The PT Roadmap

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Business

A Few Lessons From My Recent Course Launch.

On Monday, May 29th, I launched my first-ever course since going out on my own: The Lead Generation Roadmap.

My goal was to hit 20 sales in its first 7 days.

Amazingly, I hit more than double that.

Since last September, I’ve launched two other products:

• social media templates (which are no longer in existence)

• and a 21-day social media challenge

Both struggled when first launched, so I wanted to set myself up appropriately in case of further disappointment.

I think the difference with this was the demand was very clearly there.

Most PTs either want more clients or want a more reliable approach to filling spots that become available. This course hits on both of those.

That’s lesson number one: launch something people truly want.

I spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about what course I’d create first. I was set on a course because I really like that style of teaching. It’s effective (some of my best learning has come from courses) and suits PTs because consumption can be done in short bursts between clients. And it is always available, meaning you can come back to it.

Since going out on my own, I've had 70+ calls with trainers, and a consistent theme was a need for clients but a dislike of using social media to do it. Many of these PTs couldn’t afford one-on-one mentoring, either.

There was also an over-reliance on social media to get clients. So many PTs have forgotten other methods exist - offline local ideas, building a referral system, FB groups, adverts, in-gym strategies to name a few.

So, I knew an affordable product that teaches how to get clients without focusing heavily on social media was needed.

Let’s get into the other lessons I’ve learnt.

Lesson Two: Beta-Testers

I initially invited 12 PTs to help me build the course. I charged a nominal fee (£59) for this, and in return, I promised a course that would help them get more clients and start to systemise their lead gen.

This worked wonderfully well.

It showed me exactly what trainers needed, where my content was wrong/ right and gave me testimonials I could use to market it.

Takehome Point: Don’t shy away from building something with the people you plan on serving it to. If you want to launch a group program, do a soft launch and invite some clients in at a cheaper rate in exchange for feedback and testimonials.

Would I do it differently next time? Yes. I’d have a clearer timeline promised to this group of people. I somewhat winged it this time, which worked fine, but I’d be more specific about what I’m delivering next time.

Lesson Three: Priority List

In the months before the launch date, I teased the course on any public platform I used regularly.

Instagram.

My email list.

This newsletter.

I’d put it on my stories whenever I was working on it. I’d mention it whenever it made sense on here.

I pushed people to send me a message on Instagram, and I manually added their names to an Excel spreadsheet. It was old school, but there was no need for something fancier.

I promised early access and a chance to win a 1-1 strategy and implementation call. This proved popular, as 61 people messaged me, and a lot of my sales came from this group.

Takehome Point: If you’re launching something new, build a priority list and promise the people who get on it some initial bonuses - limited spots, a 1-1 call, extra resources, and/ or a reduced price.

Would I do it differently next time? Yes. I’d do it through email. As I mostly did this through Instagram, I spent too much time messaging each person. Next time, I’d get everyone onto a priority email list so they were all in one place.

Lesson Four: Education

The last time I launched things, I took a more sales-heavy approach, using lots of scarcity and marketing tactics I felt icky using.

The results weren’t great.

My approach to selling to Personal Trainers has always revolved around education and delivering valuable content…

So, I stuck with that approach this time.

I posted content focused on showing trainers how to attract more clients using methods that aren’t commonly used (e.g. FB groups) and the things they often do wrong.

This gave me an easy way to plug my course without feeling like I was pushing it.

Takehome Point: If your marketing approach revolves around helping people and education, lean on this when you have a service to sell. Create content that informs, and if it makes sense, gently tell people how they can take the next step if they’d like.

Would I do it differently next time? Yes. I’d do more. I planned to post 7-10 times on Instagram, and I only managed 4 posts.

Lesson Five: Split Payment Option

Interestingly, 30% of students paid using the half-today and a half-in-a-month option.

This matches what many big companies are offering nowadays, which is why I was grateful my payment platform gave me an option for it (ThriveCart).

If you can offer this as an option, use it. People like paying for things in split payments, as they allow for better financial planning and reduce overspending.

Takehome Point: Split payment plans are popular. With this blog post citing 56% of consumers are more likely to buy if it is offered.

Would I do it differently next time? Nope! This worked well.

Lesson Five: Last Day Push

My best sales day happened on the last day it was available for £99.

14 sales.

I’d been pushing it all week, so people knew it was available, but there is something about the final day and hours of a sale that pushes people over the edge.

All of these sales came from email, too, which is probably another lesson in and of itself.

Takeaway Point: Don’t get disheartened if your initial sales aren’t huge. The last day and hours before something closes or goes up in price always attract more customers.

Would I do it differently next time? Maybe with the help of an email priority list I could’ve pushed this harder, but I was delighted with how the final day unfolded.

All in all, it was a product launch that I’m proud of. Its the course I wish I’d had when I was starting and struggling to grow my client base, and it contains everything I’ve learned about attracting people into a PT business.

If you’re interested in starting it, check it out HERE and snag a newsletter subscriber 10% discount. A split payment option is available :-)

Social Post

It’s been a while since I’ve shared a Whiteboard Daily post, but this one caught my attention.

A good coach should be both encouraging AND demanding.

You’re forever shining a light on your client’s positive traits while pushing them to grow and achieve more.

Sidenote: a comment on this post made a good counterpoint - this does depend on the client.

And that is the beauty of coaching people.

You may need to be more easygoing with some clients. I’ve got a client I’ve trained for years that has barely seen a change in strength. If I played the role of a demanding coach, I think she’d stop coming. In fact, she told me when I kept trying to put more weight on her deadlift, she was not at all motivated by strength improvements. She comes because our session is a stress release for her, and she enjoys doing abs 🤣 

Thanks so much for reading.

— Stuart.

Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways I can help you:

1. One-to-One Mentoring. Do you wish you had someone to talk to every week to guide and keep you accountable? It might be time to consider reaching out for some help. I’ve been where you are, and I’ve helped 100s of PTs grow their client base, professionalize their business and build a career they are proud of. Just hit reply if you’re interested, and we’ll set up a time to talk.

2. The Lead Gen Roadmap. If you need clients or want to develop a systemised approach to lead generation, this course is for you. As a newsletter subscriber, use this link for 10% off.