In a perfect world every fitness professional would be following our advice and doing everything they can to refine their services into a niche offering so they can focus on a particular client base. In that perfect world, clients would also always know if they’re talking to the right fitness pro to help them reach their goals. But here in the real world, in a saturated fitness market, it can be hard to reach the people you need to get in front of and both fitness professionals and clientele waste time working with the wrong people. There is one thing that can help everyone involved find who they’re looking for, though: referrals.

        But how do you get referrals? In the business networking world there’s a mantra that’s often repeated: “Know, Like, Trust.” These three words describe the process of how you can come to become someone that other professionals feel comfortable referring people to. First, someone gets to know you. Hopefully, after some time, they start to like you. And finally, you earn their trust. The last one often takes a leap of faith, but that’s why liking someone is key. You’ll give someone a shot if you like them and hope that it works out. When that opportunity arises for you, it’s important to nail it and make sure the person that was referred to you is happy and lets the referrer know it – in that way, they’ll trust that you’re someone they can refer to with a clear conscience. 

        It’s a slow process, when you meet other fitness pros (and pros in other industries who can refer to you) it can take quite a while before you reach the level where they’ll refer to you, either because they trust you or at least like you. You can help yourself reach that level by being generous with your own time, energy, and maybe even some referrals. Another popular mantra in business networking is “Give is Gain.” Simply put, the more you give to other people, the more you will eventually receive in return. It can be as simple as sharing other people’s social media content, or sending over a referral of your own, but the gratitude people will feel toward you will help you be “top of mind” when the time comes to make a referral. Those professionals may not know someone who needs your help today, but when they meet those people, you’ll be the first person they think of. 

        Online SuperCoach is here to help you build a network of referral partners that you can leverage to get warm leads which lead to quicker sales, and to find out what you’ll be able to offer them in return to make sure they also receive value from your partnership.