Make the awesome decision to become a Personal Trainer and you’ll be embarking on a career that’s all about people. Helping others to improve their fitness, hit their goals and lead a healthier lifestyle for many years to come.
So perhaps it’s a bit of a surprise that we’re talking about sales. After all the bulk of your day to day role involves working generally one to one with your clients.
But consider this for a second. Why should your new client choose you over another Personal Trainer in your area? Most clients will research two to three trainers before making an informed choice so what is it that makes them choose you?
The conversation you have to chat this through will almost certainly be friendly, informal and focused on how you can help your client gain results, but make no mistake when discussing this you are selling.
For many when you ask the question of what selling looks like it conjures up images of pushy people trying to convince you to buy something. In their quest to succeed they tell you everything about their product, ask little about you, the customer, and act surprised if you don’t immediately part with you hard earned cash.
This is not you’ll be pleased to learn the art of selling personal training. So if you’re keen to brush up on a few tried and tested sales skills that will help you secure those initial clients to help you build your very own Personal Trainer business, then dive into our 4 savvy sales tips below.
1 – Build a Personal Connection
Take the time to truly understand your customer, their background, what they are looking to achieve and why. Find out what they’ve tried in the past and how they got on together with how they feel working with a Personal Trainer can help them. Make sure you tap into the underlying personal motivation here. For example, a client who tells you they need to get fit because the doctor told them to isn’t giving you the full picture. Probe and find out what their key concerns are so that you can really identify how you can assist. Perhaps the recent medical visit has identified some health issues which a healthy active lifestyle can help address.
If you can identify the real issues, you can clearly explain how your PT services will add value and you’ll be a step closer to securing them as a client.
2 – Don’t Be in a Rush
Personal training is a bespoke service that’s adapted to each client’s needs. It takes time to nurture the sort of relationship that will secure you a new client and keep them for many years to come. So what’s the hurry? Give 100% of your time and attention to the conversation, be interested and ask questions that enable you to draw out key facts. As a rough guide expect to spend roughly 20 minutes to half an hour.
3 – Arrange a Consultation
As part of our Personal Trainer courses we teach our students that PT client relationships are built on three things; know, like and trust. Your client needs to get to know you and be clear on what your service can do for them. They also need to like you which comes from having a detailed friendly chat. Finally they need to build trust in your suggestions, ideas, knowledge, expertise and training approach. What better way to demonstrate know, like and trust in action that through an initial consultation where your client can meet you and have an informal discussion. What’s more the likelihood of a client purchasing some sessions using this approach hits an all-time high compared with a telephone conversation alone!
4 – Bulk Buying Power
Everyone loves a great offer. Whether it’s buy one get one free at the supermarket, a gym membership that includes complimentary spa treatments or a holiday upgrade, offers create a feeling of value for money and that your custom is really appreciated.
So be clear on your pricing – not just for hourly sessions but for blocks of different sizes and durations for peak and off peak days and times. Make sure you’re also ready for the clients who request 6 monthly and 12 monthly blocks for a special bulk discount, which is far more common place than you might think.
For most Personal Trainers dealing with new enquiries and sales may not be at the top of your daily to do list. But, if you can put aside half an hour a day to have some highly effective conversations you’ll not only acquire new clients but as your reputations builds you’ll open up the potential to expand even more.
If you’re thinking about a career in fitness you can request a copy of our prospectus and career guide here.
The Academy of Fitness Professionals provide the gold standard in accredited personal training courses with state of the art training fully endorsed by REPs, Skills Active and the NCFE. Their specialist knowledge features in the UK health and fitness media including the Mirror, BBC2 and Women’s Running. This is the ultimate learning destination for those serious about their fitness industry education and long term career as a Personal Trainer.
0845 270 1990
info@aofp.co.uk
www.academyoffitnessprofessionals.com
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