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Beyond the Gym: 5 Ways to Strengthen Your Personal Training Business

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In a fitness landscape that’s changing non-stop, personal trainers work hard to find ways to stay ahead of the competition. The days of completing a PT course and being able to easily make a living are over, but with change comes opportunity, and personal training is still an incredibly lucrative career for ambitious fitness professionals. 

Below we outline 5 ways to help you build your career, strengthen your business and make you indispensable to your clients. Let’s go beyond the gym walls and unlock your full potential. 

Power Up Your Network: Building Lasting Connections

Viewed by some as a dated way to grow their business, networking still offers a fantastic opportunity when done correctly. 

Attend fitness conferences and events.

Connecting with other people in the fitness industry may be counterintuitive, but often, PTs will focus on specific sectors of the population, so you might meet someone local to you who you can get referrals from if someone else fits their ideal client profile. Conferences can also be a fantastic way to learn about emerging trends you can utilize in your training.

Collaborate with local businesses.

Offer wellness presentations to larger local businesses nearby, offering employees a free 20-minute fitness assessment at your studio. For smaller companies around your area, incentivize business owners to refer you to their customers. 

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Create a referral program. 

Some clients will refer you without asking, and some will refer you if you ask, but sometimes it’s better not to leave things to chance. Create a referral program where clients will get a discount on future sessions when people they have recommended convert into paying customers. 

Network with health professionals. 

Physiotherapy clinics, sports massage therapists, and sports doctors considerably overlap customers with personal trainers. Make connections with professionals and businesses in these fields. If you’re confident in their services, refer clients to them first and then ask them to reciprocate if they get the chance. 

business skills

Enhance Your Skills: Exploring CPD Courses for Personal Trainers

Getting further qualifications helps personal trainers stand apart from people with only one qualification. All sorts of additional qualifications are available, so what should you choose?

Check which skills are in demand.

Look at job postings and other personal training websites in your area. What skills are missing? Is there a lack of trainers offering pre- and post-natal training, or can no one locally create nutrition plans? Look at where there’s a gap in the market that you can fill. 

What areas of fitness are you passionate about?

Do you love Olympic Lifting or Pilates, or do you thrive off the energy of a group class? Fitness is such a broad industry that you’re bound to be able to find something that you find appealing that you can study in more detail to add to your offerings. 

Stay on top of new trends.

There are often fads in the fitness industry that are popular for a minute and disappear off the face of the earth. Things that seem like trends have a rich history and solid foundation and are here to stay. Kettlebells initially seemed like a novelty outside Eastern Europe, but they’re an excellent option for strength building and a great CPD option for trainers. 

Maximize Efficiency: Choosing the Right Personal Training Software

Managing scheduling, workout programming, payments, and client management can be a real challenge for personal trainers, but over the past few years, many solid personal training software options have emerged on the market. 

Simplify Scheduling and Booking

PT software should include an easy-to-use scheduling and booking system that allows clients to book sessions directly through your website or a dedicated app. Features to look for include:

  • Real-time availability to prevent double bookings
  • Automated reminders and notifications for clients and trainers
  • Integration with popular calendar applications, such as Google Calendar or iCal
  • Support for different session types, including in-person, virtual, and group sessions

Streamline Client Management

Keeping track of client information, progress, and communication is crucial for providing personalized training services. Things you should look for in software include:

  • Secure storage for client data, including contact information, health history, and fitness assessments
  • Tools for tracking client progress, such as workout logs, nutrition plans, and goal-setting features
  • In-app messaging or communication options to facilitate seamless client-trainer interactions

Enhance Workout Programming

Personal training software should enable you to create and deliver customized workout plans tailored to each client’s unique needs and goals. Look for a platform that provides the following:

  • A library of exercises and workout templates to save time on programming
  • The ability to create and edit workouts on the go using a mobile app
  • Integration with wearable fitness devices to track client performance and monitor progress
  • Video or multimedia support for demonstrating exercises and providing clear instructions either from their library or videos you can create yourself

Zoom Your Profits: Delivering Personal Training Online

Online fitness training had a relatively small following until Covid lockdowns pushed it into the stratosphere. Now busy professionals and stay-at-home moms alike have discovered the convenience of switching on their laptops and training at home. Here’s how to best tap into this lucrative market:

Use decent quality equipment. 

You don’t need a movie studio setup, but your clients invest money in you. Buy a good quality standalone webcam and lapel mic to ensure your customer can see and hear you clearly. 

Consider the lighting.

Where possible, use a room with a lot of natural light. If that’s not an option due to the time of day (or year!), ensure sufficient lighting to make things easy to see. If you’re training people from home and need lights, consider having different lights for your training sessions. Warm lighting might be better for relaxing, but bright, whiter lighting works better for showcasing training. 

Make sure you have reliable internet. 

Ensure your internet connection is fast and reliable enough to deliver an hour of online training. Have a phone package with 5G and plenty of data so you can tether your phone to your computer in an emergency. 

Familiarize yourself with the video software. 

Before delivering your first online session, thoroughly learn how your chosen video software works. Google Meet is likely the best option as it’s simple and doesn’t require additional software for you or your client, saving time and reducing the risk of complications. 

In conclusion, personal trainers can enhance their careers and stay ahead of the competition by focusing on these four key areas:

  • Building lasting connections through networking.
  • Pursuing CPD courses to expand their skill set.
  • Choosing the right personal training software to maximize efficiency.
  • Embracing online training to cater to the growing demand.

By taking advantage of networking opportunities, continually improving their expertise, utilizing technology, and providing top-quality online training sessions, fitness professionals can build a more successful business and become indispensable to their clients.

How to Become a Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Guide to Establishing a Successful Personal Training Career
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Are you ready to unlock the secrets of great personal fitness experts? Are you ready to separate yourself from the glorified jocks, and get on your way to becoming a fitness guru? If so, let’s get started!

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04/24/2024 09:51 pm GMT

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