I’ve been a personal trainer for over 20 years. I started in June of 1998.
I’ve been self-employed for most, if not all of this time. (I did in-home and on-site training on the side almost from the get go.)
I wasn’t afraid to think outside the box. I didn’t care if I pissed off club owners or fellow personal trainers.
I figured out very quickly that I was my own entity. I wanted to “kill it” in the personal training business, and I wanted to do it as soon as f-ing possible.
Well I did kill it quite early in my career, and over 20 years have passed and I’m still killing it.
HOW? How did I make this happen so quickly, and WHY has it lasted?
Well, I decided right away that I wasn’t going to sit around and let someone else take control of my future.
I wasn’t going to go along with those ridiculously cheap personal training specials that all the health clubs promote.
I wasn’t going to take on some $7.00 one-time goal assessment client that PT Directors throw around just to gain some experience.
I wasn’t then going to try to beg that GA client to spend $99 for three sessions and then give half the money to the club. Fully knowing that IF they did spend the $99, and no matter how great of a job I did, they’d never ever spend more money on me and my service.
I SET OUT TO MARKET MYSELF BY MYSELF. I set out to offer my service to people that could continually afford me. I knew that if I could just grab a few high end clients, that they soon would do my marketing for me.
So yeah, I’ve been watching other personal trainers for over 20 years. Hey, I’ve tried not to seem creepy Ha Ha. Let’s just say I’ve paid close attention by watching and listening for a long time.
So many of the personal trainers and health club owners that I mentor always ask me, “What have you seen Mark? What have you heard?”
“Hell, what haven’t I seen,” I say. ; )
What have I learned? What’s bothered me the most? I know you want to know.
Put it this way. After watching and listening for about 15 years, I’d finally had enough. I decided to start Personal Training Biz. I wanted to reach the masses instead of only helping the local personal trainers.
So again, what has bothered me the most?
I’m sure you’re thinking that horrible uneducated personal trainers have bothered me the most.
Nope.
Yes, I’ve seen some bad training going on, but those trainers’ hearts were in the right place, and I know that they’d only get better at their job. If they stayed at it long enough.
What has bothered me the most is that so many personal trainers SETTLED. They didn’t try to get known. They didn’t try to grow their business. They WAITED.
They WAITED for the sales people at the club to get them clients. They WAITED for members to randomly walk up to them. They WAITED for luck.
I have seen a lot of good in this industry, but it’s so short lived. This of course is because not too many personal trainers last very long.
The hard truth is that 80% of personal trainers quit within their first two years.
Why?
You know why. No consistency. No consistency with money or schedule. No certainty what so ever.
Other professions have failure too, but this is my industry. I’ve been in the personal training industry almost as long as many of my followers have been alive. I don’t want to talk about how many dentists fail, or how many restaurants and bars fail.
Businesses fail all the time. More than not it’s because the owners didn’t have a business mindset. Many business owners think that buyers will just show up. Thinking to themselves how great their ideas and products are. That people will be lined up outside their door. That people would be crazy not to become a lifelong customer.
One small problem… nobody knew who they were.
Many many times I’ve witnessed young passionate PT’s walk into health clubs ready to work. So gung-ho to spread their passion for health and fitness to the masses. Even for free.
But after three months of being handed chump change personal training sessions, their attitudes changed.
I still see it. Trainers training someone that of course went for the 3 PERSONAL TRAINING SESSIONS FOR ONLY $99 special. And we all know it’s not a “special.” It’s always available. LOL
The trainer having this look of sadness or boredom or burnout or depression on their face. Fully knowing that no matter how great of a job they do with this client, that there’s an absolute zero percent chance they’ll buy more sessions.
Saying to themselves… “WTF am I doing? What did I get myself into? I thought this was going to be a dream job.”
And there comes a point when they hope that client won’t buy more. They’re sick of splitting the $33 sessions with the club. Almost wanting to hit rock bottom, so they can have a reason to quit. So tired of all the pressure. So tired of being scared.
If you’re a new personal trainer, please don’t read this blog post and run to the nearest help wanted poster.
I just want you to know what you’re in for if you don’t study and understand the other side of this industry. The side that’s just as important as the science side. The BUSINESS side.
I’ll never blame the health club owners, but… Ok, just this once I’ll put SOME blame on them. Ha Ha, sorry club owners. I shouldn’t apologize actually, because the owners that I mentor and the ones that “get it” want to hear the TRUTH.
The TRUTH is that if club owners would put their trainers in position to be successful from the start, everyone would make so much more money.
A HAPPY WELL COMPENSATED PERSONAL TRAINER IS A HEALTH CLUB’S BEST MARKETING TOOL.
If health clubs would stop running so many specials for personal training and memberships, better clientele (buyers) would buy.
Then all you have to do is provide over the top service. This will of course lead to those people turning into repeat buyers. Then they achieve amazing results due to your expertise. Then their higher end friends and family members come a callin.
Sadly, many personal trainers and health club owners think that a high volume/low cost business model is the only way to go. That everyone is a potential client or member.
As I’ve written and said many times before, selling health and fitness isn’t the same as selling McDoubles or McChickens like McDonalds does.
If you think you’re so great, charge a premium. What does it say to the consumer when your prices are consistently CHEAPER, or if you are always running a special or giving a “deal?”
Marketing 101 right here folks.
1) Market your PT service to successful driven people.
2) Sell them your amazing PT service.
3) Charge what you’re worth.
4) Do a kickass job turning them into repeat buyers.
5) Then they market your business for you.
So, if a health club continues to market their service to people that would never hire a personal trainer long term, how do you work around it? How do you make sure that you don’t end up like the personal trainers I described at the beginning of this blog post?
Well, you MUST market your service yourself. Market it to people outside your club. Market it to people that would buy and continue to buy. Wealthy and successful people. There are a ton of em out there who also have a ton of wealthy and successful friends and family members.
Does this scare you? Does the thought of putting yourself out there to wealthy successful driven smart people make you nervous? Don’t you think you’re good enough?
If you’re scared, fix it. Learn. Take control. You’re in charge of your life ya know. Yeah. YOU. Stop sitting around. Not sure what you’re waiting for… The worrying, the fear. Those things aren’t just gonna go away.
Why not attain some certainty by taking charge of your business?
Why would you want to continue to rely on your club who continues for the most part to undervalue itself by constantly running specials to entice anyone and everyone to join? Those people more than likely will never hire you. Unless you undervalue your service that is…
There is so much opportunity out there. I think that’s what I want you to really understand.
I know you want to help people. But are YOU happy? Do you love the “job” still?
Ask yourself that question again. Say it out loud. And if you don’t love being a personal trainer anymore, WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU LOVE IT AGAIN?
Would these five help you love being a personal trainer again?
1) A lot more money
2) 10-15 consistent clients
3) A gap-free schedule
4) Freedom
5) Certainty
I have one more question for you.
When is it that you feel the best? When are you the happiest?
For me it’s when I feel self-worth. When I feel accomplished. When I feel that I had a hand in changing someone’s life for the better.
I think that’s what most everyone wants. When they leave this Earth, they want to feel reassured that they had something to do with helping others grow and succeed.
Isn’t that what you set out to do when you decided to become a personal trainer?
You wanted so much to change lives through health and fitness. But you found out very quickly that you need clients in order to change lives.
Why not let me help you attain the right clients? I’ve been in this gig for a very long time. I know exactly how it works.
I also know how to get you where you want to be. I know how to get you those five items I listed above, so you fall in love with your “job” all over again.
Let me help you market yourself. Let me help you with networking. Let me help you get known and become “the personal trainer” in your city.
Wouldn’t you like to train the top doctors, lawyers, and business owners in your city? Wouldn’t it be great to train local celebrities? The “who’s who” of your market.
And no, it’s not scary. I don’t push you to do cold calls or blindly walk up to strangers to sell your service. My system has no pressure.
All you need to do is to stop waiting and stop worrying. Stop relying on others, and stop the blame game. Be willing to learn.
Stop relying on luck. Successful people don’t get lucky. They are fortunate. This is because they continue to put themselves in the best positions possible. They are constantly learning.
Click this link —> Personal Training Biz Consulting to take a look at what I can do for you.
There are a couple of options. The easy one is to grab my 50-page eBook titled Successful Marketing Strategies Used By Six-Figure Earning Personal Trainers. It shows you WHO your market is, and HOW to easily offer them your service.
Don’t you want better clients? 10-15 perfect clients that you choose. Clients that will pay you for 2-5 personal training sessions every week.
Ones that you can count on. Ones that you don’t have to give a “deal” to. Ones that will get great results from you, and then market your service for you to all their friends and family members. Ones that will add certainty to your business and your life.
So, how much money have you spent on the SCIENCE SIDE of personal training? College is very expensive, and certifications aren’t cheap either.
Have you spent a dime on the BUSINESS SIDE of personal training? Is your business, your future, your happiness worth $39.00?
Well, that’s how much my eBook is. It shows you exactly HOW I dominated the personal training industry in my market. How I quickly made six-figures as a personal trainer. How I got known by the right people.
I don’t want you to be that amazing chef that has amazing food, but has nobody to taste it. Don’t be the chef/restaurant owner that nobody has heard of. Don’t waste your talents by not getting known.
Let’s get you known. Let’s make a bunch of money, and add a bunch of certainty to your future. STOP WAITING. Click here —> Personal Training Biz Consulting NOW.
I hope to hear from you.
Thank you for reading and sharing my information.
Talk soon.
Mark
P.S. If you decide that you’d like to schedule a phone consultation with me after you purchase the eBook just message me or email me and I’ll send you a link for a discount. Otherwise go ahead and schedule a phone consult right away where the eBook is FREE.
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