Tell Them Why Hiring You Is A Good Idea
Among fitness professionals, the most common goal is to find an endorsement contract. However, the success rate that fitness professionals actually attain an endorsement contract isn’t very great. Why is this? Many make the common misconception that finding an endorsement contract is easy and any one can get one if they want one. Finding an endorsement contract is as rare as actors finding acting jobs! Everyone can claim they are an actor, but until they land the part they are just aspiring actors! But with the proper steps and tips, finding an endorsement contract will become drastically easier; using them to draw the attention of a potential client and making them see why hiring you is a good idea!
The most important tip any professional must learn when trying to get a contract (i.e. modeling, endorsement, acting) is that you WILL hear “NO” more than you will hear “YES”. Preparing yourself mentally for the possibility of “NO” is the key to becoming a success. By preparing yourself we do NOT mean that you should be expecting to have a negative result! You should always anticipate that you will hear “YES”, but if you do hear “NO” this should NOT discourage you! You need to learn how to accept that that is just how it is in the fitness profession; for example, you might not be what they are looking for right now. Letting the “NO” affect you as a professional is a major mistake that most professionals make. When you are working on getting that contract, ALWAYS work to the best of your abilities and give your best, and anticipate that you are going to hear “YES”. But if you hear “NO”, do not take it personal, chalk it up to ‘it wasn’t meant to be’ and move on! Remember, for every “NO” you hear, the “YES” you finally hear will be well worth all the “NO”’s!
Another tip you can use to help you get that endorsement contract is that you need to make yourself more available. This means that whenever there is a fitness event in your general area, YOU need to be a participant! By showing your face and professionalism at events helps spread your name and reputation as a fitness professional. When you are not in attendance at a fitness event you are unintentionally putting yourself at a disadvantage! At every fitness event there will always be representatives either looking for fitness professionals to represent their product, or they are there to sell their product. Whichever they are doing gives you an idea of what companies are involved in the fitness profession, and which products are major players in the world of fitness.
When you attend fitness events, or any event that a potential client will be attending, the next step you need to know is how to ‘bait the fish’. Simply, you need to learn how to catch the attention of a potential client! Your professionalism is ESSENTIAL in this step! At any fitness event, you are surrounded by other fitness professionals who are most likely looking for the same thing you are; to promote themselves, build their clientele, and get an endorsement contract. You need to stand out among the crowd! Remember, when you are a fitness professional you are ALWAYS a professional! This means that you act, talk, and dress professionally! You also need to step outside of your comfort zone and be outgoing and adventurous. You should not just be walking around expecting to be “discovered” by a potential client, you should be engaging with everyone you see! The more people you meet and give a great first impression, the more your name is spread and the more in demand you can create yourself!
Once you have gotten the attention of a potential client, the next step is you need to learn how to KEEP their interest in you representing their company and/or product! Think of it as a man or a woman you are interested in; their looks and the way they carry themselves caught your eye, and their intelligence and personality maintains your interest! You need to not just look the part of a fitness professional, but BE the fitness professional! When a potential client speaks with you, you need to show them that YOU are the epitome of a fitness professional! Your personality needs to be sincere and outgoing, and your knowledge for fitness should be blatantly aware to anyone who speaks with you! KNOW what you are talking about, do NOT try to bluff your way into your profession, it will be made obvious that you do not know what you are doing and/or talking about.
Once you have gained and maintained the attention of a potential client, you will almost always hear them ask you “why should we hire you?”. You need to let them know why hiring you will be a good idea! When telling them why you would make the perfect fit for their company, you need to respond while keeping your image, their business, and both of your reputations in mind! Showing that you are more than able to handle the responsibilities of endorsing their products and/or business lets the potential client know that you are keeping their best interests at heart. Any client that is looking to hire a fitness professional (or any professional) to endorse their product is looking for someone who can best represent their company! Keep in mind that when you are responding to their question, that you do not come off as cocky or impersonal! Clients always like people who are confident, outgoing and personable to represent their business and products!
Finding an endorsement is no accident, or crapshoot; it requires a lot of work and preparation. By preparing yourself mentally for any and ALL possibilities and outcomes will help ensure your strength to keep going on your journey to attaining an endorsement contract! Making yourself available at any and all fitness events helps increase your success rate at spreading your name and reputation as a fitness professional! While keeping both of these essential points in mind when pursuing an endorsement, you also need to know how to get and KEEP the attention of a potential client. Using these tips and steps will help set you apart from the rest of the crowd and on to the fast track to getting an endorsement contract!
