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ISSA Announces New Business Course

ISSA Announces New Marketing Course

Carpinteria, CA – January 19, 2006 – Personal training has been reported by the IHRSA to be the most profitable service offered by health clubs. As the personal training sector of the fitness world grows, and with the advent of the National Board of Fitness Examiners providing standards of practice for fitness professionals, the fitness business is becoming more and more competitive.

To succeed, fitness entrepreneurs must attract and retain a growing base of satisfied customers and clients. Marketing programs and strategies vary greatly, although all are aimed at both acquiring a new customer or client and keeping that customer or client continuing the business relationship.

Fitness business owners should carefully plan their marketing strategies and performance to keep their market presence strong, and their customers coming back. “A solid foundation of marketing is essential to any business plan,” says Sam Hirschberg, Director of Business Development for the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA). “Regardless of whether a trainer works for a facility, owns a studio, or wants to operate a franchise, a successful marketing plan is critical for personal trainers starting their career in business.”

Despite the critical importance of marketing, many fitness professionals are unsure of how to develop effective marketing strategies. The ISSA recently published their new business series with their continuing education course titled FITNESS MARKETING 101: How to Develop a Marketing Plan for Your Fitness Business.

Marketing is based on the importance of customers to your business and has two important principles:

1. All company policies and activities should be directed toward satisfying customer needs.
   
   
2. Profitable sales volume is more important than maximum sales volume.

The CEU course helps personal trainers best use these principles by facilitating the process of determining the needs of their customers through market research; analyzing their competitive advantages to develop a market strategy; selecting specific markets to serve by target marketing, also known as niche marketing; and determining how to satisfy customer needs by identifying a marketing mix.

About the Program

FITNESS MARKETING 101: How to Develop a Marketing Plan for Your Fitness Business ($69) earns 3 ISSA CEU’s. The course includes the main program (a 20-page text in digital PDF format) and the addendum Special Report (an 8-page text in digital PDF format), a sample marketing plan, and features online enrollment, an online exam and instant grading as well as automatic certificate generation upon completion of course. The course can be ordered toll-free 800-892-4772, CEU department or can be ordered online at www.ISSAOnline.com/ceus

About ISSA

Since 1988 the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) has provided certification and continuing education to over 75,000 fitness professionals. ISSA certifications are recognized worldwide. From Sports Conditioning to Youth Fitness, ISSA offers 10 certification programs and dozens of continuing education courses. For more information on the ISSA, please visit: www.issaonline.com

To schedule an interview with a representative of ISSA, please contact:

Sabeen Sadiq
Director of Public Relations for the ISSA
Email: ssadiq@issaonline.com
Toll-free: 1-800-892-4772
International: (805) 745-8111

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