Do you know what our biggest problem is? It is probably your biggest problem too.

THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE TO EXERCISE!

The biggest problem working in the fitness industry is that we are offering a product that most people hate. So each and every one of us has to do whatever we can to make the experience as enjoyable as we possibly can.

We have to be in the business of getting our members and clients to really us, enjoy being around us, enjoy our environment and how they feel every time they come to our facilities.

“Automatically receive my latest blog posts.
Sign up at the top of the page!”
– Sherri

The statistics show that 80% of people who stop coming are new members/new clients. They join with great intentions of coming regularly and for whatever reason, we weren’t able to help integrate them into our ‘family’. They stopped coming because they didn’t feel comfortable, didn’t feel welcomed, didn’t enjoy their time with us. Ultimately, we did not deliver what they expected or needed.

No one will ever leave us for any of the following reasons:

‘I stopped coming because I had way too many friends there.”

“Every time I go, people want to talk and laugh and go to lunch after.”

“I quit because the staff is entirely too friendly and fun. They’re always introducing me to other people. Always trying to help me. Always making me laugh.”

So what can you do about it?

You can start by assessing our initial greetings to all members/clients. Ask yourself and your staff:

Do you smile with big teeth and bright eyes?

Do our clients know that you are happy to see them?

Do you make a point of conversing with each member/client by offering a compliment on their consistency or their appearance, asking a question, inviting them to a new class, informing and inviting them to an upcoming event (I’d love for you to join us…It’ll be so much fun), making a statement….

How many people do you know by name?

How many of our members/clients know your name?

Do you pay attention, focus and drop everything when a member/client approaches – do they feel special and important?

Do you have a serving attitude by asking clients/members if you can get them anything (some more water, a magazine, an apple)?

Do you use serving language (Absolutely; No problem; Definitely; How can I help you; I’d love to do that for you)?

Do you show enthusiasm in your voice when interacting with members/clients (That’s wonderful!; Wow!; Brilliant!)

Do you introduce members/clients to each other?

Evaluate these questions and answers carefully and make changes where necessary!

Keep clients and increase your revenues. Help your clients feel comfortable, welcome and accountable and they will keep coming back!

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

Fall Fitness & Training Forum – Sunday, November 3rd

With Guest Presenter Helen Vanderburg
(4 time winner of the CanFitPro Presenter of the year & 2005 IDEA Instructor of the Year)

• 1 Day Event
• 0.8 ACE, 0.8 NSCA and NASM TBD
• Lunch Included
• Live. Local. FUN.
• Cutting Edge Info
• Tons of Sessions To Choose From

Register today to get an automatic 10% discount.

Get information like this and everything you need to run a successful fitness business with the same system I wrote and use at our facilities every day…..

THE BUSINESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING SYSTEM

Hey did you know that I wrote theONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees.A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL! Let us give YOU the systems that we know work!

Hosting a racing event is an excellent way to get new clients walking through your doors and keep current clients motivated and engaged with your business.

Start out by hosting a fun run that starts outside of your business. The initial set up will take some work, but a racing event hosted by your facility could be a the start of a tradition that is beneficial to your community and to your bottom line.

It isn’t just the racers who will associate the fun they have at the race….with you and your facility. The volunteers and the spectators will do the same! The idea is that you will have a large group of people right in front of your facility knowing exactly where you are and what a fabulous, community-minded company you are. That’s got to be good for business!

“Automatically receive my latest blog posts.
Sign up at the top of the page!”
– Sherri

More benefits of hosting a racing event:

Acquiring runners/walkers email addresses so you can continue to market to them and promote any upcoming programs and events.

Creating moments of magic. When the participants cross the finish line, they are going to feel amazing. They’ll associate this memorable moment with you. If they are a client, this enhances client retention.

These types of events foster a fun environment that develops friendships. When people have a lot of friends where they workout, they are more likely to come.

People do business with people they know, like and respect. These events give your community a chance to get to know you. Plus, if they appreciate a business that really takes care of their community, they will be more likely to want to train with you compared to another fitness club.

Offer a feeder into your Private Training services and programs. This is your chance to offer some type of free service to get new members into your facility. A 2 week pass to your group training program? A free consultation with a personal trainer?

Maybe hosting your own racing event isn’t in the cards for you? Try sponsoring or getting involved with a local racing event. Set up a stretching station at the end of the race. Have your personal trainers there stretching out the racers and promoting your business. Find ways to add your information to packets, online deals and use sponsorship benefits.

Here is one of the specials we recently offered to the participants of the 2019 Girlfriends Race for The Cure.

Get out there. Try hosting a fun racing event near your facility or get out there and find ways to market your business through other racing events in your area!

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

Fall Fitness & Training Forum – Sunday, November 3rd

With Guest Presenter Helen Vanderburg
(4 time winner of the CanFitPro Presenter of the year & 2005 IDEA Instructor of the Year)

• 1 Day Event
• 0.8 ACE, 0.8 NSCA and NASM TBD
• Lunch Included
• Live. Local. FUN.
• Cutting Edge Info
• Tons of Sessions To Choose From

Register today to get an automatic 10% discount.

Get information like this and everything you need to run a successful fitness business with the same system I wrote and use at our facilities every day…..

THE BUSINESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING SYSTEM

Hey did you know that I wrote theONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees.A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL! Let us give YOU the systems that we know work!

Fitness Professionals across the globe are scrambling to keep their businesses afloat while so many are staying home. The good news is that you can go virtual and your clients will thank you!

We have decided to use Facebook Live as it seems to be the simplest way to be live AND allow clients to go back and watch workouts later.

Our 4-Week Virtual Group Training Program:

$99. The Virtual Group Training Program is included in our top training memberships.

The cost is per household.

We typically have punch cards as an option for group training sessions, but we will not be able to honor them for the virtual program.

“Automatically receive my latest blog posts.
Sign up at the top of the page!”
– Sherri

Once our clients register for our Virtual Group Training program, they will be invited to our Private Virtual Class Facebook group.

Clients can participate live at the specified time slot or the class will be saved and they can participate at a time that is more convenient for them.

Scheduled trainers may change based on availability

Reminders To Clients During This 4 Week Virtual Group Training Period:

We ask clients to listen to their bodies, adjust movements and take breaks as needed.

We also remind clients to balance their program. Incorporate some muscle, cardio, core mobility and yoga into their weekly program. All fitness components are important for their overall health.

If they stay in the same time slot, their overall program will be very balanced. When they begin to switch time slots, they will need to ensure they have enough variety and balance in their program without overdoing it in any one area. They could use this time to try some new programs!

Ask clients to follow along and workout with their families! It will keep them physically and mentally tough and help relieve some stress!

We have to be creative and intuitive during this time. Lets keep our clients healthy and our businesses going strong!

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

Sherri McMillan Presents:

Critical Components to a Successful Personal Training Business/Department – Virtual Workshop

Saturday, March 28th 3pm – 5pm PT (will also be available for purchase to watch at anytime after the workshop)

$99 includes the live/virtual workshop and the ability to re-watch as many times as you would like!

I was scheduled to teach this workshop at IHRSA, but since the conference was cancelled, due to COVID-19, now I’m bringing it directly to you.

We’ll discuss the critical components to a successful Personal Training business/department including Internal and External Marketing initiatives that work, Human Resources, Customer Service, Programming and more.

I’ve been in the fitness industry for 30 years and have been awarded IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year, IDEA Fitness Director of the Year, CanFitPro Fitness Presenter of the Year and our studio has won BBB Business of the Year, Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year and Best in Business in our area every year. Let me teach you how we do it!

I’ll also be adding in a special section to discuss some of the initiatives we have in place to get us through these challenging times during fitness club and studio closures.

The cost is $99, a fraction of the cost to attend IHRSA

Get information like this and everything you need to run a successful fitness business with the same system I wrote and use at our facilities every day…..

THE BUSINESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING SYSTEM

Hey did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees.A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL! Let us give YOU the systems that we know work!

People are very stressed out right now with the Coronovirus pandemic. People are worried about getting sick and/or infecting someone else. In addition, your fitness business is likely struggling to figure out how to offset the massive losses in revenues . You probably have employees wondering how they are going to pay the bills if they can’t go to work. It is definitely scary during these uncharted times.

But guess what – stress is not good for your immune system. It makes you more vulnerable, so let’s initiate some steps to manage everyone’s anxiety.

*These are great tips for you, your staff and your clients!*

“Automatically receive my latest blog posts.
Sign up at the top of the page!”
– Sherri

Breathe

Everyone is freaking out. Let’s take a minute to just stop and breathe. Slow, deep breathing is one way to calm your body and mind. Do this before bed, when you wake up and anytime you are feeling overwhelmed.

Take action

We often feel anxious when things are out of our control. Read the CDC guidelines for individuals and take appropriate precautions for you, your loved ones and the community. Wash your hands more, use hand sanitizer when you can’t wash and stay home as much as possible. Do all the things we can without completely crashing our economy which is also not good for anyone’s stress levels and health of our communities.

Exercise

As we all know….it’s true that exercise will boost your client’s overall health and immune system so encourage them to keep up with their workouts. With that said, it’s good to know that sometimes a grueling workout can suppress an immune system. For example, it’s common for runners to get sick after a marathon. It makes sense that if someone has really taxed their system, they may have a harder time fighting off illness. So remind clients that it may be more prudent to opt for moderate to lighter workouts.

Here’s some other things to suggest to your clients:

• • Opt for Outdoors. Head outdoors for a run, walk, bike or hike. The fresh air will be good for your body and mind.
  • Workout at home. There are literally hundreds of exercises you can do at home using no equipment at all. Squats, lunges, step ups, push-ups, triceps dips, planks, etc will all do the trick. You can also do workout videos for free on Netflix and other streaming channels. There’s no reason to put your workouts on hold during all of this.
  • Skype, Facetime or Phone workouts with your Trainer – Tell your clients that you can conduct very effective workouts remotely. This can assure that your clients still keep up with your workouts while assuring your business plummet during these difficult times.
  • Yoga and Meditation – We could all use a little more yoga and meditation right now. It will help us all calm our nerves.

Stay strong and healthy!

Yours in health, fitness and business,
Sherri McMillan

Get information like this and everything you need to run a successful fitness business with the same system I wrote and use at our facilities every day…..

THE BUSINESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING SYSTEM

Hey did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees.A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL! Let us give YOU the systems that we know work!

Since our training studio has been closed for nearly a month due to COVID-19, I’ve been teaching a lot of virtual online classes and training sessions. It has definitely proven that you can train clients remotely!

There are literally hundreds of muscle and cardio exercises you can walk your clients through with absolutely no equipment whatsoever. Their bodies are the best machines!

“Automatically receive my latest blog posts.
Sign up at the top of the page!”
– Sherri

Clients don’t have a lot of fitness equipment at home? Have them make training tools with stuff that they most likely already have.

Here’s some items that you can have clients use as exercise equipment:

Canned goods

Cans of soup, vegetables or stew work great as hand-weights to add additional resistance during squats, lunges or for chest and shoulder presses, curls, kickbacks, extensions etc.

Jugs

If your clients need something heavier to lift, jugs of laundry detergent, soap or milk can work great.

Bags and backpacks

Have your clients grab a reusable grocery bag or backpack and fill with items such as books or cans to create something heavier to lift.

Bag of dog food, kitty litter, dirt and rice

Bags of heavy items can be held during squats, lunges etc for additional resistance.

Staircase

If your clients live in a two-story home, they have a whole gym waiting for them. Walking or running up the stairs is a fabulous cardio workout. The steps can be used for step-ups, push-ups and triceps dips. They can also wrap an exercise tube around the railings to perform rows, chest presses, torso rotations, external rotation, triceps kickbacks, etc.

Paper plates

Have your clients place one foot on a paper plate and perform a sliding reverse or lateral lunge. They can do mountain climbers with feet on paper plates or they can do bridging with feet sliding on paper plates.

Bottom line – If there’s a will, there’s a way. Your client’s physical fitness and strength are so important, now more than ever. So, remind your clients to commit time to focusing on their health!

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

Get information like this and everything you need to run a successful fitness business with the same system I wrote and use at our facilities every day…..

THE BUSINESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING SYSTEM

Hey did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees.A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL! Let us give YOU the systems that we know work!

Gyms, yoga studios and pools are closed or slowly reopening. Running and Triathlon races cancelled. It is easy to understand why clients may start to lose their motivation to workout.

As fitness professionals, we all know that the key to maintaining a commitment is to remember the ‘WHY’. Ask your clients …Why do you work out? Why do you race? Remind them that when they dig deep into their motivation, they’ll find that COVID-19 should not affect their ability to stay the course, they may just need to use a different mode of ‘transportation’.

We shared these 6 ways to stay motivated with our clients. Share them with your clients as well.

Let’s keep clients healthy and strong and keep our fitness businesses afloat!

1. Goals

It’s important to remember that the virus has not cancelled your goals. Ask yourself why you exercise, train and race? Most likely you do it to improve your physical strength and endurance, mental health, weight management, stress release and to boost your immune system. Aren’t all of those things still important, and even more so now?

Don’t forget to sign up to automatically receive my latest blog post in your inbox!
Right at the top of the page.

2. Obstacles 

Our entire world is being challenged right now. You can’t control what’s going on. You can only control your response and your attitude. It’s important to focus on what you can do versus what you can’t do. Athletes are used to this. If you are presented with an obstacle, you go around, over, or through. Quitting is not an option so don’t give up. Your approach may not be as planned but nothing is going as planned right now. Adapt and move on.

3. Change

If you had a routine of doing Barre three times per week, continue with that plan but just do it online. Most facilities are offering saved and/or live classes so you can continue to participate. Perhaps, you had signed up for a race that was cancelled. Most have transitioned to a virtual option so do that instead. Don’t stop just adjust.

4. New

If you normally swim and the pools are closed, perhaps this is a great opportunity to try cycling. If your favorite class is cancelled, use this time to try a different type of class online. If your gym is closed, now may be a great time to start running or hiking.

5. Accomplishment

Many of us workout, train and race because of how it makes us feel when we finish. That does not go away just because you have to do it alone or differently than before. You can still engage in opportunities that challenge you and make you feel amazing and accomplished.

6. Community

The sense of getting through something tough together is an incredible feeling. Being around other people who are inspiring, who set challenging goals and push to be the best they can be, can be extremely motivating. Even though you can’t be with your normal workout tribe physically, you can still be together in spirit. Perhaps challenge each other to a virtual race or set up a zoom workout. Participate in Facebook live workouts together. Schedule a happy hour with your regular workout buddies. You can still be together, while apart.

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

2020 has been a tough year for many fitness businesses, but many of us are finding ways to continue to help our clients stay healthy and strong. Here at Northwest Personal Training we wanted to highlight our clients who have remained engaged and motivated over the last year. We also need to encourage more clients to do the same. So….we decided to highlight our amazing clients AND encourage new clients to join us all in one marketing campaign!

Don’t forget to sign up to automatically receive my latest blog post in your inbox!
Right at the top of the page.

Here is what we have done:

Asked our staff to send their current and motivated clients 3 questions:

How many years have you been #NWPTSTRONG?

How do you #NWPTSTRONG?

How have you become #NPWTSTRONG?

Take the client responses and put together client profiles for each response.

Canva is an app that we use to use for creating great looking digital and print fliers etc.

Post the client profiles on social media.

Include a statement about your client’s accomplishments and your appreciation of their business. Then, add a call to action for others to work with you!

Here is an example:

Your workouts will help you beyond what you can imagine! Read Kristy’s story and find some inspiration to change your habits to start feeling more energized, healthier, and the best version of YOU!

Kristy, we are blown away at your determination. You are getting stronger and stronger with every workout! You might not know this but YOU bring so much joy to the people you are around, we love your positive, supportive spirit! #NWPTSTRONG

https://nwpersonaltraining.com/

Repeat!

This is a simple, yet effective way to highlight your clients and motivate others to work with you. Our goal is to post as many client profiles on social media as we can during September and October.

Even though this is a strange year….this is still a critical time for fitness businesses to bring in new clients. Remember, once Halloween hits, your clients will be busy with the holiday season. Be top of mind RIGHT NOW so that your clients are in a routine they can stick with BEFORE the holiday season gets here!

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

Get information like this and everything you need to run a successful fitness business with the same system I wrote and use at our facilities every day…..

THE BUSINESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING SYSTEM

Hey did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees.A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL! Let us give YOU the systems that we know work!

Here in Washington State all fitness facilities were forced to close when our COVID numbers increased. We worked diligently with the Washington Fitness Alliance to explain why we should remain open. In the end….we were able to reopen on January 11th!

To celebrate and as a way to catch the attention of our clients (and potential new clients) we put together this Happy Dance Video and spread it all over social media and sent it out in our weekly eNewsletter.

I also recorded a video explaining all of our reopening details….AND emailed our clients a summary of the updates we have implemented.

We have all had to stay on our toes over the last year. Fitness facilities have had to be creative and have had to adapt quickly to all of the restrictions and closing. I have found that transparency, regular communication and creativity have been more important than ever! I wanted to share the updates we have made. What are you doing to keep clients safe and coming through your doors/doing sessions online?

Don’t forget to sign up to automatically receive my latest blog post in your inbox!
Right at the top of the page.

Here is a summary of some of the updates:

We are only able to have a limited number of clients in the studio at one time so get scheduled to reserve your space asap. We will be focusing on private training, by appointment only in the studio so we can control access, flow and sanitation.

We will continue to do the majority of our group classes virtually or outdoors. Watch for updates to the schedule.

Session time within the studio is limited to one hour maximum.

We have already upgraded our HVAC system and just recently had our ducts completely cleaned to maximize air turnover and air quality. You will also notice that we will keep doors throughout the facility open to maximize airflow and to minimize points of contact for clients.

Please sanitize your hands when you first enter the studio with the non-touch sanitization station right when you walk in. Please sanitize again as you leave.

When you arrive, please wait for a CSR to perform a temperature check. All staff perform a health and temperature check before each shift also.

The mandates now require Face coverings at all times. You can remove your mask to get a sip of water or if you need a moment to catch your breath, but please let your trainer know so we can assure safe distancing. We will also provide more breaks as needed and please communicate with us whether the intensity needs to be decreased (or increased). If you have a medical condition that prevents you from wearing a face mask during exercise, you can wear a face shield. We have been instructed by the Governor’s office that a face shield is better than nothing. We do have face shields for sale at the studio. We know that working out with masks can be tough, but there are some benefits. Elite level athletes often purposely wear masks to condition their respiratory muscles. It will be harder at first but your body will get conditioned and you will be able to tolerate them better over time. Here’s a link for effective face masks for working out.

We have created barriers between cardio equipment.

You can use the restrooms but we aren’t approved for the opening of shower facilities yet.

You can use the water fountains to fill up your water bottles but they are not for individual use at this time.

Each trainer will have a “pod” that they will remain in all day and they will see their clients in their pod. Each station has a sanitization kit containing hand sanitizer, gloves, tissues, and the recommended spray for cleaning equipment.

During your session, your trainer will maintain 6 feet of distance as much as possible. They will also be wearing a mask at all times.

During the last 5 minutes of the session, your trainer will be cleaning equipment to ensure the next person coming in will have sanitized equipment to use. Please be patient with your trainer during these transitions. You are welcome to stay on your mat and stretch while they are doing this.

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

Get information like this and everything you need to run a successful fitness business with the same system I wrote and use at our facilities every day…..

THE BUSINESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING SYSTEM

Hey did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees.A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL! Let us give YOU the systems that we know work!

Not every business has the budget of a large fitness chain.

I have written MANY blogs/articles, hosted webinars and conducted trainings on how small fitness businesses and fitness departments can use creativity to be successful….such as:

Cost Effective Marketing Initiatives

Programming

Community Relationships

Client Retention

Success for Fit Pros During a Pandemic

Don’t forget to sign up to automatically receive my latest blog post in your inbox!
Right at the top of the page.

Want to learn more? I am partnering with IHRSA to host a webinar called Effective Marketing & Programming for Clubs & Studios from 2pm – 3pm EST on April 22nd.

Join me!

Stretch your marketing budget by leveraging creative, cost-effective strategies that will grow your personal training department and member retention.

Learn how to leverage grassroot ideas and creative, cost-effective initiatives for marketing, programming, and community relationships that will grow your personal training department—all while enhancing client retention during a pandemic and beyond.

Yours in health, fitness & business,
Sherri McMillan

Get information like this and everything you need to run a successful fitness business with the same system I wrote and use at our facilities every day…..

THE BUSINESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING SYSTEM

Hey did you know that I wrote the ONLY complete training business  system designed to help you run a million dollar personal training business?! You can have this same business system that will help you work SMARTER and generate HUGE profits like we do here at Northwest Personal Training. The fee to purchase the Business of Personal Training System can be made up within 1 month of increased PT sales and there are NO recurring franchise or licensing fees.A comparable business system in other industries would require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars.  

DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL! Let us give YOU the systems that we know work!