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Sample Onboarding Chart Learn how to use the Onboarding Chart by reading “Building A Marketing Plan.” It’s covered in far greater depth in our RampUp program.  

If you’re selling a product, they’re the same people. But we’re selling a service. What’s the difference? A consumer is paying attention. They read your blog posts, download your podcast and watch your videos. They’re fans. They might even pay for your material. A client has a two-way relationship with you. In my practice, I’m lucky enough to have hundreds of consumers. Two-Brain Business has sold thousands of copies; Two-Brain Radio has over a thousand listeners every week; and hundreds have even consumed my advice in person through seminars and free “Help First” phone calls. Their attention drives me to get up at 4am and write; to brainstorm ideas for webinars and podcasts. They push me far. But I have far fewer clients. These people are my focus. These are the ones I’ll respond to on Sunday morning while my kids are in the hotel pool. These are the folks who keep me up late with worry, or make me punch my fist in the air when they win. These are the friends who get my focus and the majority of my attention. Most consumers will never become clients. That’s okay: their “thanks for all you do” messages are more than enough for me. I’m happy to produce content to help them. But after today, only my clients will have access to this focus group. There are more free things coming for everyone else–I promise not to run out of ideas–but it’s critical to focus my attention on the tip of the spear. Keep an eye on those who stay in the group; ask them for help; model your gym after theirs. They’ll be happy to lead. Thanks for your attention!

Last week I spent a full hour talking about discounts with a  client. Almost every client in her gym had a discount–mostly just 10 to 20%–and it was killing her. With a profit margin below 20%, she was actually losing money on many clients and we were working to fix her business. She asked me, “What do you say when people ask YOU for discounts?” I had to admit that I didn’t know. People don’t ask me for discounts. “But WHY?” she asked. Was my city so affluent that no one cared about price? Are Canadians too polite to ask? But none of these are true. The reason people don’t ask for discounts is because I don’t give discounts. If a firefighter gets 15% off, it’s logical to ask, “How much off for a teacher?” because the comparison changes from “Full price vs. 85%” to “Firefighter vs. teacher.” One of my favorite Seth Godin analogies is on the value of ten dollars. To paraphrase: Go to a bus stop and wave a $10 bill around. Say to everyone: “I’ll sell you this ten dollar bill for a dollar.” And no one will buy it. Why? Because they think you’re crazy. They don’t trust your math or your motives. Now try this: put ten dollars in your neighbor’s mailbox. Do it again the next day, and the next. On the fourth day, ring his doorbell and say, “I’m the guy who’s been putting $10 bills in your mailbox. Do you want to buy this $10 for a dollar?” Of course he’ll say yes. The value of the bill hasn’t changed. But the perception of the giver has. When a new client comes to Catalyst, they’ve already been given a few $10 bills through blog posts, podcasts, videos or other interactions They know my $10 bill is really worth ten dollars. There are hundreds of gym owners in the private Two-Brain Business ...