Perfect Match: Selling to Your Clients’ Needs

Give Them What They Want
As a fitness entrepreneur, you want to give the best service possible to your clients. But when it comes to selling your product or service, you can come out ahead of the competition by selling to your potential clients’ specific needs. For example, your personal training business may have a stellar track record for helping your clients lose weight, and it is tempting to highlight those statistics in your sales pitch. But if the potential client is not interested in weight loss, your boast may fall on deaf ears. An important key to successful sales is to find out what your customers are looking for so you can tailor your pitch to their needs.

Ask Open-Ended Questions
The best way to discern your client’s needs is to ask. However, all questions are not created equal. Open-ended questions cannot be answered with a single word or phrase, but require a more detailed and informative response. If you ask a customer if they are interested in losing weight, they could simply answer yes, no, maybe, or I don’t know. But if you ask, “What are your specific long and short term training goals?” you will get a more detailed answer from which you can identify their needs. You can get even more information by asking a second open-ended question based on the first answer.

Be All Ears
Attentive listening is key to selling your services. When you listen with open body language and good eye contact, you gain the trust of your prospect. When they get the sense that you are really interested in what they have to say, they will divulge more information. On the other hand, if you aren’t really listening, or worse, if you do all the talking, you are unlikely to learn what your prospect is really after. You may talk yourself blue in the face and never really touch on your prospect’s needs.

Repeat for Accuracy
Once you think you have a good idea of what your prospect is after, reiterate what you heard to ensure accuracy. This strategy shows the client that you were paying attention, and that you genuinely care about satisfying their needs. Briefly explain in plain language how you can help them and then move on to close the sale. It’s that simple. Remember that each sales interview is the beginning of a relationship with a human being. Relax and be genuine, and make your prospect feel at ease.
Resources
For fitness professionals, training is often the easy part of the fitness business. Selling can be intimidating, and canned pitches can sound phony and insincere. W.I.T.S. has the tools and support you need to become a sales whiz-kid. Check out the following online continuing education courses from our Fitness Business Institute: Practical Sales Techniques for Personal Trainers; Promotion and Sales Basics; Fitness Management Certification. These courses and dozens of others are available now to help you make your business boom!
References and Credits
The Brooks Group: Understanding Your Prospect’s Needs

http://www.brooksgroup.com/free-sales-resources/training-articles/understanding-prospects-needs/

Inc.: Five Simple Strategies to Sell Successfully

http://www.inc.com/vanessa-merit-nornberg/sell-successfully-five-simple-strategies.html

The Side Road: Sales Questioning Techniques to Use with your Prospects

http://www.sideroad.com/Sales_Techniques/sales-questions.html

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