Quite often the answer to increasing your client base is right in front of you. If you have managed to get off the mark in getting a client to invest in your services, then why not use this existing network to get more? Simply ask…
“WHERE ELSE DO YOU GO?”
You see, by simply finding out what other services they use, it can be a great funnelling system to find new customers. Using this information gives you a great opportunity to build a referral network that can take your PT business to a whole new level.
“BUILD A REFERRAL NETWORK”
The aim here is to build a network of business that literally does your job for you. Examples may include:
-
Physiotherapists
- Health food shops
- Hairdressers/Barbers
- Beauticians
- Massage therapists
Basically any business that is a good fit for yours. Use these avenues and cross promote each other. Do not make the mistake of leaving your business cards at the reception, and hoping clients will notice them. I have seen this mistake being made quiet often. People want social proof, in other words, they want to hear it from somebody whose opinion they value; none better than the service provider.
“PUT IN A REFERRAL SYSTEM THAT WORKS”
This is vital to making cross promotion work. When you do approach other businesses, be mindful that the first thing that will pop into their heads is “what’s in it for me?”
Therefore you should have a clear strategy in place that both of you can benefit from. The following are some of my favourites:
“CLIENT OF THE MONTH”
This is where both networks reward their “client of the month” with a great offer, for example, the local beauticians may award theirs with a £50 voucher of guess what…? Personal Training! And you may award yours with a voucher from the beauticians – Cross promotion at its best.
Granted you may give a little bit of your service for free, or discounted, but the possible return of a long term booking soon beats it.
“DIRECT EMAIL MARKETING”
A simple, but very effective email strategy whereby both you and the partner business exchange your customer email addresses and put an exclusive offer on just for them. (Make sure you get consent from your clients). Ensure the offer is exclusive to both sets of clients and not something that any average Joe can get.
“JOINT WORKSHOP”
Another relatively easy set up where you present a free taster of each your services in a local function room. This allows you both to showcase your services to a wide audience for little input and of course gets “eyeballs” on your business.
There you have it, the above strategies, used correctly, can fast track new clients towards your business consistently.
Note: Monitor the numbers of who is referring and who is not. Do not waste effort on those that are not referring.
Bottom Line: A strong network of businesses that actively promote yours can be a very lucrative strategy. All good businesses affiliate with others, and yours should be no different. Make a list of potential businesses that you could affiliate yours with. Approach the owners with a detailed referral system as mentioned above, and get the ball rolling.
Do you want to become a personal trainer? With the help of The Training Room you could become a PT faster than you think!