Use
the Power of Your Professional Identity to Attract New Clients
By Joey Atlas
A strong professional
identity can be a powerful, magnetic force that attracts
countless potential clients who are looking for any reason
to do business with you.
Let’s define potential clients as any potential customer
of any product or service that your fitness business offers
(not just one-on-one personal training clients).
Forget, for a minute, that you are a trainer. Imagine the
opposite. You are someone who is interested in getting in
better shape. On your weekly trip to the health food store,
as you are looking at various meal replacement shakes, you
notice someone in the same aisle who is wearing a cap and
shirt, both displaying the name “ABC Personal Training
Services”. You think to yourself, “Maybe this
personal trainer can give me some advice on choosing the
proper shake mix for my specific needs?” Without saying
a word to you, this person made an immediate impression
on your mind just by displaying certain words on his clothing.
Now, let’s assume this trainer is well prepared for
this situation. He acknowledges you and then gives you some
valuable, helpful information on how to choose the proper
product for your needs. He then says, “By the way,
my name is ABC. If you don’t mind me asking, what
else are you doing to get closer to your fitness goals?”
You might say something like, “Well, I’m really
just getting started and I’m planning to begin a consistent
exercise program.”
The trainer tells you about his website, ABCtrainers.com,
and the free information that he and his team of trainers
have put together to help people get started on the proper
exercise program for their specific needs. He asks you for
your e-mail address so that he can send you a direct link
to the site and he also gives you a card displaying the
website, some of the free reports available at the site,
and some testimonials on the back.
You are serious about improving your health. Therefore you
naturally visit ABC’s website to take advantage of
the free information available. You are impressed and having
previously met the helpful trainer in person, some trust
and rapport has already been established. We can assume
here that, at minimum, you will choose to be added to ABC’s
mailing list for your free e-fit tip of the week, making
yourself eligible for future special offers on any of ABC’s
manuals, CDs, DVDs, seminars, clinics, classes, online training
or one-on-one training.
Now, let’s come back to reality. You are the trainer
and you should be doing what ABC did, almost every time
you are in public. If you look back at the example, it’s
really not that difficult. You just have to be prepared
and be proactive. It is very rare that someone turns down
free professional advice, especially if they are in need
of that specific advice. Even if you are not asked for help,
by being perceptive to people looking for what you have
to offer you may take the proactive approach. After introducing
yourself, you might offer some advice or a tip that opens
a dialogue which results in the exchange of e-mail addresses
and website information.
What is the mechanism which makes a scenario, like the one
outlined above, possible? ABC branded himself by putting
his company name on his apparel. In order for this to be
effective, the company name must be easy to read and easy
to understand from a considerable distance and with only
a quick glance. Flashy and/or abstract names and logos do
not make it easy for a prospect to identify you so, if you
can, try to keep it simple. If you already have a name and
logo that are self defeating, don’t worry. There are
ways to keep those elements of your business while incorporating
the simple visual cues mentioned above. This will be addressed
later.
ABC used the power of perception to make an instantaneous
mark on your mind. That mark led you to believe that ABC
was a professional trainer and that he had to know how to
choose the proper product. By cleverly branding himself,
ABC took advantage of one of the key elements of the concept
of professional identity. Other elements in this concept
are type of clothing, personal appearance (hair, face, hands,
etc.), vocabulary, personality and attitude.
How can you build this mechanism into your personal image?
First, craft your professional identity to convey a clear,
immediate visual message to anyone who sees you and then
be ready to support that visual message with pre-rehearsed
dialogue which results in a prospect getting on your product/service
ladder.
Here is an important note. Professional identity, as a competitive
edge, will supersede industry certifications, academic credentials,
work experience and any natural or acquired skill set when
the professional is out in public. And here is why: you
can’t put your resume and all supporting documents
on your clothing and you can’t just walk up to strangers
handing them a folder full of this information.
This is why the concept of professional identity is a solid
tool for trainers and fitness professionals. You are not
bound by having to wear a suit everyday. You have the opportunity
to wear athletic/fitness clothing, cleverly accentuated
with your brand that sends the message, “I am a fitness
professional.” Also, by utilizing your proactive,
helpful personality you will have the power to consistently
draw prospects into your product/service zone.
For those who already have a business name or logo which
is abstract or hard to read at a quick glance, here is an
idea. Keep the name or logo you already have and just reduce
its size, placing it on your sleeve or anywhere out of the
way. Then come up with something more generic and easy to
understand and print this prominently on your athletic/fitness
apparel. In our “busy” society, brief, easy
to understand messages have a better chance of catching
the eye of a prospect and making a lasting impression. Use
this to your advantage.
Some of you may be thinking, “That is a lot of hassle
just to get one prospect on my list.” Keep in mind,
though, what if you added a prospect to your list every
day and some of these prospects became happy customers?
They probably have people within their circle of influence,
who can use a product/service that you offer. What if one
of these prospects is a reporter who is interested in interviewing
you for a feature article in a local newspaper? The possibilities
are endless.
This concept applies to health club and training studio
owners as well. Your team of professionals should be seen
as “brand representatives”. Developing a professional
identity (and helpful support dialogue) for your team that
can be delivered at the individual level will help draw
in prospects on a consistent basis.
Success in a fitness business, as in any business, is the
result of paying careful attention to a number of factors
which directly impact the growth of the business. As a trainer
and fitness business owner the element of “professional
identity” can be cleverly crafted and maintained so
that it consistently draws prospects into your “professional
zone” where you can helpfully guide them to your product
and/or service menu.
© 2005 – Joe E. Atlas, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Joey Atlas is the creator of Personal Trainer Athletic
Gear (www.PersonalTrainerBrand.com) and the owner of GAC
Personal Training.
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