06/05/2020
You’re in the marketing business
You’ve heard the myth of the trainer who “just wants to help people” and “doesn’t care about money.” It permeates every aspect of the fitness industry and needs to stop.
You’re not a volunteer.
You’re a professional.
Professionals get paid for their work. Being passionate and helping people are not mutually exclusive.
Saying you don’t care about money is an excuse you make when you aren’t confident enough to charge what you’re worth.
If you’re offended by that statement, it’s probably true.
Nothing happens until you make a sale. You can’t make a sale until you market your business, asking for money in exchange for the value of your services.
Provide value, make money. It’s that simple.
Money is an amplifier. The more money you make, the more you can do to help others. Thus, if you want to help people, you need to make money, even if you don’t care about it yourself.
Take me, for example. I don’t particularly care about money. Or, more specifically, I don’t care about fancy things. I drive a 12-year-old car with 200,000 kilometers on it, I don’t own a watch, and all my favorite pastimes (hiking, biking, being with family) are free.
That said, I’m acutely aware of what money means to my company. The more we make, the more amazing things we can produce, and the more impact we have. I make millions not because I care about personally having millions. I do it because I know it’s the only way to help more people.
Whether you like it or not, you’re in the marketing business.