My weakness
Posted by tera from sweet home, OR, US on October 3, 2008
Hi, my name is Tera and I am a personal trainer.
My question is when I get a potential client how in the world do I close the deal ?
I get really uncomfortable at the end of my consultation appointments for some reason and i know that they know.
Sounds like you are uncomfortable asking for money.
First off, it's not a "deal" you're seeking, it's the "building of a relationship of trust" with a human being. They have to trust that you can help them to succeed at what they want in regards to their personal wellness objectives...you have to trust that you're worth spending money with to do that.
Sounds like you could use some basic sales training...how to ask for the order, how to get over the fear of rejection, how to value yourself and what you have to offer to people with your personal training programs.
Does the club you work at do sales training with their membership staff? If so, ask to participate in it. If not, seek out people like Thomas Plummer, Casey Conrad, Karen Woodard-Chavez, each of whom do sales seminars and some of them do regional seminars as well. I also recommend a wonderful book called "Selling With Integrity" by Sharon Drew Morgen (available on www.amazon.com).
Money is simply the exchange someone makes to someone else for a valued service. You have to first believe that your service is valuable. As a mentor of mine coached me a long time ago: "Just ask. You'll be surprised at how many people say 'yes.'"