|
Regardless of what profession you are in, it is critical that people believe
that you know what you are talking about! You won't find very many successful
lawyers whose clients never win in court, or popular doctors whose patients are
continually misdiagnosed. This concept obviously applies to personal trainers
as well, and making sure you are viewed as an expert in your field is as
important as having the knowledge to begin with.
It is helpful to be aware of the simple fact that a person's perception is their
reality, even if that perception is incorrect. Let's use the example of the
doctor in the above paragraph. If you heard through personal references that
Dr. John Smith wasn't a very good doctor, the chances that you would ever go
see Dr. Smith are pretty slim. However, do you actually know for a fact that
Dr. Smith is a bad doctor? No - you just have the perception that he is a bad
doctor because that is what you heard. Do you see how your perception is your
reality, and how Dr. Smith is unlikely to be getting any of your business?
Your mission is to make sure that you are always viewed as an expert in your
field! Otherwise you will end up like poor Dr. Smith, and your list of clients
will be short indeed, as will the life of your business. However, if you have
done your job and created the impression that you are an expert in your field,
then the opposite will hold true. People will have "heard" that you know what
you are talking about, and your reputation and your business will grow as a
result. In order to get to this desired end result, three effective ways for
you to build your reputation include media exposure, writing books, articles,
or success tips for your field, and approaching any given situation from a
"position of power".
Media Exposure
The most common ways to get viewed as an expert using media exposure include
news programming on television, magazine and newspaper stories, and radio time.
Each of these methods has one thing in common: mass exposure via a publicly
accepted system of obtaining information.
Consider this point from your own perspective. If you see an interview on the
news, read an article about a company in the newspaper, or hear about a
professional organization on the radio, your natural instinct is to believe
that the company or organization has a firm grip on the ins and outs of their
product or service.
Why do you think that? Is it because the radio program included a long list of
professional references for the company? Is it because the magazine article
listed a passing grade by a professional review board or other certifying
agency qualified to judge the advertised organization?
The answer to those questions is most likely "no". Why then do you believe in
the company's ability to provide the product or service that is discussed? The
answer is simple: because you were exposed to the company via a publicly
accepted system of obtaining information. Whether that system was the six
o'clock news, your local daily paper, or your favorite magazine, chances are
that you believed what you read or heard simply because of WHERE you read or
heard it!
Ideally, all consumers - including professionals such as yourself - would use
other additional methods to determine the qualifications of a company before
purchasing their product or service, but in reality, does that happen very
often? No, not really. Most people believe what they read and what they hear,
and as a Fitness Professional, you can take advantage of that fact. Granted,
you should not profess to be an expert if you aren't, but assuming that you
really do know what you are talking about, use the media to let others know,
too!
Writing Books, Articles, and Success Tips
Comparable to the "expert" status that is afforded a company based on their mass
media exposure, a similar assumed professional status can be taken on by any
company or individual that publishes written works in their field.
Refer back to the power of the mass media that is referenced above, and you will
see a very similar effect generated by published works. If someone writes a
book, publishes articles, or generates a regular flow of "success tips" in any
given field, it is automatically assumed by the reader that the author of the
book, article, or success tip knows what they are talking about.
Is it true that the author is an expert in their field just because they know
how to write or type? Of course not! However, the mass media phenomenon applies
to published written works just as much as it applies to interviews done on the
news, in magazines, or on the radio. The author is assumed to be proficient in
the field that the book, article, or tip discusses, even though there is rarely
indisputable evidence of the writer's expertise included with the written
works.
Again, it is not being suggested that you write books, articles, or success tips
unless you really do hold expert status in your field. However, since the
"assumptions of excellence" apply as much to the written word as to audio and
visual exposure, take advantage of that fact and write as much and as often as
you can!
As a side note, writing is also an excellent way for you to enhance your own
knowledge in your field. Frequently during the process of writing a book or
article, you are called upon to reference the sources of your information, and
gathering that type of information expands your own knowledge, as well as your
understanding of how to find information for similar projects in the future.
Assuming a "Position of Power"
Utilizing a "position of power" is one of the most effective methods of
positioning yourself as an expert in your field. Approaching a situation from a
position of power is simply the art of assuming that whoever you are talking to
already perceives you to be an expert. Remember that a person's perception is
their reality, so as long as the other person believes that you are an expert,
then in their eyes, you are!
For example, let's use the story of a talented personal trainer who is applying
for the position of Director of Fitness Programming at a small but successful
local gym. We will call our imaginary professional Joe Trainer, and we will say
for the record that Joe does indeed hold an effective track record in the
personal training industry. His clients have benefited from his knowledge and
guidance, and he has successfully changed many people's lives in a positive
manner. However, Joe Trainer has never been a "Director of Fitness Programming"
before. Is he qualified for the job?
Let's review Joe's history. He has worked or worked out in dozens of gyms over
the years. Joe has utilized all manner of fitness equipment, from paint cans in
his garage when he was a teenager, all the way up through the most modern
computerized workout machines available in some of today's fitness facilities.
Joe has put together hundreds of different workout programs for hundreds of
different people over the years, and we have already determined that his client
track record is excellent. Joe has also been called upon many times over the
years to recommend fitness equipment purchases to his many clients, including a
cost to benefit ratio analysis (in other words, if the equipment is worth the
money). Joe has also been exposed to many different lines of nutritional
supplements, dietary guidelines, and he has even taken aerobics classes and
yoga from time to time.
Has Joe Trainer ever been a "Director of Fitness Programming" before? No.
However, is Joe Trainer qualified for that position? Most likely yes! However,
now Joe has a dilemma. He has scheduled an interview with the local gym, he
really wants the job, but he is nervous about the fact that he has never really
been a "Director of Fitness Programming" or a director of anything at all, for
that matter. Joe now has 2 choices.
Choice number one is for Joe to go to the interview, ramble on uncontrollably
about the hundreds of clients that he has successfully trained, babble about
how many different gyms he has been in, and go into mindless detail about why
he thinks Supplement A is better than Supplement B.
Do you think Joe will get the job? Let's try a different approach.
Joe mentally prepares for the interview by reviewing the many different ways
that his experience will benefit the facility. He puts together a few examples
of how he successfully recommended or used one type of fitness equipment more
effectively than a different type. Joe puts together mental notes about how
aerobics and group exercise classes have added success to his training programs
over the years, and how incorporating a cross training approach has kept his
clients motivated and continually seeing results from their training programs.
By this point, Joe's confidence in his ability to be a "Director of Fitness
Programming" has increased, and he honestly believes that it is not him who is
being interviewed, but it is he who is interviewing the facility. Joe doesn't
need this job - he has proven his ability to make a living as a personal
trainer dozens of times over the years. He is applying for this position
because he believes that he can be a great asset to the facility, and he wants
to expand his experience in the field. In fact, the facility would be lucky to
have him! For that matter, he may already be considering countering the posted
pay scale with an increase if they want to hire him. After all, he is Joe
Trainer, and his success record speaks for itself!
Now, do you think Joe will get the job? Pretty safe bet.
Is the Joe Trainer in the first example any different than the Joe Trainer using
the second approach? No - we're talking about the same person. What is
different then? Joe's belief in himself - and more importantly - Joe's ability
to show the facility how they would be missing a great opportunity if they
didn't hire him. It is Joe who is interviewing the facility, not the other way
around. Joe assumed a "Position of Power" before he even got to his interview.
He walked out with a new title and a nice salary, an increased confidence in
his own abilities, and the opportunity to mold an entire staff of personal
trainer into successful, results-oriented Fitness Professionals!
This same concept can also be applied when negotiating with potential new
clients. Remember that you are the fitness professional. You are the one with
the knowledge and the experience that the client needs. You are not asking them
to be your clients, but rather you are giving them the opportunity to become
your clients.
Conclusion
As you can see, as Fitness Professionals in the ever-growing field of health and
physical fitness, we have many tools at our disposal when it comes to
positioning ourselves as experts. However, we have an equal amount of
responsibility to not utilize these tools unless we are 100% confident in our
status as experts in our chosen disciplines. Use your knowledge and your tools
wisely and appropriately, and you will see your professional and personal
success grow beyond your wildest dreams!
Aaron
Potts is the author and creator of The Ultimate Complete Personal
Training Business Kit, a quick-start kit and business guide for new
as well as seasoned fitness professionals. Aaron's experience as a
Fitness Professional has included management positions with local
and nationally known fitness facilities, as well as in-home and
outdoor training with clients from all walks of life. Find out more
about Aaron's programs at http://www.completepersonaltrainingbusiness.com
or his personal training site at http://www.aaronspersonaltraining.com
|
