need help getting personal training clients?

Question

I am trying to get personal training clients at pf gyms-i can work there as an independent contractor ,but i need to pay them $500 a month,i previously worked at world gym,but they took 50% of what the client paid for the sessions,i only got paid when i trained someone,if they were sick and missed a session,i did not get paid.I have found that people are eager to get free personal training advice,but,they do not want to pay for it. At pf gyms,i am not allowed to solicit the members,if i cannot let people know that i am a trainer,how do i get clients?i have made fliers up and distributed them to the surrounding businesses.I charge from $600 for 12 sessions to $2,000 for 50 sessions.What can i do to get some clients to train. Thank you in advance for your advice.

Answer 1

Post in the internet. At e bay perhaps.

Answer 2

Hello! I've spent a good number of years as a personal fitness trainer, as well as a licensed dietician. Hopefully I've got some advice that'll help you.

First off, forget about big-chain gyms. They'll strip you out of any livelyhood you'd ever hoped for by either making you wait for a committee decision (Gold's Gym) or taking a percentage of what you charge clients--which makes you have to charge more for your services, and makes clients less interested in what you have to offer. Add to that covering yourself with personal liability insurance (nothing like having to cover your own butt if a client hurts themselves on poorly-maintained machinery that isn't even yours, beleive me), and you'd quickly wonder how you're ever going to pay off your certifications, let alone eat. Instead, peck around at some of the smaller gyms in your area. They exist! But you'll have to look. Check to see if there's a local YMCA or even a sports-specific athletic club around, then ask to speak to the owner. Many times they're simply happy that you're there (you are, after all, teaching members how to use their equipment) and will charge you nothing other than membership so long as you don't step on the toes of any policies they have.

As far as advertising goes... don't picket the gyms! Most people who go to gyms already think they've got things figured out (even if it's obvious that they don't!). Those who don't beleive they've got what it takes are either considering quitting their membership, or already have. Instead, picket day cares, grocery stores, and resturants. Most of these businesses have cork boards and will allow advertising (check with managers or owners before pasting your ad on their property, of course), and also have the advantage of having many people--new parents who tend to put on weight either by having had a child or by no longer having the time to work out at home, people who find themselves making poor dietary choices or eating too much--who patronise them. Think of the things people do that allow them to become overweight or out of shape, then target those businesses for your ads. Video rental stores. Toys and Hobby shops (again, we're thinking about people wanting to lose their child-bearing fat--not to mention gamers, who will spend entire days sitting in front of video games instead of being active). Ice cream or frozen yogurt businesses. Bakeries. Pizza take-out places. Ask around and get creative! You'll get a few "no"s. That's all fine and good: You only need one "yes" to get your ball rolling. Find that little neighborhood gym that will let you train people there, and let clients-to-be know that that's where they'll find you, along with either a pager or cell phone number.

I would also consider changing how you charge. Most people who are thinking about hiring a personal trainer really don't know how often they'll have to work out, so they can't really make an educated decision on how many sessions they'll need. Most people tend to plan goals based off of time limits. With that in mind, I quickly reached the point of offering package deals based on a single week, a single month, a six-month package, and a year. For those who chose a one-week package, I'd offer a discount off the one-month deal to make it easier for them to decide to stick with me. One-monthers got a deal on a six-month package, and so on. My consultations were always free, and included assessing the client's goal(s), their level of enthusiasm, and informing them of what would be required of them. At the end of the consultation, they'd have an idea concerning how long they'd need me--give or take. So they got basic advice that was free... but not in-depth enough to allow them to give it a go without me.

Once you build up clientell, don't be afraid to ask satisfied customers for referrals. Word of mouth is a powerful thing, indeed, and gets you a level of advertising that money just can't buy.

Good luck to you in getting your business off the ground. I hope there was at least one useful thing in what I had to say!