Fitness professional? What's your X factor?

It's more critical than ever to have an online presence, a brand -- that validates you and your services, as we discussed in this post. 5 Ways to Improve Your Brand Awareness

But branding is about more than having a color-coordinated website and posting a sign in the gym. Sure, you have to do those things, but they are not enough today.

Here's a key distinction: Presenting your brand isn't a one-time event. It's an ongoing process through which you, as a fitness professional, continually demonstrate the unique value you deliver to your prospects and clients.

To optimize the success of your business, you must set yourself apart from others who do what you do, and reinforce every day that you are different, and by "different" we mean better. 

Be a partner to your clients

Your clients want something, they are on a journey from point A to point B, and if their desires match up with the services you offer, they may want to engage you as a guide on that journey.

Here's how you can help your odds of winning their business: Understand the "why" behind their desire to get from here to there.  Does a client want to lose weight before her wedding? That's a powerful motivation. Does someone else have a health issue? That will factor into the workout plan you develop for this client. 

You can't know these important things about your clients unless you have a dialogue with them. This means asking questions, and then actually listening, even for the things they don't say.  It means not assuming you have the correct solution for every prospective client's particular challenge, maybe they're actually not a good fit. But refer them to someone who is, and chances are they'll remember and it will come back to you. 

Before you can close a client you have to open them. Be curious. Invest some of your emotional capacity and show them that you care, that you are someone who will help them on their journey. At the very least, try to follow the advice of George Burns: "Sincerity -- if you can fake that, you've got it made."

Better than faking it is knowing you have something that truly does set you apart and can help them accelerate their progress toward their goals. This is your X factor, the intangible thing you bring that your competitors can't match. It could be:

• Your energy
• Your knowledge
• Your tools
• The way you craft a personalized strategy for every client

Maybe it's all of those in combination. It's about your intention, and what you bring to your relationship with your client; how you relate to them and they relate to you. This is the essence of your brand.

Convince prospects that you have something special that can help them avoid the typical mistakes people make when they are trying to achieve or maintain a high level of fitness, and you will always have more clients than you need.