Hey I need to tell you about this friend of mine (Dan Ritchie)
who has 2 training studios in Indiana. He actually caters his
business and focuses on boomers and seniors.
Don’t roll your eyes just yet… (you’ll be surprised)
I saw him speak this past spring and he showed a couple of clients
in their 80s!  Not only did they not look frail or like they might
die, one lady did over 20 pushups…legit ones on her toes.  His
average age of client is 58!
He recently just told me about his crazy Labor Day Sale he closed
over $50,000 in contracts… paid in full cash in hand that day!
Just keep in mind that he has great relationships with his
clients (that’s just ONE of this secrets).
Not over monthly EFT… I don’t know about you but I think he is on
to something.
So, considering most of you are trainers, I asked him if he
could do a guest article for you. I truly believe these guys
are onto a hidden client market…
Cody Sipe, PhD
I’ve spent the past 20 years focusing on older adult exercise and
I’ve learned a lot during that time, especially when it comes to
why I do it. Mainly it’s because I love it which is why I’ve stayed
with this group for so long and why I plan on continuing to work
with seniors. After all, if you’ve got to work 40+ hours per week
it better be doing something you absolutely love or you are going
to plod through life miserable.
If you’ve been thinking of making the break and specializing in
fitness for older adults then maybe this will inspire you to
get off your duff and do it already.
1. It’s rewarding. To see someone’s entire life improve because you
are training them is very satisfying. And not just because they’ve
dropped a few pounds or look better in their jeans but because they
can now go to the store by themselves or play with their
grandchildren without getting tired. That’s good stuff. These
people really, really need our help.
2. Drop your ego at the door. Older clients just don’t have the
same ego as many younger clients. They are very pleasant to work
and get along with. They aren’t there to try to impress you or make
themselves look good. They are there to get your help.
3. Meaningful results. Adding 10 lbs to someone’s bench press might
be meaningful to some trainers but I prefer results that really
matter to life. Someone stands up for the first time in 6 months.
Someone stumbles and doesn’t fall (finally). Someone can now garden
again without pain. Those kinds of results are meaningful to me
because they are meaningful to them.
4. They appreciate you. I’ve been given cards, cookies, food,
trinkets, kisses (you bet), etc. from my older clients just because
they are appreciative of what I’ve done for them. It is nice to
feel appreciated.
5. Loyalty. While younger clients tend to be fickle and hop from
fad to fad older clients tend to remain more loyal to those they
have developed a relationship with. So older clients stay longer
and pay longer than most younger clients do. Plus their lives are
more stable so they are less likely to move out of the area, get a
new job or have other events get in their way of training. Treat
them warmly and fairly and they will be your clients for years and
years.
6. Humor. They’re funny. Flat out funny. There are always a few
guys who want to be the life of the party and have a new joke every
time they come to the gym. I can almost guarantee a couple really
good laughs every day.
7. Life stories. Older adults have led interesting lives and I
really enjoy hearing about their life experiences and the wisdom
some of them have to share. It makes my life that much richer.
8. Giving back. I believe in giving back to the community as do
most older adults. We run charity events all the time and our
clients participate well in those events. It unites us and gives us
a common bond because we share some of the same values.
9. Huge potential clientele (and growing every day). Face it, if
you want job security then train older clients. They are the
fastest-growing segment of the population and will dominate the
market for the next 20+ years (and there aren’t a lot of trainers
dedicated to serving them).
Plus they have a huge interest in staying healthy and they have
the money to pay for training. That is why our fitness business
has been so successful. We have focused on the largely ignored
and completely misunderstood older market while purposefully
ignoring the 20-30 year old client that everyone else is going after.
In so doing we have dominated this “niche”
market and become the “go to” local experts.
10. I feel at ease. Honestly, I just feel more at ease with older
adults. I really don’t prefer to train younger women (which my wife
appreciates) and younger men bore me. I can just be myself and
transparent with older clients. It is so nice not to have to
impress your clients with your physique or your knowledge or your
cool clothes. I can just relax and do my thing.
11. Make full use of my expertise. Training older adults isn’t
easy. There are a lot of factors to consider such as medical
conditions/diseases, medications, injuries, age-related changes,
exercise preferences, etc. But I don’t want easy. I want to be
challenged and use the expertise I’ve developed over the years and
older adults provide a great outlet for that energy.
Cody Sipe, PhD is a recognized leader in senior fitness. He is an
Associate Professor, facility owner and recipient of the IDEA
Program Director of the Year award. He speaks and writes regularly
on topics related to senior fitness throughout the industry
You can check out more how to tap into this market here
Discover this Untapped Market
