Congratulations you are another one of our amazing students who have passed their Diploma in Personal Training.. Now the task in hand turns to how you can attract personal training clients. Fear not we have some top tips to help you get started….
1.Know your target market
It’s important that you know exactly who you’re targeting. Not just members of the gym you may work in, or people in your local area – you will need to know more about your target audience if you really want to attract and engage them!
What age range are they? What sort of job do they do? What is their priority for their health, is it losing a Mum-tum, or building their biceps, or do they have a specific goal in mind like a race?
You need to understand not just who they are but what makes them tick. Once you understand their needs, you can make sure your offerings meet them.
2.Make sure you have a USP for your target market
By all means get qualified with the basics first: Level 2 in Gym-Based Exercise, then Level 3 in Personal Training. However, we’d also recommend carving yourself out a niche area, whether that be training pre and post natal clients, or getting qualified in Exercise Referral Or maybe you are a runner, cyclist or swimmer for example and want to use those interests and what you have achieved as your niche area then all you do is target those people with those interests or goals – it will differentiate you from your competitors!
Finding a niche also means you can charge more for this specialist knowledge, the more you invest in yourself, the more you can earn as a result. It may just be one or two hours of this niche training a week, with the rest of your working week filled with regular PT clients, but this is likely to increase over time making your higher paying sessions more regular throughout your week.
3.Build up testimonials/reviews
Make sure that whoever you’re training at the start gives you a testimonial – it’s vital to start building a reputation for your services from the get-go.
Some people can feel awkward or embarrassed asking for reviews, so draft an email to send out to each client after 6 weeks or so. Once they have started to see results from your services, and you’ve built up a relationship, they’ll be happy to sing your praises!
Word of mouth will help your business gain traction, but to reach a wider audience you need to have your testimonials on your website and social media channels so that anyone who might hear of you can feel confident that you’re legitimate.
4.Keep up with your marketing
Social media is buzzing with Personal Trainers from around the world offering engaging content and astounding results from their services. Take advantage of the excitement around fitness online at the moment and make sure you dedicate time each day for your social media followers.
If you don’t have the time, or you don’t have the expertise, outsource it! There are plenty of cost effective ways to keep up with your marketing online like a virtual assistant or a digital marketing agency. If you’re not keen to hand over your social media to someone else, do a course on it to make sure that you’re using it to its best potential and getting bang for your buck!
Marketing doesn’t just mean social media though, make sure you have your branding finalised before you publish anything online, that way all of your printed marketing materials (like business cards or rate cards) will be consistent and recognisable.
5.Prioritise chatting
There is no better way to get clients than chatting and building relationships. Once you’re qualified, start working in a local gym. Not only will this get your some guaranteed monthly income whilst you’re getting established as a PT, but it will introduce you to a pool of potential clients.
Put yourself out there, be approachable but not pushy and offer free help and advice before you mention any paid services. At worst you could make some like-minded friends, and at best you will start to grow your client base.
Did you find these top tips on how to attract personal training clients helpful? Remember if you are one of our students we are always their to support you even after to have completed your qualification – just give us a call!
