She Means Fitness Business

Got a Growth Mindset? or Hurting Your Business Unknowingly?

This month on the book review we’re … well, we’re playing a big game of catch up!

We’re picking up right back where we left off after a review of Dark Horse and Good to Great. I’ll link to that podcast in case you missed it and you’re looking for intriguing summer reads (or audio books).

 How Do You "READ"?

And I’m curious, I’d love to hear from you about how you consume books in 2019. Do you read or do you listen? Just respond either below the show notes at fitnessmarketingmastery.com/growth-mindset or in the social media post where you saw this.

The Book:

Mindset by Carol S. Dweck

The Reviewer:

Tom Durkin, Owner operator Ames Fitness and Fitness World Ankeny in the Midwest.  The CEO of Health & Fitness Management and 40 years experience in fitness industry sales and management. Not a silent partner but someone in buildings every day responding to phone calls, emails, of 315 employees and thousands of customers. He like so many others who have successful track records is a voracious reader and has a personal library of over 2000 books.

If you’re new to fitness, meaning just 10 or 15 years of experience, you may not understand how longevity is rare. There are not a lot of independent owners of fitness who have created profitable sustainable businesses that influenced thousands of lives for 40 years. That’s someone’s book recommendation you want to take seriously. 

The Fixed vs. Growth Mindset 

The entire book is based on the Fixed vs. Growth mindset. It’s intended for parents, coaches, and leaders of any kind. The purpose is to help those in charge cultivate a growth mindset. So whether you are in charge of others or have children, or you want to take charge of your own mindset, this is for you.

In work, sports, relationships mindset matters. Sports is potentially most applicable to listeners though all are relevant.

Sample Mindset Differences

Fixed mindset says... I'm a natural… good or bad 

Growth mindset says... I don't really know how good I could be because I haven't put in a lot of effort at it 

Fixed mindset says... I'm not comfortable with that

Growth mindset says... I've never done that, I can't wait to learn, this will be an interesting challenge

Fixed mindset says.... I don't want to do that I'm not good at it

Growth mindset says.... I am determined to get better at this, I love learning what the steps are, it stimulates me 

Fixed mindset says.... If I don't win I fail

Growth mindset says.... this was a great learning experience! 

There are always going to be “no” responses in fitness sales. We discussed the growth mindset in praising and rewarding effort. 

Is this book a must-read? Yes!

Other books coming up in our books fitness professionals should-read series:

  • The Obesity Code
  • 9 of the Worst Mistakes You Can Ever Make At Work
  • Trillion Dollar Coach
  • Peak by Mark Bubbs

Book mentioned:

Talent Is Overrated by Geoff Colvin

Check out the other book review episodes: 

Dark Horse and Good to Great

2 Must-Reads for Fitness Professionals

Direct download: mindset_review.mp3
Category:Personal development -- posted at: 4:00am MDT

The Positive Power of Negative Customer Feedback

In this post I’m sharing negative customer feedback. It’s all about how you can increase your business, and improve your customer satisfaction by attending to the customers who aren’t satisfied!

People are not used to nice. Let’s just get that out there. They’re used to being taken advantage of and automated responses where you click 1 if, and 2 if… and you never get to a real person.

The Advantage of Small

If you’re a small or medium business (or a large one for that matter with a dedicated responder) you can win with this kind of customer service. Look, none of us is going to please all the people all the time. But you can learn from them and create an ally by handling sticky situations right. 

I’m going to start sharing 3 steps to dealing with negative customer feedback. Then I’ll give you 3 very practical ways to do it when you do so you are set up for success. 

3 Response Requirements for Negative Customer Feedback

  1. Reach out to get it

Instead of “no” here’s our refund policy

When someone quits, asks for a refund, or cancels a subscription – always a phone call.

  1. Listen without being defensive

Explore the options

Understand what you wanted when you purchased/registered

Find an alternative that is a good fit

  1. Be transparent

Look, I don’t want to refund you, it hurts! Is there another way I can serve you that is a better fit? Let’s look at that. And if not, I don’t want you in the wrong place for you.

What I’d like to learn what attracted you, what disappointed you, and where potentially we can do a better job messaging the membership program in the future. I’d really value your feedback, if you have a few minutes.

Sometimes the things you want to avoid become the things you learn the most from.

3 Tips for Making These Kinds of Calls

1) Make sure your customer service front line people know how to positively – and quickly - respond.

Give them scripts, and text snippets to use. Don’t assume they know what you’re thinking. If you have complaints, keep those emails, and transcribe those phone calls to use to create responses.

One of my customer service team members recently responded with a “here’s our refund policy” and it was a little cold. If I had been on the receiving end, I wouldn’t have liked it either.

You know the way to deliver a sandwich of constructive criticism. This is similar.

=>Express empathy: I’m sorry that happened. Let’s see if we can resolve this for you.

=>Deliver the bad news/refund policy: Here’s a reminder of our refund policy.

=>End with a positive: However, every situation is unique and we want to understand what’s happening for you and fix it. Debra would like to talk personally to you. What’s the best phone to reach you and what days and times are good for you?

2) Do it at a time you’re upbeat and ready.

For me that’s morning after coffee and maybe a dog walk!

It’s the first thing I do in the morning (or the second, right after something I know will be positive!) – if of course that fits with the individual’s time.

Even if it’s not though, I will use something like Bombbomb to create a video response or a simple audio message to them via text or email … so if their schedule and mine aren’t aligned for a direct connection right away, I still am reaching out. They hear my voice and or see my face so they know I’m authentically trying to understand them before anything else.

In that message I don’t allude to anything more than exploring options, desire to understand what’s happening and request more feedback about her experience. It’s less than a minute. But it gives hope for a neutral not negative conversation.

3) Set your mind: be willing to do the right thing.

I will refund if someone is in the wrong seat on the bus. You don’t want an unhappy customer. That can spoil the goodness you have going. It’s draining for you. In the case of a program – say that’s $200, it’s just not worth it when there’s 10 people who ARE right for it.

It’s a good opportunity to review:

  • Your refund policy
  • Where that refund policy lives and whether they see it right before they click to purchase
  • What you say on your sales page and product pages about “who this is for” and “who this is not for”

My Recent Brush with Negative Customer Feedback

The customer I just talked to yesterday happens to be a Physical Therapist. She bought the program for herself. By creating a positive problem-solving experience for her, I may have increased the likelihood that she refers the women in my demographic she’s working with in her practice to me. When you can exchange one for many? Yes.

You can save a customer who gives negative feedback. You can often create a raving fan in them. Whether they buy or stay or not, they will be impressed if not shocked that you took time to listen. 

My book recommendations if you’re setting up a system for Negative Customer Feedback:

The Power of Small

The Power of Nice

Both above by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval

Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles

Show notes at fitnessmarketingmastery.com/negative-feedback 

 

Direct download: Negative_Feedback.m4a
Category:marketing -- posted at: 10:05am MDT

SEO for Fitness: Can Customers Find You?

SEO is not a sexy topic compared to fat burning, health coaching, and suspension training. Without it though you will be missed by those customers who want your services. Why waste time thinking about your logo, colors, and the words on your pages if you don’t optimize your “findability” factor. This episode is all about how to make you the one they find when they’re looking for answers.

And they are looking. There’s proof everywhere that SEO can be powerful if it’s done right. There’s good news in this episode. You’ll like the path to better SEO for fitness businesses.

My guest is Alec Gorjestani, an engineer who has been writing all kinds of software for 16 years. From automated vehicles to mobile to web software, he likes to build things. His wife is a Zumba instructor so he’s got an inside glimpse at what fitness pros do like to focus on.

Alec runs a business and understands the unfun tasks that are required to run a business and help people find wellness options they’re looking for. He’s committed to helping you do just that.

We dive into what Fitness Pros Need to Know About SEO. 

Questions we cover in this episode:

Is S.E.O. dead?

What is it?

How can you organically increase SEO?

How are many websites overlooking simple things they can do to support SEO?

What are the next level steps in SEO for fitness businesses?

What questions should a business owner be asking developers or tech staff? (that they don't know to ask) – Alec gave three tips! Don’t miss those!

Where should you be looking to know how well you're doing with SEO for fitness?

Google Search Console

How long does it take, given the SEO for fitness tips are implemented, to see a boost in SEO? 

 

Connect with Alec:

Offeringtree.com/debra

Direct download: SEO_strategies_-_Edited.mp3
Category:marketing -- posted at: 5:32am MDT

1