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Archive for February, 2010

Objections to membership sales can be viewed as the most difficult part of the entire sales process for a health club sales person. This is especially true if the objection is viewed as an obstacle rather than an opportunity to help the guest get the results they are looking for. Here are some suggestions on how to handle health club membership objections effectively.

1. With the effective use of a needs analysis, always try to anticipate objections early in the club tour and membership presentation. Too many health club sales people wait until objections come to them instead of trying to anticipate what they will be. Eliminate the objections as you go along, and the membership process will be much easier.

2. Never rush your response to a guest’s objection. Hear them out. Listen, even if you’ve heard it a thousand times before. Health club salespeople often respond too quickly and actually will over-talk their guests in these situations. This will often create friction with the guest which will likely lead to them not joining your club.

3. Repeat the objection back to your guest. This will buy you some time to think, plus it will also show that you are interested in what they have to say. It will also help you to be sure that you understand exactly what the guest is saying.

4. Don’t forget that that an objection to joining your fitness center is many times a “buying signal” because the guest still has questions. If they had no interest in your club or in joining, why would they still be talking to you?

5. If you think a guest’s objection is just a smokescreen, ask if they are interested in your club and in getting results. Smokescreen objections can be a real time waster for health club sales people, and even the most seasoned health club professionals can fall into this trap. Some club guests will feel overpowered by a confident health club sales person and their only escape is to create a “false objection” to joining your club. A simple way to rid yourself of this problem is by further probing in order to make sure that the objection to becoming a member is genuine.

6. It is important to remember that, statistically speaking, a minimum of three objections are needed before a person will buy. However, many health club sales people give up after the first objection without realizing that this person would have joined their club if they had persisted a little more.

7. Objections are simply part of the club sales process. Without them, there would be no need for salespeople and you would be out of a job. So don’t let them stop you from reaching your goals. The true health club professional doesn’t ever let objections get in the way of end goals.

8. Listen carefully to objections you receive about joining. They will hold valuable clues about the guest’s needs and desire. A real objection can often reveal important information that is worth noting because even if your guest doesn’t buy on this occasion you may know what buttons to push the next time you speak to them.

9. The better your tour and the better your membership presentation, the fewer objections you will hear – it’s that simple. It’s important to give your presentation in a way that your guest clearly understands. This will help you avoid objections that arise from not clearly understanding what you have said. Practice.

10. It wouldn’t be sales if people never objected. Many guests who join your club simply enjoy the “going-back-and-forth element” of buying, and health club sales people should be aware of this.

Now, sell some membership.

One of the free weight loss programs people are using is the Nutrisystem online weight loss plan. The Nutrisystem online weight loss program involves eating portion-controlled snacks, entrees, and desserts. More people find this program more appealing compared to other meal-replacement diets because they are still allowed to eat real food and are still able to lose weight. Furthermore, it teaches them a lesson on how they can eat properly for the rest of their lives.

How it works

The Nutrisystem online weight loss program is backed up by scientific information and evidence in how it promotes healthy weight loss for its participants. It emphasizes on the good carbs, portions of fiber and protein in our foods, and low glycemic index. It is actually the first weight loss program that allows the integration of carbohydrates with low glycemic index into low-fat meals.

Low fat with good carbs

People think that it is the best combination of foods even when they are trying to lose weight: low-fat with the good carbs. The combination helps in supporting blood sugar levels to keep it stable while keeping the person from feeling hungry. Furthermore, the combination allows the person’s metabolism to increase.

Receiving support

People who are participating in the Nutrisystem online weight loss program have their own support group that provides them with enough encouragement and support all throughout the program. There are online chatrooms that users can go to and participate in online seminars. Participants can also gain access to the program’s resource of exercise, health, and weight loss information.

Your own counselor

A person participating in the Nutrisystem online weight loss program do not just have a support group, but they also get their personal counselor who is tasked to assist them in their journey through weight loss and lifestyle change. This makes people feel more confident about themselves and it provides them with more guidance on how they can go about the weight loss program.

Free of charge

Aside from the Nutrisystem online weight loss plan and foods, participants are also able to get free plans that are designed to assist them in changing their manner of thinking so they can reclaim their body. The plan contains techniques that teach the person to create and maintain a healthy mindset so they can take charge of themselves and their own life.

Simple

The Nutrisystem online weight loss program also incorporates an exercise program that involves simple exercises, movements, and yoga poses to energize and invigorate the participant. Furthermore, all the foods are easy to prepare so the program is also ideal for those who have a hectic life but wanting to lose weight badly.

Complete

The Nutrisystem online weight loss program also provides a complete and realistic solution for losing weight. The program actually began with weight loss centers but its developers decided to take a turn on their strategy and go online instead. The program has been compared with other similar weight loss programs, but one advantage people found on Nutrisystem that could not compare with others is the fact that it is more affordable.

More on the plan

Nutrisystem’s plan allows a person to eat more often during the day with the snacks, entree, and desserts they can receive. The program also involves an online analysis so you can calculate your daily caloric requirements. Through that, you can determine the right amount of calories you can incorporate in your meals before your foods can be delivered to your home.

More advantages

All the meals are delivered and provided for the participants of the program, but the portions are controlled. Most members are required to take in around 1,200 calories in a day, however, some members can be required to take in 1,500 calories depending on their daily caloric needs. The membership is completely free and you only have to pay for the food. Furthermore, a free meal planner is also provided for you.

To try it out

Nutrisystem’s weight loss program is ideal for those who do not like following complicated diets. Unlike other weight loss programs, it takes on a very easy approach to weight loss and you even learn about healthy eating habits in the process. The program even has a free trial membership that you can easily sign up for online so you can check on their weight loss information and tools. That way, you can get an idea on what the program can provide for you.

There are many medical health care centers in America and they are in operation in order to provide medication, therapy, counseling and relief to people suffering from various diseases. These centers work to lessen the load that hospitals face. They run under different names and some of them specialize in certain fields. Some of the important medical health centers running in America are blood centers, facilities to conduct x-rays, ECG, EEG, Blood bank, Clinics, Therapists, and the many other centers that have opened up in the name of health.

The centers that are opening up these days are increasing in a rapid pace. Most of the doctors, nurses, therapists and other people of different professions for different medical fields, come from various cultures and countries. With them they bring a whole lot of new ideas and concepts that have never been tried out in America. For example, Chinese doctors have a way of treating you by pricking your body at various strategic points (Acupuncture). These are all proven to be successful medication substitutes after some years of research and the like.

In light of all this, there are many other clinics that are opened, which run bogus claims. One should be very careful while visiting a new doctor. This is essential as you don’t want the doctor to be prescribing you medicines that instead of saving you could kill you. The best way to stay safe is to educate yourself about the disease, condition or sickness that is affecting you. You should know about the various facts and myths that are often associated with most diseases.

Today, there are numerous sites that offer free information to people so that they can know what to do when they have a certain kind of illness. Most people, when they are sick, find it hard to describe to the doctor what the symptoms are. This is very important because a wrong symptom reported can make the doctor change his or her medication plan for you. Always remember this when you are telling the doctor about your symptoms; he is eliminating the possibilities of what sickness could be affecting you.

To find out about the American medical health care centers that are located in your area, you should check the local listing for numbers. If you still don’t find anyone contact your nearest hospital to help you locate a good medical center. They will know names of some of the best centers around to help you with your sickness or condition that you are facing.

Headache & Pain Management Center of Palm Beach

Medical conditions manifesting as pain account for 80 % of physician visits and pain costs Americans $120 billion in expenditures yearly. With this in mind, it is astonishing that only recently has pain management entered the medical school curriculum and gained status as a legitimate medical specialty. Despite great strides in medical research and technology, the mechanisms which make pain a problem in the human body are just now being explained.

The nervous system consists of nerve circuits or pathways, some of which exist to warn of injury or damage to the body and to enable one to react to prevent further trauma. The warning sign that we are all familiar with is the pain message. Acute pain is often a useful sign of underlying injury or disease that needs to be treated. However, recent research shows that with continued activation of “pain nerves” come abnormal changes in nerve connections and braispinal cord chemical messengers which allow the pain message to persist, even if the initial trauma has healed. This results in chronic pain, which is much more difficult to treat than pain from acute injury. As opposed to most instances of acute pain, chronic pain is not useful and can be considered a disease in and of itself. In fact, recent studies show that the effective treatment of acute pain can prevent chronic pain from developing. Thus, measures to prevent post-operative pain are being taken even before a patient goes to surgery. Physicians are learning that it is more effective to treat painful conditions early on, rather than waiting until the chronic pain becomes a disease in and of itself. This is particularly true for conditions such as reflex sympathetic dystrophy, nerve injury, fibromyalgia, and post-traumatic pain states.

Chronic headaches afflict a large proportion of the population. New, very effective medications are available to treat migraines. However, in many patients with very frequent headaches, medication may actually be the problem. The regular use of medication to relieve the pain of headache can result in “rebound headache” with increasing frequency of headache episodes. In such cases, the answer may lie in modification of lifestyle and dietary habits as well as other preventative measures.

The effective relief of many pain conditions requires an accurate diagnosis in order to find the most appropriate treatments. Depending on the exact symptoms, this may involve examination by various specialty physicians, x-rays or MRI, or electrical nerve and muscle tests, among others. Then patients can enter a treatment program customized for their particular needs. This usually requires a multidisciplinary approach, meaning there must be a team of medical professionals from various specialties who work together to provide whatever treatment is necessary. Anesthesiologists, neurologists and neurosurgeons, orthopedic physicians, psychiatrists, rheumatologists, and rehabilitation physicians are among the specialists who have become advocates for patients suffering from pain. Physical therapists and chiropractors, psychologists, massage therapists and acupuncturists may be involved in treatment as well.

A persisting myth about patients in chronic pain is that it’s “all in their heads.” For reasons mentioned above, severe pain may indeed persist without any visible signs of injury or disease. There are intimate connections between the pain pathways in the brain and spinal cord, and the portions of the brain involved in mood and emotions. As a result, many victims of chronic pain suffer depression as well. This may give a false impression that depression is the primary problem and the pain is imagined. This approach has been an obstacle to many chronic pain patients. In any case, treatment for depression or anxiety is sometimes required, whether it is a result of chronic pain or it was preexisting. Interestingly, many of the older antidepressant medications help chronic pain in non-depressed patients, particularly in cases due to nerve injury. Thus, it is important to recognize that pain is not just a physical phenomenon, that it affects multiple brain areas. This idea creates the framework for a multidimensional approach to pain treatment.

Other barriers to the effective treatment of pain stem from outdated attitudes about pain medications and their tendency to cause addiction (psychological dependence). All opioid medications (“pain killers” related to morphine or codeine) have the potential to result in physical dependence with long-term use. But studies have shown that very few patients with chronic or cancer pain actually become addicted. Better education of physicians and patients, as well as guidelines issued by governmental agencies, have led to more effective treatment of cancer pain in particular.

Managed care has not adequately addressed the treatment of chronic pain. Limitations are set on utilization of certain treatments, but there is no consensus on what types of programs are effective (as well as cost-effective) for treating patients with these conditions. In some settings, the multi-disciplinary approach has been shown to provide better outcomes (better functioning, less long-term reliance on the medical system, less pain medication required) but most insurance companies do not cover such comprehensive care.

Whether you suffer from headaches, back pain, neuralgia, neuropathy, fibromyalgia, RSD or abdominal or pelvic pain, no single treatment is effective for all conditions. Some types of pain do not even respond to strong pain medications. Depending on your diagnosis, other medical conditions, age, and personal preferences, treatment may include medications, physical treatment, electrical nerve stimulation, nerve blocks (injections of numbing medication or cortisone), counseling, or other modalities. The effect of a healthy lifestyle on chronic pain is well known. A fit body and good attitude can affect the endorphin/enkephalin brain chemical systems which can act as natural pain killers. A good diet, regular exercise, and an active life are useful adjuncts to other modalities of pain treatment.

For additional information, please see the following web sites:

palmbeachpain.com

http://www.pain.com

http://www.aan.com

http://www.achenet.org

http://www.spineuniverse.com

Dr. Friedman is board-certified in neurology and in pain management and is on staff at Jupiter Medical Center and Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center.

A big problem being faced by a lot of individuals is obesity. Many will tell that they are obese because the condition is in their genes. While this can be true, genetics is not always the reason why people are overweight. Most often, the shape of their bodies or their weight is a reflection of their eating habits. A person develops an eating disorder when he eats more than what is necessary. Overeating can cause cholesterol to stick to the cells of the body and be stored as fat. This excess fat is what should be eliminated to lose weight. Body weight is a summation of fluids, fat and muscles. It is important that fat alone is shed. If one does not carefully examine his weight loss program, he may be shedding out fluids and muscles that are essential for a healthy body.

What a person must do to start losing excess fat is to refine his eating patterns. High fat and processed foods should not be included in meals as they can only contribute more fat to the body. Fruits and vegetables should always form part of meal plans. High-fiber foods and protein-rich foods must be chosen over carbohydrate-rich foods. Fiber and protein help the digestion and muscle development respectively.

A person who wants to lose excess fats must set a goal he is to achieve at the end of his diet program. It has to be maintained that weight loss is a long-term goal so that it remains a healthy regimen; besides, nobody loses twenty pounds of fat overnight.

Physical therapy may involve walk training, range of motion, restorative therapy, therapeutic exercises, and home programs to improve strength and independence. Consider a boy named Marc. He injured his knee on a soccer game. He placed a cold icy compress to his injury immediately afterwards but the pain persisted. He visited his doctor and found out that he had torn his Anterior Cruciate Ligament, the tissue that connects the two major bones of the knees. He underwent surgery to treat his injury, yet after which Marc would still need a physical exercise home therapy program for full recovery. This shall help him rebuild his muscle strength and recover the range of motion in his injured knee, and so Marc could heal properly, and completely. Yet how does or should a physical exercise home therapy program work?

First is to look for the right physical therapist. The PT must have a master’s or doctoral degree in physical therapy and must be licensed by your state to practice. You should also know that physical therapists have specializations in different areas. A particular therapist may work mostly with sports injuries, for example, while others may be experts in head injuries, or in children, babies, the elderly, or those with particular illnesses. So you should find one who suits your case. The recommendation of a doctor may not be enough to earn your confidence so you should ask questions to your prospective PT. You should ask about his expertise in such conditions like yours, his therapy plan for you as well as needed physical therapy equipments, also ask how relevant are those in your case or are the equipments necessary to assist implementation of the program; finally ask the exact length of each therapy session and the frequency of the therapy exercises. You can also your school coach for physical therapist recommendations or contact your state’s physical therapy association for names of licensed PT’s in your area.

Now you’re ready for your physical exercise home therapy program, but not so easy. You should remember to stick to the plans of your physical exercise home therapy program. Follow your PT’s directions sternly. Listen to your PT to know your body so you’ll realize how an affected area functions so you can spot problems or avoid further injury in the future. And also talk to your PT; he’s always there to help, and to join you in celebrating your success.

Though recovery can feel frustrating and slow, take a moment to appreciate the difference that a physical exercise home therapy program can make. In time you’ll have increased strength, endurance, flexibility, better postural alignment, pain relief – and confidence.