Marketing has changed due to social media. But, this is not simply a change in venue, it’s a change in how you market. It’s about engaging potential/current clients.

It’s amazing to me that so many people still don’t get it. You’ll see it in Facebook and LinkedIn groups and on Twitter. People will hit you with ads on their first interaction. In truth, interaction isn’t accurate. They would have to listen to what you say and respond in kind for it to be an interaction. These people post their carp irregardless of what conversation is actually taking place. My response is delete, block, remove, etc. any trace of that person.

There’s a big lesson here. Long before you attempt to promote your services or product, you have to create a relationship with your potential market. That relationship should be one where you become a well-liked, trusted resource to your potential client/customer. They have to feel that when they have a need or a problem, you would be the person they would choose to help them out.

Talk to them, teach them, learn from them, and above all else listen to them.

Social media sites have have expanded the internet’s reach and given us access to large numbers of people from all over the world where we can connect, discuss issues, and actually make friends (real friends, not simply “friends” or followers). And, if we want to have some great discussions, there are groups that can be formed on sites like Facebook, Ning, and Google.

My personal preference for professional discussions is LinkedIn. LinkedIn, by nature, is a more professionally oriented site. It doesn’t have the flash of videos and pictures that other social media site have and, while it now does allow status updates, it remains more clean cut and business-like. Since I (and hopefully you) have already made professional connections on LinkedIn, it also makes it easier to invite them to join your group.

LinkedIn has many groups that already exist for the health/fitness professional and you should join some that interest you, see what you like, and what could be improved upon. I joined some that seemed to be focused on the topics I was hoping to discuss, but they all seemed to lose that focus as time went on. Too many members used the audience to market themselves and/or their products to the point that any real discussions were difficult to find.

This is why I recommend starting your own group. You are then in control of what the focus of the group is, who joins, and what content is allowed. You can set up the rules for your group. (but you also need to enforce them.)

Let me walk you through how to set up a group. Click here to get started: LinkedIn. You will be asked to:

Upload a logo. If you have one, great! If not, at least throw the group name on a solid color picture file and use that. It at least shows that you made some effort. (That’s all I did.)

Add the group name: Make sure the name reflects what the group is about or who you’re trying to attract.

Choose the group type: probably networking or professional, but you make the call.

Summary: Add a brief summary about what the group is about and why someone would want to join it

Description: Here’s where you can get into detail about the group’s goal/purpose

Website: Unless you have a website relating directly to the group’s needs, I wouldn’t add one

Access: This is a big one for me. The choices are Auto-Join (anyone can join at any time) and Request to Join (you are the gatekeeper and need to approve requests). I recommend selecting Request to Join. I want to know who everyone is that wants to join my group. I don’t decline access often, but I like seeing where they are from and what their background is. It’s not that time consummingeither. I have group on LinkedIn for Fitness Entrepreneurs which has over 1200 members and I added them one by one. – Either way, once you get your group set up, go to the Manage tab and down to templates. Take a moment and set up an auto-response welcome message that also includes the group rules. It will save a lot of headaches.

As for the section in gray, what you allow done in promotion of your group, unless you want a very small select group, I would check all. Allow any and all promotion of your group.

Language: You pick it… I’m going with English.

Location: If you are the New York Personal Trainers group, you’d want to state your location. I’m personally shooting for the world, so I left this blank.

Twitter Announcement: By all means tweet’em if you got’em

Yes and you must agree to the ”Terms of Service” so check the box

Finally, do you want an Open Group or Members Only Group? Well, here’s my thought on that. Open Groups allow anyone to see the content. Members Only means that content can be seen by….. you guessed it, members only. Now while I like sharing information and seeing the content might get some people to join the group, most people don’t participate in the conversations, they just read them. If they just read them and don’t join, I have no idea if they are there at all. They are ghosts to me. I’d rather have them join the group and know who’s out there. So, my group is a Members Only.

I hope this wasn’t too long and dry for you. I don’t usually give step-by-step posts.

I’ve had some real business ideas come out of my group and I think you will find groups to be well worth your time and effort. Give it a try. I’d love your feedback and to hear about your group (existing or planned). Please tell us about it in comments below.

I’ve been presenting at conferences since 1981 (yes, I’m that old ) and I’ve been organizing Personal Trainer clinics and conferences since 2000. It’s fascinating to me that the sessions that everybody loves and that everybody wants more of are hands-on sessions. Learning and doing more exercises. Have you really run out of exercises to the point where that needs to be your educational priority? Is that what will take your business to the next level?

Last week I attended Social Media FTW (For The Win) Conference… a social medial marketing conference. No exercise sessions at all… none. It just had great sessions on how to use blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. to reach your target market, create relationships, and how to turn these new relationships into business.

Now, if my business is not as successful as I’d like, what would make a bigger difference, learning more exercises or learning business practices that could drive more potential clients my way? Hmmn?

This was my second year at Social Media FTW and it won’t be my last. I’m also looking into other non-fitness conferences that will help my business the most. My reading list consists mostly of books on entrepreneurship, marketing, sales, creativity, etc.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love attending fitness clinics and conferences, BUT, I also know that’s not going to teach me what I need most. Get the most out of your time and money. Learn those things that can make the biggest difference in your business and your life.

I’ve been listening to (audio book) Start with Why by Simon Sinek and wanted to write a post about how it applies when hiring employees and then realized that it also applies to those interviewing for a position. So, I’ll include both of those here.

What does it mean to start with why? According to Sinek, starting with why means that we ignore what it is we actually do and first establish what our motivation is for doing it. He goes on to say that if it’s to make money or become powerful it’s the wrong reason. That comes as a result of having the right “why”.

I LOVE Personal Training and coaching! I LOVE being able to help people change their lives for the better. I get really excited when talking about the progress that clients make. It’s the coolest thing in the world. Thankfully, I do get paid for it. It helps with the bills.

So, from an employer’s perspective, who are the people that are going to be able to acquire, motivate, and keep clients best? Who is more likely to be a team player and someone that will go the extra mile? The person with the right why. Now think about how you may have been interviewing. Typically asking about the resume, experience, the ability to write a program, how many clients they’ve had in the past… all of the “what’s”. What if we asked more questions about what excites them, what motivates them? If they were financially independent, what would they do? The “what’s” can be taught, the “why’s” are inherent.

On the other side, as someone looking for a position in a company, make sure the company has the right “why” or you’ll never be happy there. If a club’s reason for having Personal Training is to increase their bottom line, you might have pressure put on you to hard sell or to sell additional products, etc. Again, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to increase the bottom line, but is that their “why”. I’d rather have a company say the want to change the health/fitness level of the community. Oh, they’ll still make money, but now I can really feel good about working for a company with this kind of mission.

I know I’ll be changing my hiring focus. How about you?

BTW, I’d love to hear what your “why” is?

FYI: You can catch some of Simon Sinek on YouTube.

Last week I went see a orthopedic doctor, “the best shoulder guy in the state” according to most people. I had seen him three years back which resulted in a fairly advanced arthritis diagnosis. This time around, I went to see him about what I thought was going to be a torn rotator cuff in the same shoulder. When we finally sat down with x-rays and MRI at hand, he proceeded to lay out the situation. It appears I have a very large bone cyst in the head of the humerus (larger than he had ever seen) and a piece of the bone had broken and was pulled away by the rotator cuff. He said that wasn’t sure what could be done. He suspected that I would have to have a bone graft to create enough of a anchor to then replace the shoulder joint and went on to say that he wasn’t comfortable doing the repair. He then referred me to and set up the appointment with one of the best shoulder guys in Boston.

Let’s think about this. This Dr. just told me that my issues were out of his scope of abilities. He referred out. Sound familiar? I’ve heard many a Personal Trainer express their concern about turning people away by referrals to other professionals (Drs, PTs, RDs, or even other Trainers) and how that may make them seem less than capable.

Here’s the truth of it. The doctor talked to me, not at me, explained the situation fully, answered any questions I had, and in his caring, honest, sincere way, told me why he felt he needed to pass me on to someone else. How many surgeons (or Trainers) would think that this (something out of their scope of practice or ability) was an opportunity to try something new and give it a shot anyway? Why pass up the money? I trust, respect, and pledge my loyalty to this Dr. for his candor in this (his name is Donald P. Endrizzi, MD by the way) and will refer anyone I know that has a shoulder issue to him.

Being honest and sincere with people about what you can or can’t do and referring them to someone who’s specialty it is when you’re not as qualified, will only help to create greater trust in you. They will be more likely to come back to you when the issue is resolved, but even if they don’t, that impression that you’ve made on them by being selfless, will stick with them. They will talk about you and refer you. So don’t hesitate to refer out.

Note: We should always be building our network of professionals that we trust so we know who to refer to when something comes up that is out of our scope of practice or ability.

For me, it’s about the scene in All That Jazz when Roy Scheider gets up in the morning, goes to the bathroom, drinks some Alka-Seltzer, pops some pills, puts in eye drops, etc. to finally exclaim to himself in the mirror, “It’s showtime, folks!”

While that may seem a little extreme, the point is that part of our job as Personal Trainers is to create a positive experience for our clients no matter how we feel or what’s going on in our lives. We all have stressors that we have to deal with in our lives, kids, work, money, life. Who needs to pay to come into a club and deal with the Personal Trainer’s issues? It should be a time for the client’s mind to catch a break, focusing on something completely different. We need to make our time with them not only productive from a physical standpoint, but emotionally as well. If you can work them hard and have them enjoy their time, they will be fans forever. They feed off your energy. (I performed improv for 10 years and think that adding humor to the workout is a great thing!) Conversely, if you dump your emotions onto your clients adding to their own list of problems, you won’t keep these clients long.

So, as soon as you step out of your car in the parking lot, remember, It’s showtime!”

One of the most important things you can do to market your business is to establish yourself as an expert in the field. Speaking/presenting to local groups is, not only a way to achieve that, but also to create rapport and trust.

Now I realize that it’s not as simple as that for many people. The fear of speaking in public is one of the greatest fears out there. Technically called glossophobia (for trivia’s sake), this condition can significantly limit how you can get public exposure for yourself and/or your business.

So, how do you get started, what do you speak on, and who do you speak to? Well, if you are uncomfortable speaking to large groups (or even small groups) you may want to take a public speaking class. Toastmasters is a renowned organization that has classes everywhere. There may be other classes near you as well. Beyond taking a class, look to speak to small groups. Maybe invite a few of your clients for an informal talk.

The topic should always be something that your audience will benefit from hearing about and that you are interested in talking about. If you’re bored with the topic, your audience will be too. What are the demographics of your group? Are they all trying to lose weight? Improve low back health? Increase function for daily activities? Target your topic to fit them.

As I said, you can start by speaking to existing clients, or you can seek out local groups like Weight Watchers, TOPS, PTOs, Rotary Clubs, the Chamber of Commerce, etc. They all look for local speakers to add value to their groups. When you present to these groups, give them something of real value that they can take away and use immediately. I’ve heard certain fitness pros say that you never give the audience answers and that if they want answers, they can sign up with you after the talk. I couldn’t disagree more. I would rather you give them something they really appreciate and start to create a relationship with them. However, you do want to get them on your contact list if you can so you can continue the relationship that the presentation started. You could get them to sign up for your newsletter (or helpful tips e-blasts, etc.) Or, you could offer a giveaway for those giving you their email addresses.

So get out there, share your knowledge, establish your expertise. Start small and build as you get more confident.

Note: It helps to video record you presentations. You can use these recordings to critique how you did and/or post them (or parts of them) online to help promote yourself as the go to person for fitness information.

A picture’s worth a thousand words. I was trying to video record my Parkour/Freerunning class for kids (YEOP!) and a couple of the kids were just not focused that day and the video didn’t turn out as I’d hoped. But, with all the footage that I had, I knew that I’d be able to pull some good stills from it. I also got thinking about this video tool that a friend uses a lot and thought I’d give it a try.  

Animoto is an online service that allows you to upload material and display it with background graphics and royalty free music. You can upload them to your video channel and/or embed them in your website.

I used the free version which limits the number of slides I can use, limits me to a 30 second spot and displays the Animoto logo. You can upgrade to other versions to get unlimited slides and time, higher resolution, and to remove their branding. I think it’s a very cool tool that has a great feel to it. Give the free version a try and see if it’s right for you.

Here’s my quick, free version, class promo (I know, it needs class details and contact info). Think of the potential.

Create your own video slideshow at Animoto.com.

It would be a late diagnosis (at age 53), but sometimes I swear I must have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).* I’ll just be getting into one project when I’ll have another brilliant idea (well, they always seem brilliant in the moment). This shiny, new idea always wants me to shift my brain away from the task at hand and focus on the new one. If I let it or the daily external distractions to take my attention, I will never complete any project.

If you’ve realized, like I have, that your focus is too split on multiple projects to be effective at any of them, you need to find a way to organize your thoughts and work. I have several strategies that help me deal with my never ending internal and external distractions:

1)    Make a To Do list. I know you probably already do, but there’s more.

2)    Prioritize the list and place them into Stephen Covey’s, author of First Things First , quadrant based on how important it is and how urgent it is. The goal here is to get to quad 1 right away (because, well, they’re urgent and important), make time to regularly work on quad 2 (too often these get put on the back burner indefinitely because they are not urgent), try to delegate or delete quad 3 (these are stressful but not necessary for you to deal with), and minimize your quad 4 (i.e. distracting yourself by playing solitaire on the computer)  

3)    Any time those wonderfully exciting ideas pop into your head, write them down in enough detail to remember, stick them in quad 2, and get back to the task at hand.

4)    Work on only one project at a time or at least designate a certain amount of time per day to work exclusively on a particular project. (i.e. from 1-2pm I will work on the book chapter that is due in May) Do nothing else during that time.

5)    Eliminate external distractions during that time. Don’t check email, turn off your phone, put a sign on your forehead saying “DO NOT DISTURB”, whatever you need to do.

6)    Get some physical activity in before settling down to work on a project. Research shows that our ability to focus is much greater after exercise.

I hope these are helpful. Let me know if you have some favorite techniques of your own. 

(read Getting Things Done, First Things First, and/or Eat That Frog!)

*Disclaimer: Before anyone takes offense, I do not take ADHD lightly and I’m not making fun of anyone that suffers from it. I just honestly wonder sometimes why I my focus wants to keep shifting around.

Spring is the biggest season for health/fitness conferences. Do you attend any? What is it that you’re hoping to achieve by attending? Do you get you’re money’s worth? My agenda with this post is to not only get you to attend conferences, but also to squeeze every bit of benefit you can out of the conference.

A personal note: I attended my first conference back in 1980. I was still in college and I presented at the state AAHPERD conference (topic? “Hands-On Weight Training” I think). I learned a lot from the presentations that I attended and from presenting myself. I have been attending and presenting at conferences ever since.

At least once a year I end up in Las Vegas. I’m not really a fan of Vegas, but it’s a very popular place to hold a conference. I think that’s because people “go to the conference” and skip sessions, meetings, etc. and sitesee, gamble, and go to shows. They may have a great time but they’re missing out on all of the important aspects of going to a conference.

At Conferences you can:

Get new information that can help you in your business. Whether it’s training information or business, information is power. Always come away with one thing (action item) you’re going implement right away.

Reaffirm information you already have (also very important).

Reconnect with industry friends. There are industry friends that I see every year that I look forward to socializing and discussing ideas with.

Introduce yourself to people that impress you. I’ve become friends with many people that I sought to meet because they either really knew their stuff or just seemed very interesting. These new connections can enrich your work and/or your life.

Introduce others when you think they’re a good match. Being a “connector” can be very satisfying.

Give back by getting involved in the organization. I’ve volunteered my time and services for many organizations. This can help you understand the runnings of the organization better, have a say in it’s direction, meet a lot of new people, and, dare I say, it can also be fun.

Meet Trade Show Vendors Find out about the latest equipment and getting to know the vendors can come in handy when it comes time to make a purchase.

Networking master Keith Ferrazzi, author of Never Eat Alone and Who’s Got Your Back has a great tips article called 15 Tips from Keith Ferrazzi: Conference Commando

How are you approaching you conference attendance? Are you getting the most out of the experience?

PS – I try to immediately “friend” and/or “follow” new people I meet at the event on Facebook and Twitter. It allows an easy way to follow up with them and stay in touch.

Please let me know if you have any tips or tricks for conference or clinic attendance.