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If You Don’t Learn About Virtual Fitness Buyers Now, You’ll Regret It
The virtual fitness buyer is not the same as in-person clients.

Virtual fitness classes have become the norm for the fitness industry in the past few years given COVID-19. The ability to teach online through methods like Zoom, Skype, and Youtube have helped keep brick and mortar fitness studios running through lockdown and beyond.

However, beyond a studio’s regular in-person group meeting on Zoom, there is another demographic of customers. The virtual fitness buyer isn’t some new revelation from the pandemic, they’ve been a part of the fitness world for decades, but have been overlooked by many fitness professionals.

The virtual fitness buyer is an online customer that doesn’t operate in the same way as in-person clients. While both have fitness needs, the virtual buyer has different priorities when it comes to what they look for in a fitness product. These buyers spend a lot of money too but in different ways, Allied Market Research found that the virtual fitness market will reach $59 billion by 2027, a mere 5 years from now. Who wouldn’t want to get a slice of that pie?

The virtual fitness buyer has been around for a long time. At-home fitness has been sold to consumers since the 1970s with programs like the Jane Fonda Workout, and since then the creative process has only gotten easier to do.

Up through the 1990s most home fitness videos were created by big media companies using celebrities to help sell the videos, but from the 2000s onwards this changed. Products like P90X have proven that you no longer need big name celebrities to sell fitness; the virtual fitness buyer cares about quality over a brand name. In the age of the internet, the fastest way to the virtual fitness buyer is by creating the best content possible, first and foremost. Learn how to future proof your fitness business by going virtual.

The virtual fitness buyer cares about quality over a brand name.

In order to access the online fitness industry, you first have to understand what the buyer values. The virtual fitness buyer has some key differences from the in-person buyer.
- They tend to be do-it-yourselfers, seeking out whatever they need to solve their problems on their own.
- They know what they need, or what they think they need, seeking out specific solutions.
- Virtual fitness buyers want expertise delivered on demand, whenever and wherever they want it.
This differs from in-person clients who show up to classes on certain days and collaborate with instructors to create the experience. See how we’re creating content for this buyer over on Fitstreams.club

How They Spend Their Money

These qualities also define the way virtual fitness buyers spend their money. There are three main ways: fitness accessories, fitness equipment, and fitness videos and virtual training. By knowing what the buyer will buy, businesses can better use their resources on things that will appeal to the online buyer in that soon to be $59 billion dollar industry.

Summary

Tap Into The Online Fitness Market

It has been made clear that the virtual fitness buyer is a valuable customer, one that the boutique fitness pro should be more aware of. With a 50 year history and tremendous growth, online fitness is a segment to start learning to serve. Understanding the values differences between the online buyer and the in-person buyer is the key because trying to cater to the virtual fitness buyer the same as in-person clients will not work.

The self-starting nature of the online buyer means that they seek specific solutions rather than wanting to work with an instructor to find the correct path forward. Being aware of these differences, means you will be able to tailor your content and your approach so that you can appeal to this new buyer type and as result begin to capitalize on an incredibly valuable opportunity for additional revenue streams from a previously untapped market.

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1 Lessons Easy

Free

Future Proof Your Fitness Business Selling Videos To Clients Beyond Your Neighborhood

Learn about the steps necessary to reduce the threat we all experienced due to covid in 2020. This mini course is a high-level flyover in that 19 min. and 8 seconds shows shows 8 important things; Exactly what our shared vulnerability is and how it has been hiding in plain sight. How Covid Revealed it to us. Where the REAL opportunity for reliable secondary revenue is. What that target market is worth in the next five years. What 3 categories of things are being sold in that marketplace. Who the buyer is, and how they are different from the buyer we are used to. Understanding the simple steps we can take to delight that buyer so they will pay us even while we sleep. How to inspire ourselves into action by calculating how many of those buyers we need to match or exceed our existing in person revenue. There is a downloadable tool that can help you do that calculation. Don’t miss this! We need you to join this movement, meant to disrupt the disruption of the boutique fitness industry.

Guide

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12 Lessons None

Free

Pathway To The Truly Hybrid Fitness Business

This course is the result of more than two years of research, personal and professional inquiry, soul-searching with a singular end goal in mind. To figure out a way to get through the next major disruption more gracefully than we did the last. We decided that it was not enough to simply hope that we never have to experience the severe emotional and financial impacts that we experienced when Covid shutdown our Pilates studio for months in April of 2020. To do that we knew that we had to begin by Analyzing the situations we found ourselves in more thoroughly. Committing to develop multiple ideas, weighing all options, and only committing time and resources to the soundest of ideas. Making sure that our plans were built on a solid framework that was governed by principles known to reliably produce measurable progress toward our overriding objective. Our Overriding Objective To be profitable, quarter to quarter, year to year with or without disruptions. Seek out, understand and learn to attract an additional and completely different customer type. To establish secondary revenue streams in addition to our primary and traditional revenue streams. Do that without depleting our energy and human resources or compromising the quality of service to our existing in person clients. No one ever plans to fail, but thanks to the pandemic we woke up to the reality that we, like so many others like us, we were failing to plan thoughtfully and thoroughly. This Course Is Not a Sales Pitch It is a comprehensive “Open Source” business plan that is fundamentally different than the traditional boutique fitness service business plan that is almost universal across the industry. What we have learned is that what needs to be done, can not effectively be done alone. The reasons for that are very clearly outlined in this material. This course lays out a comprehensive business plan that requires a group of like-minded boutique fitness experts who also share the same desires to take power over disruption and reliably secure economic and emotional abundance for a business, our families, our employees and our clients. In lesson 1, we lead with the invitation we make to any fitness experts that want to join Fitstreams.club in this mission. That may not be you, but it might be someone you know. Someone that might be upset if you didn’t let them know about the opportunity. In the end, you’ll have the understanding you need to join us, or to refer others that you know that might wish to, or both! The more people that understand what were doing, the faster we will build the cooperative coalition of like-minded experts necessary to reach the critical mass this business plan requires for success. Yours in Fitness Mark Firehammer, Laurie Johnson, Katrina Hawley

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11 Lessons Intermediate

Reimbursable Course

Concise Cueing For The Virtual Fitness Buyer

Developing a cueing style for your recorded on demand videos that appeal to the known preferences of the virtual fitness buyer profile.

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February 12, 2022
The Sooner You Understand Your Circle of Vulnerability the Better

Escape the Circle of Vulnerability

Fitness businesses rely on clients from a relatively small area. While this is a sustainable model during normal times, the past few years have proven how fragile this model is.

Because in person clients must be very close by, anything that stops in-person classes will hit that fitness business hard. COVID-19 was simply the first event to reveal the flaws of this model.

The traditional fitness business model’s reliance on in-person clients to thrive embodies the business and financial mistake of putting all your eggs in one basket. Many amazing businesses had been created in spite of this mistake, an easy one to make when living inside the experience of what was “normal times”.

Suddenly, with covid, that seemingly large circle of clients became much smaller when the usual in-person classes got disrupted by the pandemic. The immediate impact to any business that relies on a single revenue source is a devastating loss of revenue. For brick-and-mortar fitness studios, it was practically inevitable that we’d find ourselves in this difficult situation.

When COVID-19 hit, many studios were forced to shut down for extended periods of time. While many survived by providing online classes, most businesses during this time did not extend their reach beyond their traditional 300 sq mile or so range. Unfortunately, some great businesses are gone forever.

Studios that scrambled to adjust to online classes began to lose a significant amount of clients who weren’t willing to make the transition to virtual fitness classes for very long.

COVID-19 forced us all to discover that only a percentage of the in person clients were willing to follow that business online during quarantine. The new realization was that in person clients, and virtual fitness clients are different types. To further compound the problem, many businesses did not fully commit to the new online environment, using it as a stopgap measure until in-person classes returned.

This choice is the equivalent of wanting to remain in the circle of vulnerability.

They didn’t take the time to discover they needed to learn to appeal to a different and additional client type, the virtual fitness client. As a result, no new revenue streams were created to compensate for the loss incurred from the loss of access to their in person clients.

After the Quarantine

The world is not back to normal yet. It may not ever go back. Fitness businesses have to make a choice; adapt to the new world and extend their reach beyond the circle of vulnerability, or simply accept the losses caused by the next event that forces them to lose their in person clients for a period of time.

Rather than trying to increase the amount of clients in the neighborhood, focus on expanding the reach of your business to a larger area that will guarantee more clients.

It might seem like there’s only doom and gloom for brick and mortar fitness businesses. However, that is not the case. COVID has given businesses an opportunity to pivot into online fitness, which exponentially increases their circle of potential clients. In contrast to the 300 square miles of in-person business the normal fitness studio is limited to, the world has over 25 million square miles of potential clients. By winning over new virtual clients from the world outside their small local circle, a business can massively increase both the amount of clients and revenue. All it takes is understanding the virtual fitness world and catering to that additional demographic.

Summary

Fitness businesses can start to attract clients on a global scale by tapping into the virtual fitness marketplace.

With proper execution a brick-and-mortar business can not only retain their in-person clientele, but expand into creating online content for a second audience that creates a secondary revenue stream. Over time, with care and attention to details, this secondary revenue stream can eventually match, and exceed, in person revenue. What business wouldn’t want a huge increase in revenue during normal circumstances, and extra financial security when the world experiences the next disruptive event?

Related Courses

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February 12, 2022
Top 3 Tips To Work with Your Clients to Survive the Corona Crisis
Let’s face it, the coronavirus represents a clear threat that is likely to get worse before it gets better. The key to except that in take practical steps to adapt to an evolving situation. read on to learn 3 tips that will help you, your instructors, and your clients work together to get through the crisis.

The Real Problem From A Business Point of View

Local businesses like our Pilates studios count on the revenue that comes from clients coming through the door a regular basis. We are already seeing cancellations rising dramatically, due to fear, health vulnerabilities and in some cases actual quarantine.

3 Steps

1

Communication

Write an e-mail to your clients that is honest and transparent about what you are all facing and ask for their help. Explain that you have come up with a plan to deliver live as well as on-demand classes for them to use when they can’t or are not allowed to come to the studio. Be sure that you are taking the recommended cleaning and personal hygiene steps in studio to do everything you can to ensure a safe environment for those who can come. Outline what you are doing and assure them that every precaution is being taken.

2

A Win-Win offer

Offer a win-win pricing solution that will produce the revenue necessary to keep the business alive, while continuing to deliver value remotely to your community of clients for the duration of the crisis.

Here are some examples of pricing options and approaches to this challenge
1. Ask your clients to pay a percentage of or all of their average monthly investment in a reoccurring pricing option that lasts for the duration of the crisis. Assure them that their existing investments in memberships, contracts, session packages and the like will be preserved and waiting for them after the crisis is over.
2. Ask your clients to pay what they can afford during the crisis, using a choose your own price or PayPal donation button with a reoccurring choice attached.
Set up your payment options in Mindbody or whatever studio management software you use, to keep the revenue flowing.

3

Set up Your Content Delivery

Set up a video streaming account, like YouTube, Vimeo or some other solution. You will simply deliver access to that content to those that purchase your live streaming interim pricing option. There are several fairly easy ways to accomplish this ranging from simply delivering a link to the video channel you create, or embed that content into a password-protected page on your website.

Regarding Video and Live Stream Production

Because time is of the essence it’s important to not over think this and keep it simple. you want to make this available in a couple of days, not weeks or months.

Good news is that the average smart phone has all the technology you need to live stream as well as create recorded content to be uploaded to your channel. Just take steps to make sure this plenty of light, and that your room supports decent audio which can be accomplished by keeping the camera close, or wearing a body microphone which are not expensive.

Summary

If your studio is anything like ours you are part of the community that’s important to both the clients the staff and the owners. So agreeing on the terms that will preserve the value of your studio beyond the crisis is key to surviving it together.

Additional Resources

Need help fast getting set up to deliver video or live streaming content?
March 11, 2020
How to Get Your Pilates Business from Vision to Reality

A good vision is important for success in anything. Asking the Universe for what you need plays the role of connecting both your subconscious and conscious mind on the path to getting what you want.

I’ll be honest, the phrase, “Put it out into the universe.” seemed ridiculous to my scientific mind until I owned my own Pilates Studio. I can hear my previous self now. I was working with a very real problem that needed a solution and someone says to me, “Just ask the Universe for what you need.” I don’t know if you can see my previous self’s eyes rolling, but at that time I didn’t buy it one bit! But later I had to admit that asking the universe is a thing and it works.

Visioning leads to planning and goal setting, and all of these things are key to the development of a Pilates Studio.

If you can’t imagine success, then you won’t be able to recognize the opportunities that will lead you to the success you desire. For example:

On a micro level, if you can’t imagine having a full schedule with a waiting list. It is going to be hard to convince that new client that she actually needs to schedule the recurring appointment so that her spot is guaranteed.

On a macro level if you can’t envision making a living owning your own Pilates Studio then you might not notice the real estate sign in the window of the perfect space.

Visioning is the big picture in your mind

That big picture helps you structure your decisions and get you on the path that is the shortest distance between your desired destination.

Ask yourself the question, “What do I want?”

How the rest of this plays out can be of personal design. My business partner sits tall in her office chair and literally asks for what she wants. And you know what? It works! My visioning comes when I hike. I am in the woods, I imagine my life and let my mind be open and the ideas flow.

Wherever you find your mind in its most creative imaginative space, is where you want to start the visioning process.

Recognizing A Great Idea

When you have an idea, notice the energy around it. Hear yourself say, “Wow that would be really cool.” Then give yourself the freedom to ask, “How am I going to make that happen?”

It’s also important to be aware of the unhelpful thoughts that get in the way of the best visions. These are the thoughts that get in our own way. I try never to let my mind say, “That’s ridiculous.”

Write Your Vision Down

Pen and paper works, but you want to write the vision down anywhere that you can access frequently. Bathroom mirrors, whiteboards, poster boards, and journals are all spectacular places for visions to exist. Any place that you will see nearly every day, so that your subconscious and conscious mind are focused and working together.

Begin visioning the answer to “How am I going to make that happen?”

Depending on the vision you may start writing a business plan or you may begin developing strategies, but most importantly you have a vision that is guiding you down a path.

Once you answer, “How am I going to make this happen?” it’s time to pull out our S.M.A.R.T goal strategies. These will help you decide on and prioritize your actions on your chosen path.

The question, “What can I do in the moment to get the life I want?” Can be much easier to answer when you have a clear vision of the life you want!

April 17, 2019
Discover The Secret to Getting Your Client to Book Their Next Session
Client Retention is a key factor in the health of a Pilates Business

Consistency is key. Helping clients maintain a consistent schedule is the first step in increasing client retention. As Pilates Business owners, we all have faith in our “product” We have felt the results, and we have found the beauty in feeling healthier and stronger. However, sometimes we need to give our clients a little extra help in discovering this magic. A consistent schedule is a great step in the right direction because it helps your clients establish habitual behavior that will help them reach the fitness goal of feeling great.

Imagine the following scenario. It’s the end of the session, and the client has the beautiful glow of a body that has moved in all planes of motion. Now it’s time to schedule the next session and the teacher says, “Do you want to make another appointment?

In this scenario the client a giant opportunity to say “no”, or “I’ll call you”, or “do you think this is helping”? And any of these questions could lead to the attrition of a client that might have found the magic in Pilates in just one more session.

Ask questions or make statements that give everyone what they need:
- “Let’s get you in the schedule again”
- “Let’s go make another appointment”
- “Wow I am sure that at your next appointment we can accomplish …”
When the scheduling of the next appointment is assumed you are giving a gift to your client. You are making it easy to be consistent and supporting healthy behavior. Try this at your next session let us know how it goes.

Client retention will Increase if your clients are accustomed to seeing More than 1 Teacher

Having multiple Pilates Teachers is a treat. Everybody learns differently and hearing a concept explained by more than one mind increases the chances of movement integration and improvement. If we teach from this assumption, it makes it possible to maintain our own work life balance without sacrificing our client retention and consistency. Now we just have to convince our clients of this.

Imagine this scenario – You have a vacation next week, but you usually see this particular client twice a week and she loves you! And by love I mean she LOVES YOU! She calls you a miracle worker (though we all know movement is the miracle) and wants you to have everything in this world! It’s time to schedule her appointments while you’re gone and you say, “Do you want me to find you a sub?”

First of all this client loves you and would never want you to be inconvenienced, so if you offer this as a question she is going to say no…Because you would have to go to extra work and she would never want that for you.

Do the work ahead of time:
- Find the sub ahead of time. That would give you the ability to say, “I found you a sub for next week while I’m gone, let’s confirm those appointments with Dawn.”
- With this sentence you are stating the name and you have already done the work.
- Your client would never want any work that you do to go to waste.
There are always going to be barriers to scheduling the next appointment in the moment.

Efficiency is key. If a client is standing in front of me and I say, “do you want next Tuesday at ten?” and she says yes, the next time I have to think about that appointment is next Tuesday at ten.

There are always barriers to scheduling like:
- Calendars that are left in the car
- Appointments that need to be confirmed
- Errands that have to be run
- Kids that have to be picked up
These barriers can make scheduling in the moment difficult.

Use the following lines to help set up that habit of scheduling efficiently.
- “Let’s pick an appointment, and you only need to call if it doesn’t work.”
- “Do you want to make this appointment recurring and then you only have to tell me when you can’t make it?”
- “I only have these two appointments next week, let’s pick one.”
<p “=”” style=”text-align: left;”These get the person in the schedule, and if she gets down to the car and it works, all is done. This is a convenience for your client as well as you./pp “=”” style=”text-align: left;”>The way that you use your words at the end of your session can go a long way towards improving client retention and thus keep your bottom line moving in the right direction.

When the scheduling of the next appointment is assumed you are giving a gift to your client. You are making it easy to be consistent and supporting healthy behavior.

Try this at your next session let us know how it goes.
April 9, 2019
Tips And Tricks to Get Lost Clients Back
How Lisa got 60% of lost clients back into her studio in under an hour.

Winning back lost clients is far less difficult (and expensive) than winning over brand new clients. If you’re a studio owner like Lisa and notice clients dropping away from your schedule than don’t go another day without this trick.

Lisa owns a Pilates Studio in Hartford, CT. It’s her and 2 very part time instructors teaching Private, & Semi-Private sessions and Group Mat Classes. Lisa teaches about 35 hours a week and also does all the studio management: Marketing, finances, administrative, and cleaning!

Over the past week Lisa has been thinking about a few clients she hasn’t seen in awhile. When she pulls up her “client at risk” report in Wellness Living she is stunned to see that there are over 30 clients that haven’t been coming in over a month. Lisa knows that her client average monthly worth is $112 so with a quick calculation in her head she knows she needs to do something.

Where are these clients going? Seeing the list of names is helpful and it reminds her that
- Christine’s father died 2 months ago,
- Eugene and his wife went on the trip to Costa Rica for 2 weeks.
- Molly got a new job and her schedule changed.
- Meg comes and goes frequently depending on her back pain flare ups.
- Joan? Where has she been? She loves her Thursday class.
The problem is: life happens.

There’s weather, vacation, illness, car trouble and schedule changes. When a client’s routine is thrown off course it is very easy for them fall out of their regular practice and become one of our “lost clients”.

Lisa wants these clients back and she wants to give them incentive to get back in immediately.

There are a number of ways to re engage lost clients but this one won back 60% of her lost clients including Christine, Eugene and his wife, Molly, Meg and Joan.

Lisa sent all of her lost clients a postcard inviting them back for a RE-introductory package.

Shew always starts clients off with an Introductory Package: 3 Private sessions at a 15% discount.

This offer is well known for being available to new clients only.

Her postcard invites these lost clients back in for a re-do. She decides to add a free water bottle as a bonus incentive along with the package discount. She also includes a quick note on each one-

“Hi Eugene! How was Costa Rica? I hope your plantar fasciitis didn’t flare up. Call me up- I can get you and Karen in first thing next week -Lisa”.

As the calls start coming in Lisa is surprised to hear most of the lost clients say:

“I’ve been meaning to call, I’ve been meaning to come in…I’m so glad you reached out”

Lisa is surprised because she knows her CRM has reached out to these people through the auto email notification that sends out whenever a client hasn’t been checked in for 3 weeks.

“It was so nice to get something in the mail! All I ever get is bills or junk. Your note reminded me of how much I miss my Pilates!”.

Lisa is so impressed with her ROI on this postcard campaign that she incorporates running this “client at risk” report into her monthly to do list.

In 6 months she’s noticed a significant decrease in lost clients because she wins them back so quickly with her Re-introductory offer.
April 3, 2019
How to Make a Great First Impression
First impressions are formed almost instantly and we tend to get really attached to our first impression of someone or something. What are folks’ first impressions of your studio?

These days a person’s first impression of your fitness studio happen in a lot of different ways: Social Media ads, email messages, a phone call or an in person experience. This blog post is going to address the “walk in”. The person who walks through your studio door, a little hesitant, and says “Yes, hi. I was looking for some information” or the brand new client who is arriving for their first class or session.

You can make a big impact with your first impression. All it takes is a little effort and planning. If you create a great, welcoming first impression it will be much easier to overcome any objections the new inquiry/client might have such as price, and commitment.

The 1st First Impression: Finding the Way in

Take every step you can to make sure your client knows where to park and how to enter the building.

Tip: Make your signage clear and welcoming. Re-frame the language of any signage that sounds negative. Instead of “no shoes” place a pretty sign that says “place your shoes here”).

The welcome area should look like a place where someone would find information.

Tip: Think about a person walking straight into an open studio. They might feel like they are interrupting, or not supposed to be there. A front desk, or a welcoming table will give this unfamiliar person a place to land. (Another tip: Have a place for them to sit. I’ll explain why later..)

This area should reflect the personality of your studio.

Tip: Cozy. Elegant. Cool. Nurturing. Modern. Serene. Invigorating. What describes your studio’s tone? Make sure your welcome area decor reflects that.

Keep everything clean, and organized.

Tip: Try to keep the inevitable “office clutter” out of sight. Staplers, File folders, Cups of coffee, Instructor’s cell phones and belongings, notes and paper clips should all be stashed away out of sight.

The 2nd First Impression: The Greeting

Have staff greet the client when they enter.

Tip: If you don’t have front desk staff create materials (welcome brochure, contact info collection form) and you can designate an Instructor who can welcome the client and give them an instruction: “
- Hi! Welcome. Have a seat- I can be with you in 5 minutes”.
- “Hey there! I’m with a client right now but would love to answer your questions. Have a seat, or leave your contact info and I’ll give you a call at 3pm”.
If this is a “walk in” looking for information, have them sit down with you. Sitting down will relax them and plant a seed of commitment. Make it casual – not like “let me take you into this room and we will sit down and I will give you a sales pitch”. It helps if you have places to sit in the landing area. Say hello to your walk in with a big smile and answer with “Yes, I can help you with that. Here, have a seat.”

If this is a brand new client welcome them! Then introduce them around. Remember, they are walking in for the first time and know nothing about your studio.

Here are some small details to show them:
- Where to put their shoes and belongings
- Where the bathroom is, where they can change or and take a phone call if necessary
- Introduce them to any staff, or clients (if appropriate) nearby
- Supply them with new client paperwork and let them know where they can fill it out and what to do with it when they are done.
- Help them get ready for class. Where do they get their props? When will their teacher arrive? Tell them where and how to pay.
- Inform them about any auto emails or texts they will receive and tell them how they can customize or change them.
- Engage authentically. Have you ever had the experience where you called customer support (your cell company, cable company, etc) and it felt like you were talking to an actual person rather than a headset and a script?
The difference between customer service phone calls is what I’m talking about. Talk to this new inquiry or new client as you would if your friend just introduced the two of you.

The Last First Impressions: The Goodbyes and Followups

Layout and explain their next step.

Tip: Whatever action they took at your studio that day there is something next. If they scheduled their first appointment, explain what email notifications they will get, what they should wear to their first appointment, and what payment methods you accept. If they gathered info but didn’t schedule or purchase tell them what comes next. Will you follow up with them in a few days? If it was their first class, ask them how it was or how they feel. Suggest another class you think they might like.

Offer them their payment options.

Tip: A lot of business coaches would teach you tactics on how to push this new client into a large commitment sale but we strongly believe clients see right through these sales-y schemes and it turns them off. Be honest. Explain the benefits of packages and memberships but act as if a single class is just as awesome.

Make sure you have their contact info.

Tip: This person is now a hot lead or a new client you definitely want to be able to follow up with.

Say bye and use their name.

Tip: “Bye Michelle! Have a great weekend” “Amy, it was wonderful to meet you. We’ll see you next Thursday.” Not only will this create a personal connection as they are literally walking out your door but it will help you remember their name for their next visit!

The Follow Up:

Your first impression can last even after you say goodbye. You should now have this person’s contact info and you have some choices depending on your personal style.

You can call or email the new inquiry/new client up a few days later.

Tip: Express again how nice it was to meet them, ask if they have questions, feedback or how they felt after taking the class.

BEST IDEA:You can enter their email in your carefully crafted sales funnel.

Does that sound sales-y, impersonal and scary to you! It doesn’t have to be. Fitness Business Pros can help you set up an organized, time saving and VERY personal set of auto emails to turn any warm or hot lead into a raving fan.

There are so many opportunities to make or blow a great first impression.

When you go to your studio tomorrow arrive early so you can take the time arriving as if you were a new inquiry or a new client. Think about the points made in this post.
- Where are you on point?
- What can you improve today?
- What can you improve over the next month?
Let us know in the comments.
April 3, 2019
What Everybody Ought to Know About Managing Difficult Clients
The Problem with Difficult Clients

Working closely with people is rewarding and typically a pleasant experience however it isn’t always easy. Difficult clients exist and you will experience them in your studio. Lovely clients will have off days and can surprise you with a problematic interactions or demands. Imagine that your 9am client has a big feeling about being charged for last week’s late cancel and there is a heated conversation. This could potentially rattle you off course for the rest of the day- keeping you distracted from your other clients.

Not having a plan or a system to handle these situations can leave you feeling unprepared and surprised. This will make it much harder to remain calm and professional when these difficult situations arise.

Follow these tips and before long you’ll be taking difficult clients (and situations) in stride.

3 Phases to Managing Difficult Clients

1. Be Prepared:

One of the best ways to avoid difficult situations is prepare ahead of time. Make sure your studio policies are clear and fair. Make them very available to clients!

Ways to be prepared
- Have clients initial or sign a studio policy sheet during their intake process.
- Create an easy to read sign that is easily view-able on your studio wall.
- Include your most “heated” policies (i.e. cancellation, refund, extension) in your email signature so they go out in every email communication you send.
- Post your policies on your website. You can include a “why” for the policies if you want.
Set Boundaries.

(BONUS: Some boundaries can be clearly stated in your policies). Figure out what you will and won’t do and write these boundaries down. Will you answer emails and phone calls all day long? Will you run over session time if you client arrives late? Remain firm and consistent so clients aren’t confused, and you can avoid misunderstandings.

Get your team on the same page!
- Make sure staff is VERY clear on studio policies and why they are in place.
- Staff should know what what they have the authority to do; work out a situation, make a decision, bend a policy, etc?.
- Staff should know who to pass the problem too if they are not allowed or equipped to see the situation through. i.e. studio manager, owner, bookkeeper.
- Staff should be able to tell the client who they are handing the problem over to so there is clear follow through.
2. When It Happens:

Stay calm. Becoming emotional or defensive will only escalate the situation. Take a deep breath and ground yourself. If the interaction isn’t live (i.e if it is an email or voicemail) take some time to prepare yourself so you can approach the interaction as neutral as possible.

Active listening. Many difficult situations can diminish when a client feels listened to and heard. Make eye contact, don’t interrupt, make small reaffirming noises or physical cues (“mm-hmm…” “I see”, head nod). Reflect back what heard them say to make sure you understood it correctly. Ask questions to clarify (don’t make assumptions).

More Tips & Tricks:
- Frame things in a positive light.
- Own it if you were in the wrong.
- Respect yourself and them.
- Apologize if necessary.
- Focus on solutions rather than blame.
3. when it’s over

Do what you say you’ll do. If you said you’d ask a manager, make sure to ask the manager and that the client is responded to. If you won’t charge them for the class, make sure they are not charged.

If it was an accident/oversight on your part brainstorm ways to make sure this doesn’t happen again. You can communicate with the client what you plan to do.

If it was a misunderstanding figure out how you can be clearer so other clients aren’t confused in the future.

Check in: If it feels appropriate check in with the client in a few days and see if they are happy with the resolution.

When you feel prepared and have a plan in place you’ll find that these difficult clients are much easier to handle and the situations are must easier to let go of when your next client walks through the door.
March 25, 2019