Everyone needs superheros, you know those people that you look up to and who inspire you on to greater things. When I was a little boy I loved Batman, Spiderman, Superman, and even Peter Pan (my wife thinks this explains a few things about me!). As I grew older I had an incredible passion for cricket and so my superheros became players such as Greg Chappell, Jeff Thompson and Dennis Lillee. As I started to become passionate about the Fitness Industry in the 1990’s I began to see some fantastic presenters who ran inspiring businesses and these people began inspiring me to think that I could one day run a successful business, write a book, present at National and International Fitness Conferences, and guess what - it all happened for me! I do not write these things to brag but rather to illustrate a point that who you will become in the future will most likely be determined by the people that you meet, the books you read, the role models you aspire to be, and the daily actions that you take.

I would like to give public thank you to my 2 biggest superheros within the Fitness Industry. Andrew May who I am proud to say has personally coached me and Kerry McEvoy who started inspiring me when I first saw him present in1994 and inspired me yet again with his fantastic presentation at the Gold Coast last Saturday. Both of these guys have changed hundreds if not thousands of lives for the better over a long period of time and have made themselves financially successful in the process. The message they both give is that you can get to wherever you would like to go in this industry if you dare to dream, have superheros you can model, and importantly take action that move you closer to where it is you want to go.

Aaron Whear is the Melbourne based business coach for PT Plus International which is a company dedicated to helping fitness professionals with the 3 key challenges of making more money, having more time, and living with more freedom. PT Plus is running a workshop in Melbourne on Friday 8^th October on “Tapping the Corporate Market”. For more information on this workshop or PT Plus business programs please contact Aaron directly by e-mail aaron@ptplus.com.au

Ian O’Dwyer’s workshop on Saturday the 7th August was awesome!

A blinding flash of the obvious from Ian’s workshop for me was this, “If we know that the majority of the clients we work with sit between 12-15 hours per day meaning that their glutes are constantly on stretch and therefore weak, and that their groins are tight then why do we put them in a seated position on a exercise bike when they come to the gym!”

Marty Moran, from the City of Yarra put the information to work right away. He trains a 66yr old lady with Scoliosis that regularly experiences back and leg pain. “After trying some of the new exercises she was moving laterally like I have never seen her move before and experienced zero pain in her back and legs. She finished the session with a huge smile and felt really good about herself.

This month I have included an article on wellness coaching by Australia’s leading expert on the topic Fiona Cosgrove.

 Historically, in the fitness industry we have focused mainly on the effects of exercise on the body’s physical capacity for movement and ability to burn fat and build muscle. Typically, the emphasis has been placed on prescribing the right type of exercise to achieve the desired goals of the client (or what they believe those goals should be).

Current research shows that this aerobic exercise can do much more than give us a better functioning cardiovascular system and good muscle tone. It can also actually improve our brain power.

How does it do this? Put simply, exercise causes the release of neurochemicals and growth factors that lead to neurogenesis and angiogenesis (production of new neurons and increased blood flow to the brain). The mental benefits are now being recognised for people of all ages - at one end of the scale, for children and their learning environments and performance, and at the other end of our life span, for people wishing to avoid memory loss and gain better cognitive functioning as they age.

In the world of coaching, we understand that the exercise habit (and other health-related lifestyle changes) cannot be created without consideration of what goes on in our heads - behaviour change starts in the mind. But now research is revealing another interesting fact. Not only can coaching help us create new habits and behaviours that will benefit our physical health, but it will also improve our mental health. Research comparing the effects of antidepressants and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is used frequently by coaches, has shown that whereas the medication will work on the limbic system (emotional connection, arousal and rewards). CBT will also work on both the limbic and the ‘CEO’ region of the brain. The left pre-frontal cortex is involved when we take part in planning, goal-setting, self-awareness, insight, and decision-making. These are all elements of a wellness coaching model.

When we engage in this kind of mental activity even though our aim is to promote physical health, we are actually training our brains to think in new ways.

Therefore, to overcome depression we need to create new brain pathways and connections, which is why CBT is regularly prescribed as an alternative or an adjunct to anti-depressants. When coaching is used to help a person create new behavioural patterns, they not only benefit physically, but mentally as well.

Coaching can then be classified as a workout for the brain, and if the coach is helping the client with their exercise routine, they will benefit in both ways.

So what does this mean to you?

In a nutshell, If we ignore our own ways of thinking and focus only on what we are doing, then we are missing out on the possibility of improving our mental health, as well as our physical health.

If you would like to know more about how to incorporate wellness coaching into your range of services then come along to the workshop Fiona will be running on Saturday 2nd October call 1300 484 006 for more details.

This entry finds me feeling fit, well and inspired about continuing to make a difference to this great industry of ours. I have just returned from a mini break to the Gold Coast with my wife and children. The reason I mention this is that I truly believe that it is very important for all of us to have regular holidays. No matter how passionate we are about any pursuit, we do need to have short breaks to keep us fresh and to keep the passion high. Put in sporting terms, elite athletes have periodised programs where they have “transition” periods where they have a break from intense training to allow they body to recover and the mind to freshen up. In fact in AFL football it is part of the enterprise bargaining agreement that players have a minimum 6 weeks holiday from their clubs after season’s end.

This leads me to address a common problem in the fitness industry where many trainers are scared to have a holiday for fear that their clients will leave them. My answer to this fear is twofold. Firstly, an analogy - if you are on an aeroplane what do they tell people with babies on board to do in the event of an emergency that requires oxygen? You guessed it, look after yourself first prior to assisting your child. So my opinion is that if we don’t look after ourselves first then it is impossible to give the energy and passion required with our clients. No matter how much you love something you can become jaded if you do not have a break from it. Personally I live my life in 12 week blocks where I get away for a mini break or longer holiday in order to recover and to ensure my passion for this great industry remains strong.

Secondly, if your clients truly value your service then they will still be there when you get back. You can even turn the time spent away from each other into a game, i.e. you can set them up for a “holiday program” that they do on their own and challenge them to maintain or even improve their fitness/health while you are away. Also, remember that in reality the success of your clients is really determined by the exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle choices they make when you are not with them anyway. For example, we often spend 1-2 hours training with clients each week, which means that if they are after a result they had better be making some good decisions when you are not with them over the other 166-167 hours when they are on their own.

The question I will leave you with is - do you need a break? If the answer is yes then take action!

Without clients you don’t have a business. Without a steady flow of new leads to your business you will battle long jeopardy. To have success and spread your healthy message to more people, to generate the lifestyle and business you deserve you need to implement a sales system. Here I talk with Scott Krywulycz on effective sales systems. To listen to the interview click here http://www.careerfitness.com.au/files/Sales%20School%20Interview%20with%20Scott_Krywulycz.mp3

For more information click here

Visual Coaching Pro Software Version 1.0.2.0

Tips

Position the roller perpendicular to the body in the thoracic region with the hips on the floor & the hands behind the head.

Slowly extend the spine over the roller & open the chest by lowering the elbows towards the floor.

Cautions

Do not rest in the extended position for too long.

Discontinue the stretch if pain of discomfort is experienced in the ribs or spine.

I just wanted to share with you some video taken by one of our Certificate III students the other week. The video shows the students in their second last practical class cheering each other on as they all discover what their 1 rep max is on the bench press. I hope you enjoy it.

I completed my Certificate III in 2003 and my Certificate IV in 2005. The reason for choosing CAE to obtain my qualifications was mainly due to the convenient location and times however I was pleasantly (and thankfully) surprised by the high quality standard of the lecturers presenting the courses.
As with most people who are lucky enough to have a career in the fitness industry, I experienced first-hand the benefits gained through exercise and adopting a healthier and balanced lifestyle.
Once I discovered how great life can be by incorporating a few simple changes to how I was living, I wanted to share it with anyone that would listen! Fortunately, when I started out, I had some fantastic mentors and role models who were already successful in the fitness industry. I cannot begin to tell you how much time I saved, and the problems I avoided by learning from their experiences.

Once I obtained my qualifications, I immersed myself completely in my new career as a fulltime Fitness Professional. From day one, I hit the ground running because I had already gained a number of months experience doing assessments (supervised) and assisting in personal and group training sessions at a local gym. After time, I found I was not content doing only personal training sessions, so I expanded my knowledge and skill base to include working with children by completing my Certificate in Fitness and Nutrition for Children.

After experiencing a variety of different roles in the fitness industry, I found that I really enjoyed training people in a group environment. When I opened up my own studio back in 2007, I still needed to maintain Personal Training as one of my business’ primary services - but, to be honest, my passion is Group Training. I absolutely love the KICKBOX sessions held at the studio every week. I especially enjoy it when a member nails a solid punch or kick onto the shield and they stand back in surprise at what they just did. It’s a very rewarding feeling as an instructor. Another reward I receive by helping others is that those people not only become my clients, they become my friends.

In terms of future goals, I plan to transition my studio from a ‘Personal Training Studio’ that offers group fitness programs into the go-to Group Fitness Studio in Moonee Valley.
I know that once I achieve that goal, I will be one step closer to my ULTIMATE goal, which is to spend more time with my wife and daughters.

This morning I had a great chat with Ian O’Dwyer regarding his area of expertise - Functional Movement and the upcoming workshop he is running for Career Fitness on Saturday August 7th. To listen to the interview click the link http://www.careerfitness.com.au/files/Interview%20with%20Ian%20ODwyer.mp3

 and if you wish to enrol in the workshop then visit http://www.careerfitness.com.au/workshops

Without clients you don’t have a business. Without a steady flow of new leads to your business you will battle long jeopardy. To have success and spread your healthy message to more people, to generate the lifestyle and business you deserve you need to implement a sales system. The ‘yuck’ generally associated with sales does not have to be so painful. Learn to have qualified leads into your business by taking the pain out of sales and putting some pleasure into growing your income by attracting the right people to you.

Check out this article by Scott Krywulycz on Selling Systems

Without a selling system it is a bit like turning the key in the ignition and waiting or the car to start, without an engine. Whilst you may have a key to a business, without a system for generating sales you are going to find it difficult to keep moving forward at any pace. For long jeopardy in business you need to have a system for generating leads to your business to convert to sales. The problem with most health and fitness businesses is the owner is the technician, administrator, cleaner, accountant, client liaison officer and sales person while still trying to practice what they preach and live a healthy, well balanced life.

If you can place a selling system in your business it will help the all-important part of sales and revenue. So when you turn the key each morning it will go from a concerning clunking sound, with fear of moving forward to something firing like a V8 that can get you to your destination in record time.

The selling system we teach has a six-step process. Use all six and you get a desired outcome. Each one requires the other to work at capacity. Without one or two of these you are only firing on four cylinders as the cliché goes.

So lets get started on the six-step process.

1. psychology
When I say the word sales what words come to mind? ‘Evil’, ‘hard’, ‘yuck’, ‘terrifying’ and ‘difficult’ all have negative connotations. However ‘conversations’, ‘money’, ‘new clients’, ‘freedom’ and ‘holidays’ have a positive spin to the word. Consider your relationship with the word sales and chances are a negative interpretation of sales will land you poor results. Alternatively you may just enjoy the whole process and your business is showing the positive outcomes of a great relationship with sales. Understanding the fate of your business is decided by revenue. Too much revenue rarely creates the intense painful headaches that not enough revenue creates, assuming you are managing your expenses. So awareness around the psychology of selling is the place to start to create change in your business.

But why don’t I like sales?

Any event in life is a neutral event. What determines if an event is good or bad is your previous experience to that event. So, if you have had a bad experience with boyfriends (males) in your life your self-protection mechanism tells you to stay away from ones that look like previous boyfriends. It is the same with sales. You may have been ripped off, bought something you regret, have a perception about sales people that give the whole psychology a negative spin. Sales are not good or bad but purely a neutral event in your business life. Consider the influencing factors in your experience with sales.

You will need to deal with the psychology part of the process if you want a V8 business system. Sales are not good or bad just a neutral and normal event in any business. Decide to make it ‘good’ and it will serve you better.

2. lead generation
How exciting is business when you have a whole heap of fresh leads. New prospects considering your products or services are a revelation. It is very energizing and refreshing meeting new people. So lead generation consists of three key areas.

Traditional
Our industry is strong in the traditional space of generating leads. So traditional marketing models follow brochures, free sessions, meetings, discounted memberships, radio, advertisements and many of the hard copy marketing techniques. These are ideal and the secret is to measure what works for you and your clientele.

Online
Online techniques include a blog, website, social networking and search engine optimization as significant ways to open up opportunities in the www world of business. As an industry we are terrible in this space and miss a lot of opportunity by being slow to catch on to the new age technology and techniques.

Brand
Brand is everything. If you want long jeopardy in your business you need to develop a trustworthy, proven, recognizable and consistent brand. This takes place over time, however start small in your local community, build to a region and then based on your business goals you can take it to bigger places. Brand is everything from answering the phone, to your website, how you dress, the kind of articles you write are all part of the brand and need to be considered.

3. booking a meeting
Having leads is a great thing for business. Converting those leads to a meeting helps to qualify the commitment of the enquiry. I am surprised at the amount of guys who really struggle to get people in front of their great brand and business at this stage of booking a meeting. There are three ways to book in a meeting.

They are email, phone or face-to-face.

You need to be strong in all three. If you follow the selling system in order to get more business and pursue the ideal outcome of conducting a meeting. Chances are if you get you in front of most people you will sell them something. I assume they are qualified and ready to invest in their health and you are passionate about health, fitness and your services. So get good at booking in a meeting so that you can then conduct a meeting and give yourself a chance of getting more people into your business.

4. conducting a meeting
When you get in a face-to-face situation, understanding that the prospect has turned up on time, likes what they have heard so far and have made the time and effort to sit down and talk about their health then you are 90% of the way there. Here is a proven format to help take the sell out of selling when conducting a meeting.

Build a rapport
Get to know the person rather than dive into health conversations. What are their interests, family life, job?

Ask questions
The guy who best sums up this lesson is Alan Pease in his great book ‘Questions are the answers’. Simply buy the book by becoming a member on our book and audio program.

Show value
If you can identify with the person during the build rapport stage and ask open-ended questions chances are you can then show value-based products on what the person has told you they need. Showing value is not just about your service but the bells and whistles, guarantees, terms and conditions and other inclusions that are involved in working with you and your service or product. Rather than discount and cut prices look to show value as a better way to make a sale.

Identify obstacles
So what will stop you? Are there any roadblocks?

These are the key questions to ask in identifying obstacles. So many fitness people never ask clients “is there anything that has stopped you in the past” is a great question when identifying potential barriers. This open conversation early will put you in the hot seat as a guru. If you don’t ask it in the meeting phase chances are the same obstacle that has been holding the person back will appear in week 2, 3 or 4 of your great program.

Confirm the sale
Once you have confirmed the best program, package and price for your client then confirm that verbally. If you have followed the earlier steps then they have told you all of this and all you need to do is repeat the process a second time and confirm the sale. A sale is a sale when you have them signing the dotted line.

Stay in touch
This fits in with point six of our selling system and should the meeting go pear shaped and terrible at least ask permission to stay in touch. Alternatively you may have an energy vampire or someone you don’t think you want to hang around for a few hours per week and then you can show them some other alternatives. It is impossible to get along with everyone so it is fine to come up with a plan B. Maybe send them off to your competitor!

5. sales tools
So many fitness dudes and dudettes rely on showing clients how many courses they have completed or the letters after their name, years in the industry, their gold medal from a body building competition etc. You have just disengaged the client. The sales process is not about you it’s about the prospect. Serve their needs. Here are some sales tools that will help you buy credibility rather than talk about yourself. Articles, blogs, a health model, questionnaires, diagnostics, website, chat rooms, downloads, DVD’s, CD’s.

6. follow up
Whilst a ‘no’ is never a ‘no’ until you get a ‘no’ there is a fine line between being a stalker and letting people walk away to make a decision. Consider the process of follow up with people especially if you have put your valuable time into the system outlined earlier. In having a good sales system you should convert 80-90% of people if you follow the suggested system we discuss here. However for the 10-20% who need more time or are not quite ready, then consider what you do to keep them in your ‘circle of trust’ as highlighted in the great movie ‘Meet the Fockers’. Some simple techniques are to:

a. put them on your database and send them your regular newsletter
b. give them a casual call every month and talk about everything other than selling them your services
c. send them one of our sales tools like an article, download or CD every once in a while with a
personalized hand written note to stay in touch

Finally learn that this should be fun. If you are chasing the good old dollar and want to rip people off than you are doomed. If you honestly believe you can help people and are passionate about what you do than you are on track. Like anything in life this is just a skill. Do your first five and really suck and fail at it. Do a thousand and it will become something that is natural and comfortable. Most importantly is having a system and reviewing your performance. Leave it with you!

PT Plus is running a workshop in Melbourne on Friday 13^th August on this very subject “Sales School”. For more information please contact Aaron directly by e-mail aaron@ptplus.com.au