How to Market Your Fitness Buisness to Boomers
I want to get you thinking about how you can fill your bootcamp or group training programs with clients in their 60s! Trust me I have heard it all before, I might break them, they might die, old people can’t work out hard….yada, yada, yada. If you are still believing that you haven’t seen Jane Fonda lately she is showing how fit and awesome your seventies can be! I am not talking about trying to recruit clients who are falling down old, but rather the people in their 60s who aren’t taking aging lightly, but are fighting it with every thing they’ve got!
Trust me having run bootcamps, and still running one I know that your bread and butter is early morning. But I also know that there is a gigantic market out there that is desperately looking for something different, for something catering to their needs, and most health clubs and training studios simply aren’t meeting it.
Here are a few pointers I gleaned from Dan Kennedy’s recent book on marketing to Boomers:
- Boomers really think they are rather special and want special treatment and expect excellent customer service.
- 65+ say they want to spend more money on travel/ and improving their health, and want to travel more and know they need improved health.
- Tap into their fears re: aging or exercise/fitness or health or function and use that as motivation
- Age is not the focus/issue…function is.
So you can’t run a Boomer Bootcamp, or a Balance Bootcamp or an Age-Defying Bootcamp without thinking about how to attract these clients. They don’t respond to fat loss, or six pack abs, or skinny jeans, or little black dress. They do respond to improved health, ability to travel more, be more independent, live life to the fullest.
If you’re thinking yeah but I don’t even know how to run a bootcamp for this age range, actually you do. Trust me it isn’t that dramatically different from what you are doing now. Use some common sense; start with 30 minute sessions, 45-60 minutes will probably be too long and unnecessary. Reduce the impact; think 65 year old knees and hips. You can still do burpees and squat jumps and jumping jacks just remove the hops. You might have to look up some modifications for some exercises. And you can’t do 100 lunges or 100 squats, but you can still do those movements. Again common sense: be smart about range of motion. Think more about functional outcomes and less about weight loss. Things like climbing stairs carrying something, or getting up from the floor or out of a chair. Improved range of motion at the hip and trunk.
Charge MORE! Be realistic you need to start with small numbers be more intimate at first as you get used to this clientele, set your goals for 10 clients and raise your price this is a premium service bootcamp for premium clientele. Be more specific about assessments and health history you want to know who has cardiac conditions and joint replacements.
Keep in mind your current clients will refer all their older friends, family, neighbors it will cost you nothing to get started and you can simply “try it out” for 6 weeks. But keep in mind clients in their 60s have a tendency to stay, pay and refer for years. They are extremely loyal if satisfied, they will give you birthday presents, Christmas presents, presents for you new baby, and bring in all kinds of unhealthy baked goods just cause they like to do that……and cause they think you can eat all kinds of that stuff and never gain weight!
Here are some Key words to use in your marketing, in your sales presentations and your interactions with these clients. Remember it isn’t about fitness or weight loss it is about function, vitality and independence.
Words or Phrases to Use
- Reinvention
- Reimagining
- Purpose
- Value
- Exploration
- Adventure
- Engaged
- Relevant
- Human Potential
- Connection
- Thrive
- Nourish
- Strengthen
Freedom/Independence
If you want to learn more about how to train, assess and market to this clientele check out our full program +…Exclusive special deal and Bonuses found ONLY here:
http://georgettepann.com/boomerprofits
