This week on Industry Change, Richard talks with Justin Tamsett who is the founder of Active Management and part of the fitness industry for 30 years! Just is a business coach for gyms and personal trainers and travels the world teaching business owners how to retain clients and run a more successful club.

Last year alone he trainer in more than 70 clubs!

Everyone knows someone who has a gym membership, but never goes. It’s become a standard in the industry and something that gym managers have become quite used to. What JT reveals to Richard is the shift that is happening among gyms right now. You see, when your members actually attend your gym, they start to see actual results, then they tell their friends, and suddenly their friends are also attending your gym. And BOOM, just like that – you’re reducing your marketing spend.

Well, it’s easy enough to say you need more people to actually set foot in your gym, but how do you make that happen in reality? JT and Richard reveal four tips for getting more people into your gym:

How you welcome people from the moment they sign up is critical for the long term success of them at your club. It’s important to make sure they feel comfortable, that they know where everything is, how they can get help, who to speak to, what the etiquette is, etc.

Love it or hate it, you can’t ignore the fact that people love Crossfit. And it’s not just because they love the high intensity workout. People want to feel ‘part’ of something. They might come for the equipment and the workout, but they stay because of the community.

Ok, real talk here. It’s time to move your business from the kitchen table into the board room. OK, so not literally. But as a fitness professional you need to shift your mindset from the kitchen table and act like a CEO. Yes, your passionate about fitness, but to be successful you’re also going to have to increase your business acumen to keep up with the big players.

We get it, as a fitness professional it’s important that your clients are performing the right form and technique. But if you’re constantly correcting form in classes, instead of creating fun, unique experiences – it won’t be long before that get’s super boring. Make workouts fun, high five your clients, laugh, have fun. You can guarantee they’ll go to work and tell Suzi how great your class is.

What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to getting people to step foot in your gym? Leave a comment below

On Industry Change this week I sat down with Steve Jensen, hall of Fame Lifestyle Industry entrepreneur with over 30 years experience, to talk about the evolution of sales and marketing.

Steve bases his sales practice on the inspirational model. You need to inspire excitement and happiness in the customer for your product, or service. If you’re dealing with a customer who is excited and inspired they will be happy to go ahead and spend money. This form of sales is designed to engage with what Steve calls the ‘Green Brain’ otherwise known as the limbic system. This part of the brain is where the majority of snap decisions are made. What you’re trying to avoid with inspirational sales is engaging with the ‘Red Brain’ or neural cortex, which deals with more logical processing. To inspire your customers Steve emphasises the need to market yourself as a unique business. What is it that makes you stand out from the crowd? Use it to win the customer over, let them know that they can’t get this service anywhere else! Customers need to be convinced before they even walk into a store these days. The inspiration model is a great way to convince people to purchase your product, to get them in the door.

As technology has developed sales has had to change. Things like online shopping and even credit cards have changed the way we buy and sell. Steve was on the cutting edge of direct debit when the technology first came out. By establishing direct debit in his gyms Steve was able to make sales that other businesses would have missed out on. Being on the cutting edge, knowing what’s coming out in tech and what’s about the trend is invaluable to your business.

Customers these days are smart, they do their research they shop around for what they want. As sales has evolved it’s become more interlinked with both marketing and customer service. These three aspects are what drive your businesses’ success.

On Industry Change this week I sat down with Steve Jensen, hall of Fame Lifestyle Industry entrepreneur with over 30 years experience, to talk about the evolution of sales and marketing.

Steve bases his sales practice on the inspirational model. You need to inspire excitement and happiness in the customer for your product, or service. If you’re dealing with a customer who is excited and inspired they will be happy to go ahead and spend money. This form of sales is designed to engage with what Steve calls the ‘Green Brain’ otherwise known as the limbic system. This part of the brain is where the majority of snap decisions are made. What you’re trying to avoid with inspirational sales is engaging with the ‘Red Brain’ or neural cortex, which deals with more logical processing. To inspire your customers Steve emphasises the need to market yourself as a unique business. What is it that makes you stand out from the crowd? Use it to win the customer over, let them know that they can’t get this service anywhere else! Customers need to be convinced before they even walk into a store these days. The inspiration model is a great way to convince people to purchase your product, to get them in the door.

As technology has developed sales has had to change. Things like online shopping and even credit cards have changed the way we buy and sell. Steve was on the cutting edge of direct debit when the technology first came out. By establishing direct debit in his gyms Steve was able to make sales that other businesses would have missed out on. Being on the cutting edge, knowing what’s coming out in tech and what’s about the trend is invaluable to your business.

Customers these days are smart, they do their research they shop around for what they want. As sales has evolved it’s become more interlinked with both marketing and customer service. These three aspects are what drive your businesses’ success.

Watch the whole episode to find out Steve’s sales advice.

This week I sit down with Dan Henderson from Function Training Institute to talk to him about the functional fitness space. Interestingly, 5 years ago I did a similar interview when functional training was just in it's infancy. It was great to get him back and see how the industry has evolved over that time.

At the time, 5 years ago, his business was still in it's infancy and operating more like a hobby based business. Fast forward 5 years and the industry is booming and Dan and his co-founder, Tarek, can be found speaking and training trainers worldwide.

Dan talks to me about how the industry has changed as it's grown. Particularly as more gyms and fitness professionals have embraced the movement as well as more and more research revealing what Dan and the team have been teaching for the past 5 years. These days there's not that many gyms where you wont find battle ropes, kettlebells, powerbags and other functional type training equipment.

We discuss the challenges that new fitness professionals face coming into the industry as well as the three things that Dan focusses on each day that help him continue to deliver services with passion and drive.

Listen to the full episode to find out more.

At the time, 5 years ago, his business was still in it’s infancy and operating more like a hobby based business. Fast forward 5 years and the industry is booming and Dan and his co-founder, Tarek, can be found speaking and training trainers worldwide.

Dan talks to me about how the industry has changed as it’s grown. Particularly as more gyms and fitness professionals have embraced the movement as well as more and more research revealing what Dan and the team have been teaching for the past 5 years. These days there’s not that many gyms where you wont find battle ropes, kettlebells, powerbags and other functional type training equipment.

We discuss the challenges that new fitness professionals face coming into the industry as well as the three things that Dan focusses on each day that help him continue to deliver services with passion and drive.

Listen to the full episode to find out more.

PS. To join Functional Training Institute and learn cutting edge skills from industry leaders to help you become a world class coach at their annual summit, click here.

Dan H:                     What is our vision? What is our why? What do we stand for? What’s the impact that we want to have in the world? How do we want to see the world? So once we answer that, then every decision, every choice we make, it’s measured about seeing that realisation of that vision.

Richard T:             Welcome back to Industry Change. It’s Richard Toutounji, co-founder of COM Marketing. Today, I’ve got a very special guest and we’re talking all about fitness, functional movement today and I got Dan Henderson. Welcome.

Dan H:                     Great to be here, mate. Thanks for having me.

Richard T:             Thank you. Well, Dan, I was looking at my [inaudible 00:00:46] and five years ago, we did an interview just similar to this one and basically, I had less hair and you looked a lot younger. Today, I wanted to really go over what you’ve been working over probably over the last five years since we talked on camera. It’s all around functional, your own Functional Training Institute. You co-founded that with Tarek. I wanted to find out from you, what’s been happening in this industry? The fitness industry’s got bigger and bigger over the years. So where have you now formed your alliances and what are you doing now within the industry in this functional space?

Dan H:                     Yeah, beautiful. I mean a lot has changed then, mate, just both for us physically, but also within that space as well. So five years ago, look, it was really a little hobby-based business. I had my facility. Tarek had his facility. We were Australia’s first ever accredited kettle bell course and we were just teaching that in Sydney. I guess where we’ve developed and grown over the last five years in particular has … We’ve identified a number of other needs in the market, so what trainers need to really magnify their impact and to be better coaches. So now we have accredited coaches in mobility, ropes, barbells, rehab, so a number of other spaces as well. We’ve expanded our courses beyond the Australian fitness market. So we’ve now gone primarily into the Pacific Rim, but also Europe as well, Canada, so about 16 different countries we’ll deliver into this year. We’ll be in front of about 4,000 fitness professionals.

The industry

On Industry Change this week I’m in the beautiful Maldives, speaking with James Schramko from Super-Fast Business.

When you’re running your own business, it is difficult to establish a work life balance. Many people put themselves at the centre of their business and work themselves to the bone trying to make it a success. You might be under the assumption that this much hard work is what it takes to make. The reality is that your business, and your stress levels, will benefit from you being able to take a holiday.

James has had many successful companies and now works coaching others on business marketing and strategies. He has successfully built a team that runs smoothly on their own, allowing him to come on trips like this one to the Maldives.

This amazing lifestyle is more achievable than you would think. Your business doesn’t have to revolve around you, if you build a great, trustworthy, team of employees who know what they’re doing taking a RDO is not going to be the end of the world.

Simple things like; scheduling your time wisely, and keeping your inbox sparse can drastically cut down on the time you spend working. Delegation is another great time saver, you’re the boss you’re not there to fix every tiny problem that comes up. Once your business is established your lifestyle becomes a choice between extra revenue and extra time. Which is it that you want?

Watch the whole episode to find out more of James’s ideas and strategies, and check out the Super Fast Business website for more information on them.

https://www.superfastbusiness.com

Watch the episode to find out more or Subscribe via Apple Podcasts to listen.

On Industry Change this week I’m in the beautiful Maldives, speaking with James Schramko from Super-Fast Business.

When you’re running your own business, it is difficult to establish a work life balance. Many people put themselves at the centre of their business and work themselves to the bone trying to make it a success. You might be under the assumption that this much hard work is what it takes to make. The reality is that your business, and your stress levels, will benefit from you being able to take a holiday.

James has had many successful companies and now works coaching others on business marketing and strategies. He has successfully built a team that runs smoothly on their own, allowing him to come on trips like this one to the Maldives.

This amazing lifestyle is more achievable than you would think. Your business doesn’t have to revolve around you, if you build a great, trustworthy, team of employees who know what they’re doing taking a RDO is not going to be the end of the world.

Simple things like; scheduling your time wisely, and keeping your inbox sparse can drastically cut down on the time you spend working. Delegation is another great time saver, you’re the boss you’re not there to fix every tiny problem that comes up. Once your business is established your lifestyle becomes a choice between extra revenue and extra time. Which is it that you want?

Watch the whole episode to find out more of James’s ideas and strategies, and check out the Super Fast Business website for more information on them.

https://www.superfastbusiness.com

Watch the episode to find out more or Subscribe via Apple Podcasts to listen.

While I was in Malaysia I got the chance to meet up with Jason Campbell from Mindvalley. During our interview we spoke about the importance of sales for business.

Mindvalley’s mission is to push Humanity forward through education. They are a company that recognises that there are gaps in traditional education. Mindvalley focuses on teaching in four key areas:

They teach both through online courses and offline with events like Awesomeness Fest. Mindvalley’s founder Vishen Lakhiani’s goal is to impact one billion lives worldwide!

In the interview Jason explains that sales is usually viewed as a bit of a negative thing. A necessary evil, that you have to use in order to grow your business. However sales doesn’t have to be like this, the sales philosophy at Mindvalley is unique in that they focus on how each sale creates a positive energy, a positive impact on the world as a whole. Jason describes the three sales loves as;

If you can implement these three loves into each and every one of your sales then you will be able to make a positive impact! You might have worked previously making sales without much confidence in the product and this most likely had a negative effect. Sales without integrity don’t feel right. If every time you make a sale it makes the world a worse place, you won’t leave the office feeling good. That’s why sales have gotten this bad rap, because people are pushing products and services they don’t truly believe in. If you’re business is something that you love and believe in, you have a responsibility to share it with the world!

Watch the whole interview to learn more about the three loves and Mindvalley’s positive sale philosophy and don’t forget to check out the Mindvalley Academy website! http://www.mindvalleyacademy.com

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts to listen.

While I was in Malaysia I got the chance to meet up with Jason Campbell from Mindvalley. During our interview we spoke about the importance of sales for business.

Mindvalley’s mission is to push Humanity forward through education. They are a company that recognises that there are gaps in traditional education. Mindvalley focuses on teaching in four key areas:

In the interview Jason explains that sales is usually viewed as a bit of a negative thing. A necessary evil, that you have to use in order to grow your business. However sales doesn’t have to be like this, the sales philosophy at Mindvalley is unique in that they focus on how each sale creates a positive energy, a positive impact on the world as a whole. Jason describes the three sales loves as;

Watch the whole interview to learn more about the three loves and Mindvalley’s positive sale philosophy and don’t forget to check out the Mindvalley Academy website! http://www.mindvalleyacademy.com

Watch the episode to find out more or Subscribe via Apple Podcasts to listen.

Tune in to this week’s episode of Quick Wins With COM where I answer a common question; Should I refresh or rebrand my business?

Branding is central to marketing your business online. We only have seconds to grab the consumers attention so having an eye catching and relevant logo or website is crucial to a businesses’ success.  There are three key factors to take into account when deciding whether to change you brand.

If your business is well established and has had the same branding for a number of years it might be time for a refresh.It’s important to update your branding alongside your products and services. What you are trying to market needs to match up with the way your business is branded. For example, if a store sells clothing for teenagers and young adults the logo and advertisements need to be aimed at that age range. Branding won’t work if it doesn’t match the product.

If you have found success within a niche market place you might consider expanding your business to reach a larger population. Once you do this your branding must match up with the new market. Refresh or rebrand your business to ensure that what you are marketing matches with who you are marketing it to. If it doesn’t match up it’s not likely to turn into a new sale. Make sure that your new brand imagery is connecting with the target audience while not alienating those in the initial consumer niche.

There is so much change and innovation happening in the world today – and it’s important that your business keeps up with that change. If your business is constantly developing new products and services it’s important that your branding develops alongside it, revamping a logo or website will show that your business is innovative.

Keep up with the trends and use them to communicate with your audience. Your brand needs to tell a story and be recognisable to consumers. Even a very small adjustment can change the perception of your brand for the better.

Use your logo as a beacon for your business; make it symbolise everything you want your business to stand for.

If your business falls into any of these three areas you should consider revamping your brand. It’s a small change that can really help boost growth and brand awareness.

Want to listen to the Quick Wins With COM on the go? Download the podcast here.