Welcome to The One Thing, where once a week, I'll send you THE ONE thing you can focus on this week to attract more clients into your studio with a strong brand strategy.
These tips will be simple and actionable, or I might share an illuminating story that shifts your mindset and perspective in a powerful way.
Last week I talked to you about the three layers of value that you should infuse into all of your messaging to ensure you capture the attention of your dream clients...
For this week, THE ONE thing I want you to keep in mind this week is the importance of showing empathy to what your dream clients are struggling with.
I know. You're here because you want to change more lives through movement and fitness. Buuut, as it turns out, a lot of fitness businesses miss the mark in their effort to do so because they don't take their dream client's mindset and motivations into account.
It's easy to miss the opportunity to connect with your dream clients and get their agreement and trust. This happens when your focus is on the fastest path to the end result (getting them to sign up for your classes) or only going so far to list off all the rational reasons why someone should take your classes.
Remember: people make decisions (particularly buying decisions) based on how they feel. Which means, you need to first form an emotional connection with your dream clients before they'll feel inspired to sign up.
Enter empathy. Empathy is about recognizing and acknowledging the feelings, experiences, and struggles of your dream clients. Showing empathy to what your dream clients are currently struggling with establishes both trust and a strong emotional connection with your brand.
Empathy sounds like, "We understand how difficult it can be as a busy parent to take time to fill your own cup without feeling guilty."
Empathy builds a bridge between your brand and your clients. It shows that you are attuned to their needs and concerns, and this gets them interested in what you do...
...because once they feel seen... they begin to view your classes as a solution that will solve the problem they're struggling with... and help them live life the way they want to experience it.
Just the offer of a class doesn't accomplish this!
Think about it! You probably engage most with brands with which you feel an emotional connection. I know I do! I feel that way because I feel like the brand gets me, and I belong.
You can do the same.
Buuuut often, I hear my clients say that they're hesitant to establish empathy with their dream clients because they're afraid it will come off as "too negative".
I hear you. Coming off as negative is the last thing you want to do. You don't want to repel any people away!
That's why it's important to remember there's a difference between empathy and sympathy.
Empathy is about showing that you genuinely understand and care about their situation (which is what I just did above... sneaky, huh?)
...Whereas Sympathy often involves feeling pity for someone, which can indeed come across as condescending.
Here's an example:Â
Sympathy:Â "Are you feeling tired and down lately? It must be tough dealing with low energy and confidence. Our fitness classes could help you feel better."
Why it feels negative: This message might come across as acknowledging the problem without fully understanding what they're experiencing or offering a concrete solution, which can feel impersonal or dismissive.
Empathy:Â "We understand how challenging it can be to feel low on energy and confidence. Our fitness classes are designed to help you boost your energy levels and build confidence, empowering you to feel your best every day."
Why it feels positive: This message shows that you understand their struggles without judgment and offers a supportive solution. It highlights the positive outcomes they can achieve, making the message encouraging and motivating.
I believe we've been conditioned in our industry that we always have to be coming off as positive, which is where I believe the concern about empathy coming off as negative comes from. But remember that JUST being positive can be a real turn off!
If you, as a fitness business owner, are just dancing on top of a metaphorical mountain, dancing and saying to your dream clients, "Look how awesome it is up here! Look at what you could experience! Doesn't this look great??"
It can actually be a real turn off for people who feel like that's so far away for them and so hard to reach. Especially if they've tried before!
But it makes all the difference when you come down off the mountain... and take their hand... and say... "I know what you're going through and how hard it is. I've been there before. But I figured out a way to fix it, and I'm going to guide you every step of the way to feeling the way you want to feel. Are you ready?"
Your challenge is to do that in every place your dream clients come into contact with you.
HERE'S THE ONE THING...
This week, instead of marketing just what kind of class you offer and what the benefits are...
1. Show empathy to your dream clients by expressing what you know they are struggling with. These should be things that are having an impact on their day to day experience of life that your classes can fix.
2. Highlight why your classes are designed to help them not experience that anymore
3. Explain how they'll feel differently on the other side, and how that will make their experience of life better.
I'll see you next week.
-Barry
P.S. If you're not sure what problem you're uniquely equipped to solve, or you know what it is but struggle to articulate it, then book a free strategy session with me here.
My superpower is being able to draw it out of you and show you how to communicate it best, so your dream clients feel like it would be ridiculous NOT to sign up for a class.
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