As a follow-up from our MEGA TRAINING event in Boston, Eric put together a special new report called:

“How To Put Butts In Seats”

we gave everyone who attended MEGA TRAINING a head start on this yesterday, but now they’ve gotten their
hands on it so it’s going public.

Get your copy at:

http://www.FitBizGoldRush.com

Read below for the full story and letter from Eric, then get on over to the site and get your hands on the report pronto!

- Sean

P.S. The sharp fit biz owners and taking action now to capitalize on the BIG opportunities coming with the new year. Do you want to be one of them?

http://www.FitBizGoldRush.com

————–

LETTER FROM ERIC:

First, I want to say “thank you” for coming to the NPE Mega Training Workshop in Boston.

Sean and I were both really happy with the way it went. The atmosphere was electric, everyone was engaged, lots of great questions, lots of great content, and what about those Member of the Year presentations?  Those were absolutely killer.

Conor, Shannon, Mike, Shana and Coach Berry were all outstanding.  Quite a show, eh?

I’ll admit, I’m not the most extroverted guy in the world. And most times, although I love the content, attending seminars and events really drains me.

But not this time. I left Boston feeling really energized - totally pumped up. Seeing a bunch of old friends who I haven’t seen since I spoke at Phil Kaplan’s Forums in ‘05 and ‘06, and meeting the rest of you for the first time in person was pretty thrilling.

Humility aside, I’m proud of the way Sean and I have attracted very SERIOUS business people like you.  More than a couple attendees commented to me that the “class” of people at the Mega Training was unlike any other event they’ve attended.

I couldn’t agree more. We really do have the ‘cream of the crop’ in NPE.  And that’s one of the things that made Boston so stimulating…being around folks of your caliber.

So again, thanks for being there and making the event so memorable.

And by the way, we’re not done yet…there’s two Mega Training follow-up webinars coming up.  You’ll get details on those soon.  For now, be sure to spend time with your materials and do the work in your workbooks - I can’t tell you how much it will serve you in 2009 by preparing NOW to be the dominant (or MORE dominant) player in your local market.

Now, to the campaign I promised you.

During the second session on Saturday I told you about a marketing campaign I created that generated 52 attendees for a little health and fitness seminar right here in my neighborhood.

It was a huge success, and we did it all on a ’shoestring’ budget, in just 17 days.

And in Boston I told you I’d give you the campaign.

Well, I’m gonna do more than that.

I decided to not only give you the marketing tools to model, but also explain WHY they worked so well - so you can be certain you incorporate ALL the little tricks and tactics into your campaigns, and also kinda get a glimpse into how I think when I’m putting together a campaign.

So it’s all contained for you in a PDF download you can grab right now here:

http://www.FitBizGoldRush.com

When you get the PDF, you’ll also be registered for our upcoming GOLD RUSH webinar (no cost).

We told you a little about GOLD RUSH at Mega Training, and you also got to hear all the Member of the Year finalists talk about their GOLD RUSH events, so you probably have a pretty good understanding of just how potent it is.

But what you may not know is that the New Year is the absolute best time to run GOLD RUSH.

So we’re going to be taking a group through the GOLD RUSH training beginning in November. If you want to be part of that, then just attend the webinar for all the details.

Go ahead and grab the PDF download called “Butts In Seats” - and register for GOLD RUSH right here:

http://www.FitBizGoldRush.com

All the best,
Eric Ruth

P.S. Who are you dressing up as for Halloween?  I’ve got the spookiest “melting face” mask that I wear along with overalls, torn plaid shirt and boots and carry a big, bloody cleaver. We light up the front of the house in red, play hillbilly bluegrass and scare the crap out of the kids when they come by.  Brandy gets into the action too. We warn our neighbors who have real little kids beforehand, but the 8 year olds on up absolutely love it.  It’s fright night at the Ruth’s!

Yesterday I was on www.washingtonpost.com reading up on my Redskins (I’m a Virginia native).

We recently kicked the rear-ends of the Cowboys and Eagles in back-to-back weeks, but then lost to the lowly Rams just last Sunday.

Since I was in Boston for the NPE Mega Training Workshop, I didn’t get to see the game and only found out the horrible news when I got to the airport Sunday evening.

So yesterday I wanted to read what Michael Wilbon and some of the other great sports writers at the Post had to say about the Skins.

As as I scrolled down one of the articles, I saw this advertisement:

The Obama advertisement I saw at washingtonpost.com

And that ad tells you everything you need to know about why Obama may win the election on November 4th.

It’s not because he’s the candidate of “change.”

It’s not because he’s offering to give 95% of Americans a tax cut (36% of Americans don’t even pay any net taxes, so that must be some kind of new math).

And it’s not because he’s an incredibly charismatic politician who’s mastered the art of soaring rhetoric.

No, if Obama wins, there is another reason that trumps everything I’ve just mentioned, and any other issue, including the current economic situation.

Curious?

Good.

You have a fertile mind.

Lemme lay it out for you (this is a truly fascinating MARKETING case study that you’d be foolish to neglect studying, even if you have zero interest in politics).

======MARKETING CASE STUDY=========

If Obama wins, it will be because his team has created the most powerful marketing machine possibly in the history of the world.

His message is everywhere (even in the middle of an article on the Washington Redskins), and his PRIMARY objective - no…his ONLY objective - is LEAD GENERATION.

Here’s what you see if you click on the advertisement I just showed you:

Here

Notice that you are not taken to a website with a bunch of info on Barack.  Instead you are taken to a landing page where you are “squeezed” for your contact info before you get to any of the “goodies.”

Why?

The list, my friend.  The list.

Now, read this excerpt from www.Salon.com about Obama’s marketing machine. It’s fascinating.

=======ARTICLE=======

Barack Obama’s super marketing machine

He knows your neighborhood, your favorite products and even when you open your e-mail. How Obama is betting on vast, corporate-style voter outreach to win the White House.

By Mike Madden

July 16, 2008 | WASHINGTON — About every week or so, you get an e-mail from Barack Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, or top deputy Steve Hildebrand, or maybe Obama himself. They’re breezy and informal, addressing you by first name at the outset (before they ask you to donate money at the end). But that’s just the beginning.

You know, of course, that Obama has your e-mail address. You may not have realized that he probably also has your phone number and knows where you’re registered to vote — including whether that’s a house or an apartment building, and whether you rent or own. He’s got a decent estimate of your household income and whether you opened a credit card recently. He knows how many kids you’re likely to have and what you do for a living. He knows what magazines and catalogs you get and whether you’re more apt to get your news from cable TV, the local newspaper or online. And he knows what time of day you tend to get around to plowing through your in box and responding to messages.

The 5 million people on Obama’s e-mail list are just the start of what political strategists say is one of the most sophisticated voter databases ever built. Using a combination of the information that supporters are volunteering, data the campaign is digging up on its own and powerful market research tools first developed for corporations, Obama’s staff has combined new online organizing with old-school methods of voter outreach to assemble a central database for hitting people with messages tailored as closely as possible to what they’re likely to want to hear. It’s an ambitious melding of corporate marketing and grassroots organizing that the Obama campaign sees as a key to winning this fall.

=======END=======

That article was written in July of this year. I would bet Obama’s database far exceeds 5 million by now.

And with the click of a button, he can rally his entire “army” of supporters to vote. He can mobilize more people, more quickly, easily and efficiently, to take action on his behalf, than any other politician, company or individual in the history of the world.

If Obama wins in November, it will be for one reason moreso than any other…

HE IS THE BETTER MARKETER.

At the NPE Mega Training, Sean and I fielded questions from the attendees throughout the event. One fitness business owner asked us, “What should I do FIRST as soon as I get home?”

My answer…

Get your DATABASE in order.  Compile ALL the information on your past and present clients, your prospects, publicity/media contacts, strategic allies, and entire sphere of influence into one COMMAND CENTER - your actionable database. And then USE the information to market your services.

Here at NPE, we use a solution called InfusionSoft (email us if you want info on this solution). It is highly sophisticated and incredibly robust - and not inexpensive.

There are other, less costly solutions.

ACT! is a fantastic example.  Sean built his 650+ client fitness business using ACT!, and many of our Members now use it with outstanding results.

And there’s also Excel.  Excel limits you in many ways - it’s not a true database, but merely a tool for organizing basic info about your contacts.

But it’s far superior to a “tickler” file, just stuffing names and addresses into your desk drawer, or, of course, doing nothing at all.

Being a successful fitness marketer requires identifying and capitalizing on as many “points of leverage” as possible.

There is NO greater point of leverage than your database of people who know, like and trust you…and could buy from you.

NONE.

So, if you want to win the game of marketing - if you want to dominate your local marketplace and quickly become the “obvious expert” and fitness professional of choice in your area, you MUST start with building and utilizing an actionable database.

NOTE #1: An email list alone is NOT a database.  Refer back to the article about Obama’s marketing machine to see ALL the data his organization is compiling and leveraging about each person on his list.  Sending emails is just one medium of communication that can be used to reach out to and compel folks to take action, but it’s far from the only medium they use.

NOTE #2: Pay close attention to this quote from the article…

“About every week or so, you get an e-mail from Barack Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, or top deputy Steve Hildebrand, or maybe Obama himself. They’re breezy and informal, addressing you by first name at the outset (before they ask you to donate money at the end).”

This reveals three of the secrets to RELATIONSHIP building that are so crucial to effective marketing (and something the vast majority of business owners do incorrectly): frequency, tone and call to action.

If you understand how vital what I’ve just shown you is to growing your fitness business (and making yourself impervious to economic downturns and competition), then I encourage you to take a long, hard look at this database-building resource for fitness professionals:

http://www.fitnessmarketingsystems.com/module-3-08.html

Be a marketing maniac,
Eric Ruth

P.S. This post is NOT intended to convey any kind of political message. I am not endorsing a specific candidate to you. I respect you and your ability to make up your own mind without any prodding or influence from me. I have strong feelings about this election and who the better candidate is, but reserve my comments for one-on-one conversations only.  However, if you are a U.S. citizen, I DO encourage you to exercise your franchise and your responsibility to VOTE!

P.P.S. I’m interested in hearing your comments about this post. Click the “comments” link below to leave your thoughts and ideas.  And have a great weekend.

New video from NPE Member Shana Ross (see the story below!)

This morning we’ll all moving a little slow after yesterday’s Fitness Marketing Explosion webinar.

Was a big showing (as always) and today’s clean up day.

Then going to get a little rest before Eric and I fly to Boston tomorrow night for this weekend’s MEGA TRAINING event.

The last couple week’s have been so busy here, I’m overdue in sharing this with you.

Here’s the (back)story:

Last year we started an annual “NPE Member of the Year” contest, and all the top members sent in packages for review. Each shared examples and stories of how much they’re grown and why they should be chosen for the award.

This year, since we’re bringing everyone together live for the MEGA TRAINING event in Boston, we thought we’d run the contest a little different.

We invited members to submit packages as usual, but then Eric, Dick, and I had the grueling task of sifting through those packages to choose 5 finalists to present LIVE on stage Saturday night at the event.

This year, the members will vote and choose the NPE member of the year.

And I’ll tell you what, the competition is tough!

Picking 5 finalists out of the 13 LARGE packages we received was very hard.

But picking a winner out of these 5 is going to be even tougher!

First let me thank the 13 members who submitted packages for the contest:

1. Billy Beck II, BB3 Fitness, Weston, FL (Gold Plus)

2. Brad Scott, Melbourne, FL (Gold Plus)

3. Coach RB Berry, Dare To Be Fit, Oceanside, CA (VIP)

4. Conor Kelly, Evolution Fitness, Willowdale, ON Canada (Gold Plus)

5. Ginny Grupp, AlaskaFit, Girdwood, AK (Gold)

6. Kennett Washington, Healing Strength PT, Charlotte, NC (Gold Plus)

7. Mike Stare, Spectrum Fitness Consulting, Beverly, MA (Gold Plus)

8. Scott Allen, Fitness Together, Maple Grove, MN (Gold Plus)

9. Shana Ross, Shana Ross Fitness, Houston, TX (Platinum)

10. Shannon Willits, Pilates Sarasota, Sarasota, FL (Gold Plus)

11. Shayne Cahill, Progress Personal Training, Spring Hill, FL (Gold Plus)

12. Tony Maslan, Custom Fit PT, Evansville, IN (Platinum)

13. Vic Magary, Metro Martial Arts & Fitness, Columbus, OH (Gold Plus)

The 5 finalists chosen are (in no particular order):

- Coach RB Berry, Dare To Be Fit, Oceanside, CA (VIP)

- Conor Kelly, Evolution Fitness, Willowdale, ON Canada (Gold Plus)

- Mike Stare, Spectrum Fitness Consulting, Beverly, MA (Gold Plus)

- Shana Ross, Shana Ross Fitness, Houston, TX (Platinum)

- Shannon Willits, Pilates Sarasota, Sarasota, FL (Gold Plus)

To give you an idea just how well our members are doing right now (we’re NOT making this stuff up) I thought I’d share one of the videos sent in for the contest.

They are ALL good… but this one is really good.

Shana’s a brand new studio owner, and only 1 year in business she’s just exploded. And she’s built a serious foundation to springboard her into ‘doubling’ that success for year 2.

Will have some great pictures (and video) from the weekend I’m sure. And will post with results on the contest next week.

Have a great day,

Sean

P.S. Not an NPE Member yet, what the heck are you waiting for? Check out the 30-day trial at:

http://www.NPEGold.com

Or if you’re serious and want to start off with the real players, then get on over to:

http://www.NPEGoldPlus.com

Happy Monday.

Hope your week is off to a great start and you’re forging ahead even “when the going gets tough”.

I’m pleased to report my weekend trip to Orlando was fantastic and exactly what was needed to recharge the batteries before the busy and exciting week ahead.

As promised, I’ve posted some pictures from the weekend (and a little more info about my trip) to the blog. So, here they are:

Dick, Kit, Sean, Christina @ Season's 52 celebrating my 31st birthday. This is one of my MANY favorite restaurant's in Orlando.

Outside Quiet Flight surf shop at Universal Studio's "Citywalk". Always saw this and thought it was goofy when we lived in Orlando, now playing tourist this weekend thought we'd give it a shot.

Didn't get any good wakeboarding photos from the weekend (iphone doesn't do 'action photography'), but here's an older one for you. Here I am at the Orlando Watersports Complex doing a trick called the 'back roll'. This is what's called an 'air trick', because you get height from loading and releasing line tension, as opposed to jumping off the wake (or a jump ramp/kicker).

Here I am at the 2001 World Championships in Duisberg, Germany. This photo was taken during my run and I'm doing a trick called a 'half-cab roll', which is basically a trick where you take off backwards, flip and twist, landing forwards again. Not the best quality photo, but all I could dig through and get quickly on my computer this am. I was proud of this competition because I landed every trick in my run and finished 31st in the world. Needed to learn more difficult tricks to rank higher, but I landed every trick I had clean and stood up my run.

Ok, enough about me.

Let’s talk about you.

Two big events happening this week you should know about.

1. Tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday) at 2pm EST Eric and I are hosting a 1-hr open coaching webinar on “How To NEVER Run Out Of Leads!”. We’re calling it the “Fitness Marketing Explosion” webinar, because from the many e-mails we’ve received it’s clear that you guys WANT and NEED more people in front of you right now to grow your biz, so we’re going to show you how to do exactly that on tomorrow’s webinar.

If you have NOT registered yet (and downloaded the report and audio cd we’re giving away) this is your last chance to do so.

Simply follow the link below to register and receive all the details:

http://www.FitnessMarketingExplosion.com

2. MEGA-TRAINING- Our first annual live event is taking place in Boston next Saturday & Sunday and things are looking awesome for the event. Before heading to Orlando for the weekend, I approved final materials for print, plus went through the 13 packages we received for the 2008 NPE Member of the Year Contest. Choosing 5 finalists, out of all the amazing packages and success stories we got, was NOT an easy thing to do. But I’m happy to report that the 5 finalists we choose have absolutely incredible stories, exhibits, and numbers to share. All will be revealed live on stage Saturday night for your viewing and voting pleasure.

If you are NOT coming to MEGA TRAINING, boy you are gonna miss out on one-heck-of-a-show.

But I’m sure we’ll have some good video clips to post to the blog in the following weeks ahead.

Ok, I’m off to our morning staff meeting.

Have a great day.

- Sean

P.S. If you’re a studio or health club owner and need more people in front of you right now to grow your biz, then don’t miss our 1-hr open coaching webinar on “How To NEVER Run Out Of Leads!” taking place tomorrow (Tuesday) at 2pm EST. This is your LAST chance to register (and download the report and audio cd we’re giving away).

Simply follow the link below to register and receive all the details:

http://www.FitnessMarketingExplosion.com

Hope you’re having a great Friday and ready for the weekend.

I know I am.

Eric and I have been on a non-stop work schedule the past couple weeks preparing for our MEGA TRAINING event taking place next weekend in Boston.

Good news is all the work is done now, and we’re gonna kick back and relax a bit this weekend.

In fact I’m celebrating my 31st birthday.

Christina and I are flew to Orlando last night to see some old friends and have some fun.

Hope to go wakeboarding, which I haven’t done at all in the last couple years, so should be a good time.

If I get some decent pictures from the trip, will post to the blog.

Anyway, I wanted to keep today’s message short and sweet.

Most of the country is still in a bit of turmoil over the financial markets, and I don’t know how that may or may not be affecting your fitness business right now.

But I’ll tell you the good news about market corrections - they ALWAYS separate the ‘weak’ from the ’strong’.

And that means YOU have the power to grow right now.

All the folks that are looking for the quick buck, some kinda get-rich-quick scheme, and are too lazy to invest in paying their dues (AKA ‘earn it’) will soon be washing out.

You, on the other hand, can TURN UP THE VOLUME, and take over right now. Just like Cliff Latham (who’s voicemail I posted on the blog yesterday) and all our other top members who are kicking a** and taking names.

The rich DO get richer and the poor get poorer.

With good reason.

When times get tough, rich people aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves, take action, and get things done.

Poor people sit around and wait for the magic bullet to appear.

NEWS FLASH: There is no magic bullet.

You make your own way. And you earn what you’ve got (the good and the bad).

If you’re a studio owner and want to learn how to flood your business with leads over the next 90 days, then I invite you to join us for next Tuesday’s “Fitness Marketing Explosion” coaching webinar taking place at 2pm EST (1pm CST, 12pm MST, 11am PST).

Registration at:

http://www.FitnessMarketingExplosion.com

I’ve also posted our new “How To NEVER Run Out Of Leads!” Report online, which you’ll receive when you click the link below and register for the webinar.

Great audio CD there too, but you’ll need to give us your mailing address if you want to get that sent to you.

http://www.FitnessMarketingExplosion.com

Anyway, hope you have a great weekend and I’ll check back in later.

To your success,
Sean

P.S. My grandfather is an old Navy captain and one of his favorite sayings has always been “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!”. I couldn’t agree more and hope more people step up to the plate and grow a backbone - like all our grandparents did when our country (and the world) was going through a lot tougher times than we’re dealing with at the moment. If you want to learn more about what our top studio owners are doing to explode their business, then join us for next week’s “Fitness Marketing Explosion” webinar by clicking the link below:

http://www.FitnessMarketingExplosion.com

Received a ton of feedback from yesterday’s e-mail, then had an interesting conversation with a client last night that brings up some important things we should talk about today.

Including a big WARNING for studio owners.

DON’T let this happen to you…

To recap, yesterday I talked about ‘keeping it simple’ when it comes to marketing yourself as an independent personal trainer.

Learn how to book and perform public speaking gigs, add-in a little networking (like joining a local BNI chapter and/or Chamber of Commerce) and that will usually get the job done in terms of filling up your client base.

But when you make the leap to owning a studio and having multiple trainers working for you… all of a sudden you need MORE marketing strategies in place to generate the volume of leads you need each-and-every month.

And you need a SYSTEM of how to integrate all those strategies, so it makes sense and they all work together.

For more info read my “How To NEVER Run Out Of Leads!” Report and request the audio CD at:

http://www.FitnessMarketingExplosion.com

One strategy is renting lists of prospects that fall into your target demographics that live within a certain radius of your facility.

And then mailing them a 3-step ’sequenced’ campaign.

If you’ve been following Eric and I for any length of time, then you know Eric’s written the highest client-pulling, profit-producing direct mail campaign of all time called “Icing the Cake”. And it’s literally brought in millions in revenue for thousands of fitness professionals.

It’s pretty sweet.

You rent a list, mail letters on schedule, and new prospects literally walk-in and hand you their wallet.

Problem is that it can work sooooo well, that many studio owners get very complacent, and stop doing any other external marketing whatsoever.

They get lazy and don’t do any of the strategies like public speaking, publicity, strategic alliances, etc.

Heck, why should they when all they have to do is mail some letters…. and new clients walk right in the door?

Here’s why:

- Because getting direct mail to pull to cold lists is the HARDEST thing to do. For even the best copywriters and direct marketers, getting direct mail to pull to cold lists CONSISTENTLY every single time is virtually impossible.

And when you have a small universe you’re marketing to (like 5,000 women that meet your target demographic and live within a 5 mile radius), you’re going to hit the point of ‘market saturation’ with direct mail at some point.

It doesn’t take long before all the people that will respond to direct mail do, and then it becomes much more difficult (and expensive) to get the rest of the people who have NOT responded to take action.

Before you know it, one big direct mail campaign will bomb and you’re out a few thousand bucks (ouch) and you’ve got no new prospects coming in the door (so no new revenue that you really NEED to keep things moving cash-flow wise).

And this is what I call “getting caught behind enemy lines”.

You’re in a world of hurt.

And it’s all because you didn’t put a comprehensive marketing plan in place, that uses multiple external campaigns to keep your pipeline full.

Have 1 or 2 months where no new clients walk-in, and you lose $5-$10K in direct mail campaigns that didn’t pull… well that’s a recipe for going out of business.

It’s THAT scary.

One month you’re on the top of the world, then 2 months later you’re cutting staff, worried about paying your bills, and on the ropes about to get ‘knocked-out’.

Over the past couple years consulting with studio owners, I’ve seen this scenario happen a few times to VERY good people.

And it was all preventable.

Whatever you do, DON’T let this happen to you.

Learn about marketing SYSTEMS, put a comprehensive plan in a place, and don’t EVER run out of leads.

To your success,
Sean Greeley

P.S. If you’re a studio owner and do NOT have systems installed in your business to keep the pipeline full every-single month, then I strongly encourage you to grab a copy of our “How To NEVER Run Out Of Leads!” Report and audio CD at:

http://www.FitnessMarketingExplosion.com

P.P.S. Eric and I will also be conducting an open Fitness Marketing webinar to help studio owners learn how to install the high-powered marketing systems you need to thrive in the ‘new economy’. Make no mistake, if you’re sitting back and thinking business will come with just the standard walk-in’s and casual referrals going forward, you are sorely mistaken. Get educated and get empowered on next week’s webinar. Registration at:

http://www.FitnessMarketingExplosion.com

Yesterday’s blog post generated quite a bit of response.

A number of folks commented to the blog their opinion on “Why some folks struggle” AND we also received a few MORE crazy e-mails from folks who were too chicken to post their comments.

One of these folks questioned if this was even a real e-mail we received, or something I just happened to ‘kook up’ to get people going.

I assure you, this is real… and life’s interesting enough that I don’t have to add anything to it.

Anyway, I promised I’d share with you my take on this whole thing today and that’s what I’m going to do.

I’ve also got a special invitation and gift for you today, but we’ll come back to that in a moment.

In case you don’t remember the e-mail we received that spawned this whole thing, here it is:

“Gentlemen:  I gave it my best shot.  I have worked myself into the ground the last few months creating a business plan, new website, monthly newsletter, house list, direct mail letter, press release, article, new business card, strategic alliances, etc…  There are many more of your ideas I would love to pursue, there is just not enough time in the day.

End result so far:  No new clients.

I cannot justify spending $37/month on the NPE newsletter.  Your initial program is outstanding, with many great ideas, but no new clients.

Please cancel my Gold membership as of today.  Thanks.”

———————-

So, why is this person struggling… while so many folks we work with are killing it and having their ‘best year ever’?

Could be a number of things going on here.

I’m not a therapist, nor am I into a whole lotta metaphysical mumbo-jumbo about lack mentality and belief system (although I will say where there’s smoke, there’s fire). I’ll leave all that aside for the moment and cut right to the chase.

I don’t know the exact circumstances of this person’s business but what I do now is that for beginners it’s best to keep it simple.

Learn and master just 1 system FIRST.

Learn how to SELL.

A few folks commented correctly yesterday that leads alone will not directly bring in any revenue for your biz.

SELLING someone on handing off their hard-earned dough in exchange for a product of service you are offering is the ONLY thing that actually brings in money and ‘gets’ you a client.

Without SALES (or conversion of your leads), MARKETING (lead generation) for the sake of marketing is meaningless.

That’s why we teach our AUTO-CLOSER Sales System and encourage many to make it their ‘first’ coaching program they invest in.

Then once you’ve learned how to sell, it’s time to take a look at marketing and I recommend if you’re an independent personal trainer, then start with learning just 1 marketing method before going into a ton of advanced strategies.

My original primary marketing method was public speaking and I used it to build my business and get a waiting list for my services pretty quickly.

One or two good marketing strategies, executed well, is all you need to fill up your books as an independent personal trainer.

However, when you make the leap from just working for yourself to having a facility with overhead and expenses, and a team of trainers working for you, having just 1 or 2 marketing strategies is usually no longer enough to get the job done.

Now you’ve got to generate a volume of leads each-and-ever month to keep the facility busy AND you’ve got the added pressure of significant overhead/expenses pushing you to not just settle for a ‘few leads’…. you need a LOT of leads… all the time!

So what most people do next is start to study the different tactics that can be use to accomplish that goal. They read up on websites, newsletters, advertising, direct mail, strategic alliances, and a whole lot more.

AND THIS IS WHERE THEY GET TANGLED UP.

They get lost in a sea of confusion and never get anything really implemented and working properly.

Mostly because they don’t understand a SYSTEM of how everything should fit together. When frankly…

THAT IS WHERE IT SHOULD ALL BEGIN!

You’ve got to understand the big picture (i.e. SYSTEM) first. Then breaking down how each type of marketing campaign and activity works together within the SYSTEM… and getting traction… becomes pretty easy.

The person who sent this e-mail in (who we still haven’t heard from by the way, so if he/she is reading this please let us know who you are so we can take care of your request) is not alone.

Lots of folks are in a tangled mess with all the information overload floating around the internet today.

That’s why last spring we worked hard to develop a complete program that would help people ‘get untangled’ and understand the ‘big picture’ (SYSTEM) as well as how to integrate all the different tactics, tools, and more that you’ve heard us and many of our members talk about.

If you have NOT read my “How To NEVER Run Out Leads!” Report or received the free companion audio CD, then get your copy at:

http://www.FitnessMarketingExplosion.com

Next week we’ll also offer a 1-hr fitness marketing coaching session to everyone on this list who registers to attend at:

http://www.FitnessMarketingExplosion.com

Lastly, I’d like to encourage anyone who needs help to use the channels of communication we have open (call the office at 888.866.4998 or if you’re a Gold Plus level member or higher then you already know how active the forums are in our membership site) and let us know what’s going on in your business.

Listen we’re doing very well over here and won’t be affected one-way-or-the-other if someone chooses to cancel a $37/month newsletter subscription with us.

But cutting yourself off from people who can help you… when you’re struggling and really NEED the help… is NOT the wisest decision someone could make.

By receiving this newsletter you’re part of an elite community of several thousand fitness business owners who want nothing more than to help others achieve the same level of success they have achieved and more.

So, ask for help… and we’ll do everything to help you sort things out and get back on track.

Don’t just stick your head in the sand and ‘hope’ things will change… get the support you need to MAKE them change.

That responsibility (and power) is yours.

To your success,
Sean

P.S. If you own a studio or have other trainers working for you (or hope to soon) then you understand that having a complete marketing SYSTEM (not just 1 or 2 tactics) in place is essential to the health and stability of your business. I invite you to download our “How To NEVER Run Out Of Leads” report and audio cd, plus register for a 1hr coaching webinar we’ll be hosting 1 week from today at:

http://www.FitnessMarketingExplosion.com

Hope you had good weekend.

Eric and I worked most of the weekend putting the final touches on preparations for the big NPE MEGA-TRAINING workshop coming up in 2 weeks in Boston.

Although this is our ‘first’ event, I’ll tell you what this thing is gonna kick some serious *ss.

My only regret is that we can’t fit more people in the room to attend and take part in the experience. It’s going to be THAT good.

For those who have secured their spot, get ready for one heck of a wild ride.

For those who have NOT, well everything is just about wrapped up but if you call the NPE office today at 888.866.4998 you may talk the girls into sneaking you a ticket to get in.

Anyway, that’s not what I’m writing you about this morning. I’ve got much more interesting discussion to dig into…

This morning I had 2 e-mails forwarded to me by our support staff.

FIRST was a video clip with edited success stories from our recent DEEP CORE class graduates. We wrapped up the class a couple weeks ago, and now I have to choose a winner for the class contest.

Honestly, each of the 5 finalists have such great stories it’s not an easy pick. But I’ll get to that later today.

The SECOND email forwarded to me was a request by someone to cancel their Gold Membership. Problem is, Bridget and Lauren have no name to go with the e-mail sent in and the e-mail address is nowhere to be found in our system. So, they weren’t sure how to handle it.

It’s an interesting e-mail, so let me share it with you…

“Gentlemen:  I gave it my best shot.  I have worked myself into the ground the last few months creating a business plan, new website, monthly newsletter, house list, direct mail letter, press release, article, new business card, strategic alliances, etc….  There are many more of your ideas I would love to pursue, there is just not enough time in the day.

End result so far:  No new clients.

I cannot justify spending $37/month on the NPE newsletter.  Your initial program is outstanding, with many great ideas, but no new clients.

Please cancel my Gold membership as of today.  Thanks.”

I have my own thoughts about this e-mail, and why this person may be struggling to grow their business.

But before I comment, I’d love to get your feedback.

Why do YOU think they are struggling?

Does getting a business plan in place, building a website, sending out a monthly newsletter, etc. guarantee you’ll get new clients and grow your business?

Or maybe all those things are a bunch of hooey and don’t really work to build your business at all… instead they prevent you from actually getting new clients?

What’s the story?

Post your thoughts and comments to the NPE blog below.

I’m interested in your take on this.

And then I’ll share my thoughts with you in tomorrow morning’s e-mail.

Regards,
Sean

P.S. If you’ve been reading our e-mails for any length of time, then you know we share a lot of fitness business building information with you. Lots of people are VERY successful using our information to grow their business, but there are probably just as many who read these e-mails and still struggle. What do YOU think holds some folks back (and maybe even yourself at times)? Post comments to the blog and I’ll share my thoughts with you tomorrow morning.

P.P.S. To the person who wrote the e-mail, let us know who you are so we can take care of your request.

I hope you have time to get down to the cinema this weekend and catch the Cohen Brother’s new movie - “Burn After Reading.”

Two of the main characters played by Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt are fitness professionals who get into a spot of bother after an ex-CIA agent’s memoirs fall into their “knuckleheaded” hands.

No surprise that after  “No Country For Old Men” the movie had a VERY good opening weekend. With an all star line-up including George Clooney and John Malkovich (in addition to Pitt), how could it not?

And that means the fitness industry will be in the public spotlight throughout this whole month. And if your media marketing savvy, you’ll know how to leverage all of this publicity to the benefit of your fitness business.

Such media leverage can turn you into an industry celebrity overnight! Which is why we’ll be discussing this in detail in Sept’s Fitness Marketing Letter - AND I’ll show you an example of how a DOG GROOMER did  the exact same thing - you can take the lessons learned and apply them to your fitness business quite easily.

There is so much opportunity for you to promote your business in the radio, newspapers, online and even through T.V. with effective media marketing - it’s so cheap too and yet very few fit-pro’s are doing it…

…So this month’s FML is pretty much a step-by-step guide for you on how to become a media marketing mogul in quick time - utterly essential reading if you want yet another way to significantly grow your  fitness business.

If you’re already a subscriber, you should have received your issue in the mail.

If for some crazy reason you’re NOT yet getting this every month, get on over and join the club at:

www.NPEGold.com

To Your Success,
Sean Greeley

P.S. Not a subscriber? let me send you this month’s issue absolutely F.R.E.E. for you to examine and enjoy at your leisure and if you’re at all unhappy with the business building information shared in the Fitness Marketing Letter, cancel your “test-run” subscription and pay nothing. Click below for more information:

www.NPEGold.com

This is purely coincidental and has only now just dawned on me…

…But if you know your history you’ll realize that Boston is the PERFECT venue for this year’s NPE LIVE Mega Training Workshop.

You see way back in December 16, 1773 as an act of defiance against the British Government a band of Bostonians destroyed over 45 tons of British tea sitting in a dock, waiting to be unloaded.

These protesting Bostonians simply climbed on board the three British ships, brought the casks of tea up on the deck and threw them overboard…

…And tea washed up on the Boston shores for weeks after.

What’s significant about this event, is that it is thought to have been one of the many sparks that catalyzed the American Revolution which of course eventually led to freedom from British rule.

Now in October of this year over 200 hundred years later, and again Boston will be the birthplace of a revolution. Not on such a grand scale as far as the country is concerned, but this mini-revolution will be wholly significant in your life.

You see, when you come to the NPE LIVE Mega Training Workshop I am going to give hand you a personalized BLUEPRINT for success, a step-by-step guide for FREEDOM
from the daily grind.

For full details go to the website below:

http://www.NPEMegaTraining.com

And just as Americans remember the date December 16, 1773 YOU will remember the dates October 11th & 12th 2008 as just as important, because that is when you too will start BIG change in your life.

http://www.NPEMegaTraining.com

To Your Success,
Sean Greeley

P.S.Seats for the Workshop are now disappearing faster than tea casks from the “Dartmouth”… Register today by clicking the link below:

http://www.NPEMegaTraining.com