American Fitness Professionals & Associates

By Kelli Calabrese MS

Make no mistake, tracking clients successes, is one, if not the best selling too trainers have in their arsenal.

Documenting clients starting points and mile stones is the most compelling evidence of your abilities as a trainer. It’s a way to prove you can help solve your clients problems.

Be diligent in gathering this vital information, including before and after pictures. Results always speak louder than words. Finding the Guinea Pig A great way to kick off your testimonial portfolio is with the Guinea Pig promotion.

First, look for a high profile person in your community like an editor, corporate or political figure, a cable TV show or radio personality, an athletic hopeful, or post office clerk. Also try to select a person who matches the demographics of the clientele you prefer to train (i.e. over weight woman, athlete, child, post natal, etc).

Offer to train the person for a minimum of 6 weeks at a slightly reduced rate, in exchange for testimonials in the form of photos, written statements and possibly even live interviews.

Ensure Success

Begin the program with an orientation on healthful eating, lifestyle tips and guidelines to help maximize results. Complete a comprehensive physical assessment, documenting all levels of fitness and health. If possible, have blood chemistries assessed. Then, take your client’s picture in a bathing suit, with views from the front, side and back.

Note the precise location where you take the photos, marking the floor with tape, so that after photos can be taken in exactly the same spot. Be sure to set specific goals and expectations.

And don’t forget to get a written release from your client allowing you to use their photo and other information for promotional purposes. After the orientation, enlarge the before photos (to life-size if possible) and display them prominently in your facility. This will reinforce your client’s commitment.

Post her stats and goals next to the picture. Use your web site, club newsletter, or any other internal or external media exposure you can to broadcast weekly improvements. Document encouraging statements from your client during her transformation.

When I was the lead fitness expert for eDiets and eFitness, we chose 3 guys to participate in a 9-week transformation program. Thousands of readers checked our site weekly to see how the contestants were progressing. Later, our readers voted on which one achieved the best overall transformation (but we’ll save contests for a future promotion the point is, we got three amazing transformations, heaps of media attention and ultimately memberships).

When your client’s goal date arrives, do a complete reassessment and take after pictures under identical conditions and in the same clothing. In addition to photos and fitness data, get a written statement from your client. Testimonials are best on your clients letterhead, and should include their e-mail address, their town and their occupation. Putting Testimonials to Work Paste photos, stats and testimonials on 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper and slide it into a presentation book with your other testimonials and marketing materials.

Place the book at the front desk of your facility. Make up additional books for your strategic partners (see last month’s column) and keep one with you to showcase at every opportunity. Post testimonial sheets around your facility and be sure to point them out during tours. Use the testimonials on your web site, too, as well as in articles, videos, newsletters, post cards and any direct mailings or promotional materials you create.

Send out media releases along with the pictures to local papers. You may even want to give a name to the workout program i.e. 6-week Midsection Makeover, 8-Week Fat-Burning Program or 12-week Post Natal Transformation.

More Tips for Success

If your client has poor writing skills or is dragging her feet on the written testimonial, interview her and write it up yourself and have her sign off on it. If the client has not achieved the desired results, continue the program for another 6 weeks, using the first after photo as a midpoint.

Don’t limit your testimonials to clients you train in person ask for endorsements from online clients you train or people who have heard you speak or who have bought your products. Use the testimonials in all of your sales presentations. People love to hear stories, and they are convincing. Send monthly testimonials to potential clients and be sure to include a call to action.

Use grabber headlines people can relate to, such as: Mary had no Time; James was a Slave to the Scale; Susie was Afraid to Bulk Up. The phenomenal before and after photos will speak for themselves. Once you get in the habit of acquiring testimonials, bring them everywhere–health fairs, community events, seminars, anywhere you have visibility.

The Payoff

You can get tremendous mileage from this low cost marketing too. Having clients who are walking billboards give you instant credibility. Pictures drive home the benefits in a visible way, and become even more powerful when followed by client quotes stating the benefits in their own words. Testimonials prove that you deliver on your promises, are knowledge, caring and professional.

Kelli is on the Board of Directors for the American Association of Personal Trainers, An Expert Fellow for the National Board of Fitness Examiners, and has attained over 20 fitness and nutrition certifications. Kelli is the co-author of Feminine, Firm and Fit and is available for fitness consulting. She can be reached at Kelli@KelliCalabrese.com. For more details go to www.KelliCalabrese.com