99 – Skyler Tanner on The Most Effective Ways To Market Your HIT Business, Get New Clients, and Keep Them Coming Back Again and Again

Skyler Tanner is the most featured guest to-date on Corporate Warrior, and for quite a number of good reasons: in addition to being a well-regarded exercise physiologist, an analytics professional, a world-class personal trainer, having given lectures and presentations in a variety of conferences and media platforms, and having been featured in mainstream outlets such as FOX and Prevention Magazine, Skyler is incredibly sharp and entertaining.

In this episode, Skyler goes into detail about how he started and scaled Smart Strength into the robust HIT establishment it is today, particularly the story of how he was able to more than double the amount of business it generates in just over a year’s time.

Check out the accompanying blog post from Skyler here – Additional Answers for 6th(!) Corporate Warrior Appearance

Contact Skyler Tanner:

• Smart Strength Official Website
• Skyler’s Personal Blog
• Skyler on Twitter
• Skyler on Linkedin
• Smart Strength on Twitter

Want to hear more from Skyler? Listen to previous episodes here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Skyler managed to more than double his business in just over one year
• How to sell high-intensity training to get new clients by not actually talking about it
• Skyler’s approach to systems and getting things done that makes his business more productive and efficient
• The importance of establishing your values and your personal mission statement early on
• … and much more!

 

Download How to Attract Great Personal Trainers PDF

 

• Listen to it on iTunes.
• Stream by clicking here.
• Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

 

This episode is brought to you by Hituni.com, providers of the best online courses in high intensity training that come highly recommended by Dr. Doug McGuff and Discover Strength CEO, Luke Carlson. Course contributors include world-class exercise experts like Drew Baye, Ellington Darden and Skyler Tanner. There are courses for both trainers and trainees. So even if you’re not a trainer but someone who practices HIT, this course can help you figure out how to improve your progress and get best results. Check out Hituni.com, add the course you want to your shopping cart and enter the coupon code ‘CW10’ to get 10% off your purchase!

 

This episode is brought to you by ARXFit.com, ARX are the most innovative, efficient and effective all-in-one exercise machines I have ever seen. I was really impressed with my ARX workout. The intensity and adaptive resistance were unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I love how the machine enables you to increase the negative load to fatigue target muscles more quickly and I love how the workouts are effortlessly quantified. The software tracks maximum force output, rate of work, total amount of work done and more in front of you on-screen, allowing you to compete with your pervious performance, to give you and your clients real-time motivation.

As well as being utilised by many HIT trainers to deliver highly effective and efficient workouts to their clients, ARX comes highly recommended by world-class trainers and brands including Bulletproof, Tony Robbins, and Ben Greenfield Fitness. To find out more about ARX and get $1,000 OFF software licensing fees, please go to ARXfit.com and mention Corporate Warrior in the how did you hear about us field.

 

Subscribe to my emails to get a FREE HIT workout progress sheet and eBook with 6 podcast transcripts with guests like Dr. Doug McGuff, Drew Baye, and Skyler Tanner – Click here

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: As a personal trainer or someone who has worked with one, what have you found to be effective or compelling in terms of motivating yourself or your client to work out effectively and keep coming back for more? Please let me know in the comments at the bottom of this post.

Show Notes

Click the link below to listen from the exact time stamp on Overcast:

• Skyler talks about more than doubling the amount of training sessions in his business in just a little over a year, his thoughts on his personality, and how personal trainers figure in the lives of their clients [06:29]
• On building a HIT business by not selling a HIT business – how Skyler does marketing and how he differentiates and stands out in a saturated health and fitness field [10:15]
• The importance of why and what really matters to clients [13:05]
• On not caring about Time Under Load (TUL) and Skyler’s approach to measuring client progress [14:05]
• On motivating clients [15:22]
• On training older clients and “am I too old for this?” [19:09]
• Skyler and I talk more about marketing and selling the benefits of high-intensity training instead of the concepts of HIT [20:16]
• On people who think they’re doing high-intensity training (but aren’t, really) [25:07]
• Skyler goes into detail about how he increased the amount of business he got over one year (and how his particular set of skills came into play) [25:57]
• Skyler talks about how he gets new clients started, eventually hooked, and how he works with them to create customised workouts unique to their needs and for their goals [36:12]
• On clients having varying TULs and HIT orthodoxy versus doing what’s really needed to get to true momentary muscular failure [39:33]
• On professionalism and building strong relationships with your clients [44:05]
• On learning and on sifting through which bits of knowledge to apply when it comes to training routines, protocols, and certain situations [47:03]
• Skyler talks about his experience with social media marketing and how he goes about the first few consultations with a new client [48:12]
• Why Skyler promotes twice a week and not once a week workouts [50:53]
• How Skyler does follow-up communications and marketing with new clients in order to build on and strengthen relationships (and get referrals) [52:44]
• On starting out in business, scaling, and when you should – or shouldn’t – look into automation tools and services [56:43]
• Skyler talks about some marketing ideas he’d like to try out in the near future [1:00:44]
• Skyler goes into detail about processes, systems, automation, and surrounding himself with great business professionals who get things done [1:01:58]
• On productivity, values, and principles [1:04:02]
• On having a Personal Mission Statement and defining your True North [1:07:38]
• On entrepreneurship and the value of happiness [1:15:34]
• On balancing making money, how much work you do, business factors that affect your happiness, and what Skyler thinks Doug Holland would do with a BMW if he actually bought one [1:21:55]
• On how your personality factors in to your business and the value of having systems in place [1:23:50]
• Skyler on being regarded as one of the best personal trainers in the world, what it’s gotten him so far, and possible ways he might leverage his reputation [1:26:59]
• Skyler on the things that bring him joy and happiness [1:30:34]
• On success, enjoyment, and warm showers and hot baths [1:33:17]
• If Skyler were to start a business based on bodyweight high-intensity training, what would it be like and how would he make it happen? (And Skyler talks about the importance of environment in achieving your goals and being successful) [1:34:50]
• On the compelling arguments for zero-carb diets [1:38:58]

Selected Links from the Episode

• Skyler Tanner’s Facebook post on going from 32 client sessions to 84 client sessions in just over a year
• The Perfect Workout
• ARX Fitness
• “Am I too OLD for this?!” by Skyler Tanner
• Interview with Lawrence Neal of Corporate Warrior
• No True Scotsman (logical fallacy)
• Minimum Effective Dose
• Study: The effects of breakdown set resistance training on muscular performance and body composition in young males and females (James Fisher, Luke Carlson, James Steele)
• Efficient Exercise
• Poolhall Junkies | Poolhall Junkies Bathroom Scene
• Able (Lending Business Funding)
• Law of Attraction
• SWETI Services (Smart Marketing, Built for Fitness)
• Orange Theory Fitness
• On Proper Exercise: Corrective AND Protective by Skyler Tanner
• Machu Picchu
• TRX Suspension Training ( Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• Bodyblade ( Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• MedX Exercise Equipment
• Functional Movement Systems | Functional Movement Online Courses & Certifications
• Max Strength Fitness
• Body By Science by Dr Doug McGuff and John Little ( Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• There’s Something About Mary ( Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• How Many Sets Do You Need to Perform to Maximize Muscle Gains? by Brad Schoenfeld
• DEXA Scan
• Study: Effects of regular and slow speed resistance training on muscle strength (Dr. Wayne Westcott et al)
• aWeber (Email Marketing service)
• GMass (Email Marketing service)
• MailChimp (Email Marketing service)
• ConvertKit (Email Marketing service)
• Emma (Email Marketing service)
• G Suite | Website
• Google Docs | Website
• Google Sheets | Website
• MINDBODY (Online Business Management Software)
• Nonsolicitation Agreement
• Noncompete Agreement
• The Pareto Principle / The 80/20 rule
• Parkinson’s Law
• Those “Stupid” business books were right by Skyler Tanner (on value sets and principles in business)
• The Psychology of Selling: Increase Your Sales Faster and Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible by Brian Tracy ( Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• The Iliad by Homer ( Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• The Odyssey by Homer ( Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman
• If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Happy? By Dr. Raj Raghunathan ( Online Video Lecture / Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• Discover Strength
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson ( Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• Supermarine Spitfire (aircraft)
• Converse | Website | Chuck Taylor All-Stars ( Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath ( Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• South Congress Hotel
• Greater Goods Roasting | Roaster’s Choice Subscription
• Resistance Exercise Conference
• The “Desert Island” Workout by Skyler Tanner
• Anderson family: On meat diet for 17 years! | Skyler Tanner’s Facebook Post
• Thermal Immersion Circulator ( Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• NMR Lipoprofile | Why take an NMR Lipoprofile over a Standard Lipid Panel?
• Protein-Sparing Modified Fast

People Mentioned

• Nate Green | Website
• Dr. Doug McGuff (Listen to previous episodes with Doug here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3)
• Greg Anderson
• Luke Carlson (Listen to previous episodes with Luke here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3)
• Matt Hedman | Website
• Melinda Hughes (Listen my interview with Melinda here)
• Arthur Jones
• Ken Hutchins
• Dan John
• Adam Zickerman | Website (Listen to the episode with Adam here)
• Tim Ryan (Listen to my interview with Tim here)
• Andy Magness (Listen to my interview with Andy here)
• Dr. James Steele (Listen to our episodes here: Part 1 and Part 2)
• Dr. James Fisher (Listen to previous interviews with James here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3)
• James Altucher | Website
• Christopher Walken
• Bill DeSimone (Listen to our episodes here: Part 1 and Part 2)
• Chip Foose | Website
• Jeff Tomaszewski
• Tom Zaleski
• Dr. Brad Schoenfeld (Listen to our episode here)
• Dr. Wayne L. Westcott
• Noah Kagan | Website (Listen to my interview with Noah here)
• Duke Ellington
• Brian Tracy | Website
• Gary Vaynerchuck | Website
• LeBron James | Website
• Dr. Raj Raghunathan | Website
• Doug Holland (Listen to my interview with Doug here)
• Chip Heath | Website
• Dan Heath | Website
• Robb Wolf (Listen to my interview with Robb here)
• Dr. Shawn Baker (Listen to previous episodes here: Part 1 and Part 2)
• Dr. Ted Naiman (Listen to previous interviews with Ted here: Part 1 and Part 2)
• Bruce Ames | Website
• Dr. Kurt Harris | Website (archive of the now-defunct Archevore website)