[spoiler]
Sam: We tend to take our clients for granted and we think, “Oh, we got them already. They’re going to stay with us.” Nobody is going to stay with you forever if you don’t nurture your relationship.
Every person has a circle of influence of around 40, 50 people. So if you get into their circle of influence, you really never have to market again. The problem is these trainers, they’re going in there and they want all of their market [Indiscernible] and they don’t get their service right. They got crappy service. They have a crappy product and like I said before, what we talked about at breakfast, if you get really good at marketing but your service sucks, you’re going to market yourself right out of business because the more people you’re going to get in the door, the more people know that you suck and the word is going to spread around and nobody is going to [0:00:47] [Indiscernible]. So that’s my two cents. Sorry, [Indiscernible]. Kirk?
Damien: [Inaudible]
David: If I was to be bigger but our retention …
Damien: Since you’ve been a trainer.
David: Since I’ve been a trainer. Oh, that’s another question.
[Crosstalk]
Sam: That’s a great question right there. How big will your business be if you never lost any clients since you started training? Ask yourself that. That is a brilliant question. That’s brilliant.
Damien: [0:01:34] [Inaudible] and ask yourself that question [Indiscernible] business and ask yourself the next question. What can I do to replace [Indiscernible]? Is it linking in to what you want to do to get them back?
So whether you [Indiscernible] testimonial program and I don’t want any money but I would like you to have [Indiscernible]. So you [0:02:26] [Indiscernible] and say OK, you got America with massive obesity or whatever the charity is. They can choose the charity, whatever, but [Indiscernible]. They make a donation and you read [Phonetic] them again and you get a chance to wow them again because [Indiscernible].
You know what I mean? And I would actually make a list of all these people and you’re going to have some A clients, B clients, C clients look at the length of time, how long you’re [Indiscernible]. Start to rebuild their relationship. Send them a postcard and [Indiscernible] used to do business together [Indiscernible]. You would like an opportunity again to regain the trust of the [Inaudible].
So I think like if you look at them, if you go to a restaurant and the waiter comes out to you and says this [0:03:20] [Indiscernible]. How do you feel? [Indiscernible] OK, that’s good to your business and [Indiscernible] owner of that restaurant going up to you and sitting down with you or the chef [Indiscernible]. And if you’re one of these [Indiscernible] so if you make that list out of the people, you could do the [Indiscernible] an opportunity again to [Indiscernible]. It’s going to cost you more to get a viewpoint [Indiscernible].
Sam: One thing I forgot to say is that in our schedules, both Armando and I – Armando is my VP of Operations. He runs my business while I’m here. That’s why I can [Indiscernible]. So we have a schedule of our PR times and what we mean is we just go and [0:05:05] [Indiscernible]. How are you doing? How are you? How is your family? How is the [Indiscernible]? So it’s very important to [Indiscernible] know their life and know their family. Know their kids. Get involved with them on that emotional level and have fun with it.
Don’t treat them transactionally. Build the relational capital and if you schedule some PR time – because it’s funny. A few years back, me and Armando got caught up into just doing – getting out a computer [0:05:52] [Indiscernible] emails out, this and that and we totally neglected that and we saw our retention rate start dropping because now we know they see as us – people don’t see – they come to the gym. They don’t see that gym is your job. Nobody is going to come to your office and [Indiscernible] disrupt you. Like when they come to a gym, they somehow think that it’s a social atmosphere so people kind of ignore them [Indiscernible].
So schedule some PR time and just talk to your clients. Get to know them at a personal level and I like that book Never Eat Alone. Once a week, [Indiscernible] take them out to lunch. Connect with them. Talk to them and don’t go for a general – ask for referrals. Just go and connect with them. That will be the best thing. You go there. Hey, by the way. Here’s a hamburger. Get some referrals. Here’s a referral cost. No.
Neil: [Indiscernible] you know what fascinates me, we have election season coming up again this year and if you think about it, how many hands do the candidates – I mean say what you want to say about the democrats, the republicans. I mean everyone has got their own political views or whatever, right? So let’s just put that aside for a second.
Think about how hard these guys are working to get on the [Indiscernible] sacrifice everything and to shake hands 24/7? How many hands do they shake over an eight-month period? They go in and if they don’t shake those hands, they’re not going to get elected. I don’t care what [0:07:42] [Indiscernible] or what anyone says. It’s a smile and they got to shake their hand and those guys are going to use [Indiscernible] in a nice way, in a relational way.
As Sam said, a transactional and relational [Indiscernible]. They’re going up. Thank you very much. I appreciate your support, smile, a little bit of Kleenex, whatever, [Indiscernible] and you got to respect that. I mean they hustle through it and it’s amazing how they build that connection within an eight-month period. I’m just thinking about everyone for the next four years, right? So it’s a different topic of conversation but …
Sam: A personal touch.
Neil: Yeah.
[Crosstalk] [0:08:29]
Damien: The problem that all these people make [Indiscernible] you’re the only person in the room.
Sam: And build something [Indiscernible].
[Crosstalk]
Damien: [Indiscernible] first and foremost, Sam mentioned a great point over the [Indiscernible]. It’s actually doing hour by hour, day by day [Indiscernible] monetarily where your business peak hours are. Now, before you even think about [0:09:06] [Indiscernible]. You know what I mean? You don’t have the [Indiscernible]. Well, how can I train the kids, 13 to 16 or whatever? You get a different thing. Now I’ve got the whole family. Now you’re going to make a change in the industry. They’re going to make a change in their family as opposed to [0:10:00] [Indiscernible]. What other things are holding back your client and getting the results they need? Do they need help with nutrition? Do you do a nutrition program? A weight loss program? OK. Do you do foam rollers? [Indiscernible] where is the different things – do you have accountability? What is there? Is there a workshop? Is there other [Indiscernible] revenue centers that could be there for you?
Male Speaker: Definitely.
Damien: Do the same so you improve the investment per client. Do you know what the investment per client is?
David: I don’t know the absolute number but …
Damien: Yeah, but maybe some [Indiscernible] OK, we’re going to increase the value. If you know that your [Indiscernible] whatever for a client.
David: Yeah.
Damien: [0:11:03] [Indiscernible] is that mandatory for [Indiscernible]?
David: Yeah.
Damien: OK. So what is [Indiscernible]? Do you believe in it? You know, because you know we’re going to be there [Indiscernible].
[Crosstalk]
Sam: [Indiscernible] this guy came from Ireland. He has all [Indiscernible]. I mean he’s doing like foam rollers in the middle of my living room. Now he has …
[Crosstalk]
Sam: He has [Indiscernible] wow, like he practices with whatever condition and he believes …
Neil: The only thing is [0:11:48] [Indiscernible].
Sam: Yeah, true.
Damien: But I think if you look and say, OK, we need the clients, how can you basically help them get the results they need? Do they manage their account with you? Do they need a [Indiscernible] and you get the lesson across?
Neil: [Indiscernible] very good point there, Damien because the way I’m looking at it, maybe you may reach a decision where you can’t do anymore.
Damien: Yeah.
Neil: And that could be a decision point too. It doesn’t make sense. Every dollar you’re going to invest incrementally is not going to bring back the [Indiscernible] but I could first optimize it. Get the best you can and then you will know at some point whether you have [0:12:54] [Indiscernible] because there could be limitations. For example – I’m just making this stuff up, you know. There could be limitations of the people or [Indiscernible]. I’m just making it up but I’m saying, you know, it could be a point where you’re just kind of doing …
Sam: You just turn to everything.
Neil: Yeah.
Sam: I think that one of the things that I learned especially being a dad and we’re talking about expansion and [0:13:24] [Indiscernible] Chi Town, being a dad and stuff like that. It just totally opened my eyes, man. I look at everything as not just the bottom line money.
Obviously money is always good but I look at it like that. A, the fun factor. Will I have fun doing it? And B, how much time away from my family is it going to take? Because my number one mission in life is just to be with my family. I adore my wife and my little baby. I really do and if I could just roll around with my little girl all day long, just getting to fool with her all day long, that’s not [0:14:02] [Indiscernible].
So when it comes to the time that you look at the investment, you’re like OK, if I’m going to do this, then I expect certain returns and if I make this certain return on my business worth my time, worth my time away from my family, it’s worth my time to take a look at it. It’s OK to walk away. You don’t have to try to make every single dollar out there. I’ve done that before too. I made a bunch of money and the next thing you know, I’m miserable because [Indiscernible]. This is not worth my time. So that’s where it comes – you got to have that number. You get that number of what is going to be your worthwhile number. You know what I mean?
Male Speaker: Yeah.
[/spoiler]