Training camps are opening on every street corner every week. Now more than ever you need to differentiate yourself from the competition. After running boot camps for years, we’ve put together some tips to help you separate your boot camp from the rest.

Here are some tips to help you build value in your boot camp and keep your campers coming back for more:

1. Specialize. Pick a specific training niche, such as kettlebell training or TRX. Consider a niche market based on your target market: before or after pregnancy, specific sports, young athletes, women’s weight loss, or childhood obesity. Make sure you choose something that you are passionate about or have experience with.

2. Develop clubs within your training ground. We have a 5K Club at our Boot Camp and we train two Sundays a month as a club. We also attend different races and events together! Create other mini clubs of interest within your camp … people love to feel like they belong to something.

3. Add nutritional guidance. If you do not have the nutrition background, it is critical that you partner with someone who does. A good nutrition program is an integral part of helping your campers achieve the results they want. Offer nutrition workshops, grocery tours, challenges, and nutritional tips at the end of boot camp classes. Be your go-to person for ALL of your fitness and nutrition needs. You will get better results faster if you eat better and exercise.

Four. Create a monthly or biweekly newsletter. Build your list. A newsletter is a great way to keep in touch with your current and past customers. It can include a helpful article, recipes, upcoming events, a training, a birthday list, and a question and answer section. Another way to be your go-to person for your fitness and nutrition needs! Our boot camp clients look forward to our biweekly newsletters!

5. Send cards. Technology has changed the way we communicate. People have gotten into the habit of texting and emailing. There are already very few people who send cards. Try sending cards to your clients – it will make your campers feel like a million bucks and set it apart from 99% of other boot camps. Send a nice birthday card (include a small gift if you want), send a thank you card for their referral, send an achievement card for personal or camp achievements, or send them a “we miss you” card. You don’t like receiving letters?

6. Develop a referral rewards program. People love to get free stuff. If people like your boot camp, they will share it with their family and friends. Having a referral rewards program is an incentive for them to go out of their way to spread the word. Word of mouth is your BEST advertisement. Offer them something for free, like two weeks of free boot camp for every referral they sign up.

7. To be prepared. Your clients pay you for the results. How do you get results? With a plan. Don’t show up to boot camp pulling your training drills out of a hat. When you do, they can tell! The class will not go as well and will tend to repeat the same exercises over and over again. You must change it. If you don’t, they will stagnate and blame you. Plan your workouts and get ready.

8. Run contests / challenges. Once a month we run a challenge, which includes a fitness, nutrition and drinking water component. We have people participating throughout the month. We created a calendar and sign-in sheet to make it extremely easy for them. We invite you to share with your family and friends, and the campers love it! As the end of the month approaches, they begin to wonder what the challenge is for next month.

When you create value in your business and services, you create customers for life! Focus on using the tips above and your campers will feel appreciated and it will take a herd of elephants to leave your camp!