I've never sold a thing in my life but now have to learn to sell myself!

[D365]

I've just graduated from university with a degree in Sports Medicine. I have awesome experience as a strength and conditioning coach at both professional clubs and collegiate level. But here's the thing, I want to go travel and I need money. So I've just landed a job as a personal trainer at a run of the mill chain gym in order to earn and save money to hopefully travel and find more experience in the field I'm truly passionate about (working with athletes).

The gym itself is just opening soon so lots of fresh 'leads' (do people actually say leads outside of movies!?). I have the training side down. I'm good at my craft and can definitely make a difference in people. The problem is selling. I have never had to pitch myself (minus interviews) like this before. So I can be as great at training people but it doesnt mean a thing if I don't have a single client!

As far as long term vision I have a strong idea on rates, offers, growing my money etc. I just need to get this damn thing off the ground and make other people realize (and maybe even myself I guess) that I'm the sh*t!

 

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[IrishSpring600]

Maybe you just need to give to people without expecting anything back.

 

[Guest24480]

Stop thinking about yourself and start having a client-focused mentality. What do your clients want out of a training session? They don't care about you, at least not at first. They care about what YOU can do for THEM.

 

[TheNextTrump]

I just need to get this damn thing off the ground and make other people realize (and maybe even myself I guess) that I'm the sh*t!

Good luck sir.

 

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[Guest34764]

If the gym is primarily men, I would lift some real heavy shit.

Make people look at you without speaking, when they turn their heads and see those gains they're going to admire you (not in a loving sort of way).

Then, quickly become a bro amongst them, befriend everyone you can.

Now everyone knows you can lift heavy shit, and you're great to talk to, and hopefully, seem very knowledgeable about training.

This is when you can start pitching your services, and start asking around.

I swear to god if you focus your pitch on yourself I'll throw myself out the window.

People want to hear about themselves, you should talk about them and how you can help them.

You should remember that people in the gym are about improving themselves, so they don't want to hear about how much you can bench, they already know that from seeing you across the gym.

If your market is going to be mainly girls, obviously you wouldn't go on the treadmill and run like a god damn beast.

I hope this helps a little.

 

[Random_0]

Your main goal is to sell, but your main-main goal is probably just to learn to sell

You will learn pretty quickly by doing and failing. It's the a tried a tested way to improvement that probably never ends

Maybe you just need to give to people without expecting anything back.

I disagree, in a way. He's doing it to earn money. People should pay him for his services. Your advice does apply if he's building a brand new startup in an unknown market, but he's not. There are plenty of trainers ready to take on clients in a heartbeat, probably within 20 foot of him at his gym

People who want a personal trainer will have their money in their hand, ready to go. His job is to find out how to tick all their mental boxes whilst in conversation with them when he's selling his services ('pitching'). When you expect a result and fail, you get a reality check and a lesson learned, move on to your next technique or idea. It's a pretty shitty feeling short term, but if you care about improving you won't stop until you find a way to make it all work

I give my customers stuff all the time. Do I expect a result? Of course I do. Why would I give them things if I didn't expect a result?

edit: appearing to not expect reciprocation or roi is another thing altogether...

 

[Ricardo's]

I've intensively studied face to face sales for almost 3 years. I would say I have about 8000 hours of in field practice, so I can offer you a good perspective.

1) You seem confident in your ability/ your product (yourself) so that's half the battle. The other half is persuading your target to see your point of view, ie that you are the best to help them achieve their goals. As holmzee stated above, paying customers don't care about you, they care about what you can do for them.

2) You need to create a "speech". A solid guide so to speak, to lead a potential customer to becoming a paying customer. So that in your mind you always know what the next step is. I can help you create this if you'd like.

3) Pushiness, you have to be OK with being pushy and getting rejected. Sales comes down to who can hear the most rejections and keep going.

4) Assume the sale. Be nonchalant in your aggressiveness, it's only uncomfortable for them if you make it. You can be extremely pushy as long as you can provide relief when your customer begins to feel uncomfortable.. Only to then push again.

4) Sales is a numbers game. Make it a daily goal to reach out to at least 100 people a day about what you can do for them and you will be fine.

Also, maybe build a list of people semi interested in becoming more fit. And then sell them shit, offline.

 

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[Delmania]

Maybe you just need to give to people without expecting anything back.

Enough of this bullshit, this phrase gets thrown around these forums so much that it's become trite nonsensical guru speak. Telling someone this is like me telling my kids they need to be more responsible.

@D365, selling yourself isn't any different than selling any other product. You mention you're a personal trainer at a gym, and that your "passion" (everyone has one) is to "help athletes". That's a broad swath. What type of athletes? Are you looking to help high school and college students perform better? Are you looking to help Olympic level athletes win gold? Maybe you want to move into the world of the professional? Perhaps you'd like to help obese middle age woman become runners. Before you can sell anything, you need to figure out who you're going to sell to.

Once you've settled on a segment, you need to identify pain points. This is done be going after those clients exclusively and working with them to understand their issues. Take copious notes from your clients, look for similarities, and build profiles, and develop programs that target those profiles. Test and refine. Your goal is twofold: the first, of course, is to help your clients achieve their desired goals (which may not be the ones they stated). The second is to build expertise and reputation.

To expand out, once you've had some success, consider starting a blog and crafting a personality that talks to your segment on a broader scale, speaks to their pain points, and tells them how you can solve those, backed up by the successes you built in the gym.

 

[IrishSpring600]

Enough of this bullshit, this phrase gets thrown around these forums so much that it's become trite nonsensical guru speak.

@Andy Black looks like we've got a live one here

 

[Delmania]

@Andy Black looks like we've got a live one here

Sure, I've talked to Andy a little bit. I'm sure he knows of my forum profile, I'm not new here. The problem with telling people to "give without giving back" and to "serve others" is not that it's not correct, it's that it get thrown around these forums so much that its become cliche. It's like when fundamentalist Christians shout that you need to believe to be saved. It's meaningless, feel good, guru speak.

The human brain is very resistant to change; it has to be for survival reasons. If you want to help someone adopt the right mindset, you need to give mentoring on steps they can take, along with some for those steps. I can't remember where I heard this, but there's a quote that goes "if you want to love someone, at like you do, and your emotions will catch up".

 

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[IrishSpring600]

I give my customers stuff all the time. Do I expect a result? Of course I do. Why would I give them things if I didn't expect a result?

Outcome-dependency isn't an efficient way to sell. If you were giving them something because it genuinely helped them, you shouldn't expect a result. "I just gave him something that may help him lose ten pounds - WHERE'S MY MONEY?!"

The attitude reeks of desperation. Less sales will occur. I can see these things coming from a mile away. I'll enjoy the free stuff, but if the main thing that is being sold isn't of use to me; or isn't needed; I'm not buying it.

Its akin to the woman at the bar enjoying free drinks from men. The men are giving her drinks expecting an outcome of getting her home; she's not going home with any of them because she doesn't see a use or a need to.

 

[IrishSpring600]

Sure, I've talked to Andy a little bit. I'm sure he knows of my forum profile, I'm not new here. The problem with telling people to "give without giving back" and to "serve others" is not that it's not correct, it's that it get thrown around these forums so much that its become cliche. It's like when fundamentalist Christians shout that you need to believe to be saved. It's meaningless, feel good, guru speak.

The human brain is very resistant to change; it has to be for survival reasons. If you want to help someone adopt the right mindset, you need to give mentoring on steps they can take, along with some for those steps. I can't remember where I heard this, but there's a quote that goes "if you want to love someone, at like you do, and your emotions will catch up".

OK. I agree. You actually broke down the steps nicely in your post.

 

[jaypi]

selling yourself isn't any different than selling any other product. You mention you're a personal trainer at a gym, and that your "passion" (everyone has one) is to "help athletes". That's a broad swath. What type of athletes? Are you looking to help high school and college students perform better? Are you looking to help Olympic level athletes win gold? Maybe you want to move into the world of the professional? Perhaps you'd like to help obese middle age woman become runners. Before you can sell anything, you need to figure out who you're going to sell to.

Pretty much nailed it. D365, you narrowed your niche in the fitness industry to athletes. Unfortunately, working at a gym as a PT rarely have those kind of individuals. And those who do have an idea about their training (at least from my experiences as a member and former personal trainer at a franchise gym).

Your best bet in your position is learning how to sell your services to members. You'll need to be out on the floor and provide value and free PT session where you give the best impression in your field. Whether or not you successfully sell, you can at least leave a good reputation on those you encounter. At the very least you'll learn something out of it. And if you plan on expanding from athletes to your regular gym members, you'll need to change the way you look at exercising/training.

 

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[IrishSpring600]

Some people may need extra information on how to do an exercise. Others may need encouragement without a change in routine.

 

[AustinS28]

I do 80-110 PT sessions a month and is the business I am currently in until I can get other projects fully functioning.

Be prepared to work inconvenient hours (for you).

Be prepared to notice the average trainer will probably work 1-3 months before quitting. It sucks for most people. It sucked for me until I began making money. (Many trainers know little about proper exercise as well, it’s crazy).

Be prepared to spend a lot of time building your customer base.

Do great work and entertain your client's. You need to be a people person as much as a great trainer. The money is in repeat customers. Accounts that stay with you for years. It takes a lot of time, failure etc to find those accounts.

Lifting heavy shit in the gym will not grow your business.

Floor shifts will help, only a little bit. They’re rather pointless. Nobody likes the guy interrupting their workout, but they are what you make them. I know I’d be annoyed if some trainer came up to me in the middle of lifting to correct form or solicit a sale.

Comp PT sessions (free) are where it's at in the beginning. Offer a free session, try to close a sale. For a while I was closing about 1 in 3 leads from comp PT sign ups...The numbers are higher now, but my leads are hot (typically referrals from current clients of people who expressed interest in training already). I also don't work for a gym and never will again. You do all the work and they take a huge cut. They'll also expect you (in most places at least) to work shifts on the floor as your ramp up your client base and this turns into an over glorified janitorial job for min wage.

Not to discourage, but it’s hard to be successful in this industry. It’s exhausting. I wouldn’t have traded it for anything though and I believe whole heartedly that my future success will be largely dictated by the skills this has given me (sales, marketing, running my own business for several years), the money I am making from it which is pulling me out of debt and paying for other ventures, and the people I have met which have literally been some of the worlds best businessmen/women, lawyers, software engineers, execs etc and I truly mean that as well.

These people have been the best education a guy could get and that’s been absolutely life changing and priceless.

I hope you share a similar experience.

 

[Andy Black]

I've just graduated from university with a degree in Sports Medicine. I have awesome experience as a strength and conditioning coach at both professional clubs and collegiate level. But here's the thing, I want to go travel and I need money. So I've just landed a job as a personal trainer at a run of the mill chain gym in order to earn and save money to hopefully travel and find more experience in the field I'm truly passionate about (working with athletes).

The gym itself is just opening soon so lots of fresh 'leads' (do people actually say leads outside of movies!?). I have the training side down. I'm good at my craft and can definitely make a difference in people. The problem is selling. I have never had to pitch myself (minus interviews) like this before. So I can be as great at training people but it doesnt mean a thing if I don't have a single client!

As far as long term vision I have a strong idea on rates, offers, growing my money etc. I just need to get this damn thing off the ground and make other people realize (and maybe even myself I guess) that I'm the sh*t!

Welcome @D365

Change your mindset firstly.

You're *already* a great sales person!

Persuading people to watch the movie you want to watch, or go to the restaurant you want... is *selling*.

We are always selling, and at this moment I am selling... you on yourself!



Anyway, this post might help:

• www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/how-do-i-become-the-sales-person-i-need-to-be.69819

 

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[Random_0]

Outcome-dependency isn't an efficient way to sell. If you were giving them something because it genuinely helped them, you shouldn't expect a result. "I just gave him something that may help him lose ten pounds - WHERE'S MY MONEY?!"

The attitude reeks of desperation. Less sales will occur. I can see these things coming from a mile away. I'll enjoy the free stuff, but if the main thing that is being sold isn't of use to me; or isn't needed; I'm not buying it.
.

Not at all, you're not in business to spread love and gifts to the world in hope that somebody notices your kindness. You don't go around unintentionally giving out freebies to everyone

 

[D365]

Hi again guys!

First of all want to say thank you for all the replies! Genuinely wasn't expecting such a big response to a new members first post (can't think of anywhere else on the internet that happens aha)!

I've read through each one and took a lot on board: offering value from the beginning, creating my 'speech' (feel this will help me a lot cause I trip up over words sometimes!), framing everything as client focused from the beginning, to name a few of the main ones.

I agree with Austin in that taster/comp sessions are the way to go. This is something management has been pushing us to offer. We still have not opened yet but we're just giving inductions in advanced, and today was my first day on the gym floor. Managed to get details of 3 potential clients that I'm going be giving a taster session next week (when we finally open)!

But I totally choked during one induction and ended up doing a hurried/poor job at it (was pissed at myself afterwards). I don't why I tripped up, I just started sort of losing words and forgetting things. By some stroke of luck I still managed to get 1 of my potential clients off the back of that induction (though she was pretty set on having a personal trainer anyway). I think maybe I'll get more comfortable as I do more of it.

Thank you guys again on the response it really does help. I've been sweating this sort of stuff ever since I got the job! If anybody would like me to send any resources or advice on fitness related stuff shoot me a message, I'd love to offer value back in some way.

PS: One thing I wanted to clear up (I typed the original post at 1:35 so my apologies for being ambiguous!): I'm not expecting to be training athletes at this job. This job is to raise the money to head abroad to take part on an internship where I will be training athletes. I only mentioned it to give you guys a bit of background on my 'why'.