Last month, you were introduced to some magic words to build your personal training business. This month, there are some more magic words for you. Remember, the magic in these words lies in your delivery.

This month's lesson in magic focuses on an activity that your staff can use at any time to build your business quickly. It is ideal if your trainers have a client who is going to be on vacation. With this activity they can fill the space and hopefully add more clients. It is called Class Comps. The beauty of class comps is that you get to be in front of a group of people and get maximum exposure in a short period of time. Read the following script and then the important points to follow:

Arrange before class starts to have the instructor introduce the trainer. She/he will say something like:

“Hey gang, this is _______ from the personal training department and she/he has something for you.”

The trainer then stands in front of the class and says:

“Hey gang, my name is _________________ from the PT department. I am accepting two more clients and I have certificates available for personal training consultations. The consultations are normally a $____ charge but with these certificates, there is no charge. Who would like to meet and discuss how to enhance your exercise results?”

IMPORTANT POINTS

1. When the trainer stands in front of the group, it is important that he or she come across as a confident and comfortable leader, therefore, practicing the script is vital. My experience shows that rehearsing this 10 times either with an “audience” that will give feedback — perhaps you as the manager, can volunteer — or simply in front of a mirror will provide a level of mastery and confidence to effectively deliver this information.

2. Speak slowly, speak clearly, and make individual eye contact with those in the class. It is imperative that your staff member articulates so the class understands what he or she is saying. The speaker must avoid the mistake of speaking too fast or rambling due to being nervous. A nervous presentation negatively impacts the outcome of this tool.

3. It is critical that there be limited availability. The example in the script was that the trainer was accepting two more clients — not that the schedule was wide open. Even if your trainer's schedule is wide open nobody wants to train with a trainer who has no clients.

4. Have the trainer offer a limited amount of certificates to give people for the consultations. The consultations are not a free training session — they are to discuss how PT can enhance their exercise results.

5. Let the trainer know that if nobody responds right away it is OK. Sometimes, people don't “get it” right away. Also, don't allow them to waste the members', the instructor's or their time by waiting around. If after 10 seconds of your finishing the presentation no one speaks up, then simply have them say:

“I don't want to take your class time from you so I will be in the back of the room after class and have these for you at that time. Have a great class and thanks for having me!”

When class attendees respond have them offer the choice of giving the certificates or asking them to meet after class in the back of the room to schedule the consultation. My recommendation is to opt for the latter.

The consultation is your staffs opportunity to discover what is working for members, what is not, and to present a diagnosis of how they can impact members' results through personal training. This is “gold” in their hands. They have a prospective client who is sitting before them expressing his or her need for assistance. Emphasize this and make sure they take the next step, which is presenting the services.

Class Comps is a simple, speedy and proven way to build your business. However, it only works if you do it. The magic to build your personal training business is within the trainers. You have to help provide the right words and situations.

Karen Woodard-Chavez is president of Premium Performance Training — a staff training and consulting service. She has authored numerous books and training manuals and can be reached at 303-417-0653 or www.karenwoodard.com.

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