True Visionary

By Author: Bedros Keuilian
Article:
Competition is part of life for any business. I want to tell you about how you impact your competitors and what impact they can have on you.

I have a story to tell you that will explain this very clearly. It all revolves around one of the most successful mentorship clients that are doing very well in his community. He has a lot of competition in his business, just like anyone else. His personal training studio is only one of four different studios that can be found in a short five mile radius.

He is also competing against two mega clubs and several trainers that work independently and will perform their training at their client’s homes. There are only eighty thousand residents in his community and the market is saturated with fitness possibilities.

A year ago he decided to make a change that would impact his business in a very big way. Until that point he was running his business just as all of the others were. He ran ads like everyone else, made offers that were similar to his competition and really did nothing to make his services stand apart from his competition.

It was then that he made the decision that would take his business in a new and exciting direction. He purchased my PT Business Course and then enrolled in my twelve month mentorship program. In just a matter of months he turned his average, run of the mill business into a business that people were talking about in the community. His income rose by thousands per month and he became known for his expertise in the fitness world. (My point is strictly that I helped him with his success. Not bragging, just stating the fact that my program really works!) This transformation in his business is impressive, right?

Very soon the competitors in his area began to feel threatened and started slamming him in their ads. They would include pokes at his marketing strategies in their ads and tried to point a negative finger at him and his business. I took it very lightly and thought it was very funny while my mentor got very frustrated by it – that was until I told him why it was a very good thing and is helping his business.

You see, his competition decided that rather than bring their business up to his level and try to come up with a new USP (Unique Selling Proposition) that they would stoop down and play dirty. It really backfired on them though because while they were trying to hurt his reputation in the community, they made themselves look like the less credible business people. My client was actually benefiting from their attacks on his business. His credibility ratings skyrocketed and he became known for his expertise in the fitness realms.

So, what can you gain from this story? No matter how many competitors you have in your community or how well thought of your competition is, if you find your own USP that proves your abilities then you can take the lead in front of all of your competition.

This particular mentorship client grabbed the community’s attention by offering sessions that were thirty minutes in length but produced the results that a sixty minute session would produce. He also spoke to their pocket books and offered a money back guarantee for his services. If his competition ever discovers his way to fame then he will alter his USP and create another great marketing edge for himself. Just like the leaders in markets, such as Coca Cola, McDonalds, and Enterprise Rent-a-Car, he will redesign what he offers to suit the needs of his public.

Finding that edge and growing your business beyond the goals that you have set makes you feel great about what you do. Step out into the front and give your competition something to strive for. You can take the lead in the fitness world and adapt to changes as they come.

Syndication Source: ThoughtSearch.com Bedros Keuilian is fitness marketing expert and is known as the hidden genius behind many of the most successful personal trainers worldwide. Get his four personal trainer marketing programs for free.

By Author: Alan Boyer
Article: First let me tell you what NOT to do. Don’t talk about you, don’t talk about your products. In as short a statement as possible tell them the measurable results you deliver, and who you deliver them to. Then shut up.

Don’t try to tell them EVERYTHING in one breath. Tell them something that is so powerfully grabbing that they just have to ask you for more, and even then when you respond keep it short, keep them asking for more.
So, how do you do that?

Here is an exercise I do with all of my clients that usually changes not only how they present themselves, but often it goes so deep that it changes their vision of who and what they are as an entire business.

Take out a sheet of paper and create 4 columns. Consider this activity as brainstorming, a work in progress, that will continually change not only as you work your way through it this time, but should get you thinking so that you will continually come back to the worksheet to make the answers better and better over the next few weeks. So, for your first pass, don’t worry about getting “the perfect” answer, just get something down on paper to start the thinking process. You’ll come back later and make it better and better.

o The first column, far left. Products, services and/or features.
List your products, services and/or features down this column. For most people this has been what you have been telling the world that you do or sell. It’s going to change, believe me. List each and every one.

o The 2nd column to the right. Benefits, why buy the product?
For every item in the column to the left, directly across from each one write what the benefit of buying that product is. Think more in terms of bottom-line results. After you have written down why someone should buy the product ask yourself why someone would even want whatever it was you wrote down there. Keep asking your self why, why, why until you’ve gotten down to the real bottom-line of why someone should buy your product.

o The 3rd column. Why buy the product from me?
For most of my clients there is someone just like them on every street corner. Just imagine that you are standing on a street corner with hundreds of other people. They all are wearing the same clothes, same height, same skin color, same hair color. You’ll be lost in that crowd. Your job now is to find what makes you so different that you will be “the first” person seen when a stranger walks up to that crowd. And, eventually we’ll want people to come to THAT street corner looking for just you.

At this point, take your best shot as to why someone should want to buy from you. Again, this had better be about results that someone will get from YOU. Just get something down. Then ask yourself why would someone want this and keep asking why this over and over until you’ve gotten the right answer. After we’ve answered the question in the fourth column, you’ll probably come back and change this or make it even better.

Caution: Don’t make your advantage about price, that is a losing proposition under almost any condition, you’ve got to find something better than that. In fact that is likely to make you like most of the others on that street corner.

o The 4th column. Measurable results.
This is where the rubber meets the road and where you will find the most powerful statement for your marketing, and for your 30-second elevators speech. Looking back at the benefits of the product, and the advantages of working with you, turn both of them into measurable results (not activities….RESULTS).

This is when I hear the grumbling from a client. “You mean I have to tell someone exactly what result they will get from buying my product? You’re asking for an awful lot. I just can’t guarantee the results people will get from buying the product.”
Yes, this requires a commitment. A commitment to do exactly what you said you’d do. A commitment that many are not willing to commit to.
If you can’t come up with an answer, you’re in the wrong business. If you can, you will be the first person that anyone sees in that crowd on the street corner.
Consider the measurements and how you will present them. Write down some measurable results: average, maximum, minimum. You can state a fact that a customer typically gets ___, or, you guarantee a minimum result of ______, etc. The first part of this is stating very clearly what you have done, what you will do, or what you’ll guarantee.
Making your results measurable gives a very visual perceived value for what you do. People buy you or your product based on the value they perceive you will deliver, so help them find that value and make it so visual that they don’t have to guess. No one else on that street corner is doing that. They have been selling a product, a service, of if they have sold a benefit it has been vague. You will stand out, your sales will catapult.
It wouldn’t hurt to go back to “Why buy the product?” and “Why buy it from me?” and revise it. Usually once I’ve forced a client to come up with those measurements, the benefits of the product, and even the benefits of working with them start changing. So, review, change, and go through it again. Get out there and use it. Over the next few weeks keep looking for the ideal measurement, and come back to revise over and over. It’ll keep getting better.
When I give my 30-second introduction at a chamber event, or other meeting, I will have people run up to me after the meeting. “How do you do that?” “You can’t really do that…can you?” I even have people weeks later who see me around town run up to me to ask me about what I said.
My elevator speech is:
About 80% of my small business clients double in 3-4 weeks. Would you like to double yours? I work with struggling businesses to help them stop struggling in weeks, and multiply their business. I take them by the hand to guide them through that maze of obstacles that have been holding them back, to help them find the breakthroughs that catapult them to unseen levels. What are your obstacles?
Don’t hesitate to play with what you say at networking events. Try it one way and watch the results. If you are a BNI member, or a chamber member, those are ideal places to try this out. Measure the results of your elevator speech by
The noise level of the room after you say it
How many people approach you after the meeting
How many approach you whenever they see you in the future.
Change the words just a little at different meetings. Keep track of the ones that work the best, and watch your business grow over the next few weeks.
I
t will change your business in more ways than just this. You’ll probably change your vision about who you are or who you can become. Syndication Source: ThoughtSearch.com Alan Boyer, CEO of The Leader”s Perspective, LLC is one of the world”s leading sales trainers & breakthrough specialists.

With over 35 years of business experience, he has catapulted businesses lightyears ahead in weeks. Some double, some jump 10 times.

Helping companies reach further than they EVER thought possible….FASTER

http://www.leaders-perspective.com

By Author: Heather Richards
Article: So many people make New Year resolutions to eat healthier, exercise more, lose weight, and get in shape. Every January, memberships at fitness centers tend to increase by as much as 40 percent, but by March more than half of those new memberships disappear. It is not necessarily because of laziness; most people find it difficult to purposefully create a new habit or to change old ones. You actually need to force yourself past the Honeymoon stage of 3 months, if you can get yourself into a routine and force yourself to continue for the second 3 month period, it will become habit and a more difficult one to dismiss.

Staying motivated to change your lifestyle can be very challenging and we can quickly become discouraged within the first couple of weeks. Why do we lose our determination so easily? Why are so many of us so quick to give up?

Some fitness experts suggest that this effect is caused by the lack of a plan. While it is always a good idea to have an ultimate goal, such as the ideal weight you would like to reach or the size you would like to be, that may not be enough to keep a person motivated. And while it is also a good idea to have some variety in your workout, trying something for two minutes and moving on to something else at random may not be effective.

When you are just beginning your personal journey to get fit or lose weight, it is important to develop a routine and keep track of what you do, how long you do it, how many repetitions, how much weight you use. This will help keep you aware of your progress, and to set new goals that you can attain. You also need to remember that it is not all about the weight scale. When you are dieting and working out, you may not lose much weight as you are building muscle. Therefore it can be more accurate to use your measurements to gauge your progress. Taking pictures every week or two may also help to keep you motivated. Just be sure to take them in the same location, around the same time of day, and in the same clothes (a bathing suit or shorts and a workout bra are best). Keep your pictures in a place where you will see them often.

If you have a difficult time staying committed to your fitness plan, you might try setting up reminders of your goals. For instance, preparing your gym bag ahead of time and placing it where it can not easily be overlooked, schedule it on your calendar or mobile device.

What may be most crucial in helping keep you motivated to achieve your fitness goals is a program which you can enjoy. Picking an exercise or diet plan because your friend, your co-worker, your neighbor had great success with it is how many people often fail. If you buy food that you do not even like, what is your incentive to prepare it? If you dislike being in a room full of people, signing up for group exercise classes may not be the best idea since you will dread every class!

If you can stay motivated, create attainable short term goals, acknowledge your progress, and enjoy your workout, you are sure to succeed! However, having a career or a family can certainly fill up ones calendar. If you find it too difficult to coordinate exercise classes or fitness center visits into your schedule, it might be worthwhile to learn about the most effective exercise techniques to build muscle during shorter workouts.

I was recently told by a Kinesiologist not to say to yourself that you have “Lost Weight” he stated it was because your body will enter a grief mode and try to recover what has been “Lost”, so he suggested the use of other words “Shred” or “Given Away” or anything else that is not discribed as a lose. Not sure if there is anything in it, but it sure has to be worth trying as a part of your diet and Lifestyle change. Syndication Source: ThoughtSearch.com Heather has been in business for over twenty five years and understands the importance of delivering relevant quality informative products and services in order to build good relationships. Heather has a wide range of knowledge and interests for FREE Health & Fitness Videos or for a wide range of topics and issues of interest to women, Heather and her expert Team Explains at www.WomensInfoProducts.com