I stay away from watching the news on a routine daily basis, for a ton of reasons.
But occasionally I catch up and check in for a few minutes to stay updated.
One of the ads on the news this morning had this as a headline to the ad and commercial:
Get your dream body on your budget.
The commercial was for cosmetic surgery and was complete with compelling pictures and convincing testimonials.
This intro is one of the best intros to a business I have seen in a long time. It checked so many of the right boxes to be effective for the right market.
For the fitness professional there is much more than the effectiveness of the marketing to be considered.
Most importantly, this is our new competition, and it’s not limited to cosmetic surgery. Supplement companies and drugs are just the beginning of the new competition.
We can’t continue to advertise weight loss and looking good if we want to remain competitive in the marketplace. People can now get those results with a pill and inexpensive surgery, and given those options, many will choose to follow that path.
Yet the need for what we do is greater than ever.
We need to tell our story just as effectively as the pill-pushers and the savvy cosmetic surgeons. Because we can do things they cannot do. In fact, we can address issues and problems that their solutions actually make worse.
Take for instance the human need to belong to a tribe and the sense of belonging. That happens naturally in a fitness center, or in the presence of a trainer.
Another issue that we make a huge impact on is mental health. Will taking a drug and losing weight, or having cosmetic surgery actually make one feel better about themselves? The research overwhelmingly says no. My friends who have tried pills and surgery confirm that the outcomes were not what they hoped for. In most cases, the shortcuts made things worse in the long run.
We know it’s all about habits and habits are formed when we are with friends in a supportive environment, doing the work to achieve our goals.
We need to adjust our marketing and start telling the world what we actually do, and what makes us different than the solutions the commercials would like us to believe.
Here is my challenge to you. Describe in seven words what you do as effectively as the subject line of this email.
Want help? I do this every day with my clients. Schedule a time to meet with me.
Remember, you only get results when you take immediate action on your ideas.
