Recently I've had the opportunity to work with a few personal trainers on growing their business. There have been a few common challenges that seem to come up for each trainer. They are;
- Finding new clients - Motivating clients outside of the gym - Sporadic hours throughout the day
Grow Calendar 2011
This week I like would like to focus on the challenge of finding new clients.
Whether you are a seasoned trainer with many clients to fill up your day, or new to the profession and wondering why people are not knocking at your door, listen up. This advice is going to help build your business.
Let's start with those who have a handful of clients. You need to ask yourself some questions. How are you performing as a personal trainer? The first step is to know that you are offering and delivering the best possible service to your clients. In short, the way to do this is to ask your client questions. Let's be clear. For you to be delivering your client the best service it's not about how much you know and tell your clients or how many courses you've taken. Seems contrary to what you've been taught, doesn't it? Allow me to let you in on a little secrete. It's not about you; it's ALL about your customer.
Serving the customer This not a new concept as people now realize the only difference between them and the guy down the street is customer service. But do you really know what that means? Let me ask you this, what is the ratio between ears and mouths on the human body? 2:1 correct? See what I'm getting at. We need to listen to our clients and fully understand why they are here to see us. When the middle aged lady is here to see you to lose weight, get healthy and 'feel good', what does that actually mean? You need to be digging a bit deeper here. Summer is upon us and people want to feel comfortable taking off their shirts and walking down the beach. That's what it means to 'feel good'. We have to paint that picture for our clients for this, and only this, is truly going to motivate them. The very first step in customer service is to know why your customer is here to see you. Keep on asking yourself "why" until you've hit the core reason. This will also help with motivating your client outside of the gym. Once you have found their 'why', use it at all times.
How this relates to free advertising? As you gain happy customers and they feel that you truly care for their success, your business is going to grow. There's a catch though. This is not going to happen on its own. The way to grow your business and not have to spend a dollar on advertising in the newspaper is to ask for referrals! You can see why it's important for us to first have a happy customer. Now you can ask, "You know Sandra, I looking to grow my customer base, do you have any friends who would be interested in my service?" And here's a little tip after asking for the referral - keep your mouth shut! I've seen it too many times where trainers then interrupt the client by filling in the 'awkward' silence and then moving away from the topic. Ask and you shall receive. When people are happy with your service, they will actively seek out new clients for you.
This means we have some work to do. Whether you are a new trainer or a seasoned pro, call up your past clients, friends, and relatives and let them know that you are actively building your customer base and would like to ask if they know anyone who might be interested in; losing weight for the beach this summer, or any other of your core focus you have. This is where you have to be specific! Paint a picture of that person you would like to work with. The key here is to ask for the referral and not seek out business from them. Chances are they know what you do and don't want to be pitched to. This also alleviates any pressure on you.
Grow Your Personal Training Business With Free Advertising Grow Calendar 2011
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