About This Site. This site is the website of motivational speaker Craig
Harper. A constantly updated, one-stop
information, inspiration, education and motivation
station. Unlike many similar sites, it is a totally
free resource for anyone who is serious about moving
from mediocre to amazing in any area of their
personal or professional life. With hundreds of
articles covering a wide range of subject matter,
great interviews with cool people and inspirational
video posts, there's more than enough brain-food to
keep you busy for hours. Okay, days!!
Enjoy.
Attention Website Owners!
How would you like to become an online business partner with
Craig? Click
here
to find out how to become an affiliate of craigharper.com
Public Speaking Workshop
- Craig Harper
If you've ever
thought about becoming a professional speaker or
improving your public speaking then this is the workshop
for you.
Life Coach & Mentor - Craig Harper
If
you are interested in maximizing your potential,
stepping out of that 'holding pattern' and being
privately coached by Craig click here.
Business & Career Coach - Craig Harper
If your a personal trainer, gym owner or studio owner who is interested
in growing your business and/or your career, then mentoring with Craig
could be a valuable part of your overall success strategy and
professional development journey.
Body Composition Analysis
- Craig Harper
Craig's
Qualified Exercise Scientists can provide you with a
complete Body Composition Analysis in just 30
minutes.
Fattitude
- Craig Harper
While many books focus on food,
Craig Harper teaches that creating life-long change is more about the
dieter, than the actual diet. This book is perfect for people who have a
history of 'almost' getting in shape.
In this entertaining presentation, Craig discusses the
notion of Renovating Your Body - once and for all. Many of us have a curious
ability to be able to get in shape for events (weddings, parties, reunions
and birthdays), if only we'd get in shape for life.
Food, Exercise, and Lifestyle
Diary -
Craig Harper.
If you're serious about your training,
nutrition, and lifestyle - Craig Harper's training diary is an invaluable tool.
Craig Harper is a leading
motivational speaker
and educator. He is a highly
sought-after corporate coach and is considered to be
a leader and pioneer in the areas of personal and
professional development. Working with hundreds of
teams, companies and a wide variety of organisations
on numerous continents over the last twenty years
has given Craig a unique insight into, and
understanding of, human performance and all its
variables. Craig has an ability to educate, inspire,
challenge and make people laugh all at the same
time!
As a business owner who sells a service and needs to pay a few staff, it's kind of important that my team and I keep people coming through the doors of the Harperdome. And that more importantly, that we retain clients, keep them happy and help them achieve their goals.
No revelation there. Obvious stuff.
So with that in mind, you might assume that I have some big, complex five-year business plan and a whiz-bang marketing strategy that's been developed by my team of highly paid business consultants and experts, somewhere deep within the bowels of the SS Harper.
Aah, not exactly.
Aah, not at all.
According to my business guru friends, I am a marketing disgrace.
My marketing buddies have been telling me for years that my company should have a significant annual marketing budget....Our marketing budget is zero; every year.
They also tell me that, at the very least, we should have a large advertisement in the yellow pages, as our competition is growing....We don't have an advertisement.
Some other business buddies have suggested that we get people to commit 'up front' to our services for extended periods of time. .....We don't do that either.
They tell me we should sell general 'gym memberships', after all, it's the biggest Personal Training centre in the country, there's enough room and resources.....we have no members and no memberships. All training is by appointment only. Apparently; a stupid concept.
Contracts? Nuh.
Minimum training commitments? No; if they train once only, that's fine.
Selling strategy? None really. No hard selling. Ever. We chat to people, we listen, we ask questions, we create rapport, and if we feel we can help them, and they are inclined to train with us, we proceed. Otherwise we suggest alternatives to help them achieve their goals. I have sent many people to other centres or specialists who I feel would best suit that person's needs. It's a crazy business concept my dad taught me; we call it honesty and integrity. Sometimes we need to step out of our what's-in-it-for-me-now mentality and think on a different level. People who are all about 'now' usually do the worst (in my experience).
People buy largely on emotion and instinct, and if you connect with people... then there's a fair chance they'll buy what you're selling. If people feel they're being 'sold', they are less likely to buy. Despite people's aversion to high-pressure selling, many businesses continue the practice. Maybe (a big maybe) they'll hook someone short term but, will they create a long-term, win-win, relationship with that person? Not likely.
I'm about the next ten years, not the next ten days.
Dealing with the competition? About a year ago a new fitness centre (part of a large chain) opened up six hundred metres down the road. Some of my friends (self-appointed, well-intending, guardians of my business) went in to panic mode. "What are you going to do", one of my mates asked. When I told him "nothing different", he thought it was the beginning of the end. Over the last year our business (the one with no marketing budget) is busier than ever and the gym down the road (the one with the big marketing budget) was recently sold to another chain.
Waddabout young sexy, gorgeous staff in teeny weeny outfits? Nuh. The majority of my trainers are late-thirties plus. I have several staff in their fifties and my 'most experienced' team member is 67 years young and amazing.
Okay, I know what you're thinking. "But Craig, you do lots of media stuff and that's what grows your business."
Two things to think about here:
1) I rarely mention my company name when I do media stuff, it's usually all done under the Craig Harper banner. Many people who follow me in the media don't even know about my business.
2) My business grew from one client to well over a thousand clients before I did any media.
So while I don't really have a traditional marketing strategy, I guess I do have an unconventional marketing philosophy...of sorts.
Here it is:
Spend little or no money on marketing - Won't work in every business, but if you do things strategically and thoughtfully, you'll be amazed what exposure, interest and momentum you can create before you spend a cent. Again, this has worked for me personally (in a small to medium sized business) but I realise that Coca-Cola or McDonald's may not share my perspective.
Invest time and energy in your customers - I spoke to an older gentlemen recently who was interested in being trained by one of my team. I spent twenty minutes with him, had a few laughs and he booked in for three sessions per week. Now, if he trains three times per week for the next year, he will invest in the vicinity of $8,000 in his health. Good for him, good for my business. Why did he choose Harper's? Because he had visited eleven centres (we were number twelve) and I was the first person who listened, didn't 'sell' and spent more than two minutes with him. I would have happily spent the time with him no matter what the outcome was. If the first eleven businesses had half a clue, we would never have met.
Develop and continue to develop a great product... If you do what everybody else does, you'll get what everybody else gets; mediocrity. Not saying we can't learn from others but... much better to be an innovator than an immitator. When I set up my first centre, it was the first of it's kind in Australia. Most people (all more qualified and more experienced than me) told me that the concept (of a Personal Training centre) wouldn't work in this country. "Not a big enough population, not enough disposable income, it's a fad." Glad I chose not to listen.
Be the shepherd, not the sheep.
Give your clients a reason to market your business for you. This is how it works in Personal Training (for eg.). Get a fat bloke in shape and ten things will happen:
1) He'll be a slimmer, healthier, satisfied customer. 2) People will want some of what he's got. 3) He will sell you and your business (verbally and visually). 4) He will create 'brand awareness' for you. 5) You will have more people walk through the door. 6) He will boost your credibility. 7) He'll bring five of his fat buddies, who in turn will bring fifty of their buddies.. and so on. 8) Your business will grow. 9) You'll make more money. 10) You'll buy a boat.
Okay, maybe not a boat.
But, you get my point.
I don't believe it's as complex as some people make it. But then..I don't have that marketing degree and I've read no marketing books.
So what would I know?
* Let us know your thoughts on the subject....
1 comments
Click play above
to
see motivational speaker Craig Harper in action.
Motivational
Speaker - Craig Harper Craig Harper is one of Australia's most respected
motivational speakers and educators. Some of Craig's recent clients include:
"We had our annual
conference over the weekend of the 23rd and 24th Feb, 2008 and we had
Craig Harper as one of our presenters. He was wonderful, funny and
professional, and he got our message through to the staff in a positive
and fun way. He was loved by all!"
DVD
- Renovate Your Body - Craig Harper
In this entertaining presentation, Craig discusses the
notion of Renovating Your Body - once and for all. (Also
available on CD).
Fattitude
- Craig Harper
While many books focus on food,
Craig Harper teaches that creating life long change is more about the
dieter than the actual diet.
Food for thought
- Craig Harper
In this book, Craig Harper
walks the reader through his 21 rules to Permanent Weight Loss.
So you've decided you want to get in shape (again)
- Craig Harper
Imagine a pocket-sized fitness book that takes just twenty minutes to
read. Craig Harper addresses the REAL getting-in-shape issues.
DVD
or CD - Renovate Your Body - Craig Harper
Alinta
Telstra
ANZ Bank
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
National Australia Bank
Corporate Express
Pricewaterhouse Coopers
Department of Infrastructure
Department Planning and Community Development
Simplot Australia
Porter Davis Homes
Rothschild Merchant Bank
Royal Children's Hospital
Fernwood Fitness Centres
Flour Daniel
Brivis
Sensis
Western Water
South East Water
For more information on booking Craig click
here.Some nice words about Craig:
"We had our annual conference over the weekend of the 23rd and 24th Feb, 2008 and we had Craig Harper as one of our presenters. He was wonderful, funny and professional, and he got our message through to the staff in a positive and fun way. He was loved by all!"
Ally Memic, IMCD, Australia