. Give fewer options
Personal trainers like to give twenty-seven different options when they present their prices.
Their list of options looks like a Chinese takeaway menu.
You need to understand, a confused mind never buys. So when you list out too many options, the prospect becomes confused and can’t make a clear decision
Do this instead: Give two clear options when you close and ask, “which one of these could you see yourself getting started on today?”
7. Be the Assistant Buyer
No-one likes to buy. But everyone likes to make a buying decision.
Instead of trying to push someone into a program, try this.
Imagine you are the assistant buyer. You are simply offering support and information, to help them make an informed decision.
This removes any pressure you might feel. But more importantly, they will feel it to.
It’s a relief to not feel any high pressure tactics from a personal trainer.
Do this instead: Don’t be a “closer”. Instead become the assistant buyer
There you go – seven ways to improve your sales skills without being pushy.
Was this helpful? If it was helpful and you’d like some help to implement the best sales and marketing strategies, we should talk. You can book your free Breakthrough Strategy Session with Pete. You will get complete clarity on what to do next to upgrade your business. Click here to book your free call.
