Latest Newsletter
Hello and welcome to the choreographytogo Instructor Newsletter. This is a free weekly resource that I designed nearly 8 years ago years ago to provide support, ideas and back up for all Instructors and Personal Trainers. I love to receive your feedback, so if you do have any comments or would like to contribute in any way please email lesley@choreographytogo.com or please use the very lively forum.
For website/membership/course bookings and general admin email Lesley@choreographytogo.com or call the C2Go office 07854 739285
Rachel Holmes' News and Updates.
This week's newsletter is all about marketing yourself, your brand and your classes. Also, revisit your goals. This week spring is in the air and it's time to have a rethink about what you have achieved and the things you want to achieve this week, this month and this year. Keep adding to your goal/ideas book.
I only have a few places left on the majority of the Fitness Pilates certification course, so if you want to qualify on these special fast track days then don't delay. Here's the link to all of the details click here for more information and all of the NVQ Level 3 Pilates Qualifications are up and on the site for booking click here to view.
In the pipeline Jo Parry and I are running Freestyle Fitness Fusion Choreography days, details of which will hit your mailbox on Sunday, PLUS Kelly Reed will be running the all new Aqua Choreographytogo Workshop, plus Marvin Burton has a new workshop called Back 2 Education, which will be a 1/2 day seminar on Back care/Information/Workouts/Functional Back Anatomy.
How to become a Presenter - Planning your own local Master class Event by Rachel
I get lots and lots of emails from Instructors wanting to make a name on the presenting circuit. So here are some tips and ideas you may want to try.
The first steps to becoming a national presenter are to build your profile on a local level. Organising a master class event or a master class series in your area should start to do just that. Film the event and post clips on all social media sites, writing articles and posting them on your own website and on Facebook also helps build your credibility. Jayne Nicholls asked Paul Mort to do a tour for her because of his knowledge and he had built up an amazing following on Facebook in his local area. So take a leaf out of Paul's book and start to build your profile and brand and organise local masterclass days. Convention organisers can also see you on video and invite you to present for their events.
Choose a topic that will motivate enthusiasts, club members and Instructors.
Ideas
Bootcamp
Fatloss
Pilates/Yoga
Salsa Style Class
Street Dance
Sports Training Workout
70's Workout
Disco Workout
It has to be something different, a class that you don't teach in the week, something that people will want to try.
2. Set the date and time
If it's being held in your local club - get members to bring guests and non members
3. Create your marketing material
Create stylish posters and flyers and email to everyone on your email list and mail out to your database. (All presenters are constantly trying to build their own database so always ask people for contact details) Use Facebook/Youtube/Twitter and your own Blog and website to promote
4. Send a sponsorship letter to potential sponsors
Target local businesses in your area and email a letter to them asking them to sponsor your flyers and marketing material in exchange for promotion. E.G. Local sports shop, local restaurant, takeaways, women's clothes shop etc
5. Practice, Practice and then practice some more
Your teaching skills should be rehearsed and impeccable
6. Send press releases to all local press and take photos on the day to send press releases to all Fitness magazines
7. Decide whether you would like to make the event a freebie for publicity or charge - All presenters when they start do many things for free to build up a name
On the Day
1. Welcome everyone personally as they register
2. Give away a registration pack containing your information, how to book you for another event, your biography and contact details
3. After the class thank everyone and tell them about the next event you have planned.
4. Make sure you film clips of the day, get testimonials and put on your facebook profile
The industry needs more new presenters with new ideas, so if you think you have what it takes...........
I'm taking it easy on you guys this week and giving you 5 killer bits of fitness business info – in fact these can be applied to any business anywhere. THEY WORK :-)
1. Don't Forget to Sell Sell Sell. You’ve worked so hard to make sure you have a website that converts, qualified traffic getting to your site, building your list, and improving the quality of your classes and sessions, that you forgot about one of the most golden methods of bringing people in the door and getting them hooked on you —- selling to them in person! No website or phone script can sell your boot camps/classes/PT sessions the way that you can- with passion and zest and UMPH! You need to physically get more people in front of you…
** Remember that just because you train in groups, don’t forget to sell on the individual level.
2. Numbers, Numbers, Numbers. Your business may be "killing it" or "doing great", but what exactly does that mean? If you don’t know actual numbers you’re officially nowhere. What's your average customer value? What's your prospect to client conversion rate? What traffic is your website getting? Where is the traffic coming from ? What's your average customer acquisition cost. Fit pros get slammed all the time for being ‘meatheads’ or ‘dumb Jane Fondas’ – let's not prove them right by not knowing our numbers. Get a grip on that calculator and start keeping track! Then you can test, measure and improve all the time meaning more business, more money more time.
3. Plan your day in 15 minute timeslots. How many times have you gone to complete a task and then found yourself magically looking at facebook, reading and returning emails, or updating yourself on whether Britney Spears is fat or skinny this week? Most entrepreneurs are like little kids in a way– we get fascinated and taken off course by the next shiny thing. One way to stay on track is to give yourself a track to stay on instead of haphazardly trying to get through a bunch of tasks in one day. Chunk out your day according to different tasks. One chunk might be geared towards emails and customer service. Another chunk might be content creation like blog posts and emails. You might have a chunk for your workouts or family time or whatever else you do in your day. The important thing is to set specific times for specific tasks and concentrate with laser focus on them all. Whoever said multi-tasking is the way to go was probably not very good at any one particular thing. Our minds are meant to focus on one thing at a time. Schedule your time and stick to it. You won't be sorry.
4. Have Systems for Everything. One way to systematize your business is to make sure that you are consistently doing it the same way every time. And I have to admit this is one I really need to get a grip with in my own business – I'm working on it but any time one of you fancies dropping me an email to remind me to get those systems going it would be appreciated. Have a system for enrolling new clients, taking parqs, and most importantly a proper system for taking money.
5. Help Others Get What They Want, and You Will Get What You Want. — Brian Tracey.
This one speaks for itself and is something that I'm proud to say I think most of us in the fitness industry live by. We’re helpers by nature. If you haven’t checked out anything by Brian Tracy the guys an absolute legend – google him and learn.
That’s it from me this week, no tough love but I did want to say a big CONGRATS to Becky Cartledge who won the mentoring competition I ran a few weeks ago. Becky is starting a mentoring program with me next week to launch her Boo’s Blitz company (which is gonna smash it I assure you) and take her fitness income to a whole new level. We’ll keep you updated with her progress!
See ya Lucy
Ps. Keep an eye out for my new online brand, Rockstar Fitness Marketing, which is launching this month. There’ll be a ton of great info for PTs, studio owners and class instructors wanting to make a serious 6 figure income from fitness and live like Fitness Rockstars. YEAAHHH!
More Killer Fitness Class ideas By Rachel
If you are an avid reader of the Choreographytogo newsletter you will know how passionate I am about promoting yourself and your business through writing and articles. We all know that it is such a hard life teaching 15 plus classes a week; the key is to ensure the classes you teach are as busy as possible (and are in the community) and that you have other revenue streams. The information business is a massive growth area and you as a fitness expert are in possession of some great health and fitness information
My number 1 killer idea to promote your fitness business is writing short fitness related articles to put on your website, send to the local press, make up an ebook, publish your own book. Create your own line of Health, Fitness, Exercise and Diet information products. Or use your articles to promote yourself as an expert.
Number 2. Get a website to promote yourself, your classes and your business. We will be launching the Easy Fitness website again very soon.
Number 3. Diversify your teaching. Teaching in rented rooms in the community is the best way to earn a living from teaching. In 2009/2010 Aerobics and Step unfortunately don’t seem to be cutting it in the community any more. Thriving community classes in this climate appear to be Fitness Pilates, Bootcamps,Body Conditioning, Legs Bums and Tums, Freestyle Fitness Yoga, Dance classes like Chair Dance/Cheerleading/Bollywood also go well.
It’s time you became a Health and Fitness Expert by Rachel
There's one
marketing condition I see over and over with Fitness Instructors , and it's
called "but-I'm-not-an-expert-itis". These people are afraid to play bigger
because they think it's not their time yet. (The important words there being
"they think".) They're waiting for something to happen - a degree, a
certification, a blessing from the gods in the industry, a recognized nod from
their respected peers.
Please listen carefully: This attitude will kill your business and take years
off your life! It's VERY important to position yourself from the get-go as an
expert in what you do.
Why do you want to be seen as an expert? Experts are more respected, get media
attention, can market more easily and inexpensively, get paid more, and receive
less price resistance (meaning people are happier to pay what you ask).
So, instead of waiting for someone to invite you to the top of the mountain, I
urge you to simply "leap frog" your way to the top.
You are an expert in your area!!! You are a fully qualified Fitness Instructor
with a wide knowledge on so may different health and fitness topics – so use
this fact in your marketing and gain respect in your area
In fact, here are
a few points I would like to make to you if you are expressing doubt about your
"qualifications" to sell information, programmes, classes, or services and
charge well for them.
In the eyes of your prospects, clients, customers, and
the media, you're seen as an expert if...
1. You Know More About Your Topic Than Your Target Market
Does
2. You've Done What You're Teaching Others to Do
3. You've Been Quoted on a fitness Topic in the Media
4. You've Written a Book or Articles on the Subject, even
if you only publish them in your own ezine or handout in class
Nothing says "expert" like writing a book or by getting your name "out there"
via articles. When you put a pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and simply
share what you know, no matter how simple the information seems to you, people
instantly view you as an authority figure. All you have to do is put yourself
out there.
5. You SAY You Are the Expert!
Did you know that Muhammad Ali became known as "The Greatest" because Ali
himself said it? Yep -- he just kept saying it, and then eventually so did the
media!
So if you have a good moniker in mind, go for it.
The Bottom Line... It's up to YOU.
Remember this: Your prospects, clients, and customers will virtually always
accept the positioning that YOU choose for yourself and present to others.
So, whatchya waiting for? : )
Newspaper Advertising Checklist for your Community Classes
I have received quite a few emails from you saying that newspaper advertising in your area is extremely expensive and you have sent out lots of press releases that just are not getting into your paper. Here’s what I pay and how I do it, I hope this helps you decide.
I pay £45 plus VAT for a 7 x 2 advert and I run ads in my local paper. Because I advertise regularly the newspaper will feature my press releases and photos. Running the ad regularly brings me new business on a regular basis. I follow up every lead and phone call and save email addresses on my database and email out an information pack to every enquiry.
You have to decide if newspaper advertising is cost effective for you. 1 Ad in the local paper now and again won’t bring in much new business it has to been done on a regular basis to get any kind of response. If newspaper advertising is too expensive then flyers, posters, word of mouth, referral cards, leaflets, promotions, is the only way to get new people into a class or start a class. Many community Instructors, don’t promote enough. If you give out 1000 leaflets only expect a 1% uptake. You need to post out 10,000 leaflets. YOU HAVE TO THINK and PROMOTE ON A MASSIVE SCALE. Have a look on the forum there are loads of great low cost promotional ideas from other C2GO members
- Email out your press releases and photos to all of your local media
- Approach local takeaways, local business with whom you could join up with and do a joint promotion. How many times do you get a take away menu through your door, ask if you can share the cost of printing and put your details in the back of the menu or flyer
- Leave business cards and class timetables everywhere!!!!!
If you have any other ideas that you would like to share then please email me and I can include them in the newsletter.
The Street Sistaz are BACK! By Jo Parry and Nikkie Riozzi
Vibe Cycle/Vibe Stride Update
Hi all,
What a jam packed week.
First of all the Vibe Stride leg of the competition at the David Lloyd Marina in Brighton, was off the hook! All who witnessed and attended will tell you. IF you don’t know anyone who went, then I'll tell you. Awesome is the word. Well done to the 3 Instructors who Vibe Strided themselves into the final....
Hayley Impett from Kent, Cara Webb from Brighton and Clare Marriott from Brighton. Big Congratulations to you all Well Done.
The next leg of the Competition is in my home town of Birmingham in the West Midlands. The club is David Lloyd Shadey Lane in Great Barr. Date Friday 12th March.
IF you have not seen the Keiser M5 Strider or Vibe Stride in action then get there. The Midlands is close to everywhere so don’t miss out.
The Final will take place in the Keiser Head office, Tetbury, Gloucestershire on Wednesday 31st March.
Log onto www.keiser-roadshow.co.uk and register for free and get down to the David Lloyd Club and check it out. To get an advanced heads up on the Striders and Vibe Stride in action get on Facebook and join Vibe Cycle and the Vibe Cycle Group to see. All the juicy write ups are on Bella Higgins Vibe Cycle and www.bellahiggins.com too. So you have no real excuse! Get involved and get educated on the Newest Studio Concept to come out in Years and its FANTASTIC. You will not be disappointed, trust me.
The date to remember is Saturday 22nd May and Sunday 23rd May for the body Power Expo at the NEC both the Keiser M3 Bikes and the Keiser M5 Strider will be in action with Vibe Cycle and Vibe Stride...don’t miss that, it’s going to be the best expo of 2010. Check out www.bodypowerexpo.co.uk have a look.
Hey the Vibe Cycle Feel the Vibe Day in Leeds was simply WOW!!!! All the DW Leeds VIbers rocked and we all had a great time.
My partner in VIBE on the day was Presenter and Tutor Lisa Cuerden. As always she delivered the most awesome set. Well done to you Lisa, Nuff Respect!!!
Extra big shout out to Rachel Tunstall for organising the event. Rachel also had a turn on the Vibe Cycle Forum which was electric to say the least.
The other Forum Instructors were, Kelly Evans of North Wales and Lara Painting of Stevenage. Both girls did an amazing set each and I truly slut you both. Well done and Yes you Vibed us all.
VIBE stands for....V isul I sation mind B ody E uphoria. If you didn’t know, now you know. Love it!!!!
FEEL THE VIBE MASTERCLASS DAYS AND EVENINGS
Friday 19th March. The Manor Squash and Fitness Club Ilkeston Derby. 6 till 8
With Delvin Clarke and Jacquie Toft.
Saturday 20th March at Nuffield Health Club Reading. 12 till 3
With Delvin Clarke and Forum Instructors Anna Marie Fulbrook, Lara Painting Gary Spreadborough and Sarah Hutt.
VIBE CYCLE COURSES
Friday 12th March at Tidworth Garrison Gym, Tidworth. Time 10 till 5
Wednesday 7th April at AES RAF Digby Lincolnshire LN4 3LH
Friday 16th at DW Sports Newton Abbey Belfast
Saturday 24th April DW Sports Bromborough
IF YOU OR YOUR CLUB WANT TO HOST A FEEL THE VIBE DAY OR WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND A VIBE CYCLE COURSE.... DONT HESITATE TO CALL OR EMAIL...
Do it now, don’t miss out. Phone 07976659007 or email enquiries@vibecycle.co.uk the most exciting Indoor Cycling Concept in the WORLD!!!!
Don’t just ride, feel the VIBE....
Freestylers check this out........
If you or your colleagues want a FANTASTIC FREESTYLE EVENT then check out the ChloDel Masterclass day at DW Sports in Gloucester
Date SUNDAY 21ST MARCH. HI LO AND DANCE, 2 WAY TEAM TEACH STEP AND 3 WAY TEAM TEACH STEP.....
Presenters Delvin Clarke, Chloe Robinson and Richard Hawke.
For more details or to book call 07976659007. Check Chloe Robinson on Facebook.
That’s all for now so see you at an event soon. Keep it here next week for more on Vibe Cycle and Stride. As well as the Freestyle events on the horizon.
Feel the Vibe......x
Have a Fantastic week
Love Rachel x