PT Plus with Scott Krywulycz

How 7 "online" seconds can change your busines

2011-06-20T17:33:00.002+10:00

The difference between your website being an expensive online brochure or an effective sales tool is determined by what your prospective clients see and do during the first 7 seconds on your website. Otherwise know as the ‘7 second grab’ online specialists have measured 7 seconds as the critical time you have to capture the attention of someone looking at your product or services before they move on to the next website.

Understanding you could have one of the best business assets ‘working for you’, (your website) tirelessly at it 24 hours a day 7 days a week, virtually without complaint, sickness, wrong uniform, bad hair days or sleeping in. It seems investing some time, effort and money into understanding what works and what doesn’t during those critical first 7 seconds, like you would a new staff member, will benefit both you and your potential new client.

As health, fitness and wellness professionals delivering a service or product that positively changes lives we really need to review our skill in understanding the needs of our clients and move away from promoting unnecessary information about ourselves or our qualifications. When selling health; people buy you and they buy solutions. Here are 5 things you can implement that will dramatically affect you and more people’s lives via your great products and services -

1. Use ‘persuasive architecture’

The structure of your Home Page and ‘landing Pages needs to be pleasing to the eye, understanding we read left to right (excluding Asian countries.) So building a campaign using video’s, audios and photos is more effective then lots of words. The structure and set up can work or not work based on the visuals. Also clean looking sites that avoid lots of flash and busy-ness are up to 10 times more effective. Avoid doing it yourself and use a professional.

2. An ‘unbelievable offer’.

If you understand the needs of your target market then you can offer online solutions like e-books, audios and short free videos so that you get an understanding of your clients needs but make it really easy for them to join you. Free isn’t necessarily the answer but offering great value works.

3. Capturing details

Firstly if you don’t have the website ability to capture the details of those willing to give you their information then this must be your priority. Like handing out business cards is a very ineffective way to build your business, so is having a website that doesn’t have an automated process to capture people’s information. Create a healthy business by being effective at getting permission to capture people’s details.

4. Less is more

The health and fitness industry is full of beautiful people who enjoying helping others. However we also enjoy talking, sometimes too much. Learn how to say in 5 words what it is you do – online.

5. Be consistent

Similar to losing weight you need to be consistent in your efforts. Constant review and regular reporting are the basis to a great system. I one hit, one month effort simply wont work, consistency over time = results.

The ultimate compliment in business is for someone to give you their details. It indicates, trust that you listen, understand their health needs and that you speak their language. By posting a great offer on your front page of your site in exchange for clients details you create a situation where everyone wins!

Previously known as ‘websurfing’, online purchasing and marketing is now very big business. Billionaire James Packer recently invested $80 million dollars into the online coupon and shop

Read here for more

http://www.news.com.au/business/business-leader/james-packer-enters-scoopon-catch-of-the-day-coupon-website-goldmine/story-fn88b9gp-1226052459363

The average health and fitness business fails to be consistent, use experts and link their marketing to their CRM and website multiplying their results. Typically we are great at working in our clubs, gyms or studios and helping people to better health. James Packer understands return on investment and investing with experts. Be sure you learn a lesson from a very astute businessman and apply it to your business.

Healthy Online Business

Scott Krywulycz

www.ptplus.com.au

Interview with Gihan Perera

2011-02-21T06:30:00.001+11:00

Interview with Gihan Perera and income producing websites - how do you do it?

6 Steps to 6 Figures

2011-02-01T07:42:00.001+11:00

6 steps to 6 figures

Vision Personal Trainer of the year 2009 - Jason Conroy

2010-09-30T09:35:00.001+10:00

If you ask Jason to tell you of his achievements this year he would probably play it all down and say something like “I helped my clients, and did some events with the guys”. His modesty makes him a very special trainer and person. On the inside, this 22 year old has a burning desire to do his very best at everything he puts his name to and achieve every goal he sets. His passion and dedication to his clients and the Vision system is unlike anything I have witnessed before. His big smile, big heart and unwavering will to put the others around him first and front of him self, make him the person everyone wants to be around and aspires to be like.

So Jas, or as he is affectionately known as Duey (because he looks like Duey from the show Malcom in the Middle) came to us on the 15th of Sep 08 to start his career in the fitness industry. He formerly worked in the hospitality industry as a bar man and was well into the party lifestyle. He played a good level of soccer and golf and was surrounded by good mates but admits his circle of influence was the cause of a fun, but unproductive lifestyle.

The first time I realized we have someone special was in the way Jason attacked his mentor program. Like everything else he has done since then, he gave it everything. He lost over 50% of his body fat getting down to 4.4%. Jason had never run more then 5km before starting with us and in the first 2 weeks of his mentor program he completed his first event with the team; the September Half Marathon. Again he gave it everything and ran it in 90mins.

So Jason had bought into the team and the Vision system and now was sporting the red shirt and was unleashed onto the floor. It was an interesting time as Jason received a lot of negative feedback about his PT sessions from his clients. Clients dropped out unhappy with his standards. It was then that I wasn’t sure if Jason would put it all in the “too hard” basket and go back to partying with his mates on weekend benders, taking the very tempting but easy way out. Jason had a choice to make and to his credit he chose to change. Jason acted on every bit of feedback and became better. He finished 2008 by writing hand written letters to all his clients about how much he cared for them and how much he looked forward to helping them to their goals in 2009.

In the Dec 08 performance review, Jason set some really good goals. His number 1 12mth goal was to win the 2009 trainer of the year. It’s important to note Jason’s reason for wanting this wasn’t ego based. He wanted to achieve it because he knew in winning it he would have to be the very best and that gave him the best chance of being able to help his clients to their own goals. He committed to ask himself a small question before every session in 2009 – “ How would the Vision trainer of the year train this next client of mine?” To his credit he has asked himself that question over 20 times per day, every day of 2009.

So let’s move onto the year that was 2009. I am going to start by going through the lists of events that Jason has completed with the team and his clients this year.

He kicked off ’09 completing the Olympic distance Cronulla Triathlon. Before this Jason couldn’t swim. He actually got rescued by a life guard from the shallow end of a swimming pool in training for the event. He somehow got through the heavy surf at Cronulla and got to the finish line.

Jason then completed the May half marathon. He had set a goal of 85mins. Jason has asthma and at the 15km mark in the race he had an asthma attack. He was pulled off by the first aiders and given treatment. As soon as he stopped hyperventilating he jumped back into the race and somehow managed to still run 91mins. 99% of us would have called it quits devastated. Again Jason asked himself a question when the attack subsided “what would the trainer of the year do?” again he made a very admirable choice.

Up to the Gold coast Jason went to run in his first marathon. He had trained really well but in the last 6 weeks had suffered from torn ankle ligaments. He chose just to have a go and do his best and completed the 42km course in under 3hrs 30mins in a lot of pain. Although he hurt you couldn’t wipe the smile off his face afterwards.

Backing up from the Gold coast with only 9 weeks preparation Jason competed in his first bodybuilding competition with the Willoughby team along side him. During his preparation he still managed to run the City 2 Surf with a 62yr old client that Jas helped lose 20kg and helped teach to run. Jason was in the best shape of his life on stage and inspired all of his team mates that competed along side him with his dedication to his nutrition and exercise volume. It was an amazing day.

What about this. 1 week after the bodybuilding comp Jason completed his second marathon for the year again completing it in around 3:30. It was an all heart effort considering he had done nil running training for the event.

Jason then finished the events for the year by completing the Curl Curl 3 point challenge. That event is 3 x biathlon’s back to back; ocean swims and runs. Jason finished and wasn’t rescued from the ocean in process, a double win on that one.

Probably the highlight for me in his fitness achievements for ’09 was winning the beep test at the Feb 09 Vision summit. Some of you may remember it. Going into it we all new he wasn’t the best athlete competing. Before the event I wished him good luck he whispered in my ear “I will win this for the Willoughby team”. Jason put himself through so much pain that day to make his team mates feel proud again putting others first. That sums it all I recon.

So that’s the fitness stuff summed up lets talk about what happened on the studio floor with Jason in 09.

In the June 09 performance review he got 93%

In the Dec 09 performance review he scored 83%.

His average PT hours for the year are 35.7hrs. On top of this he takes Xtraining and running club weekly. He also does 3 – 5 hrs of lead generation for the business every week. Jason comes into the studio to work unpaid most Sundays to help find leads and grow the business. He does this because he wants to help and asks nothing in return.

In the last 12 mths Jason has got 36 referrals.

Jason won trainer of the challenge in Feb training 4/6 winners. He then took out the title again, winning Sep 09 Trainer of the challenge back to back. That’s a first for any trainer that I have seen in my Vision career.

One thing that makes me so happy is how well Jason is working towards goals outside of Vision. In Dec 08 Jason was a few thousand dollars in debt but set a goal of owning his first property. In one year he has managed to clear his debts and save $15 000 to date towards a deposit on a property that he is looking to purchase next year.

So that’s it. I really hope that Jason receives this well deserved award not only for himself but to show other trainers in the network what is possible when your heart is in the right place and you are prepared to make the right decisions on a daily basis. I want to thank Jason on a personal level for being in my circle of influence and for teaching me not only how to be a better person but how to be a better trainer and how to help more people. You’re an amazing person Jason, I have never been surer then I am with you that all your dreams will manifest themselves into reality.

Love you heaps mate

Chappy.

Team mate of Jason Conroy

Vision Willoughby.

Lessons from Christchurch

2010-09-20T14:32:00.004+10:00

How to survive difficult times

The unfortunate circumstances of the earthquake in Christchurch have left many business owners in a financial predicament. Those following the traditional PT model seemed to be hardest hit as they previously judged their business success on the number of PT sessions completed each week.

Having personally made a similar mistake in thinking I was successful at having 40-50 hours of PT booked every week , my realization came in the 8 week premature birth of our second child Kye. With a two year old daughter, a seriously sick wife and a business requiring me to turn up to be paid I lost 12 weeks of income putting huge financial pressure on a young family by being ignorant.. From that day forward I committed to diversifying and building a business that didn’t require me to turn up to work to get paid. Now I am fortunate enough to teach this skill, to others.

Understanding the traditional PT style of business is flawed and unfortunate circumstances like the earthquake(s) in Christchurch highlight the problems with this traditional model, we can’t judge those unfortunate PT’s and business owners but simply learn a hard lesson and go forward.

Here are 5 things to consider when looking to diversify your income

1. Inquire about our 17 income stream model to decide the direction of you and your career/business.

2. Set up a sales system in your business so that you have more qualified leads more often.

3. Build an online platform so that you open up a bigger market and cash in on a very topical subject, one that is being ‘googled’ and searched right now by billions of people – health!

4. Follow a proven model to diversification rather than try and reinvent the wheel

5. Read business books, attend business conferences, get qualified business advice and hang around with other like-minded business owners so that you can fast track your success.

Out of hard times, come a lesson. To help the people of Christchurch get their businesses

back to helping more people, more often, we have a free workshop on the 27th September

to do our bit to help a very beautiful town and it's wonderful people move forward. If you live in Christchurch and need some business support then contact us via email at info@ptplus.com.au for more information.

The best client in the world

2010-09-18T12:35:00.002+10:00

How would you’re life look with one client paying you tens of thousands of dollars per year? A client who understands value in your product and services and who not only benefits from the results but refers other like-minded clients.

This is not a dream but in fact a reality for a lot of ‘fitnesspreneurs’ cashing in on the very lucrative corporate market. This dream is becoming more of a reality with recent changes in Government legislation as decision makers start to realize the demands of the modern work environment are contributing to the ill-health and affecting profitability of business. The solution in a lot of instances is someone like you. But how does the Corporate Health market work and what does it involve?

The problem with most health and fitness people is that they are offering the wrong solutions to a market that is crying out for healthy help and support. “Fitnesspreneurs’ are people who see a healthy opportunity and grab it. Most people sit around talking about it, but fail in the process of action that gets results. 2011 looks to be offering one of the best opportunities for those who put action around one of the best clients in the world, that of a corporate health market. Our mission is to support leading business owners in getting them started in the marketplace. We have a range of different free resources for those that need a bit more of an understanding and want to build their confidence as well as some proven programs and resources for those that are ready. Either way let’s get you started on understanding the corporate health market-

1. Understanding most trainers, studios and gyms have exisitng clients who work a job, you initially have a captive audience. Getting started can be as simple as asking leading questions to existing clients around the kind of things they are currently doing and being offered in regards to corporate health and fitness in their corporate environment.

2. Send out a survey to ‘decision makers’ and rather than invent a package or program that you think might work, let your market tell you what they want and then decide if you can deliver.

3. Start reading business books, financial papers, listen to business news and hanging around business people. Increasing your knowledge of these people and businesses will only contribute to a better financial outcome and more specific product.

4. Invest time and money on proven resources, coaching and business advice rather than waste time trying to reinvent the wheel by doing it yourself. The market has never been more lucrative and open to change but you need to do something different to what you have always done.

5. Increase your prices – as a sign of respect to yourself and in telling yourself you are serious about stepping into this market. Increasing your rates is a significant positioning point in discussion. Think about the senior manager who wants the best program for his team. If the options were the $60 per hour personal trainer whom he has a good relationship with but is unproven or the $3000.00 per day consultant. My experience tells me the $3000.00 consultant will win 9/10 on pricing.

Get busy learning and doing your homework and then decide what you next action should be. If you want to see how you score in the Corporate health market then email us at info@ptplus.com.au for a free corporate health business resource that will help define what you need to work on in order that you have the best clients in the world.

Getting started on 6 figure trainer-ship

2010-08-18T18:10:00.001+10:00

Marketing - Where to get started

2010-07-16T16:26:00.001+10:00

Where to get started?

Business Overhaul

2010-07-05T09:24:00.001+10:00

Business Overhaul

why you need a marketing plan?

2010-06-18T13:51:00.002+10:00

your leading survival tool in business

"The more food records people kept, the more weight they lost", said lead author Jack Hollis Ph.D, a researcher at Kaiser Permanente's Centre for Health Research in Portland, Ore. "Those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records. It seems that the simple act of writing down what you eat encourages people to consume fewer calories"

A marketing plan in business is the equivalent of the food diary for weight loss. It determines your success. Without it you increase your chance of failure.

In fact one of the all time business bibles for any 'fitnesspreneur' to read is' 'Think and Grow Rich' by Napoleon Hill. In his study of 25,000 people over 40 years he established the Top 31 major causes of failure. In fact 98% of those that he studied had failed in business and a part of their failure was the lack of this survival tool. In business the key to survival is the marketing plan. It is a common ingredient to those successfully doing business.

Simply having a marketing plan is not enough to guarantee survival, there are a few other things to consider. However before we go any further let me put my business coaching hat on and ask the obvious question.

Do you have a marketing plan that you refer to weekly that has proven tactics to grow your business?

So why a marketing plan?
A considered marketing plan includes the outcomes you want from your business. Broken into end of year, quarterly and monthly financial and measurable targets like any smart goal setting process. The strategies you use to 'get' business are your marketing tactics and the measurement of these results determines which tactics work or which ones to pass on to your competitors.

By having a marketing plan you take a positive, respectful approach to the income you want from your business. If you don't you are setting up for failure.

But...
Similar to a New Years Eve resolution a marketing plan is only as good as the beer coaster you write it on. Yes the power of hand writing out a marketing plan (like our weight loss diaries) is still 90% more effective than any computer, typed, voice responding commercially written marketing plan. The difference is ownership of the document and a strategic, considered approach to your plan.

And like our weight loss candidates above, if you get proven quality advice from someone who has expertise in this area then you can almost guarantee your business success by also adding some accountability to the process.

Finally
For the sake of helping more people more often to better health, can you please go and pull out that old marketing document from the top drawer, get to know each other again and go from the 94% of businesses who don't have a marketing plan to the 50% of businesses who have one but don't use it, to the top 3% of leading businesses who make most of the revenue and have this one survival tool nailed to the business owners backside with it looking worn and tattered from overuse and over performing.

Do it now
Park the technical workshops for 6 months and learn a fundamental to business success by getting good at a process of getting more people into your business and servicing their needs by having a great business system. The healthy results this will bring to so many people will be more than money can buy but you need to do something now.

2010 success stories

2010-06-04T10:02:00.004+10:00

'Clients come to me because I am a great motivator' was the statement that came to me from a personal trainer looking to develop their point of difference during a business branding session. Question that entered my simple brain was 'Are we the motivation behind people's actions?'

Human behaviour experts explain that motivation is developed intrinsically and generally around the need to move away from pain (ie/ being overweight, feeling low on energy) OR towards pleasure (by losing 10kgs I will be attractive and find a partner and be happy). However whilst there are a lot of motivated people with the internal drive that creates results, daily action is the deciphering tool to take it to the next level.

Inspiration can quite often be the catalyst to cause action and the result is a change in habits that lead to desired outcomes. Personally I find it hard to motivate others, as it does need to come from within the person wanting to change. What does assist motivations is being inspired. The middle of the calendar year can sometimes be a time of testing ones motivation levels. Be inspired by some of these 2010 success stories from people just like you so that you can continue to do a great hob and positively influence more people.

coaching business
What does a father of two energetic boys, studio and swim school owner of (600 sessions per week) do in his limited spare time? Build a low risk, high return coaching business that will allow him financial independence in a couple of years. During the month of May Coach Cam billed out his biggest month of revenue in his coaching business. Check out his website at www.leapingthroughlife.com.au to learn how a coaching business looks online you can also email us for an exclusive interview with Cameron Roberts.

build a part-time business
Ben McNamara is a professional soccer player and rather than sit around playing Nintendo and watching Jerry Springer between training sessions, Ben uses his time to build his part-time Punch at Lunch programs with corporations. Ben recently signed up a number of companies on his $120 per half hour program. Listen to how this 21-year old goalkeeper from Newcastle invested in our Business Starter Pack Program and worked through the challenges of getting started in business. While Ben's mates are out working trades and bar jobs Ben is working on developing his business skills and building himself a great business asset. We will start Ben on the next process of building a national business in the coming months. Watch this space...Listen to Ben McNamara here.

build an outdoor group fitness business
Single mother and great inspiration to many in her beautiful and beloved regional town of Coffs Harbour is Colleen Mieni. The 'Col-inator' continues to prove the misconception around running a big business and having a great lifestyle outside of a CBD. She continues to positively influence the health of more people by developing programs like this one. Click here to view Col's program.

get started in business while working around the kids
'Prior to commencing the business starter pack I spent the past 12 months bumbling around in what I thought was a PT business. I was busy, but not busy on the right things. I had no clear direction, no KPI's, no real target market. I was just training anyone and everyone who came along. After completing the program with Scott I have a solid 10-year vision, clear target market,s et KPI's and best of all a much better business attitude. For a self proclaimed 'boof head' Scott REALLY knows his stuff when it comes to business! Scott's positive nature and passion comes through in everything he does. Thanks again Scott for getting me on the right path and helping me stay there! - Rhiannon Lovell - EMIT Fitness

write a book
Writing a book is the ambition of many people, yet so few take the actions to get started, blaming time and other restraints. Business owner Troy Morgan is one of the busiest guys on planet Earth with his Fitness Centre in Toowoomba offering a range of holistic services. If you want something done give it to a busy person! Troy works with us for 2 hours every week on our book opportunity program. Due to launch in October we have a few spots left if you desire to be published.

PT Forum - Business of Sport

2010-05-27T14:49:00.001+10:00

PT Forum - Business of Sport

the business of sport model

2010-05-25T13:54:00.003+10:00

How to take the sell out of selling

2010-05-20T14:37:00.001+10:00

How to take the sell out of selling

business age

2010-05-10T14:30:00.007+10:00

How your business history determines your business future.

In front of me sits a group of graduating PT's. Coming to the end of their program I am asked to deliver a business presentation on the opportunities in the health and fitness industry. As I prepare to deliver our 17 income stream model I look around the room of 80+ graduates knowing that only 4-6 of them will still be working in the industry in two years. As they are sold franchises, more technical workshops and other programs that will deplete their bank accounts and not deliver a single cent in return I feel the industry in a civil war. It seems so many think that a fitness certification is their ticket to developing a business. Why are they getting it so wrong? Who is selling them this information? And are the so called leaders considering the effects this is having on the person we are all trying to help....Mr and Mrs Sickest Generation Ever on average street.

Our industry can learn something that we know from our clients. Consider these case studies.

If we use this same analogy in business, especially to 95% of graduates to courses we start to understand part of the problem is around expectation and rather than training age it is 'business age'. Your business history has to determine your business future in an industry that is dominate by self employed business style models.

Is the lesson for graduating PT's a support program that helps to increase their business knowledge and people skills. In a technical dominated industry it seems we have enough options in this space but would the civil war cease if we could have better support programs. Could we then collectively work with Mr and Mrs Sickest Generation Ever and build a more positive, healthy, happier world by getting us right first!

However this problem is not only linked to graduates. Of the few who battle the health and fitness war are the veterans. The guys and gals out there, neck deep in their financial commitments and busy-ness, always doing what they have always done, yet expecting a different result! Choosing to invest their limited funds into the next big commercial event doing a range of different one hour workshops and choosing a wide variety of topics that very rarely return a cent into their business.
What's the point?
A majority of people enter this industry with a very low business age. They have never run a health and fitness business before, are generally sold a self employed style business and then expect to live in a world where if you are not turning over $100,000 as a minimum per annum you can probably expect to live with Mum and Dad for quite a few years. Even a $100,000 turnover allowing for the accounting allowance of 30% in wages equates to a $30,000 salary, is barely proving enough.

We need to increase the business age of the average graduate and industry in general if we are to stop the civil war we are currently experiencing. With a majority of models relying on business ownership it makes sense that this is where the focus needs to be.

I pick up my microphone, I look at the 80+ graduates, I wonder how do we get that retention number from 4-6 closer to 10. I start to change my delivery, understanding that this is the way of the future if we are really ethical about changing the outcome the next generation of graduates and clients.

How to take the sell out of selling

2010-05-05T11:28:00.001+10:00

How to take the sell out of selling

the best business card in the world

2010-04-12T13:18:00.006+10:00

A guide to what works and what doesn't.

A part of being in business is that you need to have a business card - or so it seems. New trainers to health and fitness veterans focus on these precious cards consuming a fair amount of time, money and resources in putting them together. However, how effective is the traditional business card?

Marketing guru's repeatedly teach the process on measuring leads into a business. How many lead's does a traditional business card generate? Let's put these leading survey questions to you and measure the immediate response.

1. When was the last time you responded to a business card?
2. How many leads have you generated to your business via business cards?

In lots of presentations I ask these leading questions and generally there is between 3-5% who answer that they:

1. Have responded recently
2. 99% don't know

Now if you don't have the results to these important marketing questions let me give you our results, specific to the health and fitness industry. Throughout 2008 and 2009 we identified the top 10 techniques on how to build a 6 figure personal training business as well as those used by studios and gyms. A business card didn't make the top 10 techniques.

The business card is dead!
Concerning building a business, the business card went out with leg warmers and matching head bands, however the psychology around owning a business card is reflected in having some credibility. This is understandable for a lot of new guys getting started in business, however if you have been plugging away at business for a while and are relying on handing out business cards as a way of building your business then it's time to review this technique.

So what is the best card in the world?
Before I reveal the best business card in the world, a better approach to building business is to have the skill of getting other people's details. This way allows you to control the relationship. The traditional way of handing out a business card allows the other person to forget you or lose the business card. I have managed to prove this by growing my business without ever having a business card.

Sometimes we can learn from others
Let's learn from the typical personal trainer who has just completed his/her certification, been educated by non business type teachers, has no business experience and decides it is time to get some clients. Their first stop is the local printer to put together a couple of hundred business cards. Here is the typical outcome:

front of business card

Pete's Personal Training - Pete's business is very limited by the branding he has used here. Firstly if Pete plans to grow his business outside of the traditional flawed model of swapping time for money he is limited by his name. Secondly he has also limited himself to simply personal training. In an industry that allows you to deliver so many other services Pete has really set himself up for the minimal opportunity by poor branding and limiting himself to personal training.
superpete@hotmail.com - I really question the professionalism of an email address like this. This is typically linked to spam mail or dodgy overseas scams that try to rip people off.
Mobile 0900 686 777 - Alongside the email address this does smell of a single operator, battling it out on price against other local trainers. By adding a land line or 1300 number and a PO box is a best use of this space.

back of business card

By listing all these services Pete tells me is a jack of all trades yet master of none. Also if I am not a trainer or have not been educated on health and fitness I struggle to understand some of these terms. Terms like 'post natal and functional training' are used regularly when speaking to other health and fitness professionals however for the general public most of these terms are foreign. So why use them?
Free session - free is cheap and not everyone wants cheap. The message Pete is sending to his potential clients by using the word 'free' is come and take advantage of me, take a lot of information then let's battle it out on price.

Quite often we can learn from other specialists in the market and I am not sure if you have ever been 'unfortunate enough' to have seen one of the following guys, however consider the professionalism that is involved in one of these cards.

The lesson lies in the specificity of what Dr. Teeth does as a profession. So many health and fitness professionals confuse themselves and their potential clients by claiming to be an expert in lots of areas as opposed to a specialist. Overtime in order to charge more and be better at solving the health problems of the market you need to become a specialist. It starts by telling yourself and your clients via your business card. This same message has to be consistent in everything you send to the market, in the form of marketing.

People are not concerned about how many letters you have after your name or the colours on your business card, they simply need a health problem solved. With this targeted approach around your business you will open up greater opportunities.

So what is the best business card in the world?
Let's close the loop on this article and answer this question. The best business card in the world is definitely a book. To have a book you not only get to generate another revenue stream however you also have a powerful form of marketing that you can send to potential companies, schools, government bodies or high profile clients. Writing a book is a big project and in getting started we have a process we teach that has you, earning money as you develop it overtime. We do this using our Publishing Pyramid by writing e-newsletter and articles. If you have a plan to write a book or want to understand proven ways to increase your profile then contact us as well as read our article titled the Publishing Pyramid.

personal training is fundamentally flawed

2010-03-23T16:04:00.003+11:00

Association

2010-03-09T15:09:00.001+11:00

Association

a million dollar idea

2010-02-02T10:32:00.004+11:00

Quoted from the great book 'The One Minute Millionaire' by Robert Allen and Mark Victor Hansen a new millionaire is developed every hour in the US. In Australia we have 190,000 millionaires (Smart Company Report) and New Zealand has 22,000 (Reader's Digest). The US leads the world in terms of most millionaires with 4.9 million, followed by Japan, Britain, Germany and China. Only 3% of millionaires come from winning money by gambling, with the majority, 56% generating their million from business.

It had me thinking about the health and fitness industry and more specifically about PT's, studio owners and gyms. What do the million dollar businesses have in common? Here is the answer.

a great leader

Making money is only one element to being successful. Being a great leader is also a key function. We hear so much about leadership, but what is it? I heard it best described as doing what is right and taking on responsibility in every part of life. The key eight categories are business, health, family, relationships, friends, wealth, community and charity. Consider how you score in these areas.

business model

As the earlier statistics pointed out, it is no good buying a lottery ticket. Chances are very low in hoping it will happen. You need to be in business and you need to have a model that supports a million dollars in revenue. The traditional PT model is dead, your own studio model will leave you working big hours, look to a proven model and avoid reinventing the wheel. Buying an existing business model or paying for qualified advice is required. Consider your track record and if your results are not there do something different.

leverage

There are only two things you need to leverage in business. One is time and the other is money. The only way to leverage time is to develop systems and invest in a team. To leverage your money you need a profitable business. In fact you need to establish a net profit of at least 15% to make the business journey worthwhile. Unsure of net profit then click here to read more.

persistence

Millionaire status does not occur overnight. Generally it is a build up of personal development, confidence and associating with the right people. It is persistence, the ability to get up everyday and give it your best shot that will get you there. If it took you ten years with a proven model would you do it? What about fast tracking on the back of someone elses' knowledge and know how. Smart persistence is a well considered approach to the million dollar goal.

clarity

Understanding who you are and where you're headed seems to be something that has been lost in the busy-ness of life. We recently asked twenty or so 6 figure trainers where will you be in two years of business. Only two could announce their plan. Clarity around where you're headed and how it looks in a few years is something you need to establish now. It's like the artist has an image of the masterpiece well before he puts brush to canvas. With a clear image he can go about his work to complete the masterpiece.

income streams

You need to diversify or die if you want wealth. There has never been a greater opportunity to make money in a range of different forms. If you are unsure of how to diversify in the health and fitness industry go to our 17 income streams for an overview.

Crikey - it's a gold rush!

2010-01-27T14:02:00.003+11:00

'That's it!' He yelled as we put the final touches to the business model. A shriek that would have been similar to 'Eureka', the famous call from those that found gold nuggets on the goldfields a hundred or so, years ago. While the shrieking relief that comes with the realisation about nailing that business idea may sound similar, the pathway to generating a great business and lifestyle is getting easier, especially within the health and fitness industry. The problem with most great business ideas is that they sit dormant in the minds of the creator. Surfacing only when you notice that someone else had what it takes, to take it from idea to action!

Do you feel as though you have the equivalent of a gold nugget in a business idea but are uncertain what to do next?

Understand that health is the gold nugget that most of our population is looking for and your big idea has never been in a better situation to really enjoy what's coming your way. With the advent of the 'information age' the demand for healthy information from the greater population has seen 80% people go to the internet first before consulting a doctor. Readers Digest report that 50% of all internet hits are health related. This is a concerning outcome, however the reality is that this is how modern business is done. In fact if you can get better at developing modern skills of business, you will find yourself a part of the current gold rush the industry is experiencing.

A 'Gold Rush' is that sudden wave of migration to new territory because gold had been discovered. In the health and fitness industry it seems that the indicators for our own gold rush are evident in these early days of the new decade. If we look at the gap between healthy people, like you, and sickness the gap is widening in a majority of the population. The bridge to reducing this gap lies in education and information. Let me remind you that we are in the information age, where information is a commodity. Healthy people, like you, are healthy because they have educated themselves via attending conferences, reading books, surfing the web and paying for good advice and information. This information is a commodity that is transferable for dollars in the current global market.

The information age is certainly easier than digging through the layers of earth in the hope of finding a nugget. The answers lay within the depths of your frontal lobe. Putting together information products is the skill of extracting that information and putting it in front of your target market who will happily pay for the information.

Are you a flash in the pan or gold finding expert?

Hundreds of thousands of people hit the gold fields with a lantern, tent, shovel and pick in the hope that they would find gold. A flash in the pan was what they where looking for amoungst the rocks, dust and debri. The 'flash in the planners' survived on hope and luck.

Others developed their skills by using maps, studying geology, testing for minerals and paid for qualified advice while taking a considered approach before lifting a shovel. They became experts in the skill of finding gold.

This year thousands of business owners in the business of health and fitness will forage and shovel hoping for the flash in the pan. Using traditional business models and old techniques they will find it a back-breaking experience. A few will strike gold however the experts will continue to enjoy the gold rush as they work and develop their business skills by staying current with their tactics, further develop themselves and continue to understand the needs of the market by providing great quality service.

To join experts and to cash in on the information age gold rush, we have 6 spots available for you to develop and record your own CD series as well as put together a range of supporting e-books. We estimate a minimum $10,000++ in extra revenue by developing these products. Using our technology and experts for support you can be cashing in on the huge demand for health and fitness information required by the market. 'Develop your own information products' starts January 31st and is a 3 month coaching program that you can use over and over throughout your business.

Click here for more information.

business overhaul on TV

2010-01-15T11:25:00.003+11:00

Recently on the Channel 10 series 'Body and Brain Overhaul' I had the opportunity to work with personal trainer Christian Ennor. His story is very typical of what most PT's, studios and gym owners experience in their business. Thanks to the Personal Training Academy and Christian our segment will highlight the reasons so many struggle to succeed and why we have a high turnover rate of health professionals in our industry. The following article will identify these key findings.

Prior to working with Christian we had assessed his business using our business diagnostic and stocktake. These tools ask for leading questions and responses to business fundamentals linked with successful health and fitness businesses. To see how you score email us for a copy of the diagnostic.

In assessing Christian we found a standard response from going through this process. These include:

1. Lots of great business ideas
2. No time or energy to pursue his goals
3. Business ideas without strategy
4. A lack of business skills in achieving some of his goals
5. Inconsistent cash flow
6. His business advice was coming from other personal trainers with limited business skill or success in the area of his goals.

Outside of these 6 key observations, Christian's business score was a 15/60 based on his completion of the diagnostic. The higher the business score the greater the likelihood of success and long jeopardy in the business. This low score indicates how much work needed to be done. However with Christian's passion in his career and coach-able attitude, he is a 'renovator's dream' for a business coach.

We find by collecting independent data we can then put specific tailored strategies with a support structure to achieving set outcomes. During the show we discuss how to overcome these common business obstacles that PT's, studio's and gym owners experience.

Interestingly in the aftermath a few of Christian's colleagues have seen more positive change to how Christian now runs his business. This sparked some interest in pursuing what Christian had achieved. However few have followed through on any of the initial steps that Christian took by being apart of the show. This asks a leading question 'if you knew you would succeed would you invest the time and money into one of your great ideas?' For most people the answer is an obvious YES. However, very few put this idea into action.

Dr Roy Sugarman and Paul Taylor are great at extracting the data as to why you won't take action. Even why some of the actions you are taking are not aligned with where you are headed.

Without giving the results away from the show Christian's results were determined by 6 key factors.

1. If you want a different result you need to do something different
2. Map out a plan to achieving what you want using someone who has achieved a similar goal. Pick something that you are passionate about that keeps you immersed in creative thought and positive energy
3. Be coach-able and invest in quality advice
4. Identify roadblocks and obstacles
5. Do something everyday towards achieving your desired task
6. Have fun, enjoy the journey and review your progress weekly

As business owners in the health and fitness indutry what we can all learn from Christian is his ability to implement the above success factors. He removed himself from his comfort zone and found a greater cause to work for being his wife and kids. He wants to be the best he can be in an area he is passionate about and does it with a real sense of humour and love of life. His personality is infectious and he has a deep knowledge of his area of expertise. I think is we could all be a lot more like Christian we would see some more successes in our careers. However you need to watch the show for the full story.

Scott owns PT Plus, a business dedicated to business building and coaching skills for PT's, studios and gym owners. You can email Scott at info@ptplus.com.au to talk about your business challenges or go to www.ptplus.com.au for a whole bunch of complimentary business resources.

business building tips

2010-01-15T11:07:00.003+11:00

"How do I build my business?" is the most popular question we get asked.

During the next couple of months we are going to unpack a whole bunch of hints, tips and tactics to support businesses in building. In Part 1 of our Business Building series we start by getting you, the business owner on track. Here are some things to consider when building a business.

1. Pick a purpose
Your purpose has to be an obsession. One that keeps you up at night and consumes your thinking throughout the day. It has to numb you with excitement yet make you nervous about it's success. A more targeted and specific purpose creates greater impact. If it is purely money dominated then it may be the wrong area of purpose. You have every right to make a lot of money by defining your purpose as that is the result of being great at what you do, however watch it being the motivator. Consider tacking on the why? So why have you chosen the purpose and what satisfaction does it give you personally?

2. Map out a strategy
A strategy should consider the outcomes of dollars and cents. If you are going to put time into a project you need to get paid. It also requires marketing. Combining online techniques, traditional marketing and the plan to build a recognisable brand are fundamental to a good strategy. An overall annual strategy broken into quarterly, monthly and then daily tasks insures an outcome.

3. Have complete belief
This is an unusual ingredient to have in a concoction of specific business techniques, however it is the most critical. Without belief business won't happen. To build belief you need to associate with big-thinkers, build a strong team of individuals who challenge you as well as commit to developing yourself, the individual.

4. Create daily action
This is where the rubber hits the road and some business owners become polarized. The best idea is only an idea unless it has action. Daily actions will take you outside your comfort zone, however if you have a big enough purpose combined with complete belief then the action is not even work.

5. Accountability is king
It is why personal training and business coaching works with a higher success rate than training yourself or trying to implement a good business idea on your own. The commitment to investing in yourself and tapping into the expertise of someone else for accountability compliments your belief. 'We will do for others, what we won't do for ourselves' is very true of most people.

make hay while the sun shines

2010-01-15T10:31:00.002+11:00

While our Northern hemisphere subscribers bunker down for the snow and cold, our Southern hemisphere-ians are enjoying the benefits of the extra sun. There is something about this time of year that has many of our Health and Wellness business leaders reporting record increases in people signing up getting fit. The most recent Sensis report highlights that on average consumers are spending $637 per person this Christmas with the average person buying for 12 people or spending $53 per person. For families this may be up to 2-3 times more, with higher income earning families contributing a greater amount than average.

Either way, north or south, health or wellness the benefits for business owners can be as rewarding as you want them to be, as the sun (or snow) combined with the 'end or world' mentality associated with the 8 weeks to Christmas, increases in consumer spending and opportunities to make a positive difference to the health of the market.

However a lack of strategy, focus and awareness around the next 3 months could have you eating spaghetti out of a tin in January, while your mates enjoy tinned beverages on a foreign beach. So here are some tips to help you make hay while the sun shines so that you not only enjoy the moment, but the benefits of reaping the rewards of some of these seeds, with a 'considered strategy'.

- Have set availability
'Chunk' blocks of time so that you are either ON or OFF. This will make you more efficient and effective in the delivery of each session
- Clients plans for Christmas
Check in with your members and clients and get an understanding of when and if they are away over Christmas. Next confirm a January 2010 appointment with clients during December. This will allow you to project your January revenue and avoid clients dropping off on a summer crusade drinking from tins with your mates. The objective is to come back to a full diary following a well earned break
-Simplify your life
Create a set of business systems that automate appointment booking, payment of bills, client files and any other medial simple tasks. Also keep your life outside of work supportive to having good energy so that you are as consistent as the sun shining
- Get paid at the start of the month
Get your clients to pay you at the start of the month so that you can get on with business. With money in the bank you will have more time to get on with it and less time worrying about the bank balance
-Control spending
It may seem that there is a lot of money coming in however measure what is going out. Save a bit for a rainy day and keep on top of taxes and regular expenses. Set a budget and stick to it. If you can apply the same discipline to spending money as you do to your fitness regime you will have a healthy bank balance and a fit body
- Keep marketing
Typically marketing runs a 90-day cycle. So what you do, or don't do, today will typically impact your business in January. My observation of up/down businesses is that marketing moves down the priority list, as the business gets busy. Stay committed to marketing during your busy periods. Avoid a yo-yo style cash flow by keeping consistent with marketing
-Have a plan for January
Plan now for when you return in January. Consider how much you want to earn and then implement a strategy. Do the work now and join the family and loved ones and have a well-earned rest so that you can continue to make a healthy difference throughout 2010.

Our PT Plus mission is to see more health and wellness business making more money so that they can make a significant difference. By contributing to increasing the health of communities, employing more staff, providing charity support and donations and by generally practicing healthy business. As an industry we first must help ourselves so that we can serve this greater mission. Work smart during these next few months and make your own difference to your immediate community of clients, you deserve it, while the sun shines.

the busi-ness of Christmas

2010-01-15T10:19:00.002+11:00

This one sentence "Did I tell you I was diagnosed with cancer 3 months ago?" completely changed my perspective on a busy time of year. As I sat across from my colleague (who prefers to keep the matter to himself) and considered his world of a hundred plus team of personal trainers, a management team, Christmas business deadlines, kids, a wife and a serious health challenge, I found myself considering this busy time of year and the busi-ness of Christmas in a refreshing light.

It seems inevitable to be busy during the lead up to Christmas. Consider the changes that occur this time of year.
-The weather and the energy requirements needed to deal with this shift
-General increase in business combined by finishing up clients and starting new ones and a real need to be ON
-Increase in social events results and normal productive downtime being exchanged for interaction with people
-Overall energy demands required to deliver in all areas is increased with the need to be everywhere for everyone
-Mental stimulation of the demands of Christmas life and trying to juggle all the requirements of business and personal demands
-The big deadline! A lot of people behave like the world ends this week... with the deadline of Christmas the urgency for response(s) and a normal days business is put on steroids as clients and colleagues overcompensate in order to get your response

So with all these changes at this extraordinary time of year, a strategy on the busi-ness of Christmas can only help us to survive. Let's face it without a strategy you will end up like most people limping into the end of the year low on energy, 'over' dealing with people and overwhelmed with the overall busi-ness of this time of year. It certainly is not business as usual during this time, so consider perspective as the key ingredient to survival.

I have a mission to serve. To develop the health and fitness industry to have more profitable businesses and create leaders who positively effect a great population of healthy people. I find great advice and inspiration from someone right in the middle of a battle. Beating cancer requires a different strategy to daily life I imagine. So the extraordinary lesson passed on to me to help beat the unusualness that comes with this time of year is best summed up here.

Embrace the busi-ness of Christmas with all your might. Work hard and rest even harder so that you can get up again and give it another crack tomorrow. Enjoy the work that it brings, the people you meet and the rewards that come from working hard. For it will be short lived if you lose perspective.

a guideline for designing your best year ever

2010-01-11T09:42:00.003+11:00

The start of a new year brings exciting expectations about what is possible and of course the dreaded unknowns and challenges that occur with any journey.

I noticed the interesting change in my neighbourhood, brought about by a new start. Cars and cleaned and polished on front lawns that are groomed and green. The local boat ramp is busy launching happy families and friends on a day on the water while people's bodies and brains seem fresh, relaxed and in a state of anticipations about the 2010 journey.

How does this relate to business? The best in the business stay on track during the easy early phase of a goal by committing to the following.

So the neighbourly events had me asking questions. How many of these cars will stay polished? How will the lawns and gardens look in four, five or six months? The intention of having a boat is to be in it, on the water. However how many people will have their boat in the water over the coming weeks or will the boat become another part of the garden? And what about those healthy bodies and minds that are full of anticipation, how will they be around the middle of the year? Unless they are under your healthy guidance, chances are they will end up somewhere else!

I found inspiration last year from so many leaders in the industry who have common behaviour patterns and habits. Here is a guide to having your best year ever:

- Get 'you' right. Manage the most important person in your life - you
- Stay mentally fresh by booking your next holiday
- Consider not only the physical aspects of being healthy and fit, set up some techniques to being in a prime mental space most of the time
- Stay committed to 2010 objectives by locking in supporting programs and events that help to achieve the outcome
- It is also OK to not achieve, to simply have another year is absolutely acceptable, just be aware of a demon named complacency
- Enjoy getting uncomfortable on your new mission
- Align your goals and ambitions with another cause like a charity, kids or a loved one. 'We do for others what we want to do for ourselves'.

During Business Bootcamp 2010 I will talk you through the 6 figure success and deal with the how, what and where, plus share with you some 7 figure secrets of those that have come through our 2009 programs, setting you up for the next decade. Live business case studies as well as setting up a business strategy tailored to your outcomes to improve your income and lifestyle.

the 90 day business challenge

2009-11-16T09:36:00.004+11:00

In an industry that is dominated by '9 week weight loss challenges', '6 week bootcamps' and slim-down this and get big that, I thought it fair that you all get a bit of what you have been dishing out! Here is a 90 day business challenge.

Why a 90 day challenge?

1. It will set you up for a huge 2010
2. The work you do this month will determine your bank balance in January 2010
3. By allowing 90 days for your return on investment you are setting a great expectation towards your business plans and goals for 2010.

"The best way to predict the future is to create it" - Peter F. Drucker

If we go back and review these health challenge programs, they all have similar measures. Details like:
1. Recording what you eat
2. Train 3 times per week
3. Drink lots of water
4. Use a trainer
and as part of the challenge you get a free shirt, water bottle and backpack!

As health professionals, some of the things that we preach to our clients for these health challenges; transfer to our businesses. So in developing 90 day business challenges, like all the good health challenges mentioned earlier, you need measurable outcomes. So here they are:

1. 90 day timeframe - to get a results in business you need to start marketing. It needs to be as consistent as training 3 times per week for 9 weeks of fitness. Just like a great training plan it needs to be targeted, specific and relevant to your outcomes

2. Record your daily actions and direct them at a business strategy - so many people get caught up in the daily 'do-ing' and 'busy-ness', that they just do, do and do. It serves as the lifeline towards you and your goal.

3. Put in lots of good stuff - listening, reading and developing your self on a daily basis is the equivalent to drinking water. It serves as the lifeline towards you and your goals.

4. Use a coach - sometimes I have had the best 'this is it' intentions, only to be pulled away by other things. Checking in with someone regularly indicates commitment, positively reinforces your dedication to a goal and a good catch will provide support and guidance during the inevitable tough parts of the journey.

The great thing about a 90 day challenge is that it will set you up for a great start to 2010. While most people are putting things off to the New Year, you can start the year in your best form and conditioned, for whatever it is you want from 2010.

follow a business model

2009-10-14T09:41:00.004+11:00

Making money via building a business has been around for tens of thousands of years. It is not a new concept. The principals for building a business have remained the same since our first medieval transactions of incense and silk rugs. Many lessons have been scribed into books 'seeking counsel' or 'meeting of the minds'. It is consistent throughout time.

So why try to reinvent the wheel?

So many 'fitnesspreneurs' try and go against what time has taught them and spend a lot of time coming up with their own business model. Use what works and become a master of working a proven business model for all it's worth.

I recently presented in Auckland, New Zealand in front of a crowd of 120 people on the topic of 'business building'. In the crowd sat a guy by the name of Norm Phillips. Norm is one of the pioneers of the industry. Starting back in the 1980's in Perth instructing groups of people wearing matching leg warmers and headbands, doing grapevines. Some 30 years later in a room of 120, Norm, who probably should have been conducting the whole event with his amount of industry knowledge and experience, put his hand into his wallet and was one of a handful of people to invest in the product offering. You need to know that this guy sits at the pinnacle of management roles running a Les Mills PT division of 80 trainers in Auckland. He is the master of working a proven business model and has done so most of his life. Norm is still very committed to sharpening the saw.

We teach a model of adding systems and direction to a great attitude. Delete time wasting activities, energy vampires and 'seek counsel' on roadblocks. The key ingredient to the model is to multiply your results via increasing sales, adding support and marketing. Finally divide your day into working in and 'on' the business, identify your target markets and have multiple income streams. For a more comprehensive overview click here to receive a complimentary e-book.

This model has been written by successful 'fitnesspreneurs' for 'fitnesspreneurs' who want to succeed. So enjoy the read of the e-book and avoid reinventing the wheel and follow a proven business model.

a selling system

2009-09-16T09:06:00.003+10:00

Without a selling system it is a bit like turning the key in the ignition and waiting or the car to start, without an engine. Whilst you may have a key to a business, without a system for generating sales you are going to find it difficult to keep moving forward at any pace. For long jeopardy in business you need to have a system for generating leads to your business to convert to sales. The problem with most health and fitness businesses is the owner is the technician, administrator, cleaner, accountant, client liaison officer and sales person while still trying to practice what they preach and live a healthy, well balanced life.

If you can place a selling system in your business it will help the all-important part of sales and revenue. So when you turn the key each morning it will go from a concerning clunking sound, with fear of moving forward to something firing like a V8 that can get you to your destination in record time.

The selling system we teach has a six-step process. Use all six and you get a desired outcome. Each one requires the other to work at capacity. Without one or two of these you are only firing on four cylinders as the cliché goes.

So lets get started on the six-step process.

1. psychology
When I say the word sales what words come to mind? ‘Evil’, ‘hard’, ‘yuck’, ‘terrifying’ and ‘difficult’ all have negative connotations. However ‘conversations’, ‘money’, ‘new clients’, ‘freedom’ and ‘holidays’ have a positive spin to the word. Consider your relationship with the word sales and chances are a negative interpretation of sales will land you poor results. Alternatively you may just enjoy the whole process and your business is showing the positive outcomes of a great relationship with sales. Understanding the fate of your business is decided by revenue. Too much revenue rarely creates the intense painful headaches that not enough revenue creates, assuming you are managing your expenses. So awareness around the psychology of selling is the place to start to create change in your business.

But why don’t I like sales?

Any event in life is a neutral event. What determines if an event is good or bad is your previous experience to that event. So, if you have had a bad experience with boyfriends (males) in your life your self-protection mechanism tells you to stay away from ones that look like previous boyfriends. It is the same with sales. You may have been ripped off, bought something you regret, have a perception about sales people that give the whole psychology a negative spin. Sales are not good or bad but purely a neutral event in your business life. Consider the influencing factors in your experience with sales.

You will need to deal with the psychology part of the process if you want a V8 business system. Sales are not good or bad just a neutral and normal event in any business. Decide to make it ‘good’ and it will serve you better.

2. lead generation
How exciting is business when you have a whole heap of fresh leads. New prospects considering your products or services are a revelation. It is very energizing and refreshing meeting new people. So lead generation consists of three key areas.

Traditional
Our industry is strong in the traditional space of generating leads. So traditional marketing models follow brochures, free sessions, meetings, discounted memberships, radio, advertisements and many of the hard copy marketing techniques. These are ideal and the secret is to measure what works for you and your clientele.

Online
Online techniques include a blog, website, social networking and search engine optimization as significant ways to open up opportunities in the www world of business. As an industry we are terrible in this space and miss a lot of opportunity by being slow to catch on to the new age technology and techniques.

Brand
Brand is everything. If you want long jeopardy in your business you need to develop a trustworthy, proven, recognizable and consistent brand. This takes place over time, however start small in your local community, build to a region and then based on your business goals you can take it to bigger places. Brand is everything from answering the phone, to your website, how you dress, the kind of articles you write are all part of the brand and need to be considered.

3. booking a meeting
Having leads is a great thing for business. Converting those leads to a meeting helps to qualify the commitment of the enquiry. I am surprised at the amount of guys who really struggle to get people in front of their great brand and business at this stage of booking a meeting. There are three ways to book in a meeting.

They are email, phone or face-to-face.

You need to be strong in all three. If you follow the selling system in order to get more business and pursue the ideal outcome of conducting a meeting. Chances are if you get you in front of most people you will sell them something. I assume they are qualified and ready to invest in their health and you are passionate about health, fitness and your services. So get good at booking in a meeting so that you can then conduct a meeting and give yourself a chance of getting more people into your business.

4. conducting a meeting
When you get in a face-to-face situation, understanding that the prospect has turned up on time, likes what they have heard so far and have made the time and effort to sit down and talk about their health then you are 90% of the way there. Here is a proven format to help take the sell out of selling when conducting a meeting.

Build a rapport
Get to know the person rather than dive into health conversations. What are their interests, family life, job?

Ask questions
The guy who best sums up this lesson is Alan Pease in his great book ‘Questions are the answers’. Simply buy the book by becoming a member on our book and audio program.

Show value
If you can identify with the person during the build rapport stage and ask open-ended questions chances are you can then show value-based products on what the person has told you they need. Showing value is not just about your service but the bells and whistles, guarantees, terms and conditions and other inclusions that are involved in working with you and your service or product. Rather than discount and cut prices look to show value as a better way to make a sale.

Identify obstacles
So what will stop you? Are there any roadblocks?

These are the key questions to ask in identifying obstacles. So many fitness people never ask clients “is there anything that has stopped you in the past” is a great question when identifying potential barriers. This open conversation early will put you in the hot seat as a guru. If you don’t ask it in the meeting phase chances are the same obstacle that has been holding the person back will appear in week 2, 3 or 4 of your great program.

Confirm the sale
Once you have confirmed the best program, package and price for your client then confirm that verbally. If you have followed the earlier steps then they have told you all of this and all you need to do is repeat the process a second time and confirm the sale. A sale is a sale when you have them signing the dotted line.

Stay in touch
This fits in with point six of our selling system and should the meeting go pear shaped and terrible at least ask permission to stay in touch. Alternatively you may have an energy vampire or someone you don’t think you want to hang around for a few hours per week and then you can show them some other alternatives. It is impossible to get along with everyone so it is fine to come up with a plan B. Maybe send them off to your competitor!

5. sales tools
So many fitness dudes and dudettes rely on showing clients how many courses they have completed or the letters after their name, years in the industry, their gold medal from a body building competition etc. You have just disengaged the client. The sales process is not about you it’s about the prospect. Serve their needs. Here are some sales tools that will help you buy credibility rather than talk about yourself. Articles, blogs, a health model, questionnaires, diagnostics, website, chat rooms, downloads, DVD’s, CD’s.

6. follow up
Whilst a ‘no’ is never a ‘no’ until you get a ‘no’ there is a fine line between being a stalker and letting people walk away to make a decision. Consider the process of follow up with people especially if you have put your valuable time into the system outlined earlier. In having a good sales system you should convert 80-90% of people if you follow the suggested system we discuss here. However for the 10-20% who need more time or are not quite ready, then consider what you do to keep them in your ‘circle of trust’ as highlighted in the great movie ‘Meet the Fockers’. Some simple techniques are to:

a. put them on your database and send them your regular newsletter
b. give them a casual call every month and talk about everything other than selling them your services
c. send them one of our sales tools like an article, download or CD every once in a while with a
personalized hand written note to stay in touch

Finally learn that this should be fun. If you are chasing the good old dollar and want to rip people off than you are doomed. If you honestly believe you can help people and are passionate about what you do than you are on track. Like anything in life this is just a skill. Do your first five and really suck and fail at it. Do a thousand and it will become something that is natural and comfortable. Most importantly is having a system and reviewing your performance. Leave it with you!

setting up your own studio

2009-09-16T08:55:00.004+10:00

The dream for many personal trainers is to one day have their own studio business. There are many options and considerations in going through the process of the set up stage. A studio can be a highly leveraged and income producing business or it can be a time-consuming, poorly paid job. Having been at both ends of the spectrum, the highly leveraged business is much more enjoyable. Here are some of the pitfalls when setting up your own studio:

1. You don’t have a proper business plan of bank approval status - The step up from a corporate job or personal training into running a studio is quite significant. The varied skills required to make the business successful require a team of people to make it happen. Sticking to a set of proven plans and tactics is fundamental to long jeopardy. “Flying by the seat of your pants” does not work in this environment.

2. You plan to do more than 10 hours of PT and basically be a PT under a very expensive rent - Don’t even consider doing more than 10 hours of PT a week otherwise you will set yourself up for failure. This ‘heads down’ approach is very limiting in building a business and likened to a job. Create leverage via a team.

3. You don’t have a line of credit, capital or available cash - “Without a good chunk of money behind you to manage the initial start up costs, you will end up chasing your tail from day 1” says Jeni from Sullivan Dewing Accountants. “ A lack of cash flow is what kills most start up businesses”

4. Failure to invest in staff or team - Should you plan to wear the hat of administration, sales, marketing, accountant, head trainer, customer care officer and cleaner then you are making the common mistake of the rookie studio owner. It is impossible to complete these tasks and have a life outside of your business. The unbalanced nature of living this way will take you down the path of burnout, stress and fatigue.

5. Proper well qualified advice and a support structure - Having a support structure to guide you, give you qualified advice as well as support during the critical first 12 months is key to studio success. On your team of professionals you need an accountant, solicitor, financial adviser and business coach. Your team needs a manager, head trainer, sales person and administration person and of course the best asset in the business is you.

6. You believe location and equipment are the critical things to owning a studio - I recently read a marketing brochure of a poorly run studio and it mentioned “brand new equipment, experienced trainers and great location”. Now if I want to lose weight do I really care about any of the above? My problem is that I am overweight, a brand new treadmill is not the solution, either is the location. So much profit is consumed by expensive rents and key locations which means you need to work harder and longer to make more money all because of the common misconception about location.

7. An agreed formal lease put together with all legal considerations - Understanding that 90% of your clients will be in a 6-12 minute radius of the location you want to ensure some stray clause or a poorly worded lease doesn’t come back to bite you following the building of the business. Ensure you tick the boxes on structuring a formal lease agreement with the landlord.

remove the sell from selling

2009-08-18T13:00:00.001+10:00

Selling is a lot like being single. It is very rare to get lucky on the first night. Alcohol may increase the chances however then it can become a regrettable experience! In fact you are probably setting yourself up for disappointment and failure in trying to get lucky on the first night.

The ‘lucky’ situation tends to be a bit like this. We meet at an event, say a friend’s social engagement, like the look of each other, have a bit of a chat and some fun together and swap phone numbers. Then we text/SMS the next day confirming the fun night and agree to go and ‘do’ coffee. After coffee we swap email addresses and do a Google search on each other that night. When the search proves normal we organise to catch up again on Facebook and ‘do’ a movie. During the movie in the comfort of the darkness we test the boundaries and place a hand somewhere on our new partners body, typically a leg. If the response is good we sit out the movie and maybe have a hug before saying goodbye. From here comes dinner. Now following dinner, with consideration to the four or five previous events, some online searching and the fact the
potential partner keeps turning up, we now have a right to try and get lucky...

Selling is very similar. Why is it in the health and fitness industry we are taught to try and sell our services or membership to people during that first interaction? It is almost offensive. A majority of the time you are selling yourself short and setting yourself up for failure in trying to fast track the clients decision making process. Understanding we are in the ‘information age’ where consumers have more access to knowledge and price than ever before, you need to have a process of letting people get to know you and your business. So the solution lies in using a combination of more online tools and old school skills to help get to the point of asking for the sale.

So why do we go and sell to these people?

In an industry that is very 1980’s in its approach to marketing and selling, relying on expensive brochures, time consuming letter box drops, business cards or a brochure on a wall to grab clients we need to review these styles of marketing and advertising. The 1980’s is best known for the best era of music (completely the authors beliefs), however in the year 2009 we need to review these styles of marketing and advertising. Probably best summarised by asking, when was the last time you responded to a brochure, junk mail in the letterbox, giving someone your business card or a brochure hanging up on a wall? Compare to booking a holiday online, or a Google search for a place to eat or Facebook. Whilst these online places are a great resource for getting to know clients and breaking barriers, a combination of online strategy and old school
techniques insure that you attract sustainable and an ideal client base.

As an industry we are generally better at getting people fit and healthy than understanding how consumers think or marketing techniques. In fact most fitness people can name the best technical workshop they have attended or the name of their health guru but who is your business rock star? Someone you listen to, read their stuff and attend their programs and practise their advice.

It may be old but hey it still works!

Simple communication skills and people skills are completely necessary when taking the sell out of selling. You need to be multi disciplined. So as effective on the phone, face to face or via email. In fact having worked all over the world in developing sales models and teams, the key ingredient in a great sales person is in their ability to communicate. At the next level is their ability to ask leading questions and have a general interest in other people by being able to identify with their needs. Finally is passion for their product or service and a general interest in people. So the ideal combination in successfully selling is a mix of old school techniques of communicating with people and an online forum as a place for people to check you out and get to know your business.

We all want to buy, but we don’t want to be sold too.

Ever bought anything and had buyers remorse. At the time of purchase it seemed logical to buy a particular item and the deal is done. You hand over the credit card and agree to terms. You head home and receive a negative response form your partner; you mention the purchase during a phone call to a friend with more negative responses. That night you find yourself sitting bolt upright at 3am with deep regret, heavy perspiration and an ‘I can’t believe I bought that’ attitude about your latest purchase. This scenario is a ‘sold to’ experience. Typically you have been cleverly persuaded to buy something that you could have done without. This would be typical of most things out there in the market place for sale. The difference with our industry is that we sell health. This impacts the lives of the people we expose better health too, it increases long jeopardy, productivity, adds to happiness, in fact you are better off being in good health than out of bad health. Where we have obesity and ‘diabesity’ epidemics, increase in mental health issues, cancers and more lifestyle disease than ever before, as an industry we need to get better at communicating with the majority of people who need our services. More so than ever before people need us to help with they’re health, but are making it easier to buy into what you do?

you know too much, so use it to make a positive difference

2009-07-08T08:42:00.002+10:00

It is not how much you know but what you do with the skill.

Hi, I've just been reading your recent article in the Fitness Life magazine over here in New Zealand. I'm absolutely passionate about fitness and have my own gym set up at home.

I'm currently attending the local tech and doing National Sports and Fitness Level 3. I'm half way through the year with the course. I originally wanted to learn more for my own basic knowledge and be able to write my own programmes up.

From your own personal knowledge what other courses do you recommend I could do to further my knowledge, is there more recognised personal training you would recommend or maybe lead into the nutritionist side of things???? I love to help people. I would appreciate your imput and recommendation. We don't have alot available in Rotorua so I'm even interested in anything online or correspondence.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Tania
New Zealand

Here is my response to this common question I receive:

Hi Tania,

Great to get a passionate response and see someone who is very committed to their profession. In going forward I was a bit like you and went on a committed path of doing lots of technical 'heads down' workshops. It was one of my mentors who mentioned that I knew enough! When you consider all the books you have read, the courses you have attended, the google searches and hours of research, you actually know enough. I was of the perception that more knowledge would enable me to help more people. Remember our industry is heavily influenced by a lot of technical workshops and information. So without a disregard to the technical side to what we do, you actually know enough to help the common person out there in general populations. Let's face it they need some help we have an obesity or 'diabesity' epidemic amongst many other health disorders. As an industry we need you in front of more people making a difference. This is a business skill.

So a lot of health professionals follow the traditional path of being technically lopsided. This is not to much of a concern if you are following the employee model however if you are a franchisee, self employed or business owner then this is a concern. In fact, to succeed in this industry it requires a balance of BUT skills. What is BUT? A combination of Business, You and Technical skill. Read my blog on BUT principles by clicking here. In going forward with your years of study and commitment to knowledge and understanding your love to help people, my diagnosis would be to consider putting together a business plan, develop a brand, a website and have a marketing plan and really look to step up as a leader by having a place where people can find you so that you can help them. Initially start one person at a time and build from the bottom up. Adding your own educational workshops, seminars, information products and coaching programs is an exciting way to create change in behaviour and a healthier and more positive difference to the world.

In going forward the best thing you can do is fill in the attached business diagnostic and stock-take and take advantage of our 30 minute complimentary business consultation with a successful PT that will help you and your goals. It is a bit like the safety aspect when flying, the air steward announces "help yourself first so you can help others"

If you to would like a complimentary business consultation please contact our office at info@ptplus.com.au

listing yourself online

2009-06-22T09:06:00.002+10:00

How are you using the internet to market yourself? Are you using individual sites or are there online communities where you can market your services?

If we define marketing, it is the ability to ‘get’ new clients, ‘keep’ clients and ‘grow’ the business then a combination of traditional style marketing like brochures, advertising, business cards and letterbox drops combined with a modern approach of online strategies is an effective way to ‘get’ and ‘grow’ any business.

There are a multiple of strategies that fit into the online strategy. Your key objective is to increase search engine optimisation (SEO) by having a high listing on any of the online searches. Also any great marketing campaign should be measured so that you get an understanding of what works in the market place, so try a variety of techniques.

In getting started in building your SEO a website is a necessity. Now there are two kinds of websites. An expensive brochure that sits on the world wide web or an interactive income producing website. Let’s talk about the later as a much more efficient way to increase online awareness. Income producing websites have information products like audio downloads, e-books, visual downloads, are interactive for the user with blogs, forums or chat rooms, shopping carts to purchase goods and a members section. These allow ‘browsers’ to purchase a wide range of products plus allow a client the chance to get to know your business. A key consideration is ‘key search words’ to help increase SEO. As a personal trainer consider ‘key search words’ that a typical client would type into a search engine like Google with regards to finding a personal trainer. Words like ‘weight loss’, ‘fat loss’, ‘fitness’ and ‘personal trainer’ would be typical words. By including these words on your website, blogs, chat rooms, forums, social networking sites and anything else you have online then you increase your SEO. In answering your question a combination of having your own site as well as sharing information via other sites is a very smart techniques towards building an effective online marketing strategy.

read this or die

2009-05-01T09:48:00.001+10:00

I have about 15 seconds to keep your attention and get my point across. The headline ‘read this or die’ serves as a teaching purpose that I hope helps you and your marketing. Typically as an industry we suck at connecting with our customers because we talk apples and dumbbells or metabolic syndrome typing phasic holistic blah, blah, blah and completely miss attracting the attention of our market.

Understand it is a lot like the newspaper. As a sports nut I flick the back of the newspaper over and read the headline. 'Cronulla beats premiers' gets me excited and I continue to read on. Why? Well it’s a sport and a team I follow. It is in my interest zone and the headline caught my attention and it deserves my time.

Now look at your last attempt at an expensive brochure, also consider your business card or current marketing campaign. Are you talking apples and dumbbells or metabolic syndrome typing phasic holistic? Sorry you just missed the important 15 seconds of attracting the attention of your market.

'Australia wins gold in synchronized swimming' As I flick over the paper and read the headline I acknowledge a gold medal however my level of excitement for synchronized swimming is a lot lower than that of rugby league. So I turn the paper over and head on off to work.

Who cares if you have new treadmills, the amount of letters after your name, under new management or free session. Your clients want to know what is in it for them!

Consider these headlines 'Want to fit back into your jeans?', 'How to remove the muffin top', 'Your right! Exercise is not fun'. These are examples of sensational headlines that you then need to deliver a reason for connecting with your market. Understand that the headline is just the headline you then need quality content to deliver key words and a marketing message. However put some serious thought into the headline.

Understand your market by connecting with them in their words, not the words of the health and fitness industry and watch your lead generation increase for the market you are trying to attract.

income brackets

2009-03-19T10:34:00.004+11:00

In going forward here are our solutions to promoting you to the next income bracket:

Income Bracket: $0 - $60,000
Solution: Business Starter Pack , Podcast, Book and Audio Club
Our March Offer: We have 20 complimentary packs to give away, titled 'Your First 20 Clients', simply email the office at business@ptplus.com.au. Email quick as we are limited to 20 only!

Income Bracket: $60,000 - $120,000
Solution: 6 Figure Group Mentoring
Our March Offer: Sample a group coaching session before you buy. *conditions apply

Income Bracket: $120,000 - $250,000
Solution: Private Mentoring Program
Our March Offer: 2 spots left. Request a matching meeting here.

Income Bracket: $250,000+
Solution: Tailored Program
Our March Offer: Program full until end of March. Please call the office on 02 9690 0503 to have a meeting regarding April and May. This is an exclusive program so please contact to the office to see if you qualify.

income streams

2009-03-19T10:07:00.005+11:00

So here are the initial observations of our report. There are significant income brackets which we have stated in the information below. Look at where you are and consider what you need to focus on in order to go forward.

Income Bracket: $0 - $60,000
Income Streams: 1 Income (eg. PT)
Business Focus: Week to week activity and business success is judged on the number of sessions held
Work Hours: 60 per week

Income Bracket: $60,000 - $120,000
Income Streams: 3 Incomes (PT, Groups, Product)
Business Focus: A month to month strategy building a business that can manage 50+ people
Work Hours: 48 per week

Income Bracket: $120,000 - $250,000
Income Streams: Up to 8 incomes (PT, Groups, Product, Coaching, Website, Lifestyle Programs, Seminars, Information Products)
Business Focus: Annual strategy and a clear set of KPI's. Outsourcing of tasks is common
Work Hours: 35-45 per week

Income Bracket: $250,000 +
Income Streams: Have a business and specialise in one of the 17 income streams
Business Focus: Business legacy and long jeopardy as a business leader
Work Hours: Business owners here are hard to track however observations suggest 4 a week with paid travel

how to get your first 20 clients

2009-03-17T14:26:00.002+11:00

Following graduation from your personal training course the challenge most trainers face is getting their first few clients. Understanding most people gain certification with the idea of training people part-time, perhaps in and around another job or second income, the idea of getting to 20 clients makes sense. Consider the income of 20 sessions by $80 = $1600.00 which is a great return for 20 hours worth of work.

So how will you go getting those first few clients?

Traditional models of getting clients are:
- Printing expensive brochures
- Relying on business cards
- Ineffective letter box drops
- Hopeful newspaper advertisements

In an information age these techniques are dead and ineffective in building a business. Chances are if you follow these traditional techniques you will end up buggered, busted and broke.

Effective modern techniques include:
- Social networks
- Search engine optimisation
- Building referrals via allied Health Professionals
- Branding your business
- Websites and database systems

If these are foreign terms then why not get some great information from Australia’s leading personal trainers on how to get your first 20 clients.

We have 20 CD and e-books s to giveaway to help you get started on your first 20 clients. Simply email us at info@ptplus.com.au with your postal address!

getting more clients in 2009

2009-02-20T10:03:00.003+11:00

A business without a marketing plan is like personal trainer with a tight fitting set of joggers. The business can work but with pain and soreness. Over time it is debilitating. To increase revenue you must be clear on how income will be devised. The title for this is a marketing plan. In PT Plus business coaching groups, we spend considerable time on marketing. These are the revenue building blocks that increase dollars into the business. By planning ahead, we can act now on implementing tactics to ensure that revenue will be met all year round.

What is marketing?
Marketing is the building of a business brand that puts you 'top of mind' of any perspective client. Marketing is the 'get clients' part of a business and a really good marketing plan removes the sell from the selling.

Business on steroids
The businesses that excel in our 6 figure group training programs are the businesses that implement the following marketing strategy. In fact not only do they earn more, they work less because the strategy does the work for them. It is like putting a business on steroids as it exponentially grows.

Annual overview
Pick the big events on the annual calendar and highlight them. Consider Valentine’s Day in February, Easter in March, Mothers Day in May, Fathers Day in September and Christmas in December. Understand that the money is in the air, people are spending it anyway so why not cash in on the spending and contribute to the improvement of the consumers health. Also consider local community events, school functions, sporting events and fun runs. Highlight the dates, then speak to the right people to see if you can add value to an event. Finally consider what you want to earn for the year 2009.

Break it down
With a view to what you want to earn, break the total figure into quarters. So if you want to earn $120,000 for 2009 then $30,000 is what you need to achieve as a revenue goal. The first quarter is January to March. If $250,000.00 is your target then $60,000 is the quarterly goal. By breaking the big total into calendar quarters it is more obtainable. Using the same system break the quarterly numbers into monthly figures. Consider your holidays, public holidays and schools holidays as these may impact or effect your earnings goal.

Monthly tactics
With a view to business revenue for the quarter the strategy needs to deliver dollars each month with revenue. Consider 2 to 3 income buckets for developing the revenue and then add 3 to 5 tactics to ensure revenue is met. A little bit like an insurance policy for your income. Get busy on developing product and putting the business services and products in front of the right people to get the result you want each month. This will set up the business for success by breaking down a bigger income goal into manageable monthly bits.

Blue Ocean Strategy – personal training style

2009-01-28T14:01:00.001+11:00

A red ocean personal trainer competes against the tens of thousands of personal trainers in the market for clients by doing free sessions, cutting prices, handing out brochures and trying to get a competitive edge over the next trainer.

Using a blue ocean strategy, with lessons from the must read book 'Blue Ocean Strategy', by W. Chan Kim and Renee’ Mauborgne, a personal training business focuses on making the competition irrelevant by creating a leap in value for buyers by opening up new and uncontested market space.

Consider what Vision are doing with weight loss and Curves open a store every 4 hours somewhere in the world. Their blue ocean strategy taps into the female clientele, 30 minute workouts and non threatening environment of their gyms.

In the red oceans, industry boundaries are defined and accepted, and the competitive rules of the game are known. Here, companies try to outperform their rivals to grab a greater share of existing demand. As the market space gets crowded, prospects for profits and growth are reduced. Products become commodities, and cutthroat competition turns the red ocean bloody.

Blue oceans in contrast, are defined by untapped market space, demanding creation and the opportunity for highly profitable growth. Most blue ocean businesses are created within a red ocean by expanding existing boundaries like Curves and Vision. Competition is irrelevant because the rules of the game are waiting to be set.

Create your Blue Ocean now.

helplessness

2009-01-21T08:39:00.004+11:00

Martin Seligman changed the world of traditional thinking by proving the theory of helplessness. This is an important behaviour to understand if your in business. By containing three different dogs in three different boxes and studying their response to three different circumstances, Martin was able to prove his theory of helplessness.

Circumstance 1: the dog when probed with a light electric shock was able to turn off the shock by nudging the bar with his nose.
Circumstance 2: the dog when probed with a light electric shock was unable to turn off or change the circumstance no matter what he tried.
Circumstance 3: the dog when probed with a light electric shock was given a mixed version of circumstance 1 and 2.

After a few weeks of this 'therapy' all the dogs were put in a small box with sides that allowed the dog to jump out, when probed. Dogs 1 and 3 jumped out of the situation, whilst dog 2 simply gave up and laid down. Seligman had discovered that whenever the efforts to change results seem fruitless the expected behaviour will be to lay down and surrender.

This test was repeated using humans and the exact behaviour was confirmed. Helplessness according to Seligman, sits between pessimism and optimism. For a more detailed overview I suggest reading Seligman’s book titled 'Learned Optimism' for a more thorough overview and detailed explanation. Awesome read.

In striving to achieve business goals, when all around you seems hopeless and there looks like there is no way out you will feel like laying down and giving up. It will be emotion, passion, purpose and desire that drive you from despair. When you feel like you are getting zapped from all directions financially and personally in time consuming activities, it will be the change between the ears that will be the most significant. The lesson is in the journey and quite often we learn the most when we are in tough situations. A common observation of successful business owners is that of having your back against the wall and being in a position of having to fight your way out.

If you find yourself in this position you need to pull yourself up again and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Fight for your cause ethically, stay true to your values and know your on track. Ask yourself, what is the lesson? Then keep on trekking wiser for your journey.

the grass is always greener

2008-12-15T16:04:00.002+11:00

There is a great story I heard some time ago told by a tour operator about a young entrepreneur’s decision to cash in on the diamond rush during the 1800’s. His decision somewhat sporadic was to travel the world looking for diamonds as he believed it would take him and his family from poor to be living like kings and queens. Without any research or knowledge or review of his techniques he spent a lifetime looking for diamonds. By the time the man was 50 he had become very angry, frustrated and annoyed with the world and was lonely as his family had left him while he pursued his mission. Diamonds can be found where white sand meets fresh water and sit 2 metres under the sand, tells the tour operator however our entrepreneur only discovered in his late 50’s that this river system was in his home-town. Only minutes from his backyard lay acres of diamonds.

In true 'fitnesspreneur-ship we all look to neighbouring suburbs, bordering towns or foreign countries to develop our big ideas. Immediate opportunity lies in our own backyard. In the people we know or those that know others. In the businesses and communities of our associates. Avoid spending hours of travel, efforts in strategy and moments of thoughts thinking that the grass is greener somewhere else. Create your own world from your own backyard and use this as the leverage to springboard to wherever you want to take you and your business.

so what's your problem?

2008-12-09T10:20:00.001+11:00

Your future successes are determined by overcoming the problem that sits in your life right now. So what is it?

The problem I had recently was productivity and getting tasks completed. I had a mindset that I had to be in bed by 10pm each night and up around 6am. By changing my mindset and habits and by getting up earlier I found I had extra hours in the week that made me even more productive and I established a greater sense of achievement through the completion of these big tasks. Now I can work less.

Traditional thinking and coaching models tell us that you need to do your coaching face to face. In running a business with international clientele as well as having a young family this is simply not an option. By overcoming the problem we now have an online, ongoing coaching program that we can roll out to more people in more countries, more regularly.

But this isn’t about us, this is about you. So what’s your problem and how do you flip your existing problem to help you get to the next level of success. If you can, the world will open up more opportunity as you jump another hurdle and head in the direction of your goals. So what is your problem?

Does it lay in your personal life? A relationship issue, maybe a money mindset or is it a belief system about something in your business? What are you telling yourself that you can’t do?

More importantly, in going forward what do you need to do to move on? Will you take on the problem or keep repeating the existing cycle with the same result. Your future is in overcoming the problem.

Ivan Frangi - BBC07

2008-11-27T12:27:00.002+11:00

Ivan Frangi - BBC07

To get excited for Business Bootcamp 2009, please have a listen to a segment of Business Bootcamp 2007!

anxiety

2008-11-10T10:33:00.002+11:00

Ah anxiety; that nauseous, gut-wrenching feeling that starts in your stomach and plays with your mind. The result is quite often procrastination or a paralysis similar to a deer caught in the headlights of an approaching car on a dark night. Anxiety over time stops movement.

We are the only known species to have developed a frontal lobe as an extension to a normal part of our brain. In fact for 70 million years our brains developed similar to most species before growing what science has called the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe gives us an amazing ability to think forward and develop a business plan, to start a savings plan or to eat well now so that we will be healthier later in life.

If our current situation is great our future is even better thanks to our frontal lobe. However when we hit a rough patch we see future problems. This ability causes the emotions of fear and anxiousness. Because we don’t have control of the future and it looks ugly, our fight or flight mechanism kicks in and stops us from moving forward. What a cool process for survival!! Not so when your in a state of reflux caused by rising stomach acid as a result of anxiety. This is a sign to stop and review.

If you find you get a bit caught up in the future, as opposed to living in the present then there is every chance that you will be the anxious kind. Know that all you can do is your best possible effort today and then prepare for tomorrow. You cannot control future outcomes and if you get too caught up in the future, what will you enjoy about today? I read somewhere that life’s gold nuggets are our great past memories, you can look forward to a diamond like future but the platinum moment is the present.

In times when the financial future is painted as bleak, learn to enjoy the current moment, it’s all you have right now and it is not so bad.

i might wait until i am fit!

2008-11-03T10:16:00.001+11:00

Have you ever had this response 'I might wait until I am fit'. A potential client who was thinking about using your services to get fit and healthy comes in and goes through the whole induction process only to decide 'I might wait until I am fit before I join your program'. As health professionals we know their results can be fast tracked by a personalised plan and professional input. So why go and get fit incorrectly and risk slipping back into old habits as opposed to working with someone who has a vested interest in your success and will provide the best advice? I have never been able to understand that thought process.

In our world as health and fitness professionals we may know it as the 'I might wait until I am fit' syndrome but be aware it is not only our clients who are prone to this kind of mindset, it is very standard for most humans to go through this phase in other areas of their life. As business owners we will wait for the next course before we increase our rate or next year until we see that corporate client or later to action that big idea. Well the sun, stars and moon very rarely align and you will need to take action. Action cures waiting.

It is a bit like that game you played as a child where you would spin around 10 times and then try to walk straight. Sometimes our lives are spinning so fast that we fail to walk directly and grab the opportunities available.

What are you waiting to get fit for? Is it more money, setting up your own facility, starting a speaking career, increasing your rates or how about your best year of revenue ever? Avoid waiting until you get fit and in borrowing a Bransonism (Sir Richard Bransons) 'Screw it, just do it!'

If you feel that you want to get 'Business fit' go to our website at www.ptplus.com.au for a range of free tools to help you get started. If you want to fast track your success contact our office on info@ptplus.com.au to discuss the best way to get started.

understanding net profit

2008-10-20T11:00:00.002+11:00

So well done on being in business for yourself! Now it is time to judge your financial success. You may be working with purpose, in your area of passion or just had a change of lifestyle and decided to start your own business. Whilst these areas are fundamentally important and personally satisfying you need to measure the financial success of the business.

As business owners under the financial title comes a multitude of different areas including sales, cost of goods, income tax, balance sheets, assets, liabilities and the list goes on. The best indicator of your financial success is your net profit.

A successful net profit sits between 12% - 33%.

Understanding these terms...
So net profit is the amount of money remaining following sales (total amount of revenue) less expenses (the amount of dollars spent). Expenses include taxes, loans, rent, and all the other associated business costs that are included in running your business including your wage.

Therefore if you have turned over a $100,000.00 this year and your net profit is at $12,000 or more and you have paid your taxes, all your business expenses and most importantly yourself then you have a financially successful business.

Now the exciting component for business owners is what that $12,000 can represent. Firstly if you wanted to sell your business a fair asking price would be 2 to 3 times the net profit of your business. So $24,000 to $36,000 for the sale. Secondly if you want to start a wealth creation plan than there are many great tax minimising options available. Thirdly if you want to borrow money from the bank then net profit (and wages) are the figures banks consider in lending money. Generally a 10% deposit is required for borrowing so $12,000 becomes $120,000 upon approval from the bank. Finally if you aren’t at a 12% minimum of net profit then you would be better off financially getting a job and putting your money in the bank at 8% or 9% without the business owner challenges.

Your scorecard for measuring your net profit is your profit and loss statement. Most fitnesspreneurs switch off when these kinds of accounting documents are put in front of them. Profit and loss is the financial indicator of your business. You don’t need an accounting degree you just need to know your bottom line.

Start seriously looking at your net profit if you want to get ahead financially.

hot spots and wi-fi… are you regularly in a hotspot?

2008-10-13T09:47:00.002+11:00

In my business if I am in the hot spot things get done.

You know those places that are popping up in airports, cafes and shopping centres? A place where you get access to the wireless internet, for me a place of productivity. The business is so internet based that I rely heavily on these places to get things done.

I was working with a guy the other day who has a great business model, products, website and knew his technical stuff. However he just wasn’t getting the result. It was bothering me.

It came to me in between meetings looking for another wi-fi hotspot. See I had the flash laptop, the wireless connection, even the new iphone but without being in the hotspot it was useless.

Back to my guy. He wasn’t in the hot spot often enough. Not the wireless internet place, but the hotspot where the deals are done. The place where you are in front of the key decision makers, people who want to use your products and services. Hotspots are the place that gives your business long jeopardy. Where people hand over cheques.

Understand it is great to have all the tools, the right business model, the brand, business cards and attend all the workshops. Unless your regularly putting your business in the hotspot, in front of the right people, chances are your not connecting.

inspired by a bigger cause

2008-09-24T12:47:00.002+10:00

You know those documentaries that change your thinking well I just watched one.

Put together by the ABC’s Australian Story on a guy by the name of Peter Andrews. My first tip would be to get your hands on this documentary, it serves as a inspirational teaching point about following your passion. In short it tells a story of a guy with an obsession for the environment, particularly the Australian bush. Over the last 30-40 years he has worked to turn salty, arid lands into fertile lavish environments. The scientific world originally deemed his farming methods as unsafe, unconventional and claimed him to be crazy. In a nutshell Peter observed the land then created natural style dams to increase the water table above the ground. Peter tried selling his method to businesses and governments, initially without any success. Without income he was unable to make the payments on his pride and joy, his farm. The bank later took possession of now beautiful property, which was once a salt pit. He also split from his wife and son and suffered the loss of his daughter through suicide. During the process, he fought government agencies, has been investigated by environmentalists, all whilst juggling legal, financial and family challenges. He admits to giving up for a day or two on several occasions, however he stuck to his cause.

In watching Peter in action, following the loss of his daughter, he had a bigger purpose as he was determined to do it for her. He had more dedication and commitment to go about his work. Peter was deeply moved by the loss of his daughter and in his words "he become more motivated and committed to the environment and his cause, through her loss”. This purpose played a significant role in him becoming a world recognised expert in the area of land repair and degradation. During the documentary an acclaimed professor declared. “Peter is the single greatest cause for the environment that we will ever see”. The outcome of his work is mind-boggling.

This confirmed a common belief I have learnt as a Personal Trainer. That is “we will do for others what we wont do for ourselves” I know myself when I have an early morning session booked with my PT, getting out of bed is a lot easier than trying to do it for myself. I don’t want to let my PT down. It is the same for our clients, why wont they do the extra session, train themselves or eat the right foods? They wont do it for themselves, when left to their own devices but they will do it for you, the PT.

Another interesting observation of Peter was the two-part documentary was shot over a number of years. The first part of the documentary was when he was going through the bankruptcy, family split and grief of his daughter, Peter looked liked a weary old man, minimal talk, seemed to be confused and had lost his earlier ambition. The highlight for me was to see a gracefully aged man gladly declare on the property of millionaire Gerry Harvey (who has supported him financially) that governments had removed a lot of previous legislation, different departments where working together, the science and holistic departments had aligned and he was oozing with excitement and zest as he talked about the amount of ground that had been won since the airing of the first show. His farming techniques had been recognised on a global scale and are being initiated on a National level.

Peter is not a scientist, he has no formal schooling he has learnt from getting his hands dirty on the land and engrossing himself to a life commitment of failing and learning. Yes he has failed. Through observation and reassessment and an ongoing focus on researching the areas to better improve what needed to be done, he has written a formula for an expert. However don’t be fooled, the guy is able to mix it with the best of the scholars, explain his concept to professors and average punters. What inspired me was how he has gone about his process of becoming a leader in his field. Through careful observation, deliberate work, overcoming roadblocks but being very clear on his vision. He has written his own course on leadership.

In summary I feel a need for bigger accountability, a need to back a charity, a person, a cause. Someone or some cause beyond coaches, mentors and advisers. A need to do for others what you won’t do for yourself. A reason to make significant differences. A need to start your own cause or back an existing foundation by committing time, effort and money.

It is time to define that bigger cause.

energy vampires

2008-09-09T16:37:00.003+10:00

As I jumped out of bed at 5am for a 6am client, I had a quick “ ah no” as I remembered I would be training Carly today. I slowed, hesitated and thought she is not on until 4pm. However it already has an impact on my energy levels, my thoughts process and if I am being honest, I was hoping to get the cancellation text, which is a more regular part of Carly’s training than her turning up.

It is a bit like this with Carly, she whinges and whines about her life for each and every session. We talk about how unhappy she is at work, how fat she has become, why she can't get a boyfriend, how her parents are wrong blah, blah, blah and on it goes.

In regards to her health, she needs to lose body fat as she is straight out of the syndrome x textbook and moving towards diabetes. She is unmotivated to train, so if she doesn’t train with me, exercise is a foreign word in her life. She eats all the wrong foods and binges. Finally she has no ambition or goals; she has no desire to achieve anything with her health and in her life.

Also Carly hangs out with other Carly’s and talks about Carly stuff. So from a business perspective Carly brings to the table:
- A zapping of my energy levels
- A negative thought process
- All her issues
- A lot of my resources and time
- Zero referrals

As Personal Trainers one of the things we regularly do is say yes to everyone. I enjoy a challenge and in saying yes to Carly, knew that I was taking on someone who would benefit from the factors of working with a PT. However Carly was not willing to help herself.

The lesson of the Carly story is sack your energy vampire clients. Life without Carly is so much more enjoyable.

leave

2008-09-03T10:15:00.002+10:00

I am writing this whilst sitting on a plane going around New Zealand. A realisation that it doesn’t matter whether it is Sydney, Brisbane, Coffs Harbour, Perth, London or any other part of the world, there is a group of high achievers who just refuse to leave. They don’t take holidays, they are the first to get to work and last to leave and they take on the responsibility of the whole business. These guys are regularly working in senior management positions or business owners.

So learn to leave.

See at the end of your innings how do you want the obituary to read? “We never really knew him because he worked all the time”. This would be a concern.

Learn to do what has to be done and leave. In life it is not how many hours you do at the office however it is way more effective to get things done. Get done what has to be done today and get out of there.

So on any given week you are working 40-60 hours. Occasionally you may do more and rarely less. However why is it that we flog ourselves continuously night after night at the risk of things we enjoy and people we married or once loved.

So learn to leave.

New York changed it’s reputation from the crime capital of the world to have one of the lowest rates of crime following a zero tolerance of any misdemeanor. Anyone that looked suspicious was locked up. Have a zero tolerance on your available work hours and educate yourself and others about your availability.

Why you won’t leave?
1. You’re a high achiever who has hung around other high achievers and have been led to believe more is better. You have seen your mentors and idols work ridiculous hours, so you do the same thing.
2. You’re incompetent and are inefficient at your job. If you are continuously doing more than 60 hours per week then consider how well you are delegating, communicating, prioritising and the skill of your staff.
3. You don’t know what to do with yourself when you are alone or finished early.
4. Work has become your obsession and you have put aside hobbies, your health and chill out time therefore moving you to become out of balance.
5. You feel guilty when you are not at work.
6. Your energy levels are low from being overworked and therefore your promotion of negative thoughts is high. Anything other than work is an effort.

So consider the 5-7 things that are most important to you. Review your diary over the last few days, weeks and months and consider how much time you have put into these areas. We all have 168 hours in a week and and average 4000 weeks in our lives. How will you be remembered?

circle of trust

2008-08-25T13:09:00.001+10:00

I have a favourite scene in the movie 'Meet the Parents' in which the father (played by Robert DeNiro) talks about the 'circle of trust'. His reference to the 'circle of trust' is the people he allows into his life.

Whilst the comedy hits the funny mark it led me to thinking about the circle of trust in our business lives.

Who do you turn to for credible, proven, reliable advice?

In the same way our clients rely on us.

Whilst there is a heap of information on the internet, books, workshops, webinars, teleconferences. For peace of mind, you cannot beat face to face business to give sound advice. In doing this we are building a circle of trust of advisers.

In our personal lives we know the address of our rock stars, we know the birth date of our sporting heroes, and we follow the celebrities on their holidays. Imagine the outcome if we put that same effort into building a circle of trust of business stars.

the busy badge

2008-08-21T09:48:00.002+10:00

There is a great saying “If you want something done, give it to a busy person”. Having worked with CEO’s, senior managers, stock brokers and mums with multiple kids, it has been my observation that busy people have a high rate of achieving success in their jobs, relationships, with their health and the many other areas that occupy their interest.

When your busy you get on a role, creating momentum in a number of different areas in your life.

So if the opposite of being busy is not busy; are we lazy? I know when I am not busy things take twice as long, I procrastinate and my mind plays tricks on my thought processes. Yeah I get lazy.

Be aware of being to busy and leaning towards being overwhelmed as this leads to burnout.

Are you in the business of being busy ON your business or are you busy thinking your busy? Quite often the thought of being busy can lead us to thinking we are busier than what our bank account tells us.

So what are you busy doing?
Get busy on the right things, the things that matter, the things that will get you results and the ones that create happiness.

I recall, wanting to derive an income from writing. For months I thought about what I would write, the title, the pictures and all the other irrelevant components. What I needed to do was get busy writing. It seems kind of obvious in hindsight however the action was seriously lacking because I thought I was busy.

The busy badge has become a very popular trademark. It starts at the point of introduction when asking “so how are you doing?” the common response is “ah I am so busy”. What happened to “ great mate” or “ yeah good” or “life sucks at the moment”. It seems that we are all busy, busy, busy.

So if the busy people are busy getting it done, how are they doing it? Maybe ask a busy person !

6 reasons why you're a PT

2008-08-12T12:08:00.002+10:00

I got started as a PT because I was frustrated at being told where to be, at what time and how much I would be paid.

I wanted to surf more, train harder, become healthier and earn a heap of money doing what I loved as opposed to a job. There was also a burning desire to help others achieve healthy outcomes and to share the great buzz you get from exercise and feeling healthy. From working with 1000’s of PT’s here is what we have established as being the reason you wanted to become a PT.

1. Holidays
2. You love what you do
3. Get paid what your worth
4. Help others
5. It is not a job but a lifestyle
6. Work less earn more

Often we get started with the best intentions however we develop a sickness or a quite winter or maybe a run of cancellations. All of a sudden our income is affected and we lose sight of the reasons for getting started.

Initially great passion and enthusiasm drives us and we march into our business doing what needs to be done in order to survive. See if you only have a PT income chances are that you’re limiting yourself, your income and your opportunity and exposing yourself to an income risk. With a slight shift in game plan, you can develop a multiple number of passive (earn while you sleep) and active (face to face) incomes in areas where your passion lies. Click here to 20 tips to PT success.

Quite often the result is that we are burnt out, buggered and busted if we follow the typical PT model.

When you feel overworked and underpaid chances are it is very hard to make great business decisions. We lose lots of great people in this industry because of the high amount of burnout or PT prostitution.

PT Plus is dedicated to keeping great people like you, following your passion and working towards a high paying income with an amazing lifestyle.

Most people are only exposed to 'other' incomes following income tragedy. Why wait for an income emergency when a small shift in application will open up other worlds of highly paid active incomes and earn 'while you sleep' passive returns.

your B.U.T principles

2008-07-21T13:24:00.002+10:00

There are three components to business growth and long jeopardy. I call it the BUT principles.

B = Business
U = You the person
T = Technician

In working with business owners, business growth is applicable to U (you). Your personal development strategy and plan is clearly relatable to how much money you earn. Aside from personal development is the consideration to the following areas:

Development of you includes:
- Your health
- Mental state
- Long relationships
- Personal interests/hobbies
- Social skills
- Personal development
- Family responsibilities

For long jeopardy in business the development of your business skills are a fundamental. Multiply your results by outsourcing the areas you are weak or are not entirely excited about doing and work with your strengths.

Development of business includes:
- Accounting
- Budgeting
- IT
- Staff
- Marketing
- Sales
- Systems
- Business plans
- Multiple income streams

Specialists in niche areas earn the top dollars. They also have a referral-based business and they name their availability, terms and conditions.

Development of the technician includes
- Becoming a specialist in a chosen field. Ideally the area you are most passionate to work in.
- Regularly attending workshops, reading and listening to other experts in your chosen specialist area.
- Regular reading of journals, web surfing, books and developing skill in a specialist field
- Regular writing of articles, blogs and a commitment to educating your clients

In an unbalanced world juggling all three of these principles is the challenge we face. The first stage is awareness. As business owners we have a fair amount of responsibility to ourselves, our businesses and our professions. Constant evaluation and assessment, input from mentors and consideration to what needs to be done is a great way to survive.

personal training prostitution

2008-07-07T12:02:00.000+10:00

Are you feeling burnt out, buggered and busted? Chances are, you are prostituting your services. I get quite a few of these cases into my office. Only this week a legend in the industry walked in and said “It got me”. It was very obvious to his wife, family, friends and clients.

The symptoms are
- Saying yes to everyone who asks for your services
- Working mornings, nights and weekends
- Not getting paid enough for your efforts
- Skipping your own training sessions
- Been two years in the industry

These are all classic signs of PT prostitution and when your burnt out, buggered and busted you will probably even deny that this is you. When you are overworked and underpaid life is really tough, decisions hard to make and it will feel like you’re on a treadmill.

My role is not to rescue you but make you aware that there is an easier way. Start saying No, get some self respect and be teachable to other ways. Change your priorities by managing you first then everything else will fall into place.

education is a commodity

2008-06-30T15:40:00.002+10:00

A key ingredient to growing your business is via education. If you have an educated client then chances are they are ready to purchase.

Our clients have access to all kinds of information and are more informed than ever before. See we all want to buy, we all want to spend, but no-one wants to be sold too.

The purpose of education is “gently” reminding your database of your business. There is no need to sell, sell, and sell every time you send information. Educate your prospects and clients so that whenever they think of your industry they think of your business. Your purpose is to provide knowledge and information frequently. This also adds to your credibility and paints you as a guru. As a fitness professional and true leader it is your duty to share all those many hours of reading and study with your database. When you share information, those that are educated will buy.

advertising is dead

2008-06-23T10:06:00.005+10:00

When was the last time you responded to a TV commercial, radio advertisement, billboard or back of bus advertising? More relevant to health and fitness businesses is the brochure issued in a shopping mall or main street. Those bi-fold leaflets or letter box drop techniques that cost a lot of money and yet are so ineffective.

So why is it that so many of us still use ineffective forms advertising? Is it to do with how we were brought up and sold things as kids. Is it because our personal training course delivered by non-business owners read it from a text book ten years ago! Maybe it is the feeling of perceived credibility? Other reasons may include free advice from your mates, doing it for ego or lack of a marketing plan. All normal and acceptable amateur mistakes in trying to grow a business.Save your valuable money and your resources.

The challenge businesses face in this fast paced world is having a message that sticks and working a strategy of getting into the lives of busy people. Traditional advertising is dead because it does not allow educated consumers to get to know you enough to be confident to purchase your products or services.

In a recent meeting with a newly appointed and highly credible National Sales Manager. Her summary comes on the back of being head-hunted for successfully achieving a record three years of sales in some of the toughest economic conditions. "New age advertising is going back in time. It is now about personalised service, niche business, meeting your clients, building relationships, understanding clients needs, delivering what you promise, thank you gifts and being genuine".

What refreshing news and to prove the point I have built my businesses for the last 4 years without one business card. Interested to learn more effective techniques to building a health and fitness business?

the world is flat – again

2008-06-16T15:16:00.001+10:00

the world is flat - again
I clicked on the monthly report and it said 31,252 hits to our webpage. The pie report went on to display the global breakdown. It included Turkey, Brazil, USA, UK, India, Argentina, and Spain. The world is flat and easier than ever before to “surf” around. It is like a return of Captain Cook!

new world and new words
How’s this for a month of work in 2008? Teleconference calls, podcast interview, blog, website stickability, skype and webinars. This new world has new words. In fact the spell check on my computer did not recognize the word webinar. Ironically I had to google it to double check the spelling of the word.

My point- there is a bigger world out there. One that is only an email or a website enquiry away. The information age has created a world that is flat. A world that doesn’t stop trading, a world that is 24/7, a world that is craving education and knowledge. This new world is global but flat and available to those that understand the tools, talk and technology.

one finger typing
So in just over three years how do you go from a one finger typist to having 31,252 hits with an international business? By getting in the information game. By surrounding yourself with the right people. Build a world class team and by investing in your business.

If you’re not working on these areas of you’re business you’re missing out on a lot of opportunity. Especially this industry. The businesses that are keeping up to speed in the information age are the businesses that are really cashing in.

You need to get started.

Click here for information on our information products

who you hang around determines your results...

2008-06-10T11:30:00.004+10:00

It was an awesome time. Everyday consisted of early training sessions, then a big breakfast down by Cronulla beach followed by a few hours on the Nintendo at one of the boy’s house, where five or six would gather to see who would star. Lunch was followed by an afternoon nap. Afternoons were filled with more eating before team training at night. Life as a rugby league player was great.

There were other perks including sponsored dinners, free clothing and golf invitations. Weekends we played hard on the field and then would consume approximately our bodyweight in alcohol that night. Mixing it with the supporters, fans and party goers insured there was always a single guy who would have a story or two to tell at recovery sessions with a small element of truth.

Business success has a lot to do with who you hang around. From my own experience who you hang around strongly influences thoughts, how you spend your time and money. It impacts the kind of lifestyle you lead which determines your results

Let me explain.

From the outside I imagine the lifestyle of a rugby league player may sound attractive to some. However the outcome was this, I slept too much and became lazy. If nothing was scheduled in I would just hang around or sleep. I became great at burping and farting and in fact could pull one out on cue. That is the result of consuming a loaf of bread and buckets of pasta everyday as well as hanging around a bunch of guys eating the same gas producing foods in a very competitive environment. Everything was linked to a competition. I was one of the best Nintendo players around but struggled to hold a conversation with anyone who wasn’t a “leaguey”. My mates and I could have bought a brewery with the amount of money we pumped through some of the local night spots. Physically I was fit but mentally I had nothing. The brain just was not being stimulated or educated.

The result was a promising career that ended quickly, the good money I earned I spent, I related alcohol to a good time only and hanging around a bunch a great guys who had to much spare time on their hands led to gossiping and bitching and division in the group.

List who you spend most of your time with and how are their results?

The last couple of years have meant I have had to invest a lot of time and money into myself to shake some of those old habits. It hasn’t been easy.

Fortunately I now get to hang around guys who earn a million plus dollars per year. It is amazing the influence this has had in my thoughts and where I do and DON’T spend my time.

If you want to earn the big bucks you need to consider who you currently hang around and more importantly who you need to hang around. Who you hang around determines your business success.

Hang around with people every month that make hundreds of thousands of dollars by subscribing to our monthly podcast from the PT Plus website.

your best business asset

2008-05-19T10:38:00.008+10:00

We all want success in business but are you “tooling” yourself with the right weapons to increase your success? Business tool number one is a database. Check in to see if you have the arsenal to make it in this fast paced business world.

what is a database?
Everyone you meet, every person who contacts you, existing clients, friends, family, neighbours, and business owners are all potential prospects. What you need to do is build a place to store, update and retrieve client information. This is your database and your best business asset.

how to create a database
The easiest way to start a database is to create a table in Excel or Outlook. When building your own database include the following columns:

First Name
Surname
Contact Number
Email
Company
Association i.e. Client, prospect, friend of a friend etc
Date of birth

There are more advanced database tools available that provide detailed reports and client information, we use www.salesforce.com. Consider these if you plan on building a big business. Keep adding to your list! Have a goal to increase your database by 10-15 % every quarter. Put together a business strategy about how you will build your database.

Whilst having a database is a “must do” in business If you want your business and income to grow, you need to use it. One of the best ways is via a regular newsletter. To really add value write a newsletter that offers education rather than a “hard sell” all the time. A good blend is 80% content and 20% marketing. “People want to buy but they don’t like being sold to”.

Successful business practice puts a focus and strategy on a growing database. Education and awareness of your services via a newsletter will increase your chances of ongoing business growth and success.

6 steps to a 6 figure income

2008-03-24T12:00:00.007+11:00

Personal Training is a very limited way of earning money. You are solely reliant on your client turning up. Your income is derived from swapping time and money. Every PT who is only Personal Training has a financial struggle following any major holiday, when a large expense item is bought or in trying to borrow money from a bank. The issue is the lack of income diversity and regularity.

If you’re looking to earn consistently and avoid OFF periods, then you need to start spinning some other forms of income. This will ensure your longevity in this fantastic industry.

Here are the 6 steps to a 6 figure income:

Personal Training
Group Training
Coaching Program
Specialist Practice
Lifestyle Programs
Tailored Packages

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