Personal Training is often purchased to satisfy a need for change. Your job is to find out exactly what those needs are... Learn more about the process of how a personal trainer can sell their services and why clients might object!
Satisfying A Need
Personal Training is often purchased to satisfy a need for change. Your job is to find out exactly what those needs are and how you can fulfill them by asking probing questions.
During the session, ask the prospective client probing questions in the areas of business, personal and future. In each area you are asking questions to build a relationship. If they do not like you, they will not buy training from you.
Probing Questions:
You also ask probing questions to uncover hidden "pain" or "hot buttons" they may have. An example of "pain" or a "hot button" could be the person telling you they are upset they are slowly gaining weight despite exercising everyday.
Whenever you expose "pain" or a "hot button" you must get a commitment point. A commitment point could be gained by asking a yes based question such as, "Is stopping the weight gain important to you?" Of course the answer is yes, they just told you losing weight was important to them before you asked them the yes based question.
Ask Probing Questions.
The yes is an agreement between the trainer and the prospect that losing weight is important to the prospect, it is now a fact that can not be denied. If the sale stalls you will push that "hot button" to help make the sale (meaning you will remind them of why they should buy).
The reason you ask yes based questions when you find a "hot button" or hear "pain", is so you can use it in your close. Commitment points are reasons a prospect will buy. Closing, just like the name implies, comes at the end of the sale process. Like a reporter, you interview and collect information, then at the close you revisit it to make your point and the sale.
Return Of Investment:
During the session, you will ask all kinds of probing questions, each one should move the sale forward. Ask the prospective client about their likes and hobbies. Get them to admit they spend money on things that are not good for them. We all waste a lot of money on things that have no return or benefit.
A night out with drinking with friends can easily cost the same as training session, but unlike a training session, there is no ROI/return on investment.
Every Question Should Move The Sale Forward.
Below is an example of how ROI can help during the closing process.
Trainer: You told me that you spend $20 dollars a week on movies, $60 in the bar, and $6 a day on coffee. Instead of throwing that $122 dollars away on things that only move you further from your goal, wouldn't you agree that it makes more sense to spend that money on training so you could tone up and lose that ten pounds you want to get rid of?
Keep ROI in mind when you pitch a prospective client. Understanding the ROI helps a prospect to justify the cost of buying training. Use the information the client gives you to make the sale.
-> Buying Signs:
Learn to recognize the difference between "buying questions", which are questions that show an interest in training and questions meant to blow you off. Can I call you when I am ready to train? is a blow off question is, especially if they never ask for your number.
When a prospective client asks you questions that show an interest in training, those questions are "buying signs". When asked a question that is a "buying sign", ask a probing question and get a commitment point instead of just answering yes or no.
Learn To Recognize Buying Signs.
Example:
Prospect: How long does it take to lose fifteen pounds?
Trainer: How long have you been trying to lose fifteen pounds?
Prospect: 6 months now.
Trainer: If I could show you a way to lose those fifteen pounds in the shortest amount of time possible; is that something you would be interested in?
Prospect: Yes.
When a prospect or client ask a "buying sign" question, ask a probing question to see if it is "pain" or a "hot button". Another great probing question is, "Is that important to you?"
Closing
When the session is over, you and the prospect should have a good feel for each other. No matter how the session went, you must still ask for the sale. What may seem like an ok, or even bad session to you may have been the prospects best workout ever.
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