Personal training, like all other professions, comes with challenges.  However, one in particular is inherent…and that would be time.  A trainer selling a one hour session, will spend one hour completing that session.  It becomes very easy to see that as a you fill up your training schedule, you run out of time.

Let’s not forget, if you’re independent, you are likely handling your own accounting/billing, marketing and the management of your clients and their programs.

So, how do you leverage your expertise and experience to grow your business?  Well…we have the obvious and likely options:

1. Raise Rates

2. Start doing group training sessions or boot camps (lower price, but you’ll make it up in volume)

3. Partner up with other trainers.

These are all logical and valid approaches to growing your business, however eventually you continue to face the same challenge…simply not enough time to realize the growth you desire.

So, what’s the answer?

Fortunately there are many.  Of them, one of the most efficient and lowest cost is utilizing the variety of technologies in the market.  From business side technologies to accounting; and from marketing to training, there are opportunities to take advantage of.

Are you using social networking sites such as Facebook?  Are you on Twitter?  How about Yootrain? (yes – that’s a plug for ourselves:)  The key is leveraging your assets. In your business, the value is your knowledge, your experience and your content.  If you are already beginning to create video, podcasts, workouts of the week, etc…then use them everywhere you can.  If you aren’t yet creating content, then you should seriously consider a strategy to begin doing so.

Many of the technologies available have no costs and signing up takes just minutes.  Once you begin to utilize them, the ability to leverage your training services increases greatly.  Finally, once you have established more presence and are routinely distributing valuable information, you can then begin to integrate new and creative programming options to accelerate your business growth.

Next Post:  Here. There. Everywhere. – Hybrid training and how to get more than 60-minutes out of an hour.

Best,

Josh

I wanted to personally thank all of our BETA users for signing up.  We want you to get the most out of our service and would like to extend an invitation for a 30-minute training session.  During these calls, we will walk you through all of the functionality within the system, as well as answer any questions you might have.  Our goal is to improve your personal training business and ultimately, help you assist others in achieving improved health and wellness.  As a BETA user, your input and feedback is of great importance to us and we welcome your comments or suggestions at any time (don’t be surprised if we send a survey or two along the way as well).

If you would like to participate in one of our upcoming training sessions, please send and email including your user ID to members@yootrain.com.  We will respond to you with current schedule options.

Best,

Josh

“WASHINGTON — As Congress searches for ways to control health care costs, a new report provides a sizable target: obesity.”

“Americans who are 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight cost the country an estimated $147 billion in weight-related medical bills in 2008″

The above are excerpts from a USA Today article last week on the obesity epidemic (http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-07-27-costofobesity_N.htm?csp=usat.me)

I have previously stated that in ways, personal trainers/instructors are akin to physicians.  Meaning, that they have the ability to improve an individuals wellness.  However, trainers have the unique ability to be part of a proactive and preventative solution to issues including obesity.  Doctors, on the other hand, are typically treating in a reactive way.  The problem already exists and is now impacting someones health.

Perhaps congress should focus assembling more preventative measures to begin to mitigate the impact of such a large problem.

William Dietz, director of the CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity said, “Comprehensive policy and environmental changes are needed.”

AGREED!

Why not put together local, state and federal programs to support the professional training industry?  Perhaps allow for grants and funding that support integration of training programs into schools and the workplace?  How about allowing for insurance benefits to include “preventative” treatment coverage such as training (seems as if this not only would reduce claims, but also support corporate wellness initiatives for the carriers and their corporate clients).

Aside from the training component, “environmental change” as Mr. Dietz mentions above could also begin with additional warnings on food labels.  The tobacco industry must follow these type of mandates, why not the food industry.  I was in a video store with my kids last weekend, and like many retail locations today, was forced to stand in the check out line surrounded by candy, cookies, soda…while my son and daughter begged for every colorfully packaged item they could get their hands on.

I’m not suggesting that a sign reading “poison” be hung above, but we know this is a major factor to our countries health issues.  Perhaps fat and sugar laden candies should carry a warning, “excessive consumption of trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, etc etc…may lead to obesity, heart disease, cancer and death”

I doubt that changes like that will be happening in the near future.

Until then, we must impact as many as we can.  Use your experience and knowledge to instill postive changes in your clients.  It may seem insignificant when considering the sheer size of our population and the disturbing number of those who fall into the class of obese…but, the only way to truly have “environmental” impact is to change one at a time.

If you haven’t already read the post “fitness footprint”, check it out http://yootrain.com/blog/?p=41, I elaborate on this concept.

Best,

Josh Neimark

Founder/CEO

As you look for new ways to grow your personal training client base, expand your market and increase your revenue…approach it in a way that maximizes your effort.  Your time is valuable and you can’t be wasting it!  Among the many tactics you might consider, one approach you might explore would be as follows…form a “wellness round-table”.  Align yourself with others in your community that share in an overall goal of improving individuals wellness.  If you’re a personal trainer, perhaps look for others who offer complimentary services (a nutritionist, a physical therapist, etc).  Plan to meet regularly to discuss your communities wellness, as well as how you could assist each others businesses.  You may be able to offer more comprehensive “packages” by partnering with others, while providing more value to your clients.  Additionally, collaborating with others who share a common goal is not only a big positive on the “wellness meter”, but can provide many opportunities as far as referrals, cross promotion, community events and so on.  Meeting with like minded professionals can generate new ideas and opportunities.  Together with a group, your efforts not only have the potential to make a lasting impact on your business, but a meaningful impact in peoples lives.

Best,

Josh Neimark

I recently received a “marketing alert” from an industry resource which services the club/facility market.  The title of the piece was the “Slippery Funnel Theory”.  The premise…do whatever is necessary to sign up individuals for membership and services.  Overall, I agree with the strategy, particularly in these economic times…the ole “better to have 4 half loaves of bread as opposed to no bread at all.  The ideas contained within the article are all valid and creative approaches to packaging programming and offering trial options for individuals.  However, one concept I don’t agree with entirely is the following:

“Then once you get them into the “mouth of the funnel,” focus on making sure the funnel is extra slippery to get them spending more money with you.”

Again, overall, the right idea, but be cautious of how you execute.  Meaning, once you have a somewhat “captive” audience, one which you now have the opportunity to engage more deeply, do it with the proper intent.  Whether you are independent, or part of a facility/group, make sure not to compromise your core value proposition.  For most, the mission is to improve the overall wellness of clients, that’s why you do what you do.  And, there is a way to balance those fundamentals with business needs and responsibilities…i.e revenue.  Additionally, extending your brand, your message and exposing the benefits of your offerings are all important components.

If there was ever a time that consumers became more cautious with spending…it is now.  You want to be considerate of their needs and goals, offer innovative programs, trials, etc.  But, do it by creating value in what you are selling.  Throughout my career, I have taught many sales reps the importance of creating “need awareness”.  Once the potential client feels the need, then the all you have to do it satisfy it.

Don’t allow yourself to become so sales oriented that you lose focus of the value you offer.  If you do, that funnel may become so slippery…you might just slide down it yourself.

Best,

Josh

CEO/Founder

Time to talk about technology.

According to a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, simple e-mail reminders to eat more healthfully or increase physical activity had a significant effect on the recipients’ behavior.  (See the following article in Time Magazine titled “Too Fat.  Read your email” http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1902832,00.html).

Of course, I agree with the study.  However, email communication is just one of the numerous technologies currently available to enhance your productivity, market your services; and yes…improve peoples wellness.  I have seen far too many people try to embrace technology by self educating themselves to a point in which they can operate a blog, generate email distribution lists, build web pages, etc.  The problem for most, is of course…this is not their expertise, and detracts from what they do best.

Fortunately, with the continued evolution of technology, it is becoming far easier to leverage the various solutions available with no education required.  In fact, that is one of the key advantages to Yootrain.  If you have the ability to send email or surf the web, using our platform will be a cinch for you!

Utilizing “turn key” technologies allows you to focus on your value…your experience and expertise.  Your time need not be spent trying to figure out how to embed HTML into your web page or implementing a shopping cart solution to sell affiliate products.  It should be spent enhancing your programming, obtaining additional education related to your expertise and focused on your clients wellness.

There was a time when the Internet and related technologies where a “big mystery” to those outside of the web development world, but those days are long gone.  What once was a true revolution, has become evolution.  And, web technologies will continue to evolve, making it easier and easier for you to reap the benefits.

Additionally, many of the solutions which can help you have minimal if any cost.  Whether you are extremely web savvy, or a relative newbie, embrace what is available to you.  Use these technologies to stay in front of your clients.  We live in a wired world, one in which many of your clients are connected on a daily basis.  The conduit is there to reach them, regardless of where they are…right at the click of your mouse.

Best,

Josh Neimark

CEO/Founder

Chicken Little thought the sky was falling…do you?

I’m talking about the economy.  There is no question that the current economic landscape has real and meaningful impact in our lives.  The question is how do you react to it?  The economy is cyclical, this is not the first time it has looked like this, and it will not be the last.  What is important is that you do not lose your focus…in your life or your business.

If you are in the training business, your focus is helping others achieve improved health and wellness, right?  Furthermore, we know that when individuals are under increased stress, that maintaining physical wellness becomes even more critical.

So, how do we continue to help others, while not allowing our businesses to be compromised?  Simple…reinvention.  We must change our thinking, be innovative, utilize new tools and technologies.  What you cannot do is sit idle and be complacent.  Remember not to lose sight of of your most valuable asset, your experience and knowledge.  Your key to success is understanding how to leverage that knowledge most effectively.

Break the mold, be non-traditional.

Create new programming options, package your services differently, restructure group training pricing.  Perhaps you initiate a corporate program (businesses are striving to improve overall wellness in their organizations…lowered insurance claims, less sick days, etc) and target new clients you may not have considered before.  Think about offering some type of hybrid training, a program where a client still has in person sessions (maybe less of them), and compliment it with scheduled (yet shorter) phone, email or online dialogue.  It certainly beats the alternative of potentially losing a client.

Yootrain’s technology will allow you to have a “partner” in these efforts.  However, don’t lose sight of your ultimate goals. Maintain your core values while evolving your strategies to accommodate current challenges.  Your knowledge is your value, your differentiator; and in times like these, people need it more then ever.  The sky isn’t falling, although it can seem pretty overcast…so take out your umbrella…you don’t have to get soaked.

Here is an recent article (April 2009) citing some examples of trainers thriving in this economy.

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1674920/issa_personal_trainers_thrive_even_in_tough_economy/

Best,

Josh Neimark

CEO/Founder

Before we get into to the next few posts, I want you to consider something…I want you to think about your fitness footprint.

What do I mean exactly?

I mean, when is the last time you took a step back and thought about how many lives you are currently impacting in a positive way?  Take it a step further and consider those you may have impacted in the past.  And then, consider what can be accomplished in the future.

As I have said many times, personal trainers are in many ways akin to physicians.  They have the ability to have a positive and lasting impact on individuals health and wellness, on their lives.  It is a truly important role.  I could write for hours about what our health care system might look like if the masses maintained overall better health, while building a solid case for personal trainers taking a more prominent position in our overall “health care” portfolio.

But today, I want to focus on impact.

Improving a clients health is a tremendous accomplishment.  It should be rewarding both professionally and personally.  It should also yield some return from a business perspective.  That yield could be in the form of referrals, continued training programs, etc.  In some cases, improving someones health through personal training can lead to loss of revenue or potentially that client.  How many times have we seen the newly motivated ready to sign up in Jan/Feb, right?  And, how many times have we seen them complete their package of sessions, successfully lost weight, feel and look better; yet then decide to go it alone…there are many contributing factors, which we will be addressing in the next few postings.

However, if we don’t focus solely on the business side, the question remains…did you impact someone in a positive way?

If we presume that you did, that’s wonderful!  But, that isn’t where the impact (or footprint) ended.

Perhaps the business man felt so much better from his training that he began throwing a football around with his son after work.  Maybe the overweight diabetic you train, decided once an for all to remove the “bad” foods from her home, leaving a much healthier selection for the entire family.  Or maybe, that overachieving commercial real estate broker (who was always on edge), treated someone in his office just a bit more kindly…Do you think the son, the family or the office worker may have then done something different based upon their experience?

You see where I’m going.  Call it karma, six degrees of separation, whatever…I call it your footprint.

Impacting one individuals life in a positive way (driven by improved health), has direct impact on others.  Your footprint may be larger then you thought.

So what now?  Think about how to make your footprint bigger.  Consider the rewards you may see both professionally and personally.  Finally, think about your own knowledge as your most valuable asset.  Yootrain’s technology will help you extend your footprint.  However, it is your expertise, motivation and experience that will dictate how big it ultimately becomes.

Next post:  “The sky is falling, the sky is falling, or is it?”

Best,

Josh Neimark

CEO/Founder

Many companies talk about their philosophies, their mission statements and their core values.

Talking about them is one thing…and acting on them is another.

yootrain was conceptualized and developed with one foundational philosophy…help others achieve greater wellness, period.

It is not something we just scribble on a whiteboard or tag our internal emails with.  It is what we base each and every decision upon.

The premise of yootrain is to connect those seeking improved wellness, with those who can best provide the knowledge and support to achieve it.

My own personal journey to improved health & wellness had a profound impact on the ways in which I viewed the world.  At yootrain, we believe firmly that improving peoples wellness, directly impacts all other areas of their lives.  That’s our goal, our mission, our core value.  Whether we write it down, publicize it or chant it at company meetings…it is what we have committed to maintain.  Here.  There.  Everywhere.

Josh Neimark

CEO/Founder

Welcome to the official yootrain blog.

What is yootrain?

yootrain is a conduit technology connecting those seeking improved health and wellness, with those best suited to provide it.

And, who is that?  It may likely be you.

yootrain will provide personal trainers with tools and services to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their training business.

How?

Primarily by giving you more time…

In a profession which can come with so much fulfillment and satisfaction, it also comes with some inherent challenges.  The primary being time.  Whether you work 8, 10 or 12 hour days; there are only so many clients you can train.  So, what are our current solutions to this problem?

1. Raise your rates – this may work for some

2. Begin group training sessions, lower your rate and make it up in volume

3. Partner with other trainers and add individual clients, group sessions, boot camps, etc.

And then…

Whether or not you have employed tactics such as these effectively, limitations of time and resources may still not allow you to reach your business goals.  What you need is a “toolbox”.  A set of tools which allow you to manage clients more effectively, streamline your marketing and accounting efforts, be able to expand your services beyond your local market, offer new and innovative programming options; and ultimately have the ability to do all these “business” tasks with little time available.

This is what yootrain does.

Our next few posts will be diving deeper into these business challenges, the current economic landscape (and what you can do about it) and the philosophy behind yootrain.  I hope you’ll join us.

Best,

Josh Neimark

Founder/CEO

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