The Business of Personal Training – How to Become an Elite Personal Trainer Part. 2

Part 2: How do I get clients and differentiate myself from other trainers to minimize competition?  How important are certifications?

Recently, I was asked a bunch of questions by a trainer who is just starting his business.  He basically wanted advice on the fastest way to build a successful personal training business.

Below are his questions and my responses.

QUESTION # 1:

It seems that many private personal trainers get their client base by poaching from the commercial gyms they have worked for. Is this the only/best way to establish a private clientele?

ANSWER # 1:

A lot of trainers do poach, but this is certainly not the best way to get clients and build your business!  Even in NYC, personal training is a small industry, everyone knows everyone, and any successful business is built on a foundation of relationships.  Don’t burn anyone!

At the same time, if you work at a facility for a respectable amount of time (1-2 years perhaps), then decide to pursue a different/better opportunity and your clients want to go with you, that is completely different.  It’s their body, their money, their health; so ultimately, it is the client’s decision on where they want to train.

QUESTION # 2:

How does someone who is very passionate about training, very well educated on both the science and practical applications of training, separate themselves from other trainers?

ANSWER # 2:

There is an infinite # of ways to differentiate your business from other trainers, but my one word answer would be! MARKETING!

(Most trainers are not good at sales and marketing, so if you can add this skill set, you will be sure to dominate your market).

I am not talking about being pushy, I am talking about working smart.

One of the best marketing concepts that will help you stand out among the crowd is picking a niche. Ask yourself these 2 questions.  What kinds of people do you love training and what are their goals?

I love training kids age 12-18, and I love training people for performance and athletics, so Youth Fitness is a market I go after.  I am passionate about this niche, so it shows up in my marketing.  I target this market by writing blog posts for them, making contacts with schools in my neighborhood, and finding reporters who are looking for stories about youth fitness.

There are a lot of other ways to differentiate yourself, but follow your passion, and use your talents.  If you are a great writer, write to your market.  If you are a great speaker, find associations that are looking for public speakers.

Be sure to check out our resource page too, which will help you master marketing for your fitness business.

QUESTION # 3

How important are certifications? Do they matter to clients or are they just something that makes an impression on gym owners/other trainers?

ANSWER # 3

This is a great question, be sure to check out our blog post "What is the Best Personal Training Certification?" Essentially, a training certification is only as good as it helps you provide real world practical solutions to your client’s health and fitness problems.  Certifications have been instrumental in helping me grow and provide more value to my clients (I have 8 certifications so far and I am taking a Poloquin certification next weekend.)

However, they are not the only way to gain experience and knowledge.  Reading books, interning and working with other trainers, attending seminars, interning with physical therapists; all of these can help you step your game up.

NO, the clients don’t really care that you got a certain certification for the most part, but they do care about the knowledge and results that they can get from you.

So evaluate every certification and learning opportunity?  Will it help you provide results for the specific demographic of clients you are targeting?  What do other trainers have to say about that certification?

There are no easy answers here, and there is no shortage of certifications out there.  Just do some research, ask around, read up on them, and then trust your gut.

Until next time, keep your business fit.

Johnny Fitness