We are lucky to be working in the boot camp marketing industry. Fitness professionals save more lives than doctors and surgeons combined. It’s a well-publicized fact that nothing is more important for longevity and good health than fueling our bodies with nutritious foods and exercising regularly. We are at the forefront of this movement and it’s up to us to educate the public and make the transition to leading a healthy lifestyle as easy and painless as possible. Personally, I’m stoked to be part of this movement!
Furthermore, I firmly believe that we are positioned to do more good than counselors, life coaches and psychologists. We have the power to instill confidence in our clients and motivate their behavior to change in positive ways that bring everything from love and money to energy and happiness. Given all the power that we wield and the types of transformations we’re creating in our fitness facilities every day, do we not deserve a six or seven-figure salary like these doctors and medical health professionals?
Many of the people I meet at my boot camp marketing workshops are suffering from the same limiting beliefs. They feel guilty charging what they are worth. How can you break your income barrier and convince others of your value if YOU are not even convinced? While the majority of fitness trainers and boot camp operators are making $20,000 – $30,000 a year, there are hundreds in my social circle ALONE making $1 Million or more.
Boot Camp Marketing Starts With Mindset
The formula for becoming a millionaire begins with MINDSET. That’s why I’ve organized these weekend workshop masterminds that have become so popular over the years. You can download an e-book or read a blog, but it may or may not impact you. When you come to my workshops and you meet dozens of millionaire boot camp marketing professionals who are living proof that the lifestyle you desire IS, in fact, totally possible – that’s when your life is forever changed. Best of all, these millionaires feel so blessed by their lot in life that they want to give back and offer you the opportunity to join the club by following in their footsteps, avoiding their mistakes, and learning from the masters. Why? Because at the end of the day, sharing the best boot camp marketing practices and the best boot camp program features will elevate the quality of the industry as a whole and facilitate more business for everyone involved.
Successful Boot Camp Marketing Requires Goal-Setting
Once you become “infected” with the positive vibe, enthusiasm, confidence and drive to succeed, you can move onto other important steps in boot camp marketing – like goal-setting, for instance. You need to be as SPECIFIC as possible in your goal-setting. For instance, if you wanted to find the Fitness Concepts’ location to come in for a consultation, you wouldn’t just type “Chino Hills” into Google and expect to reach your destination successfully. You would type in “14682 Central Ave., Chino, California 91710” to get there as quickly and efficiently as possible. By the same token, you don’t just want to say “I want to make six-figures” and leave it at that. To earn $100,000 a year, you need to bring in $8,333 per month – which is about $2,083 per week and $298 a day. Breaking it down makes it more manageable to take the baby steps necessary to succeed. It will also be easier for you to make adjustments, if you see you’re missing your short-term marks, to get you on-track before the whole year has already passed you by.
Boot Camp Marketing Won’t Help You If Your Location Sucks
Another factor in the successfulness of your boot camp marketing is your location. People essentially want to work in facilities that are within 15 minutes of their homes or places of employment. Knowing this, you need to find a location that is in an accessible spot. The ideal boot camp can operate in the mornings and at night, but if you’re running on a shoe-string budget, sub-leasing from a busy gymnastics center, karate studio or dance studio isn’t such a bad idea. We’ll leave it there for now, but rest assured, you will hear a LOT more from me about finding the right boot camp location.
Location Won’t Help If You Don’t Have If Your Boot Camp Marketing Sucks
What good is having the best location if no one knows you exist? There are loads of approaches for bringing in prospects, but in the boot camp marketing industry, our BREAD AND BUTTER is REFERRALS. (You may also call this “human billboard marketing,” but that term always reminds me of those drug addicts throwing signs up into the air and dancing on the sidewalks at traffic lights.) I find my most enthusiastic clients come through my doors because they have already heard what tremendous value we offer. People trust the opinions of their friends, family and coworkers more than any sort of ad you could ever come up with because these individuals have no profit motive – or so they think.
Driving Referrals Is The #1 Boot Camp Marketing Strategy
In reality, we always offer referral bonuses and gifts. Not only does this offer an incentive for our clients to bring us more business, but it shows that we appreciate their positive word-of-mouth testimonials as well.
Boot camp marketing for referral generation should begin the very first week a new prospect signs up. You want to greet them with a big “Thank You” post card or letter sent through the U.S. postal service. Very few people take the time to do this in the Age of Electronic Communication, so it really makes an impact.
It’s important that you openly let people know that most of your business comes from referrals so they are more inclined to help you out. You might say something like, “You may not know, but 99% of my business comes from referrals by nice people like you. If I am successful in helping you reach your goal, can I count on you to tell your friends and family?”
I often like to include a nice little bonus – like a free smoothie or other small gift. Another easy way to track referrals is to send out $100 plastic coupon cards – one that they can keep and a few that they can share with their friends. We’ve run specials offering 70 percent discounts or even free months of training in return for paid-in-full referrals and we find that this is the most successful type of boot camp marketing we can ever possibly do.
Use Surveys To Improve Your Boot Camp Marketing & Programs
I was surprised to learn how few boot camp marketing pros use surveys for feedback on their businesses. It literally takes two minutes to do and the information you receive back is INVALUABLE! Here’s a sample email you might send your clients:
Subject: We’re Looking For Your Opinions!
Hey, I just wanted to send you a quick note to thank you for your business. Because of people like you, my boot camp is growing rapidly! I thought it would be an ideal time to ask for your feedback to make sure you are happy during this expansion period.
If you click on this link to do a short 10 minute survey, I will give you a $900 credit toward my boot camp. Whether you have a few pounds you want to lose or you just want to maintain the level of fitness you have, all you have to do is click on the link below.
CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY!
Talk to you soon,
(Your Name)
Good boot camp marketing survey questions include:
- Who is your favorite trainer?
- How would you rate your overall workout?
- How would you rate the energy and enthusiasm at the club?
- How would you rate your instructor’s punctuality?
- How do you rate the music?
- Does the instructor know you by name?
- How would you rate our nutrition program?
- Would you recommend our boot camp to family and friends?
- What other suggestions and comments would you like to make?
Perfecting Your Boot Camp Marketing Closing Technique
The Art of Selling all boils down to CONFIDENCE and PRACTICE. A good way to get started is to offer a no-fail special offer – like a $19 special for the first 10 days of camp. Once the trial offer ends, you want to have these new prospects set up on designated programs related to their fitness goals. On Day One, you want to have that auto-debit program set up. This is not only easy insurance for you, but it’s also easy for them because they don’t have to put up a lot of cash downpayment and they don’t have to commit to the program until the ten days are up. Should they decide to stick with the program, they literally have to do nothing to be able to continue! Easy!
Boosting Retention Has Little To Do With Boot Camp Marketing
Retention is all about your relationship with the clients you bring in and the program you’ve established. Here at Fit Concepts, our camp is so much more than a workout class: it’s a social club. We host client appreciation dinners, grocery store tours, cooking classes, nutrition seminars, smoking cessation seminars, movie outings, 5-K runs, and other special events that turn first-timers into lifers. People are so excited about our boot camp it’s almost scary at times! J We didn’t create this vibe through a radio spot or a PPC ad. We generated this hardcore loyal enthusiasm by delivering an awesome program. Keep that in mind. If you deliver ENERGY, PASSION, APPRECIATION, FRESHNESS and FUN, clients will take note.
How To Boost Reactivation & Get Old Clients Back
A few of my boot camp marketing pals sent out a funny email not long ago. They essentially sent them the “Baby Come Back” music video, along with a message like “We never wanted it to end this way! Come back for a month of free boot camp and see all the positive changes we’ve made since you’ve gone!” You might also let them know about your amazing reactivation specials if you suspect money is a concern – like the “21 Day Rapid Fat Loss Program” for $21or the “Free Personalized Nutrition Counseling” event. Try a combination of direct mail, email and phone calls to cover all bases.
Outsource To Maintain Sanity As Your Boot Camp Marketing Takes Off
If you start implementing my advice, your boot camp marketing is going to take off to the point that you can’t possibly tackle all the new leads. Rather than increase the size of your classes so that the one-on-one aspect suffers, I recommend hiring a few boot camp trainers you can trust to be the face of your business in your absence.
If you want to hand one of your classes over, be sure you do it gradually and let your campers know that you’re expanding. The last thing you want is a widespread mutiny on your hands, after all! Have your new trainer attend the sessions, learning names, giving pointers on form and complimenting people. Have the new trainer leads the warm-up and work with half the class when you split them into groups. Gauge the feedback you receive from the new trainer before allowing him or her to take a class solo.
How To Begin Your Boot Camp Marketing Strategy
When you are first getting started, your boot camp marketing should begin with your friends, family and acquaintance network. Contact everyone you know and let them know about your exciting new endeavor and let them know you will give them 70 percent off ($50 training) if they’ll pay for six months upfront. So, if you get 20 people, that’s $6,000 in your pocket. While this is a good starting point to get the wheels turning, you need to create a more comprehensive boot camp marketing strategy to keep it going.
A typical boot camp marketing strategy involves:
- Facebook Contests
- Reactivation Incentives
- Giveaway Promotions
- Organization Systems
- Team of Outsourced Marketers
- Communication Platforms
- Lead Boxes
In the beginning, focus your boot camp marketing on low and no-cost ways to get clients. Spend some time developing irresistible offers that people can only say “Yes” to, which will work to build your confidence. Find ways to analyze and track the successfulness of your boot camp marketing campaigns. Focus on providing the best service for your clients and establishing strong relationships – and clearly communicate this value in your boot camp marketing materials — so people will decide they just cannot live without you!