PTR #64 - Business books for PTs.

Plus, signing back up ex-clients and are you an entertainer or an expert?

The PT Roadmap

The weekly newsletter for personal trainers who want to build and run a great business.

Hey!

Thanks for opening up today's newsletter. I appreciate you being here.

Let's get into it!

We finally have a release date for the course I’ve been working on for the past 3-months: The Lead Generation Roadmap. It’s going to be released on Monday April 29th.

This course is for in-person PTs who want and need clients. Because nothing sucks more than not knowing where your next client is coming from. It’s also for in-person PTs who have plenty of clients, but want to build a system for getting clients reliably, so you can easily fill new services or slots that become available.

It is filled with all the ideas, frameworks and copy & paste scripts I’ve used to build my own PT business and help 100s of others build theirs over the past 11 years.

The price is going to be just £99 for the first 7 days (then it’ll jump to £179) and the first 20 sign ups will receive a 1-1 lead gen strategy & implementation call.

If you’re interested, send me 👍 on Instagram and I’ll add you to the 51 others who are on early-bird list who will get access 24 hours early on Sunday the 28th.

Business

My Favourite Business Books for PTs

I like to read. Since you're reading this newsletter, I'm guessing you might too!

So, here are 6 of my favourite business focussed books for personal trainers:

1) Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

The main thing you’ll learn is that finances are hard. Mike's system in Profit First simplifies and helps you manage them.

Key quote: "A lack of profitability is consistently the major reason cited for business discontinuation."

2) Change Maker by Dr. John Berardi

The main thing you'll learn is a guide (or roadmap) for a successful career in coaching.

Key quote: "Our clients don't want to be us. They want to be themselves, only healthier."

3) Everybody Writes (2nd edition) by Ann Handley

The main thing you'll learn is how to become a better writer.

Key quote: “Start telling the stories that only you can tell, because there'll always be better writers than you and there'll always be smarter writers than you. There will always be people who are much better at doing this or doing that—but you are the only you.”

The main thing you'll learn is many tips, tricks and actionable lessons for building a successful fitness business. Mark mainly discusses it through the lens of gym ownership, but there’s a lot of crossover for PTs.

Key quote: “Since I know professional development is a mission-critical activity, I do it first thing in the morning. That way, it doesn’t get crowded out by the demands of my day.”

5) How to Get Clients & Referrals by Jon Goodman

The main thing you’ll learn is how to get more clients and referrals from your current clients. I love how the tactics shared in this are much less focused on social media and much more focused on your local area.

Key quote: “You’re selling the confidence that they can achieve the transformation they’ve been failing to achieve.”

This is a classic, and one every PT should read at least once. We’re all in the relationships business, and this book helps you build relationships.

Key quote: “Talk to someone about themselves, and they’ll listen for hours.”

This Week’s Tip: Ex-Client Check-In

When you’ve got a free 15-minute slot today, message all your ex-clients. You never know when one might be ready to return. And its just nice to touch base with people who you care about.

It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, a simple, “Hey [name], I hope you’ve had a great week. I miss our sessions! How’s your fitness going?”

If you’re looking for clients, it’s worth running a bit of an ex-client campaign. You can offer clients who have left you an offer to return at a discounted rate.

Approach this in a way that feels right to you, but a message along the lines of:

“Hey [name]. I hope all is well with you and the family! I’m running an ex-client promotion just now I thought might interest you. You can get your first month back for just [insert price with 20-30% off.] This will give you access to [insert number of sessions a week] and be perfect if you’ve been thinking about doing something to get yourself feeling summer-ready. The only catch is I’ve only got [insert number to create scarcity, but don’t lie] spots, so get in touch if you’re interested :-).”

Add some personality and a personal reference or two to that client, and you’ve got a solid returning client promo message.

Social Post

I enjoyed this post from Adam Hayley on whether you’re an entertainer or an expert in the person you put across in your creating content.

He makes a great point about owning the person you are.

Don’t force yourself to be one if you're not an entertainer.

Thanks so much for reading.

Until next Friday, Stuart.

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