written by john c ashworth, the fitness nomad

If it's not the biggest, it's certainly one of the BIGGEST challenges you face inside your fitness business. And if you don't immediately put in place the systems to rectify this disease, it will infect all aspects of your fitness business and eventually end up killing the host (YOU) and everything you stand for. Infecting every ounce of muscle that is your mission, and leave you feeling unfulfilled, burned out, and just plain tired of the whole damn thing.

"What is it John? I need to know so that I can cure it as soon as possible!"

In the past, I have also called this "The Commoditization of the Fitness Industry." Although, the point I'm making today only represents one aspect of this. As word finally spreads that people MUST be exercising and eating well in order to live well, and live longer more productive happy lives, EVERYONE wants a piece of the action, and if you're not careful, your fitness business simply becomes one more in a long list of options people have when they finally decide to do something about their burgeoning bellies.

What I'm talking about here is the VALUE people place on your services, your programs and YOU and YOUR fitness business as a whole. Because like it or not, regardless of whether or not you have the best product, the best offerings and the best staff in town, unless you perform the careful and diligent work EVERY DAY to ensure that this is in fact how your business is perceived, prospects will continue to devalue your services and you will be left in your office, sitting next to a large pile of stacked up personal training contracts that were NEVER signed and completed, wondering what you did wrong.

Here's a story to help make my point. Another stark example of a mindset that you have to be able to over come in order to be successful in your fitness business. And when I say 'overcome' part of what I mean is learn how to avoid people like this from taking up space in your consultations, and in your fitness business as a whole. When you finally figure this out, it is completely liberating, believe me.

If you have been following my work over the last year, you know that I've been swimming for a portion of my exercise routine for more than a year now. So, this August will be the second time I have to endure a pool closure for two and a half weeks for their annual maintenance. This might not sound like that big of a deal, but the pool has become such an important part of my routine that I have been forced to think carefully about where I will go for that time period for my swimming and warm water exercise. Yes, at fourty four years of age, the body takes a little more maintenance than it used to. Having been an All-American soccer player comes at a price 🙂

Yesterday, I asked one of the swim coaches where she goes to swim during this time period. I was looking for recommendations. And while I won't bore you with her extremely inefficient answer (a value proposition in itself), what I want to point out is the example of that disease I mentioned earlier in full manifestation.

"Well, I know (Club Name) has a Free two week membership you can take advantage of if you tell them that you're interesed in joining their club."

In other words, her go to response is to find me an opportunity where I can take advantage of some other gym's lead generation system in the same way that I'm now warning you that your fitness business will endure if you don't have the right systems in place.

Now, you might say, "John, she's trying to help you by identifying options for this two week time period that won't cost you anything. Shouldn't you be thankful?" NO! I don't care about the money. I want a good place to swim for 2-4 weeks and I'm happy to pay the membership fee. This is business. Her suggestion is annoying on many levels, the main one being her limited mentality as "an employee." Because there is a cost to this other club regardless of whether or not is is free; and the fact that she doesn't value that angers me as a fitness business owner.

I could go on about how it's also a reflection on her and my own gym's perception of value, and how that also makes me question my membership at the current facility, etc. But I
think you're heard enough and I want to get to the main point here.

The BIG message here is that especially until you really hone your marketing message and target it effectively to your niche (and even when you do), you will be almost constantly approached by people with this kind of mindset and belief system. And you really need to be wary of them, because they will suck the life out of you and your fitness business faster than you can imagine. Or, maybe it's happening to you right now...

Now, because I don't want to leave you hanging, I'm gong to offer you a 20 minute telephone call where we can discuss the importance of developing a pre-qualification script and process inside your fitness business so that you can prevent this disease from becoming a cancer that ruins all the fun.

I have three of these 20 minute spots available by phone, and you must reserve one by Friday and it will take place next week at times that I will share with you once you send me an email with the subject line "Disease Prevention."

Have a good day!

-John