The Mightiest
Fitness Marketing Tool?
What I'm going to teach you to create today might not be the mightiest fitness marketing tool, but it's definitely MIGHTY. It's certainly one of the most compelling and powerful new client generating tools you can have in your toolkit.
It will make a significant difference in your ability to attract pre-sold and predisposed new clients. And that's always a good thing, right?
So, read on...
Before I explain precisely how to create and use this tool, I first want to share my concern and well wishes with all my friends in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
The more news I watch, the more these areas look like something out of a futuristic "Escape from New York" type movie. The devastation and lawlessness is frightening.
Because I have a communication channel with lots of folks like you, I feel a certain responsibility to encourage everyone to help in some way or another - many of you probably already have helped. That's awesome.
Two things for certain that are definitely needed are funds and blood. You can find out how to give both at
http://www.redcross.org
Brandy and I have donated money and will be donating blood. I hope all of you can donate something as well, if you haven't already.
Okay, let's get down to business.
First, you need to understand that it's easy for you to talk about how great your services are, but that's also easily interpreted as self-serving promotion.
If you really want to push your prospects hot buttons, getting them emotionally involved and in heat for your services, it's exponentially more effective and productive to have someone else talk about you.
Then capture that conversation in a medium you can use over and over again. Make it a leverageable asset.
Here's how to do that.
Pick three of your clients who've experienced tremendous results. Call them up and ask if you can interview them over the phone (or ask them in person the next time you're training).
Turn on the recorder and ask each client these questions:
- What motivated you to become my client?
If they answer something like, "I was overweight," then dig a little deeper by asking, "how did being overweight affect your life?" - Before you became my client, what other things did you do to try to lose weight?
You want to get them to talk about how frustrated they were, so ask a follow-up if necessary to get at that particular emotion. - Were you skeptical about whether or not I could really help you?
Ideally you want them to say they were really skeptical and boy were they ever wrong. Or really hopeful and boy are they glad they made the decision. - How has working with me benefitted you?
You want to get them talking about tangible results (i.e. "I lost 32 pounds) AND emotional results (i.e. "gosh, i feel so much better now, i'm a better role model for my kids, i have so much more confidence...") - What would you say to someone who may be on the fence about becoming my client?
That one's pretty obvious, you want them to totally, emotionally and powerfully endorse you.
That's quick and easy, right? Each interview will take no more than ten minutes.
After recording the interviews over the phone or in person, you now have a nice audio testimonial recording. But let's make it even more powerful.
Next, you need to create a short, compelling introduction to the audio. Something like this:
"Hi, my name is (name) and I want to let you eavesdrop on some amazing weight loss conversations I recently had with your (town name) neighbors. Be sure to listen all the way through to the end because I've got something very special to share with you there."
Then, bang, start the interviews rolling. Get into the meaty interviews fast - that's what people want to hear.
After the interviews, talk briefly about yourself and your unique selling proposition (why someone should choose you over the competition). Keep that short, because the testimonial stories they just heard do plenty of selling for you.
Then make an irresistible offer with a hard deadline date to get it (just don't use a specific date like November 15 - instead say "this offer is only good for the next ten days" - this way your recording is "evergreen" and can be used over and over again).
That's it.
Burn it onto a CD and get it duplicated for about one or two bucks each (depending on volume).
You've now created one of the most compelling and productive marketing tools you will ever have.
Sidebar: If you're hung up on *how* to record these interviews, burn to CD and duplicate, the absolute simplest solution is to get a standard tape recorder from your local Radio Shack, get a little gizmo called a Telephone Recording Control catalog number 43-228A (also from Radio shack - about 15 bucks), and get a good microphone from them also. With these simple tools, costing no more than 60 bucks total, you can now record interviews either in-person or over the phone. Then go to www.polderbits.com and get their free trial of a simple software that allows you to transfer that tape recording to CD quality digital recording and create tracks right on your computer (i use it - it's easy). If you want slightly more hi-tech, then go to www.nch.com.au/wavepad/ and download the free wavepad recorder/editor which enables you to record CD quality through your phone and computer. If this is all new to you, you'll have to play around with this stuff a bit, but it ain't rocket science. Both sites I referred you to have lots of helpful directions. For duplication, do a local online search or use the guys I use at www.Dicobe.com
Tony Books Avilez also has a product that will give you the "know how" with regard to recording interviews and much more. You can check out his Super Products Program by clicking here.
Okay, let's see how you can use this new marketing tool to get more clients.
- Mail it along with a cover letter to every prospect in your database. The cover letter has just ONE purpose, do you know what it is? Think about it - what's the singular job of your cover letter? Huh? What? I can't hear you? Okay, right! The only purpose of your cover letter...is to get the person to listen to your CD.
Nothing else. - If you work in a club, hand them out to everyone you meet. It's like an audio business card. Just make sure (and this applies regardless of how you use the CD) that you have a curiosity-provoking title printed on the CD, your name, phone, website, and email address.
- If you know other professionals who can endorse you (i.e. massage therapist, chiro, beauty salon, etc.), this CD along with a compilation of articles you've written can become a wonderful gift the endorser can give away to his clients.
- Break the interviews down, associate a before/after picture of the client with each one, and post them to your website.
- Record the interviews (or portions of them) onto a voicemailbox that can be accessed 24/7 and print this on your business cards, website, put in emails and on stationery: "Call my 24-hour Eavesdrop hotline to hear shocking weight loss stories from other (town name) residents"
- Offer the CD and article compilation combo to all attendees at any presentation you give in exchange for their contact info.
- Send three of the CDs and three gift certificates to each of your clients. Ask them to give the CDs and certificates to their friends who may be interested in improving their fitness.
The list goes on. This is a killer marketing tool that can be used in dozens of different ways.
NOTE: If you like marketing tactics like this and want more of them, I encourage you to grab a "back stage pass" to the Dynamic Dozen coaching and masterminding monthly tele-conference calls Phil Kaplan and I do.
You get to hear 12 different business-building case studies live every month, and you get access to the recording archive of past calls. It's pretty awesome stuff. And at just 29 bucks, it's a steal.
Go here for more info:
www.kaplan-ruth-coaching.com/backstagepass.html
But hurry, the next live tele-conference is just days away.
To your success,
Eric Ruth
