1. It’s Show Time
Treat your fitness boot camp like a show! You’re not teaching a boot camp, you’re giving a friggin performance… Act like the MAIN EVENT
2. Bring the ENERGY!
It’s the difference between a good boot camp and a great boot camp. It’s the difference between your boot camp and the one down the street. Anyone can stand there and count reps.
Pretend you’re on a TV show in front of the nation… And friggin BRING IT!
3. Stay Vertical
Demonstrate exercises without getting on the ground… Not everyone can hear or see you and it takes to long… Plus it sucks when people are standing around so
STAY VERTICAL.
4. Go A.P.E.
Appreciation
Passion
Enthusiasm
Give each and every client MASSIVE appreciation every workout,
Stay passionate by constantly learning new kick butt workouts.
And bring the enthusiasm by linking your boot camp to achieving your life dream.
5. Be the Alpha Male Of The Group (AMOG)
And that means FEMALE instructors too… Yep that’s right…
You’re clients, especially the female ones, naturally follow the AMOG’s. So be the AUTHORITY.
(Tip) Make needless corrections… like telling your clients to move their feet in ½ an inch… Clients will work harder… and get better results… If they’re CONVINCED you’re the AMOG authority!
6. Change Up Your Voice
Don’t just use your same old boot camp voice. Just like music change up your tones.
Ever been in a spin or aerobics class… Same voice… Never changes. (No beano)
Some times you scream like a maniac, then bring it down… Then get in someone’s ear and whisper (you’re gonna kick ass today… I believe in you)
Your not a drill sergeant… You’re a SUPER MOTIVATOR! You’re the best.
7. Make’m Feel Special
Make TONS of eye contact, like your look’n into their soul… Most boot camp instructors don’t do that.
8. Say “Thank You”
I don’t mean a big blanket thank you like, “Thanks everybody, see you next time.”
You need to work it like they just saved your mama’s life. “Thank you so much, I appreciate your work today. YOU ROCKED it! I can’t wait to see you next workout.”
You can’t really say thank you enough. Over-exaggerate it. Not just once a month. Not once a week. Every … single … workout.
9. Referral Mind Control Method
After the close and they officially sign up, it’s time for the Referral Mind Control Method.
This super secret Ninja Technique will get you so many referrals it will blow your friggin mind.
Say this
“Oh Shay, before you leave I forgot to tell you one thing. Ninety percent of my clients come from personal referrals, so make this agreement with me right now. As I help YOU achieve your goals, can I count on you to refer one or two of your friends so that I can achieve my goals, too?”
Now shake her hand and tell her, “We have a deal.”
(Touch her shoulder too…)
Here’s why this works…
When you first meet someone there’s a new neural connection in the brain is formed – and it’s almost unbreakable… Everything that happens on that first day becomes part of that new neural connection.
Now your clients going to be compelled to go out like a robot and refer you TONS boot camp clients with out even knowing why.
10. Remember to KISS
KISS stands for Keep It Super Simple, and it means STAY AWAY from complicated exercises that take forever to explain… They’ll suck the ENERGY right out of your boot camp.
11. Theme Your Workouts
Give a motivational theme for each workout like… “Today, the theme is commitment… Even though you’re gonna feel like you can’t… Commit to doing just 1 more… Now high five me if I have your commitment…”
Then use them to motivate your boot campers throughout the workout!
12. Knowing When to Quit
Sometimes a workout seems like a good idea in your head, but it sucks when you do it… When that happens just scrap it and move on…
13. No One Left Behind
Never have people waiting while slower clients finish… Everyone feels uncomfortable.
14. Go-to Exercises
You never want to let your boot camp members see you thinking of what to do next… Weather you’ve been up all night planning the workout or not – Make it look like you did…
Have your “Go-to” exercises to fall back on if you blank out for a second and need a moment to think of what to do next…
15. Don’t take any Sh%t
If you’re clients ever try to correct your count, say… “I was only counting the perfect ones.” Works every time LOL
16 . Burn Out The Big Dudes
If you have some really strong dudes in your boot camp – But you have light weights, burn’em out first.
For example… Have them hit 50 pushups before doing light dumbbell press… or have them hold walk 50 yards holding dumbbells at a 90% angle before doing curls.
Kill’em before each exercise… They’ll be putty in your hands.
17. Remember Their Names
One of the key things to having a successful boot camp is to have a deep connection with everyone in your boot camp.
When you first meet a new client.. Make up a name that rhymes… Like, Trim Kim…
18. The In-Class Testimonial
During a workout, you might say, “Shay, what kind of results have you seen. How much weight have you lost?” Maybe she says she’s lost 12 pounds and it’s only been a month. “Awesome job,” you say. “Hey everyone, I just want to say one thing real quick. Shay has already lost 12 pounds this month. Awesome job, Shay.”
That totally pumps up your client and provides social proof to everyone else.
19. Time And Numbers
Always give your clients a time or number of reps… They’ll work A LOT harde
20. DON’T Have Boot Camps that Have Beginning and End Dates
If you have a boot camp that has a beginning date and an ending date, then you don’t allow people to join when they want to join, and that’s when they’re hot and bothered and ready to go. That means you’re going to really significantly cut your income.
Also, having boot camps that end and then have something like a two-week break is really is going to hurt the amount of people who come back, because they’re going to have to sign up all over again. It’s too easy in those two weeks – or even on week – to get out of the routine and not come back, which puts you in a position of constantly having to recruit new clients.
A HUGE mistake is having a beginning or an ending to your boot camp. Do not do that. They should be ongoing, auto-debit continuity programs.
(If you want to take breaks… Have other trainers teach your boot camps like in the Fit Body Boot Camp Model)
21. Use Auto Debit (EFT)
Do you want to be a bill collector??? Nuff said.
22. Showing Up Late
Don’t ever, ever, ever show up late.
Ever.
23. Set Goals
If you just get up in the morning and train at a boot camp because you have clients there, that’s the worst reason.
You definitely want to set a goal. You want to set multiple goals, even goals that are way off into the future, and you want to link them all back to this one step, which is growing your boot camps. That’s going to take you one step closer to your goals.
So now when you’re teaching your boot camp, you’re not doing something just to do it. You are achieving your life’s dream. Big difference.
24. Have A DIRECT RESPONSE SALES Website
I see so many crappy websites out there, and I just think to myself, “Man, this trainer just wasted about $5,000-$8000 on a website, and it’s not going to make him one dime.”
It looks good, and they probably got a lot of compliments from their friends, but my question is this: “Does it do anything? Does it make your clients buy?”
If the answer to that is “No,” then my question is: “Why the heck do you have it?”
25. Don’t Be A Poser
That’s right, I said, “A Poser.” People don’t go to boot camps because they want to be in the military. They go to boot camps because they want to lose weight.
I see a lot of people who have never been in the military all of a sudden put on camouflage fatigues, a sergeant hat and some combat boots, and now they think they’re suddenly a Marine or something. That’s embarrassing.
26. Take Before And After Pics
27. Get Video Testimonials
28. Have a System for rewarding clients for referrals.
I give my clients half off their next months auto debit for each referral… I tell them to refer me 2 client a month and never pay for boot camp again.
It’s FREE boot camp marketing.
30. Survey Your Clients
Getting direct feed back is one of the best client retention tools… I use surveymonkey.com… It’s free and way easy to use.
31. Give Your Clients Referral Tools
By far the best boot camp marketing referral tool so far is my PLASTIC GIFT CARD.
It looks just like a credit card and I give hundreds of them to my clients to give o their friends.
- Type Contactless : Contactless Read/Write
- Operating Frequency :125 ± 6 kHz
- Capacity :64 bits
- Data Coding Type : Manchester
- Common Usage : Status identification, attendance checking, access control, asset tagging
- Standard Deployment : Wallet size tag with slot for attaching strap
- Tested Read Range : 2 – 15 cm depending on reader
- Multi-Detection : Yes
- Max read quantity :determined by mode tags/sec
- Size Diameter : 85.6×53.98×1.8 mm
- Material :PVC
- Color : White – can be silk screened or offset printed on PVC side
- Weight : 5.8 g ± 0.5g
- Compliance : IC’s TK4100
- Additional Features : Tag can have protected area, password requirements, etc.
Operating Specifications – 125 kHz. ISOThin Card TK4100 Passive
- Waterproof
- Resistance to immersion in salt water, alcohol, oil, 10%HCL
- Ammonia
- Shock
- Vibration
- Temperature:storage at Storge at – 55°C to 100°C, Operating at -40°C to 85°C
Published by Barclaycard, the statistics show that December 23rd was the busiest day for spending on debit and credit cards, with purchases totalling £497 million.
After Christmas, the most activity was seen on December 29th, when collective card purchases amounted to £376 million.
Commenting on the figures, Marc Pettican, head of sales at Barclaycard Global Payment Acceptance, said: “Our retailers have seen an increase in turnover compared to the same period last year with over £4 billion being spent.
“We’ve also seen a stronger post-Christmas performance as shoppers take advantage of the sales discounts and consider the effects of the imminent VAT increase.”
The total turnover on plastic cards between December 19th and 31st was £4,085 million, Barclaycard claimed, marking a 2.4 per cent increase on the same time last year.
Online retailers saw £9.5 million of sales on Christmas Day alone when compared to £8.1 million for December 25th 2008.
These figures, however, will not come as a surprise to many, as the online shopping phenomenon well and truly took over in 2009.
The Online Business Index from eBay recently found that 51 per cent of internet-based companies expect a stronger Christmas in 2009 than last year and therefore ordering more stock.
It discovered that Christmas accounts on average for 19 per cent of annual turnover for online businesses.
Specially decorated Christmas Gift Cards are available now for almost all the types of gift cards there are. About in the middle of November, gift cards start to come out in their Christmas versions. Many people like to give and to get specially decorated Christmas gift cards. This page is full of information about Christmas Gift Cards.
Some say gift cards are impersonal, but cash is even more impersonal! Christmas gift cards have become personalizable, too, with the name of the receiver and even a message. Creative ways to wrap gift cards have blossomed in the last few years, too, from premade gift card holders to custom gift card wrapping. The Starbucks Gift Card comes in twelve different Christmas versions, so fans can collect all twelve. A Christmas gift card is an excuse for the receiver to get something she wouldn’t get for herself.
It is that time of year again already! Assuming you were with your firm this time last year and perhaps for years prior, you have likely developed a comfortable working relationship with your boss and co-workers.
However, the proper office ‘etiquette’ varies with each firm and industry. Each having their own practices and preferences when it comes to Christmas gift exchange policies.
I know some firms prefer to have a nice Christmas Luncheon or Dinner, with no gift exchange, while others enjoy ‘gag’ gift giving. Still others prefer only Christmas cards, or put a cap on the amount to be spent on gifts, if at all. Still others grant personal preference, so it is left up to the individual.
Where gifts are concerned, it can be difficult to know exactly what to get for a co-worker, and most especially, for your boss. In my own experience, I have always felt it was appropriate to give my boss, or bosses, and each of my team members a Christmas card. I think it is also appropriate and important to remember those in other areas of internal firm services, which serve all staff on a daily basis such as, Reception, Mailroom, Printing, Graphics, Accounting, and Office Services Coordinators.
In my humble attempt to be of assistance to those that may be in a quandary as to what would be an appropriate gift for the boss and their team members, I offer the suggestions listed below. I believe that these suggestions are appropriate and within budget, particularly if a ‘group’ gift, and would not be perceived as ‘overly personal’.
Biscotti;
Book – if you know the individual’s tastes well enough;
Box Store Gift Certificate – Canadian Tire, FutureShop, Home Depot, Home Sense, IKEA;
Ceramic Christmas ‘Table’ Decorations – perhaps with lighting, such as a centrepiece, candle holders;
Christmas ‘Tree’ Ornaments;
Coffee Carafe including favourite coffee beans – Starbucks, Blenz, Tim’s;
Coffee Gift Card – Starbucks, Blenz, Tim’s;
Costco Membership;
Dinner ‘for 2’ Gift Certificate – Morton’s, Keg Caesar’s, Joe Fortes, Bridges, Boathouse;
‘High Quality’ Personal Wall Calendars – art, architecture, scenic;
Movie or Theatre Tickets;
Music CD – possibly Christmas CD, if you know the individual’s tastes well enough; and
Parking or Transit Pass.
I hope the ideas above have helped you with your gift selections. Perhaps you can pass along this post to someone you know who needs a little help coming up with some ideas for their own workplace.
Christmas shopping conjures up pictures of crowded shops and malls, packed car parks and public transport. In short utter chaos, with what, sometimes, appears to be the total population on the rampage for that perfect gift. In some respects though this is what Christmas is about for a lot of people. The atmosphere of the season with all the decorations and lights, the children queueing up to see the store Santa and have their photograph taken with that magical figure of Christmas. It is definitely a way to get imbued with the Christmas spirit.
It does have it’s drawbacks though, it can be very stressful and frustrating and whilst I would never avoid venturing into the stores at Christmas if only to soak up some of the atmosphere there is, nowadays, an easier and more efficient way to get your Christmas gift ideas
and actually buy them.
As if you didn’t know I’m talking about online shopping, the good old internet. I guess the title gave it away. The internet gets a pretty bad rap when you hear all the stories about scams and people being ripped off and these do occur and probably will continue to do so the same way pickpockets and other scam artists are always going to be active in the shopping areas and cities at Christmas time.
This makes it all the more important that you only use reputable organisations like Amazon, Overstock, Target and many other big names when you are looking for Christmas shopping ideas. All kinds of large retailers are now seeing an advantage to offering their goods for sale online and you can be sure that organisations such as these are not going to risk their reputations by allowing their customers to be the victims of any kind of fraud.
When checking out on these sites and entering your credit or debit card details look for the ‘lock’ symbol in the status bar of your browser. If you don’t see the status bar at the bottom of your browser screen go into the ‘View’ menu and click on ‘Status Bar’. You should always have the Status Bar visible when you are surfing the net, it provides all kinds of useful information. Also check the address bar. Instead of the usual ‘http;//’ look for ‘https://’ this tells you that it is a secure connection.
Obviously, you need to give yourself enough time for delivery when buying Christmas gifts online. Delivery services, these days are pretty good and you can even order gifts up to the last week before Christmas. Most of the on line retailers will advise you of the estimated delivery time and whether or not it will be delivered in time for the big day.
On the subject of delivery you may be forgiven for thinking that this will make your Christmas shopping more expensive. On the contrary most of the reputable online retailers offer free shipping once you’re over a minimum purchase. Often the minimum purchase is as low as $25. Even if you have to pay for shipping the rates are usually very reasonable. It’s only logical, if retailers are going to charge a lot for shipping they aren’t going to sell much! Oh! and on the subject of costs you will find most of the online retailers very competitive on price.
Another big advantage of shopping online which can be a real lifesaver is when you’ve forgotten someone or just don’t have any idea what to get them. The evergreen giftcard comes to your rescue! You can even buy this on Christmas day itself and have it emailed to the recipient. It won’t appear that you forgot them at all but planned for it to be delivered at the right time. If you are planning ahead with gift cards you can download and print them out or arrange for them to be mailed. All eventualities are catered for!
So, now you can sit back in the comfort of your own home with your Christmas shopping list and at the very least get all your Christmas gift ideas sorted out by surfing the online shopping sites. Better yet you can get all your Christmas gift shopping sown up online and just wait for them to be delivered to your door. Then you can go to the malls and just enjoy the atmosphere without charging around trying to find that special gift or struggle through the crowds loaded up with parcels. Your trip will be a pleasant excursion just for the fun of it.
Plastic cards are all about business. They are used for identification and access purposes by the government (from the DOT to your local library), healthcare, office, and industrial environments. Debit and credit cards populate billfolds alongside phone cards and grocery store reward cards. It is safe to say that anyone making a living in today’s fast paced world uses plastic cards of all types to make their lives more efficient. You can help your customers out even more by making these an integral part of your own company model.
There are many reasons to choose plastic cards over paper to enhance your business appeal. Plastic is very durable and with advanced printing technology cards can be turned into colorful works of art. Even simple business cards can be printed on thin plastic stock since they don’t bend and crumple on their way into a wallet like paper cards do. Magnetic stripe cards offer a high degree of versatility because they can be programmed to contain virtually any encoded information you choose.
Plastic is designed to last so it makes sense to create cards that can be used multiple times. Re-loadable gift cards and preferred customer reward cards make sure your company information stays in circulation as long as possible. Frequent customer programs appear much more professional (and therefore more valuable) when data is loaded onto a plastic card rather than hole-punched on a plain paper one. Redeemable cards can easily be designed to feature your enticing offer on the front and a redemption code on the back. You can create these promotional codes to be redeemable online to make it even more cost effective for your customers to choose you over a competitor.
If you have a mailing list of customers, you might print your logo (or your family Christmas portrait) on a card, slap a magnet on the back and send it out. It will become an indispensable refrigerator accessory your clients will see every day. At-a-glance calendars can also fit on a wallet sized plastic card with your company information and web address at the top.
You don’t have to settle for boring or cheap designs if you know where to look for help. Even tiny gradations in blended color can be accurately captured with today’s lithographic printing equipment. This means complex images such as photographs come out looking fantastic. If you need bold and simple graphics in a smaller range of bright colors, thermal transfer printing offers some great options for logos and text.
If you don’t have the cash to invest in this printing equipment you can always have a custom job delivered by a professional plastic card printing company. They can assist you with designing the perfect look for your business. Make sure you are sending your job to a secure facility if you are having sensitive material like IDs printed. Health benefits cards in particular may have high risk information on them if an individual’s social security ID is used as the member number.
Just because you’re stuck in an office all day doesn’t mean Christmas fun can’t extend to your workplace. Depending on the environment at your work, it’s definitely possible to mix holiday fun with work.
One obvious choice for some fun at the office during the holidays is to have a party. You could have several, in fact. How about a cookie exchange party? Plan to do this at lunchtime one day, and during that block of time, everyone brings several dozen cookies they have made. You have to set a particular number of cookies everyone brings. Because once everyone has an empty plate, they go around the table picking up cookies that look good to them and place them on their empty paper plate. If everyone brought 3 dozen cookies, say, then everyone gets to take home 3 dozen cookies. This is not a particularly unique idea, but one that brings a bit of fun into the workplace.
Keeping in mind whether or not the public visits your workplace, you might choose to decorate. Why not have a Christmas tree decorating event? Everyone brings 6 ornaments and as a group activity, everyone decorates the tree. This is a good way to build team spirit and decorate your workplace at the same time.
Don’t forget to institute a “secret Santa” event at work, where you secretly buy gifts for someone and have some type of gift exchange. But what about a “Santa’s helper” activity? Someone in the group has to begin this on the sly. Essentially, this first person (the only one in the know about how the whole thing began) puts together a little gift. Ideally, it’s a basket with a few gift items in it. They might be decorative items, or baked goods or even bath items. Attach a card saying that “Santa’s helper” dropped by and brought these items. Now the person who received the “helper’s” gift must put together a little something for someone else and – again on the sly – deliver it to the next person. It continues until everyone has received a visit from “Santa’s helper”.
Nothing brings people together like a group activity designed to help others. What if your officemates came up with an activity designed to help people less fortunate at the holidays? You might adopt a local family and everyone in the office purchases items for that family. You might choose to purchase Christmas trees for needy families. If the public visits your office often, you might even begin a “sharing” tree and people can bring items to put under the tree for needy families or children. As a group activity, the office workers can then deliver these items to the needy.
The particularly festive office might want to have someone come in and do a cooking demonstration. If there are enough people interested, you can hire a cook or baker to come into your office on your lunch hour and do a demonstration or class. Say you want to bake but don’t know what to bake this year. A baker can come in and demonstrate cookies or other goodies you might not have thought to make. Or someone can come in with ideas and samples for the perfect Christmas meal. These ideas are perfect for the environment where people work many hours and are quite busy but still want to do their regular cooking and baking each year.