I think we are all aware that times have changed and while the business climate might be tougher then usual, I believe there is still plenty of opportunity to grow your personal training business. But businesses have to be flexible and adapt faster then ever before if they are going to stay profitable and continue to grow. With this in mind, here are my top ten picks to growing your personal training business. Apply each of these strategies and watch your business flourish.
1) Learn to connect with your customer. Yes, business is all about relationship building and making the customer feel good about their decision to buy and do business with you. This means listening 80% of the time and talking only 20%. A hard thing to do for most fitness professionals. When you listen, you demonstrate respect and interest in your client which serves to strengthen your relationship. People love to do business with people they know and like and being likeable improves your chance of receiving referrals.
2) Deliver value during each session. If you provide the same experience during each session and never change things then you are in danger of losing your client. They may start to think, “I’m not learning anything new or seeing any new results, maybe I’ll quit”. They may contemplate working with another trainer or just going it alone. However, if you deliver great value with each session they are more likely to stay with you. You should strive to come up with a new exercise every session even if you train the same person five times a week. Or offer a nutrition or fitness tip. The best compliment you can receive from a client is “I never know what’s coming during our session, I love the variety”.
3) Track everything your client does. Track your client’s progress then communicate any achievements the attain. If a client realizes they are making progress and achieving the results they desire they will continue to train with you. For example, if a client did two push-ups initially and are now up to ten, this is a chance to recognize and acknowledge their success. Never miss an opportunity for recognition and praise. The only way to do this is to keep track by recording it in their file.
4) Believe in your services enough to offer a significant guarantee. Early in my personal training career I decided I was willing to provide clients with a 100% money back guarantee. The guarantee was simple. If they did not see any results after three months of training I was willing to give them their money back. I knew that I had to work hard but so did the client. We were in it together. This allowed the client to feel how committed I was to their training and in eighteen years of training I never had anyone ask for their money back.
5) Take some risks. In order to grow your business you are going to have to take some risks. It’s great to do a lot of one-on-one training but perhaps you could think of otherways to maximize your revenue or broaden your market niche. Outdoor fitness classes are a great way to secure more income per hour and is all the rage. Why not jump on the band wagon and start offering this service to your clients. Or perhaps you have an idea for a completely new and innovative program. Are you letting fear get in the way of trying it? If yes, then bust out and take a risk. It could be the program you need to push your business growth to the next level.
6) Ask for referrals. If you’ve just cringed at the thought of asking for a referral you are missing a huge opportunity for business growth. I know most trainers don’t like to ask for anything but when it comes to referrals, it’s the easiest form of marketing and one just waiting to be explored. Your clients love you otherwise they wouldn’t continue to do business with you. They are eager to share their results with others and sing your praises. They are itching to refer other people to you, all you have to do is ask. You know this to be true because you refer people to businesses all the time. Think about the last restaurant you went to or the last movie you saw. If you liked the food and service or enjoyed the movie you readily told other people about it. If someone were to ask you, “where’s a good place to eat” you would tell them. When it comes to your clients you can simply let them know you have room for a few more people in your schedule and you would love an oppor
7)Offer a sample session and create a wow experience. I don’t know about you but when I go grocery shopping I love it when they have free food samples. It gives me an opportunity to try the item before I spend my money. If the item is nutritious, tasty and well-priced then I make the purchase. With so many items to chose from in the store I welcome the opportunity to try before I buy. Why not provide the same experience for prospects? Then wow them with an amazing experience and before you know it you will have a new client.
8)Let others say how wonderful you are. Part of growing your business requires the use of testimonials. People like to hear what others have to say about you. It’s far better for someone else to say you are the best thing since sliced bread then if you say it. As such, collect as many testimonials as you can. Use photos, video or both to send the message that other people who use your services are getting results, having fun and learning how to be healthy and fit.
9)Give away your expertise . I’m not kidding, don’t be afraid to give away your expertise. If someone asks for your help, advice or opinion don’t be afraid to tell them and share your knowledge. I’ve met a lot of people over the years who all seemed interested in getting involved in fitness. Many of them were “on the fence” not ready to fully commit to the process. Instead of trying to sell them, I took the approach of educating them and then staying in touch and sharing my expertise. Not all of these people became paying clients but some of them did and it’s because I wasn’t afraid to hold back. I can also feel good that I helped other people learn more about living a healthy lifestyle even though they never became clients.
10) Stay the course – be consistent I don’t know how many blogs, magazines, online articles or news papers you read on a daily or weekly basis. What I do know is there is no shortage of information available on how to grow your business. I believe the difference between a successful business and a not-so-successful business has more to do with what you are willing to action on a daily basis and how consistent you are. Stay the course and be consistent.
It’s not the large steps in life that usually make the biggest difference but the small steps we endeavour to take. I’m asking you to take small steps in applying some of these tips and see what kind of difference it makes in your personal training business. It’s easy to spin your wheels and get caught doing what you know over and over again. It’s quite something else to bust out of your zone of comfort and try something novel.
Donna Hutchinson is the owner of On The Edge Fitness Educators (www.edgefit.ca). She is an experienced fitness businesses coach and author of her own book, “The How-to Guide to Starting Your Own Personal Training Business.
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