Does it seem like you just have the worst luck ever? Do you sometimes feel like everyone else is getting ahead, while you lag behind – even though you do are employing many of the same marketing tactics? As Science Fiction Writer Robert Heinlein once said, “There is no such thing as luck; there is only adequate or inadequate preparation to cope with a statistical universe.” If your fitness business feels like it’s stuck in a rut, it’s probably because you have failed to prepare for the road you’re on. Here are some of the top underlying causes of “bad luck” in the fitness industry.
Having a compelling vision is what gets the wheels turning to convert thoughts into action. If you want prospects to become your clients, they have to like the picture you paint of how you might transform their lives. For instance, a pitch stating that your boot camp “will help people lead healthier lifestyles and live longer” is not very compelling. Sure, that is what your boot camp will do, but most people don’t think about what will happen down the road. They need to know what your camp will do for them RIGHT NOW. So, you might restructure your vision as something like “Our boot camp will help you lose 10 pounds this month.”
An individual is little more than the sum of his or her habits. Maybe you have lofty goals for yourself. For instance, you may want to “stop procrastinating” or “be more productive.” Yet, in reality, you just need to take an honest look at your habitual actions and replace some of the bad habits with better ones. Maybe you need to check your Facebook at the end of the day, rather than at the start, to prevent it from wasting precious morning prime time. Maybe you need to take that 30 minute lunch to collect your thoughts so you can be more productive when you return. Maybe you need to avoid the temptation to be lazy with your free time and use that as an opportunity to read and learn more.
It takes more than adding someone on Facebook or following someone on Twitter to maintain a real relationship. Social networking tools are great, but you can’t just sit back on your laurels and presume that you have a quality relationship that will take your business to new heights. There is no way you can maintain 500 or 1,000 personal connections, but pick three people you feel could help you drastically improve your business and work toward cultivating a deeper relationship with them this year. Focus your efforts on ways you can help them.
Clients don’t necessarily spend a lot of time thinking, “Gee, my life would be so much better if I got a free water bottle from my gym!” Or “I really wish my trainer would remember me by sending a card on my birthday.” Yet, these little gestures do mean a lot when they are unsolicited. You want to pack your interactions with so much value that people feel like they can’t pay you enough for your services.
Perhaps you just need to think about your job differently. Maybe you are good at helping people solve their problems or writing a good blog post that can be emailed out to subscribers. Instead of focusing on your weaknesses, do something about it. You can learn new tricks with a little determination – and your business will be better off for it.
You may be running from meeting to meeting, but find that the day just flies by with nothing to show for it. Are you filling your day with meaningful activities that make your business better and your coffers richer? Or are you filling your time with no regard as to what is or isn’t most productive. Remember, time is money. You may need to strategize more effective uses of your time and start delegating more of the day-to-day tasks that are not as essential.
Are you managing the spices or the core ingredients of your business? Many fitness business entrepreneurs get caught up micromanaging different people or activities and lose their focus. You should concentrate on improving your purpose, projects and processes if you want your business to be a success.
