Personal Trainerʼs Guide to Medical Referrals

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Limits of Liability

The author, publisher and advisors of this course and audio program shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any persons or entities with respect to loss or damages caused or alleged to have been caused by the information contained in this book. The content in this book is for informational purposes only. Copyright Notices

This course contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2006 by Michael Y. Seril. Any unauthorized transfer, use, sharing, reproduction, sale or distribution of these materials by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise is prohibited. In other words – Don’t even think about copying my information and passing it off as yours! No part of this program may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, without the expressed written consent of the publisher or author. Published under Copyright Laws of the Library of Congress of the United States of America, By: Michael Y. Seril, MS Michael Seril Fitness 15725 East Whittier Blvd. Suite C Whittier, Ca. 90603 562-902-0100 www.michaelserilfitness.com

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Table of Contents

Introduction …………………………………………………………………….. 1 Meet Michael Y. Seril ………………………………………………………….. 2 About Michael Seril Fitness ………………………………………………….....4 A Successful Plan to Develop “YOU” ………………………………………….6 Knowledge ………………………………………………………………. 6 Formal education ………………………………………………………... 7 Credentials ………………………………………………………………..7 Hands on practical skills ………………………………………………… 7 How do you represent yourself ………………………………………… 11 Business skills ………………………………………………………….. 12 Develop the Fitness Studio…………………………………………………......14 Energy ………………………………………………………………….. 14 Professionalism ……………………………………………………….... 14 The “CONSUMER” The Medical Community ……………………………...17 The first step …………………………………………………………….17 What questions to ask and how to ask …………………………………..18 A “Press Kit”…………………………………………………………….19 Ask the staff to be your own personal training client ………………….. 21 Lets meet the Medical Doctors ………………………………………………. 22 Another “Press Kit” ……………………………………………………. 23 Ask the front desk employee if you can leave a “Press Kit”…………… 24 Follow up after the “Press Kit” ………………………………………… 25 When do you call ………………………………………………………..25 What do you say ……………………………………………………….. .25 A quick note ……………………………………………………………..27 Lets Recap ……………………………………………………………………... 29

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WHAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT

Do you want to earn around $16,000 a month as a personal trainer in a

fitness studio that is only 820 square feet? Of course you do! Why not? Right!

Well, my business opened Nov 6, 2004 and I went from making a good salary of

around $5,000 a month and now my studio is expecting to gross around $200,000

for the 2006 year. Not bad for only being out of school just four years ago and

just turning 30 years old. I do not work 12 hours a day 7 days a week to earn this

money. But I have figured out a way how to receive 65% of my studios’ referrals

from the medical community (medical doctors, registered dietitians and health

educators) all are supporters and believers in what I do and what my company

stands for. Keep reading and I will explain and show you how you too can be a

successful fitness professional with a successful business working with the

medical community.

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WHO I AM

My name is Michael Y. Seril, I am the owner of Michael Seril Fitness and

Michael Seril Enterprise. I was awarded the 2006 NSCA Personal Trainer of the

Year and 2006 ACE Personal Trainer of the Year Finalist. I earned a Masters of

Science degree in Kinesiology specializing in Exercise Physiology and a Bachelor

of Science degree in Kinesiology specializing in Exercise Science from California

State University Northridge. I was also a Graduate Teaching Associate in my

department teaching Fitness for Life and Weight Training classes. I am a

Certified Personal Trainer by the National Strength and Conditioning Association

(NSCA) and the American Council on Exercise (ACE). I am also a Post Rehab

Conditioning Specialist by the American Academy of Health, Fitness and

Rehabilitation Professionals (AAHFRP). I am recognized by IDEA as a Master

Personal Fitness Trainer and a recipient of the Ethics and Safety Compliance

Standards (ESCS) “Seal of Excellence” from the International Association of

Certifying Agencies (IAFCA).

In addition to private personal training, I am a contributing expert writer to

Men’s Health, Get Fit (IHRSA), Skin Deep and Muscle and Fitness magazines. I

am also a fitness & exercise lecturer, presenter and newsletter writer for two

medical facilities. My lecture class called “Exercise is Medicine” is presented to

over 100 patients a month at the medical facility and is one of the most popular

classes that they offer. I have written countless articles for the medical facility as

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well. The newsletter articles are sent to over 7,000 people throughout the

community every month. I am also an exercise and fitness advisor to the

education department of the medical facility. I present topics of importance to the

director of education, registered dietitians, health educators and medical doctors

of the facility. This presentation helps the health educators and medical doctors

stay up to date with the latest fitness and exercise news and theories. I also am a

director of fitness for a worksite fitness program, a speed and conditioning coach

for a basketball academy, and a plyometrics coach for several sports team around

the Orange County area.

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ABOUT MICHAEL SERIL FITNESS

Michael Seril Fitness was formed Nov 6, 2004. We are located inside a

medical facility in one of the suites. My company is comprised of myself and two

other personal trainers and a registered dietitian. The studio started with 16

clients and after a year and a half in business our clientele has risen to almost 55

paying clients. That is a little more than a 300% increase in clientele. It my

estimation, by the middle of 2007, we will have at least 100 paying clients. We

receive about 40% of our referrals from medical doctors registered dietitians, and

health educators, 25% from my seminars, workshops and newsletter articles, and

the rest from “word of mouth” by our clients. You might say that 55 clients are

not too many. What if I tell you that the average cost per hour session at my

studio is $70 an hour and $45 for half an hour. I personally command $100 an

hour and $55 for half an hour. I would also like to tell you that 90% of our

clients stay for at least 6 months of training. And even when they decide to part

ways with Michael Seril Fitness, almost half that leave comes back within two

months. Now, that statistic is the one I am most proud of. It means that we have

made a great impression in their lives and that they value our services.

In the first couple of months of the company, it was generating a revenue

of about $5,000 a month and in the month of July, 2006 the studio generated close

to $18,000. We are projecting revenue of $200,000 for the year 2006. Not bad

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for only being in business for a little less than two years. I will be opening

another fitness studio around the Newport Beach or Laguna Beach area by 2008.

So what makes my company different from other fitness studios? Well,

first off it is only 820 square feet. We have two benches, two treadmills, one

stairmaster, one multi-unit fitness equipment, three Bosu trainers, two swiss balls,

medicine balls, bands and dumbbells. So how does an 820 square foot facility

generate $200,000 in revenue in less than two years being in business? Well,

keep reading and I will tell you how it’s done. What you need to do and know to

receive endless supply of referrals from medical doctors, registered dietitians and

health educators. And have a successful business working with the medical

community.

There are two things this book will focused in. One, we must develop a

product. That product is you! “YOU” the person, “YOU” the trainer, “YOU” the

business man, “YOU” the motivator and “YOU” the educator. Once we have a

product then we can sell the product to consumers. Two, those consumers are

made of the medical community. Bottom line, create the product, sell the product

to the consumers.

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A SUCCESSFUL PLAN TO DEVELOP “YOU”

You need to develop “YOU” at a high level in order to compete with other

fitness professionals around your area. “YOU” will not be developed overnight

but the earlier you begin the better your future will be.

“YOU” THE FITNESS PROFESSIONAL

Develop yourself. Develop your knowledge and skills and you will be rewarded.

A combination of formal education, recognized & respected certifications,

practical and business skills will be highly important in succeeding.

Knowledge - What makes a knowledgeable fitness professional? I only

have one sentence for you. “Always move forward and keep learning.” Never be

satisfied of what you know, what you have and what you have accomplished.

Always educate yourself by getting a degree or beyond, other certifications, get

your continued education units, go to workshops and seminars, read fitness

articles, learn from others who are very successful and knowledgeable in their

field. And why should you do all this? It is to benefit your future clients!

Learning to learn for you is one thing but learning to help others is priceless. I

have a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology, written articles for countless

magazines, NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year winner, to many those are a

lifetime of achievements. To me, those are just things that I have accomplished

but I continually want to improve and learn as fitness professional. Not just for

my benefit and to have letters after my name but my first and foremost goal is to

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help as many people as I can to the best of my abilities and skills. And the only

way for me to do that is to continually push myself forward and continue to learn.

Your imagination should only be your only obstacle.

Formal education – You should attain at least a Bachelor of Science

degree in Kinesiology or in some type of fitness and exercise field. Having a

Masters degree in the field will only better your chances. Having a formal

education is not required in succeeding but it will never hurt your chances, it can

only help you.

Credentials – You should have at least a Certified Personal Trainer

certification from one of the most recognized fitness organizations in the world.

They are the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), American

Council on Exercise (ACE), American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM),

and/or the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). If you do not have

one of these certifications, I highly recommended studying for and attaining at

least one. This will build you instant credibility and to the eyes of the health

professionals, you will be viewed as someone they can trust their patients with.

Hands on and practical skills – My formal education has given me the

ability to express my skills and knowledge in a scientific and formal manner. But,

without my hands on experience none of my accomplishments today would be

possible. A bit of a hint for you if you are just beginning your career as a fitness

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professional and have the passion and drive to stand out from the rest. You will

have to do things that you might not enjoy but the most important thing to

remember is the knowledge and skills that you learn from the experience whether

good or bad. The bottom-line, be active around your department if you are in

school, be active around your community. Participate in every opportunity that

will enhance your knowledge and skills regarding fitness and exercise even if it is

time consuming or it does not pay you. The pay off is down the line and look at it

as an investment into your future as a fitness professional. Here are some

examples that I have experienced that have given me the necessary tools to be

successful today.

Internship program with Los Angeles Fire Department Wellness Program – The

internship program required me to do many hours of research in regards to fitness

programming with a specific population. In this case the firefighters. This is a

valuable tool because when you begin to work with specific populations that you

might not be familiar with, doing some type of research will always provide you

with more advantage on how you can help that individual or group. I also had to

work with many graduate students (I was still working on my undergraduate

degree) therefore, teamwork was vital in developing projects with other people.

When you begin working with other health professionals, be ready to work as

team to provide the best services for you and your clients.

Graduate Teaching Associate at California State University Northridge – Being a

Teaching Associate gave me the confidence to be able to speak in front of a group

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of people and teach them the skills necessary for the class. Being prepared to do a

lecture on any topic regarding fitness and exercise required hours of research,

preparation and teaching techniques that I still use today with my seminars and

lectures. Now why is this important? When you have to prepare a lecture for a

group of doctors about your services, you have to be ready and it will require

hours of preparation to convince them why they should refer their patients to you.

Any questions they may ask, you have to be ready for or at least know how to

answer it in a professional manner.

Graduate school – Graduate school is where I began to really believe in myself

and know I had the necessary skills to be successful in the personal training

industry and be able to help thousands of lives along the way. What was it about

graduate school that it made me feel this way? It was the competition within the

department, the competition in class, the competition between students. There

was no way around it, it was either do your best or receive the worst grade in

class. And all my hard work and perseverance paid off when I was always in the

top three in my class and in every class. The competition I craved for and I forced

myself to always do better and work harder than the next person.

Private training at a small fitness studio – I will always be a trainer at heart no

matter what happens with my career. Even when I own two or three fitness

facilities and provide lectures and seminars all over the country or writing books

for the public, I will always love doing personal training. The satisfaction I get in

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knowing that I just provided this individual with the best workout he or she has

ever had is priceless. And training at a private studio early in my career taught

me the one on one skill that I needed when dealing with different individuals.

Different personalities, different goals, limitations and body type are all things

that every personal trainer will encounter in their personal training career.

Learning the skills necessary to be able to adapt to different situations will only

make you a better fitness professional. And the earlier you learn these skills, the

further you will be in your career.

Fitness Director at LA Fitness – Being a leader and a great example to other

fitness professionals is what being a fitness director was all about. It taught me

how to be a leader and someone who other fitness professionals can look up to for

advice and knowledge. Being responsible for 20 personal trainer and their clients

was a big challenge for me, but I took it as that, a challenge and not a chore.

Leaders are made not created.

Having three of the toughest advisors in my graduate program – Having

professors and mentors push you is the best way to learn and experience the

meaning of hard work. We are all guilty at some point in our life of lagging

behind if no one is there to push us along the way. Being pressured to work

harder and succeed will only improve you as a person and as fitness professional.

When a professor or mentor is pushing you, don’t push back just get even and

work even harder!

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How do you represent yourself - This is probably the most important

aspect of developing “you” as fitness professional. You are whom you represent.

And your company is a reflection of you and vice versa. I for example, do not

have a 6% body fat, I do not wear a $5,000 watch and I am not “toned” like a

fitness model. What I am is a knowledgeable professional with integrity, pride

and the passion for and what I do. And it shows on how I speak, what I wear and

how I represent myself. I speak with intelligence and with pride and passion. If

you look at this profession as a job, you will never be successful. But look at it as

a career, and combine it with the passion of helping others, it is just a matter of

time when you find success.

Success will not find you; you have to seek it yourself. It will give you

roadblocks, speed bumps, twist and turn, you might get lost once in a while but

the once who keep moving forward and does not lose sight of the goal, those are

the ones that will make a difference in our industry. And that can be you!

Saying words like

“Hello, Mrs. Jones I am here to help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

Let’s work together as a team and make this happen.”

Compared to

“Mrs. Jones, you have to sign up with me today because our special runs out at

7 this evening.”

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Feel the difference? The first person sounds passionate about their career and is

confident. And more importantly, this person cares about Mrs. Jones not just her

credit card.

Here is another one……..

“Hello Dr. Jones, My name is Michael Seril and I am fitness professional and I

would like to get an opportunity to tell you about my services and what I can do

for your patients.”

Compare to:

“Dr. Jones, I’m a trainer and can you refer me some of your patients.”

Wow, what a difference, right? Be professional. Introduce yourself. And tell the

doctor that your services are mainly to help people achieve their health and fitness

goals and improve the quality of their life. Present yourself the right way and you

will be rewarded.

Business skills - You learn business skills along the way as you progress

through your fitness professional career but is it the right and effective way? I

have been a personal trainer for more than 7 years now and even with all my

accomplishments and education, I also need a fitness marketing coach. I am a

personal trainer at heart, but I am also a businessman as well. So I will always

invest in products that I feel will enhance my professional career. That’s where a

guy by the name of Bedros Keuilian comes into play. He will motivate you and

teach you the ways on how to market your skills and abilities in a profitable and

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effective way. No time is wasted and as you know being a personal trainer, time

is of an essence. You want to maximize your time and energy.

Even the best personal trainers in the world sometimes lack skills necessary to

effectively market their abilities. Be truthful to yourself; get help where you need

it. Remember, one of the true signs of improving yourself, is the ability to

recognize what skills you are lacking and getting help for it. The worse thing you

can do as a fitness professional is think that you know everything, and that you do

not need help with anything from anyone. Be open minded, let experts like

Bedros teach you and you will improve continuously and effectively as a fitness

professional and as a person.

Okay, so we now know what steps we can take to improve “YOU”. Let’s talk

about if you had your own fitness studio, far or close to a medical facility. Or

even better, inside a medical facility.

Remember? I mentioned earlier that my fitness studio is only 820 square feet.

What we lack in size of the studio, we make up for from the energy and the

professionalism that our studio exudes.

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DEVELOP THE FITNESS STUDIO

Energy

What makes a fitness studio have energy? Energy in a studio will come mostly

from the trainers that work in the studio. And I don’t mean trainers screaming to

clients, loud music or having a whistle blowing contest. Energy comes from how

you make your clients feel the second they walk in the door.

“How are you Mrs. Jones? Be ready for a terrific and productive workout

today, I will be right with you!

Compare that to, “Go ahead and warm up”.

Another energy booster.

“You can do it Mr. Jones, two more reps to go…2…..1. Great set! Relax a little

bit.”

Compare to, “Come on…no pain …no gain!”

Feel the difference? Provide energy to clients and be professional and sincere

about it and they will keep coming back for more. And most likely, they will tell

a friend or a loved one about their great experience.

Professionalism

What makes a studio professional? Being professional is how the studio is

presented the second a potential client looks in or walks in the studio. Is the studio

clean? Are the trash cans empty or overflowing? Are the counter tops full of

water bottle or cup stains? Are the equipments dusty or with sweat stains?

Paying attention to small details such as these will enhance the appearance of the

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studio and create a professional atmosphere. A potential client will not want to

pay $70 - $100 an hour and workout at a place where it is dirty, unsanitized, and

smelling like a high school locker room. Make sure your studio is clean,

sanitized, smelling great and presentable to potential clients.

Are the walls of your studio bland with no personality or pictures? Or is it full of

motivational and educational information that when clients see it, they look to

themselves and say “wow, I would love to be a part of this place!” In my studio

we have the motivational words in big bold letters “Discipline – Commitment –

Results – Desire.” Why do we have these words, well, why not? It will only

help if one of these words encourages a client even a little. And sometimes to be

honest with you, after some long hours being in the studio I also need to look at

these words for motivation as well. So it benefits everyone!

I also have pictures representing the organizations that I am proud and affiliated

with. American Council on Exercise and the National Strength and Conditioning

Association both have motivational posters that help motivate and educate the

public about the importance of fitness and exercise. It also shows that you

represent these great organizations and their beliefs.

Are there any achievements that you are proud of? Include degrees,

certifications, achievements and articles that you have written and put them in

frames that represent who you are and what you have achieved. Make sure that

your degrees and certifications are where potential clients can see them. I have

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ours right behind my desk so if you were talking to me, you would see our “Wall

of Fame.” Do not make it cluttered with too much information but instead just

have the important ones. We have our degrees, certifications, business member

plaques, trophies of the fitness awards and my articles that I have written for

magazines. Make it presentable, make it you. And most importantly, be proud of

everything that you have on that wall. Cause it will show!

So we have developed a product! That product is you and or your studio. Now,

we need to focus on the consumer. How will we convince the consumer to buy

the product? That consumer is the medical community. Before we begin we need

to find out exactly what the consumer is all about. Once we do, then we can have

a successful plan on having the consumer buy the product.

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THE “CONSUMER” THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY

The first thing you need to do is the find out exactly who and what the

medical community is comprised of.

The medical community is comprised of hospitals, a medical plaza or a

medical facility of some type and its staff and its patients. It can range from

having a staff of 1,000 employees all the way down to 3 or 4. It depends on the

size of the facility and whom they work with. The hospitals and bigger medical

facilities will usually have an education department. This is where the health

educators, registered dietitians and where most of the educational seminars and

lectures occur. The medical doctors and nurses will be in the hospital or offices

along with the office staff.

The first step.

Know where the medical facilities and hospitals are around your area and gather

the following information from it.

1. Phone numbers and emails of the education department.

2. Who is in charge of educational lectures and seminars? This person will usually

have the title of education department coordinator or director.

3. What classes do they offer?

4. Find out information about who is in charge of the education department.

5. Once the information is gathered. Ask for an appointment to meet with the

director or coordinator.

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If they ask you who you are, just tell them that you are a fitness professional

who would like to be given an opportunity to provide your services.

At this point in your professional career, meeting this director will be one of the

most important moments in your life. You must do everything you can to make

this meeting happen. If you have to bug or almost bother this director, do it! But

be courteous, understanding and professional about it. If it takes 2-3 weeks

before a meeting, it’s fine. Just be patient and always have the mentality that you

can and will help this medical facility. Be persistent!

What questions to ask and how to ask?

- “Can you give me an opportunity to do a presentation to your class about the

importance of fitness & exercise and how easy it is to incorporate it into your

daily life?”

- “What can I do to help improve your education department?”

- “Would you like a free training session to see what I can do for you and your

classes?”

Find an avenue to showcase your skills and knowledge to get you in the door.

But be ready when they ask for your services. I was very persistent once I got a

contact name and number at the Bright Medical Plaza education department. In

two days after my initial conversation with the education department director, I

had my appointment with her already. I had my “press kit” prepared and

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explained to the director about what I can do for her department and how I can

help the community. I was able to convince her to allow me to do a

lecture/seminar for one of her classes. I wanted to teach people how they can

incorporate exercise and fitness into their daily life. The class I created is called

“Exercise is Medicine.” The class is synonymous with my name and my studio

all throughout the medical building. The lessons here are getting into the door by

your professionalism and persistence and convince them by your knowledge and

skills. Create a program that will be advantageous for the community and

synonymous with your name and business.

So what did I have ready when I met the director? A “Press Kit!”

My press kit was placed in a nice, professional folder with a binder with clear

paper covers containing each of the following items:

- My resume

- Detailed job descriptions of my previous work experience. (Internship for the

Wellness program, graduate teaching associate, programs I created in school,

articles that I have written in the past.)

- Testimonials from clients that I am currently training.

- Sample exercise routines I created with an exercise software with visual

descriptions of the exercises.

- Anything I did regarding fitness & exercise I included in the kit.

Sample documents of the “press kit” are available in the back of the book.

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So this is the time where all of “YOU” the professional, “YOU” the person needs

to shine. The most important lesson you need to know when this meeting occurs

is letting the director know that the community, the medical facility, the education

department will benefit from your knowledge, skills and professionalism.

So I’m sure you are asking yourself, where the doctors of the department come

into play. We will get to that a little bit later but getting a program set up within

their education department or at least getting an opportunity to present or do

seminars will improve your chances of getting referrals from the doctors.

I have listed here what I have done for the medical facility that I am currently

working with. Now why is this important? You will build more credibility in the

eyes of the medical doctors and that’s the ultimate goal.

Sample flyers and articles are available at the end of the E-Book.

- “Exercise is Medicine” seminar - This seminar was intended to teach the public

how to incorporate fitness and exercise into their daily lives. It is a one hour

seminar where I talk about cardiovascular, flexibility and resistance training

exercises. I also bring exercise equipment and show the attendees some of most

effective exercises for different muscles of the body.

- Contributing newsletter writer – I have contributed to several articles with the

medical facilities monthly newsletter. The main intention of writing an article for

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the medical facility is not to get clients to sign up with you right away. Instead,

your main intention should be to educate the readers, the community and all of the

staff of the facility about the importance of fitness and exercise.

- Ask the staff to be your own personal training client – There is no better way to

prove to people how good and knowledgeable you are than to be your personal

training client. I offered a doctor 3 free sessions in exchange for giving me the

opportunity to work with one or two of his/her patients. One year later, he is still

a paying client and is consistently referring 1-2 patients per month to my studio.

It will never hurt to offer a couple of free training sessions in exchange for

consideration. I also offered the education department director a free session in

exchange to do a seminar for her; she has also been a client of the studio for more

than a year. It will never hurt to offer your services.

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LET’S MEET THE MEDICAL DOCTORS

Here is some information about my experiences dealing with medical doctors

regarding referrals and dealing with a health professional.

- Medical doctors are hesitant of referring patients to some fitness professionals

because of the liability it possesses. They do not want to be liable for anyone’s

mistake. And that is why it is so important to develop your formal education,

knowledge, practical skills and the support of the education department to even be

considered by some doctors.

- Some doctors just do not care for us. They don’t believe in us, they don’t see the

advantages and benefits we can provide for their patients. It’s very unfortunate

but its reality. Someday it will change but for now, accept it.

- There will be ones that see the benefits of working with a health professional and

those doctors are the ones you should focus on working with.

- I would focus my attention to medical doctors such as General Practitioners,

Cardiologists, Internists and orthopedic surgeons. These are the doctors that will

see many of the patients that you can help. Do not make this list as the only rule;

this is just my suggestion from experience.

- Just stay focused on improving “YOU” and everything will fall into place.

I am currently working with about 6-8 medical doctors and there are about 50 of

them in the medical facility. So you see what kind of percentages I am working

with. Ideally, it would be great to work with every single one but nothing in life

is perfect and this is no different. Just stay positive and stay focused with the task

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at hand. Which is educating the public about the importance of health and fitness

and how it will improve the quality of their life.

So when and how to you approach a medical doctor for referrals. First and

foremost, the most important thing is to have the “PRODUCT” at a great

condition. It all comes back to the first few pages of the book. Always keep that

in mind.

From my personal experience, here are some proven techniques on how to get

referrals from the medical doctors of a medical facility.

1. Create another press kit specifically for the medical doctors. Include the

following:

- A letter stating what your intentions are.

- A resume.

- Testimonials from clients and professional contacts.

- Sample articles that you have written, hopefully for the medical facilities

education department.

- Referral sheet.

- Health and Medical questionnaire for your clients.

- Release of liability forms.

Again, present it in a professional manner.

Samples documents are available at the end of the book.

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2. Ask the front desk employee if you can leave a “press kit” for the doctor.

Now, I know you are asking yourself why not make an appointment with the

doctor and give it to them in person. Well, remember every doctor is busy and

they will feel like you are in the way of taking care of their patients. Trust me

with this one! If they truly believe in fitness and exercise, they will contact you.

And the ones that will are the ones you would like to work with anyway.

But another important thing, make good with the front desk employee. Be

nice….be sincere…be polite…be professional. It all comes back to that. I told

you it will!!

What to say to the front desk employee:

- “Excuse me” my name is Michael Seril and I am a personal trainer (they will

not understand what a fitness professional is), may I leave this press kit for Dr.

Jones? Can you please make sure you give it to him when you get the

opportunity? Thank you.”

- “Hello, what’s your name……Maggie, hi my name is Michael Seril and I am a

personal trainer and I would like to leave this press kit for Dr. Jones, Can you

please make sure she gets it? Thank you very much.”

What “NOT” to say to the front desk employee:

- “Can you make sure you give this to Dr. Jones?”

- “I want to leave this for Dr. Jones.”

Feel the difference? Be likeable, be sincere, be courteous……be professional.

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3. So how do you follow up after the press kit?

Come back one to two days later and ask the front desk employee if she/he gave

the press kit to the doctor. If she did and the doctor has not given you a call, ask

the front desk employee for the doctors’ business card or their email address. If

the front desk employee likes you, they will provide you with all the information

you need to get in contact with the doctor. Sometimes the doctors email address

is not on the card so you might have to get it from the front desk employee. If

they do not know, ask for their phone number of their office and extension.

This is where it gets tricky. When do you call? What do you say? Well, let’s go

over that right now.

When do you call?

- I would call during their off hours. Yes, when they are not in their office. Why,

because when they are in their office, their whole mind is basically work and their

patient’s, and they don’t want to get interrupted. So don’t bother them.

- Also, when you leave them a message, you can really get your point across

without feeling like you are in a hurry to say everything you need to say in such a

short time.

What do you say?

- “Hello, Dr. Jones my name is Michael Seril and I am the fitness professional

who provided you a “press kit” containing information on how I can help your

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patients achieve their fitness goals. I have a Masters degree in Exercise

Physiology and I am certified by two of the most recognized fitness

organizations in the world. I would really appreciate it if you give me an

opportunity to meet with you at some point and discuss the services I provide or

give me an opportunity to help one of your patients achieve their fitness goals.

Thank you for your time and consideration.”

Be straight to the point. Be professional. Trust me the ones that care are the ones

that will call. Remember, not all will call you back. But accept it and move on.

4. A doctor contacts you….now what?

Well, this is your opportunity to shine. Have your press kit ready again and be

ready to explain it to them in details

Contact by email - Email them back accordingly. Answer their questions

professionally and show them that you will do your best taking care of their

patients. Remember, it will always be their patients first and your clients second.

Be okay with it. Be brief and straight to the point.

Contact by phone – If they leave a message call them back as early as possible. If

you have to take off time for yourself, do it. This is crucial, they are showing you

that they are very interested in buying the product therefore you must do whatever

it takes to make it happen. Of course, not in the expense of your moral or ethical

beliefs.

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Contact by a meeting - This will be the best scenario for you but don’t expect it

too much. Out of all the doctors that I am working with, I only met one at the

beginning in person. So don’t get discouraged if they do not meet you in person

at the beginning. But if you do meet in person, again be professional. The most

important thing to do in this meeting is prove to the doctor that you will take care

of their patient. Go over your press kit again and show them your medical

questionnaire, how you would go over it with their patient and how you can care

for their patient. Always tell the doctors that you will always be open to their

suggestions and opinions no matter what. And that you respect what they do and

you appreciate what they are doing for you and their patient.

So at this point, the doctor approves your services and you both agree that the

doctor will refer you patients.

The only thing that is left is proving to the doctor that you are taking care of their

patients. Once a month, I provide a quick note to each doctor that I work with

about the status of their patient that I am taking care of.

For example:

Dear Dr. Jones,

Ted is doing really well with me. His wife has been telling me that when

he wakes up in the morning, his left leg hardly ever hurts him anymore. He is

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walking better and feeling less pain with his right hip. I will keep taking care of

him.

Thank you and take care.

Best in health,

Michael Y. Seril

Put the note in an envelope with nice paper. I hand write all my quick notes to the

doctors. It means more to them and it provides a personal touch.

Quick note. Straight to the point. And always be thankful. That’s all you need.

Also, when a doctor refers me a new patient and that patient signs up with the

studio. I purchase a gift card at Starbucks for the doctor. I place it in an envelope

and no one needs to know what is inside. Drop it at his/her office and provide a

quick note of thanks. Show by doing and saying that you appreciate what they are

doing for you and their patient, the referrals will keep coming.

Sounds easy or difficult? Of course, just like everything in life you will

encounter problems, questions and concerns but keep a positive mind and a

healthy attitude. But some of you might just get lucky and get all the breaks, and

that’s not a bad thing, just make the most of it.

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Let’s recap the successful plan on how to market your services to the medical

community and have success with it.

1. Improve “YOU” – You are the product and you must improve yourself

continuously and never be satisfied of what you have accomplished. There will

always be room for self-improvement.

2. Search the “CONSUMER” – Search and find as much information about the

“consumer”, the medical community. Where it’s located, phone numbers, classes,

etc.

3. Create your “Press Kit” both for the education department coordinator and

medical doctors.

4. Search for the education department director or coordinator.

5. Propose programs and services to the education department, director or

coordinator.

6. Get in contact with the front office employees and be sincere and professional

with them.

7. Gather information about the medical doctors(emails, phone number, addresses)

8. Provide a press kit for the medical doctors.

9. Follow through with phone calls, emails and meetings.

10. When a referral occurs, drop a hidden thank you note and a gift card.

11. Every month, drop a quick note about the status of their patient that you are

taking care of.

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So there are no special secrets on making this happen. It’s all about improving

yourself, doing research, being professional with everyone you come across the

way, be sincere, be caring and be motivated to help others. ANDYOU WILL BE

REWARDED IN NO TIME.

Best in health,

Michael Y. Seril, MS, NSCA-CPT, ACE IDEA – Master PFT Applied Exercise Physiologist Owner, Michael Seril Fitness & Michael Seril Enterprise 2006 NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year 2006 ACE Personal Trainer of the Year Finalist “Exercise is Medicine”