5 Surefire Ways To Overcome Prospect Objections In The Fitness Industry

Okay, a show of hands.
Who else is sick and tired of so-called marketing gurus telling you selling fitness-related products and services is easy…
And that there’s so much demand you’ll never go hungry again once you start?
You know it’s not that easy.
You aren’t dumb.
You’ve come up with an awesome product or program, and you know it works.
You’ve tried powerful headlines, because you know that 80% of people will never get past your headline and lead.
You’ve made sure your product is addressing a real need, not something most people don’t care about.
Maybe you’ve even zeroed in on a niche, hoping that specializing and positioning yourself in front of a small tribe would help you stand out.
But still, you can’t seem to get it off the ground. And your response rate is far less than you’d hoped for.
So what gives?
How can you overcome your prospect’s objections and make the sale?
Well, it’s not as easy as they tell you it is, that’s certain.
But here are five ways to start:
1. Engineer surprise. It’s human nature to not pay attention to things they already know. So the most effective way to get your prospects to pay attention is to give them something they don’t expect. Surprise them.
Rather than tell them what they already know, tell them how everything they thought they knew about exercise is wrong.
For example…
Everyone thinks that running is the best exercise. So a headline like this would shock your prospects and urge them to read on: “Throw away your running shoes.”
2. Focus on results (i.e. benefits). Good copywriters know that benefits (what’s in it for them) should always be emphasized, rather than features (the details of the product or exercise program). But in the fitness industry, benefits are especially important.
The reason: most people hate to exercise. Yes, there are a few of us who actually enjoy the sweat, blood and tears, but most people think of the results of exercise-a slimmer waistline, more energy, greater strength-as the real reason to engage in exercise.
So don’t sell how hard your exercise program is, how many pull ups they’ll be doing, how many times a week they’ll need to lift weights-sell the results.
3. Use words that resonate positively. Unless you’re selling extreme workout products to bodybuilders, triathlon-geeks, or marathon-addicts, don’t use the word “exercise.”
As I said before, people don’t like to exercise-they associate exercise with boredom, injuries, and the basic feeling that they ‘d rather be doing something else. So why would they want to read about it?
Instead, try and focus on more positive or neutral words, like “workout,” “conditioning,” “exertion”… anything but exercise.
4. Make your claim unique. 10 years ago, headlines like “Lose 20 pounds with this South American herb,” or “Cure Cancer in Less than 30 Days” would have worked wonders. But with the Internet, people are bombarded with more headlines than ever before, and claims like those just don’t work anymore.
No matter how powerful or dramatic your claim, most people will pass right by it.
So what can you do? Highlight the uniqueness of your claim– find a way to connect with your prospects on a level that only you can do. You’re the only person who can tell them this. You’re the only person who can say that, and the only source they can use for that particular information.
Make it unique, and your claim will stand out.
5. Know your product. Whether you’re selling a nutritional supplement, fitness equipment or an exercise program, nothing will work better at overcoming your prospect’s objections than knowing your product inside and out.
So try the supplements, use the equipment, do the exercise program… and then talk with as many individuals as you can who have tried them too. Your prospects will see that you’re writing from personal experience, and respond more favorably as a result.
Here’s what to do next
Don’t listen to the marketing experts who tell you selling fitness-related products and services is easy.
It’s not.
Take a good, hard look at the product or service you’re offering.
If it’s truly awesome and will help make the world a fitter and better place (and it better be, if you’ve read this far), go tell it to the world.
It’s not as easy as it sounds, but if you follow these suggestions, you’ll be on the way to overcoming your prospect’s objections–and that much closer to making the sale.