Personal Training Business School

Personal Trainers and want-to-be trainers spend a lot of time, money, and energy in what certification to get and what medicine ball or kettle bell exercises will wow their clients but still lack the real tools to help clients.

The obstacle to success in the personal training business for even the most talented trainer, that is, the one who can see the problem a client has, determine the solution, and draw a clear path toward it, is getting schooled in the business of training.

When a prospect is in front of you, or better yet, you create a prospect, how do you move them from prospect to client? That’s the first and most important place to identify the problem and provide the solution.

When they say “lose weight and tone up” you say what? Hopefully not something along the lines of “how much weight- we can do that at a rate of 1-2 pounds a week, when do you want to get started?”
You need to know why now, what’s important about weight loss to them, what’s important about that to them…until you get to the real emotional tag they have to exercising and coming to you for help.

You don’t have to be “meaner” to get better sales results as some of my new trainers say. You have to be honest. You have to be open and say the things other people haven’t been able to say to this prospect. Be blunt, truthful, ask the right questions and let them sell themselves why they need to do this now.
Don’t just learn the practical assessments and exercises. Learn how you’re going to tie those into selling your client and then assuring them this is a direct connection to their goal achievement. If you’re in Iowa, check out www.amesracfit.com and the Mindbody Online link for Fit Pros for the Personal Training Business School starting July 29th. ACE CECs along with knowledge, practical application and interaction with other fitness pros.

Your action items:

Get in the habit of repeating “what’s important about that to you?” when someone gives you a “lose weight” or “tone up” goal.

Get in the habit of asking them to define that. “Lose weight” or “get in shape” means different things to different people. Make sure you know what it means to the prospect so that you know what they’re expectations currently are and how you might need to have some discussion about getting realistic and setting goals that are attainable short term.

Look at your skill set. Where are you successful and where are you not? If you are great at servicing clients in session but not so at getting them initially, you know what you need to do. Your next CEC, your next book, your next conference – your focus needs to be where your weakness lies- not working on your strengths more. Like your clients you’ll create an imbalance that leads to injury- for you, of your career!