Career Path: Make more money and enhance your career by narrowing your focus.
... the best way to build a solid reputation and a steady client base is to become a specialist in a particular area of health and fitness. Discover why you need to narrow your market focus, how to choose an industry specialty and how to capitalize on your strategic decisions.
... there are so many different types of clients with different wants and needs... focus your attention on a select group of people who have specific needs that you have identified, you can market to those needs. ... is commonly referred to as finding your niche.
... First, ... take a good look at your individual skills as a fitness professional. Doing this helps you better understand yourself and your specific talents. It also compels you to closely examine your business strengths and opportunities in order to identify what market needs you currently meet or want to meet.
... for some people, a smaller business can fill a need or want that the larger gyms cannot satisfy. ... certain types of programs or services ... For example, your personal training services may be better able to accommodate the needs of clients with disabilities or clients who dislike loud music or crowds.
... some sort of injury or chronic pain ... However, when your client base seems to be a mixed bag, you may need to do some investigating to determine what market needs you serve. ... figure out what most of your clients have in common. Consider characteristics like
gender, occupation, age, income level, fitness goals, ability levels,
personality types, child/ marital status or
personal preferences.
... then simply ask your clients why they come to train with you. It will be helpful to keep track of their answers, so provide them with a questionnaire to help you identify their commonalities. (See “Sample Client Questionnaire” for some questions to use.)
... You can tailor your marketing promotions and identify networking opportunities that will garner better results for less effort and less money. ...
Becoming a specialist will enable you to provide a better service, which in turn will boost your credibility and your ability to earn more money. ... For example, a client who sees a regular trainer three times per week at $60 per session spends $180 per week. However, if ... this client achieve his same goals with only one session per week, he will be prepared to pay you $150 per session because he will actually be saving time and money. ...
... decide which area to specialize in within that market group. For example, ... your niche market is corporate executives who have above-average disposable income and limited time to exercise. ... determine precisely which needs of this market segment you want to target: their work environment, their time constraints, their income situation or a combination.
For instance, ... you could make a name for yourself as an instructor who specializes in customized, 30-minute, highly effective circuit or group workouts in a corporate fitness center. ... the fact that you specialize in one area or the other makes it easier for people to find you and benefit from your expertise.
... When choosing, your main considerations should be that you have access to potential customers, you carve out your specialty in a growing area of the industry and you love what you do. Some examples of good specialty areas ... child ... inactivity; ... functional training with an emphasis on biomechanics; ...
... Read books and articles, attend seminars and conferences, and connect with individuals or organizations that can provide you with opportunities to learn all you can about the topic. Then start practicing your skills and tools in the field. Increase your knowledge and experience levels by trying out new things, within your scope of practice, with every client. ...
... You can then shape your business identity around your particular area of expertise. ... you can become more particular about the types of clients you choose to work with or the programs or classes you choose to offer. You can also develop long-term client and
professional referral systems ...
... consider the following suggestions:
- Make sure that your business image and rates reflect your specialist status. If you are going to charge a lot of money for your services, you should invest in quality business cards, materials and equipment.
- Submit article ideas to industry publications in an effort to gain credibility as a reputable instructor or trainer in your specialty area.
- Build and strengthen your industry presence by applying to present at seminars, health fairs, conferences and industry shows on topics related to your specialty.
- Keep yourself educated about the latest developments and trends in your specialty area.
... It doesn’t happen overnight, but the effort you put into doing it will pay off tremendously in the long run. This is particularly true for trainers or instructors who work in larger fitness clubs and want to distinguish themselves. When you narrow your market focus and commit to becoming an exceptional fitness provider, there is no limit to the personal and professional success you can achieve.
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