Note from Rachel

I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and a well earned rest. As we start to slowly get motivated and ready to hit 2012 I have put together a newsletter full of marketing, writing and  advertising that I hope will spur you on your marketing way. As always I would love your feedback via email Twitter or Facebook. I’ve also uploaded tons of new videos this week and you will find brand new content and ideas.

New Downloads

My favourite Tough Abs and Core Exercises Click here to view

Active Seniors 20  Click here to view

Functional Conditioning TBC Matrix Click here to view

Fast and Furious Hi Impact Click here to view

Rocking Intermediate Step Click here to view

The best way to view all of the new videos is by using a FireFox browser. If you download FireFox it’s free you will be able to view the videos in the best quality.

The Fitness Pilates VIP Club – Calling all Fitness Pilates Instructors

This is a new membership section of Choreographytogo for anyone who has qualified in Fitness Pilates  with myself, Kelly and Marv over the last 11 years. Every month you get exclusive videos, downloads, lesson plans, new logos and branding all for only £9.97 per month + VAT. To read all about the FP VIP club and join up click here

2 Day Fitness Pilates in Derby – 1 place here 31st March & 1st April in Derby Click here to book online

Fitness Pilates – The Next Level with Rachel Holmes Fitness Pilates continues its growth  as there is  more  demand for training and certification courses. As regular readers know ,I tour a new Fitness Pilates Updates Workshop annually from Jan to April and 2012 is going to be bigger and better than ever. I am so excited to be launching the brand new workshop for 2012The Tour is 11 dates running through most UK regions. If you would like to grab a spot you can book on Click here to book online Some venues are now sold out only places on selected venues now available.

Super Seniors2012 with Kelly Reed - Kelly has been brainstorming exciting new ideas for your Seniors classes including a whole seated session as we know so many of you teach seated classes and are dying for new material. Check out Kelly’s  workshop information click here Again many venues are sold out places on selected venues only.

Defining Your Target Customer

I received an email  from Sarah and I wanted to share it with you as I have had several emails on the subject :

“All the feedback you seem to get and give about community classes is of full  classes – how soon did that happen?  I just don’t know whether I should expect my classes to just build up slowly but surely each time I advertise or what.  I just seem to get a lot of responses every time I advertise, but then people don’t end up making it to the class.  I’ve tried pre-booking and paying as you go, but I just have the same core few coming along.  I did a taster session a few months ago and didn’t get any new people along! It’s only been 8 weeks, so I’m not too worried, I just am unsure whether I’m doing anything  wrong (I’ve been following your advice as much as possible) or whether in  reality most people start out with low numbers (I’ve got about 10) and build up.  Any help or advice would be gratefully received” Sarah

A question and comment many of you have emailed me is to say you have advertised your classes and have found the response to be poor or even non existent. Let’s say you  teach an LBT class. You put 1 advert in a local paper and post flyers through doors. Then you wait for calls and go along to the class the following week and……………………………..NOTHING …………………..NO ONE COMES Why?

One of the reasons could be that you failed to define your customers. If you advertise an exercise to music class who are your perspective customers? As yourself these questions

1. Who do you want to come- what sort of person is your class geared to?

Is it women?  YES then is it for beginners, new to exercise, overweight, middle aged, fit, primetime, back problems, shy, unfit, uncoordinated, disillusioned gym goers, retired people, commuters….WHO is your class aimed at?

DEFINE YOUR CUSTOMER – don’ t be too general – be specific.

2. What age group is the class aimed at

3 What social demographic?   i.e Young mums, teenagers, sports people, athletes, overweight, beginners, advanced, Wealthy, Marital status, hobbies, Interests, Older adults,

Then decide what your target audience read:

Local paper, local magazine, village newsletter,

And where they go:

Hairdressers, nail bars, Sunbed  shops, Doctors, Dentists, Sainsburys, Asda, Post office, boutiques etc

If you spend money on advertising and marketing before you’ve defined your customers, you will  be wasting your marketing money.

Get to know everything you possibly can about your potential customers. Consider who exactly you would like to respond to your adverts What is their education level? Marital status? Hobbies? What problems do they have that your product or service can solve?

Try to visualise your ideal customer in detail, what he or she thinks, does and wants. If you can’t get a clear idea in your head of who this person is, research your target market until you can make decisions like how, where and when to advertise. I think 10 is an OK number of people in a class – if it pays you more than a health club or leisure centre then it has to be worth it…The tighter you can define your niche or your target customer the better you can target your advertising and therefore target the right customers.

I received this from Susan

16 Ways To Increase The Pulling Power of Your Adverts and how to Advertise your community classes for 2012.

If you’re re-building an engine, doing your taxes or baking a cake, you follow a set process and everything happens in a certain order. It’s the same with advertising. Great copywriting is about knowing who your prospect is, what they need, what they REALLY want and how your product or service will give it to them .

Like any piece of written material your ad should have a title, a beginning, a middle and an end. You have a split second to grab their attention and hold it. That’s what the headline is for – to arouse their curiosity, get their attention, lure them with exciting, very specific benefits and get them hooked enough to want to spend time reading your ad.

The next most important part of your copy is the opening. It needs to be as punchy and attention grabbing as the headline. It needs to be powerful enough to make your reader want to read on. The minute your copy becomes boring  your reader will switch off. The key is to make each paragraph exciting enough to make your reader want to read on to the next paragraph.

Make each paragraph flow onto the next and identify more and more benefits that specifically relate to your prospect.

And finally, the ending must have a climax and then a specific ending where you ask for the order.

Here are some specific tips that help you do that:

1. Know your objectives. What is the objective of the class?
How many enquiries do you want? How many people can you handle in a class?

2. Remember advertising is salesmanship in print and remember that the more you tell, the more you sell.

3. Always ensure your promotional efforts are measurable so you know exactly how much “bang” you’re getting for your buck.

4. Use a headline that flags your reader down based on who they are or what their interests are

5. Identify with their problem or need.
e.g. “Do you suffer from back pain”  Advertising Pilates class

“Is your body stiff, tight and tense” Advertising a Yoga class or stretch class

“Do you feel fat, bloated and sluggish after Christmas” Advertising an LBT class

“Daren’t get on the scales after Christmas” Advertising a new Bootcamp

Or something as simple as:
“Do you need to tone up and strengthen your body” Advertising a body conditioning class
“Do you need to loose a few pounds…gently” A beginners low impact aerobic class

6. Hint at a solution.
e.g. “Now there’s a safe and effective exercise class to…………………”

7. Explain how you’re going to solve their problem.
e.g. “A brand new low impact aerobics class that is simple and easy to follow that that will help you burn calories, get fitter and lose weight”
” A gentle Yoga class which will strengthen and lengthen the tight muscles in your body”
“Using  appropriate weights and dumbbells for you to shape, tone and improve the appearance of your body”

8. Show them proof by giving specific results, mentioning testimonials and mentioning a guarantee. This dissolves
scepticism and therefore lowers the barriers in coming to your class.

“After having not having exercised for years and not finding a suitable class for beginners, Carole attended Rachel’s Low Impact  Aerobic class and dropped a dress size in 6 weeks” Says Carole (45).
By adding a testimonial and including a name and age you are telling the reader that Carole who hasn’t exercised for years and is 45 (I used 45 as this is roughly the age group I want to target) lost a dress size, other readers of the same demographic will identify with Carole and this will motivate them to come along. As we all know this is an achievable goal and for a beginner starting a class, rather than focuses on weight focus on shape change.

10. Articulate your “point of difference” … what sets you apart from your competitors.

11. Offer free information, or free gift, for all newcomers.

12. Put in a reference number to make testing and measuring easier. Having the reader made aware they should quote the reference number when they call for information helps you workout the effectiveness of the advert.

13. The layout must be (first and foremost) easy to read.

14. Always save copies of your adverts, with date and cost examine the  ads that have worked best for you to see if you can distinguish a common theme in them.

15. Get some headshots taken of yourself – prospective customers like to see you before they attend class and newspapers  are more likely to print your press release if you include a good picture.

Hope that helps write adverts that attract your target market.

5 Fitness Marketing Strategies Guaranteed To Sky Rocket Your
Income.”

=====================
Strategy #1 – Focus!
=====================

One of the most important things you can ever do when it comes to marketing and advertising is to focus.  So many businesses spend (actually waste) thousands of pounds each year with marketing that is too general.
For example, if you work primarily with women then your marketing should be targeted towards women.  As simple as this is, so many fitness instructors and personal trainers are guilty of not using focus, or targeted advertising / marketing.
This doesn’t mean you can’t work with other people, it just means target your marketing and promotional efforts towards the specific type of client (your “ideal” client”) you are trying to reach.   Unless, of course, your target is mainly men

The most successful (profitable) businesses out there use targeted marketing.  Yes, lots of businesses talk about it, but few really know what it means.

Don’t try to be all things to all people. Become a specialist.  People are always looking for a specific solution to a specific problem… not a general solution that might be for them.
Think about ways that you can better target your ‘ideal” client with a fitness marketing message that is sure to get them to take action.
Focus, in my opinion, is by far one of the most important factors when it comes to successful marketing and having a profitable business!

=============================
Strategy # 2 – Sell BENEFITS… Not features!
=============================

Grab a copy of your local paper and look at a some of the ads. How many of them make you want to call or buy (take action)?  Probably not many, if any at all!

Why? Most businesses market and advertise their features.  People don’t care at all about features! And your potential clients don’t care about how many certifications you have or how often you work out.

What they really want to know is: WIIFM – What’s In It For Me?
So, if you want your marketing and advertising to be effective you need to emphasise BENEFITS.  Why should they call you? How are they going to benefit from using your service? Why should they come to YOUR class?

These are questions you need to answer in your marketing. Again, another very simple strategy yet so few people or businesses utilise it.
Don’t blindly follow the herd when it comes to fitness marketing and advertising. Your marketing should be designed to get your ‘ideal” client to take action:

So start brain storming … what does your ideal client want? What are they really trying to achieve?  Then find ways to show them that you can solve their problem.
Well, test different types of benefits and see which ones appeal to your market the most.
============================
Strategy #3 – Direct Response Marketing
============================

This is what causes hundreds of businesses to fail each year. When marketing your business you need to give your potential clients a reason to act.

You can’t just run an ad in your local paper and expect to receive hundreds of calls. Make sure that all of your marketing is designed to make the individual take action.  It could be calling you to book in for the class or visiting your website, whatever you decide.

This is especially important when you are utilising expensive marketing strategies like ads, mailings, etc.
So think about what your ideal client really wants, tell them how you can give it to them, and then ask them to take action!

Direct response marketing is critical when it comes to the marketing of fitness services and programs.  People are very sceptical and you need to give them many reasons (BENEFITS) why they should call you or attend your class.

=======================
Strategy #4 – Your Database
=======================

This is the most overlooked, yet extremely powerful marketing tool there is! So many businesses fail to harness the power it has to offer.
Let me ask you a question. Have you ever bought a pair of shoes? I imagine you have, so now let me ask you a second question.
After buying those shoes did you ever receive a follow-up phone call, email, postcard, or letter?  Most likely you haven’t … that’s because most businesses are neglecting their most valuable asset… their customer database!  Think about it, how happy would you be if after you  bought your last pair of shoes you received an email or postcard asking you how much you like your new shoes.
Wouldn’t you go back to that same store for your next pair?
This is true for any and every business.  It may just be done differently depending upon the business.

So, now for the most important question of all…
Do you have a customer database?
If you do, how often are you following up with special offers, free info, etc.?

If you don’t, what are you waiting for?
Your database of past/current clients and customers is your key to maximum profits.  These people have already bought from you, so when you make another sale to them it costs so much less than acquiring a new customer.
Don’t underestimate the power of keeping a detailed database. I’ve written tons of articles about using Mail Chimp and creating a proper database and email marketing strategy.

===============================
Strategy #5 – Endorsed Offers
===============================

This is another strategy that very few fitness professionals are using, yet it can be done very easily and it is more effective than any advertisement you could ever run!

What is an endorsed offer?
Basically, an endorsed offer is simply an associate recommending your product or service to his customers. People are much more responsive to offers from people they already do business with.…
They can be set up in many different ways but the key here is that the response to your offer is going to be significantly higher than an offer to a cold lead or prospect.

Usually, you would split the profits with the endorsed offer partner, but as I said earlier there are so many ways these can be done.

Think about all the people you know of who come in contact with your ideal client. These could be friends, doctor, chiropodist, beautician, family, clients, aromatherapists, physiotherapist, your dentist, your dry cleaner, acupuncturist, etc.

Let them know how beneficial it would be for them to endorse your service or product. Then simply present their customers/ clients with an irresistible offer (on their letter head) and follow up with additional letters and/or phone calls/emails.

This is one of the best ways to get new business, Brainstorm people who come into contact with your ideal client and have a chat with them regarding referrals to your classes, offer them an incentive e.g. free classes or personal training for them.

Quick Fire Marketing Tips from Rachel

1. Send a press release to all local newspapers/magazines/radio stations. Topics could include:

#A new class that you have started and want to promote
#A new certification or course you have attended as an Instructor

Always send a photo and write the press release exactly as you would read it in the paper. Here is a short example

Local Fitness Instructor Rachel Holmes(41) has recently attended the new, cutting edge course training workshop Fitness Pilates.
Fitness Pilates uses the incredibly popular Pilates technique and applies the principles for improving posture, helping back pain and strengthening the abdominal muscles. The exercises are perfect for all levels of fitness as each exercises is performed in a slow and controlled manner.
Pilates is one of the worlds’ most popular exercise trends and Rachel’s class begins on…………………………..If you would like more information please give Rachel a call on …………………or just turn up on the day with a matt and a towel and wear loose, comfortable clothing. Rachel will be running a free taster class and talk on ……… and the Fitness Pilates course begins………To get your invitation to the taster class go to www….

Always accompany any press release with a good photo of yourself.  Invest in having some professional photos done with you in exercise clothing as the newspapers are always inclined to print an article if a nice photo accompanies it.

# Adverts.  Decide on your monthly advertising budget and create a simple advert to go in the local press. Small adverts that you run often definitely work much better than a big adverts once a blue moon.
I always advertise monthly but during Feb will advertise every week for the first 3 weeks of Feb.
Make you advert simple, easy to read with all the information required:
Date, time, venue, parking, what to expect, clothing to wear, bring a matt and a towel, price, EVERYTHING, try and perceive what potential clients will want to know before they arrive so you don’t spend your life answering calls and ringing people back.

#Send invites to your class to local radio DJ’s who may attend and then talk about the class on air. Invite local newspaper journalists, check which journalist writes the women’s features and send invites and passes along to them. Invite local GP’s, physiotherapists, massage therapist, Nail technicians, in fact ,anyone who sees and chats to your target market…WOMEN… as word of mouth is the best form of advertising!

#Take invites and free passes to the local Slimming Clubs. My local weight watchers leader is happy to give out my timetables in return for her attending my classes.

#Give out flyers and passes to mums and toddlers groups, playgroups, nurseries

The secret of effective marketing is to attack from all angles and use lots of different methods of advertising and hopefully January will be a bumper month for you!! Let me know how you are getting on please  Tweet me @RachelHolmes

Why Your Adverts Didn’t bring in 50 new class members-5 Common Problems and Their Quick Fixes by Rachel

Ever run an ad magazine or newspaper and get no response? When this happens, most people are baffled. They blame the publication, mag or paper for the lack of response. But the problem is usually the ad itself.

No one wants to hear that their lack of response is due to the ad they painstakingly crafted. But with a few simple fixes, that ad can pull in new people to class  the way it was supposed to.

Here are a few common ad problems and how to tweak them for maximum selling potential:

1. Your Ad Isn’t Bold Enough. People see literally thousands of ads every day, and half the time they don’t even know they’re seeing them. We are so used to being approached from all angles– television, newspaper, Internet, magazines–that we learn to tune everything out. But once in a while, something gets through the barrier, and that something is usually an ad that shouts to get attention. If it isn’t bold, bright, and active enough to reach out and grab our attention, we simply don’t see it.

Fix: The key is to make your ad bold without being annoying. For instance, if you want to burn your company name into people’s minds, make your logo big and keep the rest a little more subtle. Your unique selling points, class title, benefits  or whatever is most important for people to know, are what you should push the hardest, make the boldest.

2. You class sound Like Everyone else or is the same as other classes in your area. You may offer a product or service that many people want, but your ad doesn’t communicate this because it sounds like all the others. If you can’t let consumers know that you offer something that stands apart from the rest, they don’t care and they wont come.

Fix: Look for a benefit only you provide, or a problem only you can solve. If your class  or service offers nothing entirely unique, highlight something your competitors fail to mention. Is it suitable for beginners, overweight, over 50s, new mums etc

3. You Didn’t Give Your Ad Enough Time. Remember the rule of seven: Seven out of ten of people won’t respond to your ad the first time they see it, so you can’t give up before you give your ad a good run. When you advertise the same ad over and over again, you give the bulk of your audience time to really absorb the message.

Fix: Run the ad over and over again in different mediums: newspapers, local magazine, village newsletters, church newsletters, school news, put the advert on posters and stick them every where Your audience will see you, remember you, think about you, then come to you.

4. Your Ad Worked people came to your class but never come back. Who knows, maybe your ad worked like a charm. Maybe people flocked to your class And maybe when they  tried  the class  it wasn’t for them.

Fix: Make sure the class is doable and enjoyable!! even if the new person struggles create a warm, friendly environment where it doesn’t matter if they can’t do it, or do it wrong, being there and taking part is a massive step for a lot of people make them feel successful. You are always going to have drop outs and those that never come back. Its a fact of our business……get used to it!!

5. You Didn’t Stick to Your Marketing Plan. All successful marketers have a plan; they don’t just wander haphazardly through the world of advertising. Your plan may not work right away, but that is another thing you have to plan for.

Fix: Don’t give up. Just when you’re ready to throw in the towel, that’s when things are likely to turn around. Remember, these things take time. If you follow the guidelines above, response to your ads is inevitable.

When your ad doesn’t bring you the results you hoped for, look for one of the problems above. Don’t give up–just fix the problem and try again. That’s the professional way to advertise your business. Stay with it and you will see professional results.

Going Solo – By Kelly Reed-Banks

Hi Guys

I wanted to let you all know a little bit about the year I’ve had in 2011 – I know most of you know that I got married which was the best day of my life, but I don’t think many of you know that within the same month I also left my full time job to work completely self employed. So July 2011 was possibly the scariest but most brilliant months of the year for me!

I had worked as a full time lecturer & tutor within a further education college in Cambridge for coming up to 5 years in July and I loved it. I loved the hours, the academy I worked for, the team I worked with, my pension & bonus’ & of course the paid holidays, but I was starting to fall out of love with the education system and BTEC. Every year the students seem to become more challenging and less interested in gaining qualifications and more interested in getting their EMA payments for being there and I was struggling to deal with that.

I have always been someone who loves learning, loves gaining new skills and qualifications and this is why I think I took it so personally when the students at college didn’t see the amazing opportunity they were being given.

As you all know I deliver a lot of the courses and workshops for Rachel through Choreography To Go and to spend every weekend with adults who really appreciated every thing you did for them and then to go back into college on a Monday to be completely unappreciated by the students was starting to take its toll.

So I had made the decision that 2011 was going to be my last year working in Full time education – but I had no idea that I would end up leaving my full time job, getting married and going on honeymoon all in the same month!!

I’m going to call it fate as I believe everything happens for a reason and often things are sent to test us so it was actually a blessing in disguise when our department at college was told they would be making redundancies in the summer and if anyone was thinking about leaving then they would be able to take voluntary redundancy. So this is exactly what I did!

Within the last year, I had already started to build my business on the side of working full time, I had gone back into teaching classes every evening at local gyms and also back into the community and my community classes were starting to grow and grow and was making a little name for myself again in Cambridge. I had built my website where I could have a passive income coming in through dvd sales etc. I was working every weekend for Rachel delivering my own tours, workshops, and of course the Pilates courses we run at C2GO so for a long time I was working 7 days a week – long days every day but I knew I had to do this to build up my business in order to be able to leave work at college and actually continue to make money.

So as I lay around the pool in Antigua on our honeymoon my stomach had butterflies, not only for recently becoming a married woman but also not really knowing what would happen once I got home as I had no ‘official’ job. But I can honestly say it was the best decision I have EVER made.

I love being self employed, yes its hard as you don’t know when your next pay cheque is coming in but I budget myself well and have such a variety of different work that I do now -every day is different and if I feel like taking the day off – I will but then understand that I need to work harder then next day.

I have had some brilliant advice from Mr Andrew Crawford who has helped me with all matters being self employed and setting up different things that have helped increase my business. I listen a lot to Rachel – all her Webinars & news letters about what works and what doesn’t and this has all been so helpful! – I am very choosey about who I take advice from – If they haven’t done it themselves or have built their own successful business then I don’t listen.

We are currently in the process of hopefully opening our own Fitness Studio in the village we live in, which will run not only adult fitness classes but also a children’s dance school which is mine & Jay’s ultimate dream. We never could have done this (or have the opportunity come about) if I hadn’t changed my job and stop working full time for college.

So you might be thinking well why is she telling us all this – nice story Kelly, but what’s the point? – I know that this time of year makes you re-address what you are doing, your career and your goals (It was over Christmas last year that I made the decision that this year would be my last at college). So if your thinking about making a change – DO IT!!!

I am not saying ‘LEAVE YOUR JOBS AND COPY ME’ at all, but what I am saying is that sometime you have to get rid of certain things in your life (eg. a toxic job) in order to make room for something new and exciting (eg. your own fitness studio) to come your way and if you are unhappy doing something, then change it.

If I can do it anyone can! as I have always been totally scared of big change – I love security and knowing how much money is coming in and how much goes out – but I didn’t love the job that did this anymore so I had to make the change.

Let 2012 be the year for you! Do what makes you happy and get rid of the stuff that doesn’t – I did and haven’t looked back since!

Much Love Kelly xx www.kellyreedfitness.com

*Tips for exhibiting at a Baby Show (Part 2) by Claire Mockridge

Hi there everyone,

I trust you enjoyed my article last week about preparing to exhibit at a Baby Show, and I hope it gave you some encouragement to do some research into bump and baby Shows held locally.  If you’re an Ante/Postnatal Instructor, or looking at qualifying in this field sometime in 2012, you’ll definitely benefit from promoting your classes and services at a local Baby and Toddler Event, or similar.  You might think these Shows are expensive, but I always make the cost of the stall back either at the Event itself, or within a month or so afterwards.

Today’s article is the second in a series of 3 articles.  Last week I talked about preparing for a Baby Show, and today I’ll talk about things to do AT the Show and I’ve listed what you need to ensure you’re doing on the day of the Show to make it a success for you and your business:

-Arrive early to allow time to arrange your stall and display.  Because I’ve been to a lot of shows over the years, I can, at a push, get my stall ready in 10-15 minutes if I’ve done most of the preparation the night before, but, ideally you want to allow around 30-40 minutes to ensure you have all of your leaflets/products laid out nicely.

-Take a couple of photos of your stall using your camera, and ask a fellow stall holder to take a photo of you and your stall on your phone.  What should you do with this photo?  Immediately share it on your Facebook profile, Facebook Pages and Twitter, of course, so your clients are reminded of where you are for the day and that the Baby Show is on.  If you’re friends with other bump and baby businesses on Social Media, chances are, they’ll see your photo, and will be reminded of your services too.

-Another Social Media tool to use is www.foursquare.com which allows you to “check in” at a business/event/location, and also tag yourself and others around you.  If you haven’t used it before, have a play around with it before the Show when you’re somewhere with friends, so you know how to use it on the day and check yourself in, so people know your location.

-Once you’re happy with your Stall set up, and if you have any time before the Show opens, have a quick wander around the other rooms and floor levels etc to see who else is exhibiting and what the other displays look like.  You may not be 100% happy with your stall this year as it might be your first experience of one, but by looking at other companies’ tables, it will give you some ideas for next year, so take some photos (with their permission first, of course), so you can use them in the future.  Perhaps you’ve already come into contact with a Stall holder via email, but never met them face-to-face, so introduce yourself quickly, and say which stall number you’re at, and invite them to come and find you later on, when it’s a bit quieter.

-If you’re doing a Regional Show which could get bumps and babies from lots of neighbouring counties, do some research to see what pre/postnatal exercise classes already exist.  Personally, I never see other Ante/Postnatal classes as competition to me because I already have a strong brand locally.  If you know an Instructor who operates in a neighbouring county to you and they’re not exhibiting at the Show, make sure you have their website/phone number to hand, because chances are, someone will be really interested in your services, but they’re not from your county.  It makes you more of a professional if you can refer someone to a class local to them, if you see what I mean?  A good starting point if you’re not aware of other Pre/Postnatal Instructors is www.postnatalexercise.co.uk – The Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors who lists qualified Instructors nationally.

-On the day of the Show, set yourself a target eg getting 50 email addresses, and/or selling 15 DVDs or whatever.  You want to be focussed on something throughout the day.  Don’t get too despondent if you don’t reach the target though, as this will very much depend on where your stall is positioned; the amount of foot traffic coming through; and sometimes, the weather or other local events that are also happening.

-If you’ve sold DVDs/worksheets to ladies at the Show, make sure you take their name and email address, so you can get in contact/get some feedback from them.  The simplest way to do this is to enter their name in your Prize Draw, and make a note that they purchased your DVD/worksheet etc.  If they’re pregnant, at some point, they may be interested in your postnatal DVD/worksheet etc, so you don’t want to lose contact with them after they’re purchased from you.

-Be prepared for busy and quiet periods.  Generally, the majority of foot traffic comes through in the morning eg between 11am-1pm.  So, if you can’t find a helper for the full opening hours of the show, ask them if they’d help you out just for the busy period.

-During the afternoon slump, you could use this period to network with other stall holders, and take time away from your stall to have a wander around the Show, have a chat with the other stall holders, get a feel for what they do, what their products are, and if there’s any cross-marketing opportunities.

-Make sure you get a copy of the guide that you advertised in before you leave the building.  This is really important.  Even if you didn’t advertise in the show guide, you definitely want to keep this booklet for future reference, and I’ll explain why in next week’s article.

To connect with me in the meantime, find me here:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/clairemockridge

Facebook: www.facebook.com/clairemockridge1

Blog: www.clairemockridge/wordpress.com

Join Claire’s new Facebook Group

Claire Mockridge

Sally Ghafoor – Get Health Savvy

Marvin Burton
www.fitness-retreat.co.uk

Hi all. Assuming you accidentally ate all of the wrong things, drank a load of things you shouldn’t have and feel like rubbish. Then how about I share with you the things I would do if I was you.
I’m not because I did all of the right things. Ha ha.
Marvin’s top 10 ways of getting back on track.

1. Each morning start the day with boiled water and the juice of an entire lemon. Give your liver a helping hand.

2. Stop eating gluten. It’s not good for you-simple

3. Caffeine (if any) should be before 12pm. Nothing after. Better still give up and stop overloading your digestive system with irritating substances

4. Get a good whole body strength programme going. Including dead lifts, pull up’s, bench and leg press.  Muscle will help your immune system. 40 minutes max duration.

5. Step away from tap’s. Water is filtered only. Glass bottles or BPA free.

6. No snacking on sugar. That includes foods that have a high glycemic load as well as index. Bananas, grapes, fruit juice, baked beans (these are not so obvious so here is a helping hand)

7. Spend longer in the sun and fresh air.  Indulge in vitamin D. Your probably deficient anyway.

8. Get your body clock back to normal. Even if your not at work, get up at the same time and enjoy the extra time being awake and alive, not asleep or dead.

9. Spend longer stretching and getting your Thoracic, hips and feet as mobile as possible. Hopefully you know that when people feel better they are usually instantly happier. “Feel good, look good”

10. Book something you need to work towards. Have you noticed the increase in holiday adverts on TV at the moment. That’s because people book sunny holidays when they feel most depressed! January. Cold, Christmas done, feeling fat.

Get motivated. Your the leader! Start the movement don’t be apart of the drag.
Marvin Burton
Innovation Director – The Fitness Retreat www.fitness-retreat.co.uk
Marvin Burton
www.fitness-retreat.co.uk

Have a Fantastic Week and Fantastic New Year

Love Rachel