Category Archives: Sales

Your guide on how to be a successful personal trainer

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How Do I Become a Successful Personal Trainer?

If there’s one question that is the foundation for this blog it’s this one and since 2008 I’ve been writing post after post on the topic – to the point where it’s difficult for a new reader to find a place to start.

The following list of links are my suggestions on key posts on the topic of becoming a successful personal trainer from my blog archives. I hope you find them to be useful.

A Personal Guide to Become a Successful Trainer

The Answer to the Million Dollar Question  

– I am always asked the question of “How do I get more personal training clients? In this post I answer that question for you in this post.

It’s Not the Recession It’s You

– From time to time I have a few rants and I thought I would share this one with you. Read it for yourself and let me know your thoughts. 

Do You Really Want To Be a Personal Trainer?

– In this post I pose a simple question but the answer isn’t all that easy. Sometimes people think they are cut out to be a personal trainer and the truth be told they are not. I lay out the questions you need to answer to really know if personal training is right for you. 

Create Your Own Luck

– I have never believed in luck and I talk about what you need to do to be successful in personal training and life. 

The Fastest Way To a Six Figure Income

If it is your goal to make a six figure income through personal training then this post is a must read.

 

These posts are intended to serve as a guide towards your success as a personal trainer. They are not going to answer all your questions but will help you on your quest.

 

Coach Dave

Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year! No, I am not crazy. Let me explain. Ever since I started in the fitness industry some 14 years ago I always thought Sept 1st seemed a little different. What I mean is typically Labor Day weekend falls right about now and once the holiday is over you get a ton of people into the gym. I am not exactly sure why but I can bet you that most people took the summer off and now after several months of laying around they are ready to get moving. With all this new motivation it tends to be just like the New Year in terms of people setting goals and getting back into shape. The question I have for you is what have you done to prepare for this new wave of prospects back into the gym? Have you looked at your goals you set at the beginning of the year? ( You did set and write down your goals, right?) If you have not reached the financial goals you set back in January you have 4 months to reach them and don’t forget you have several holidays that will get in your way. The main point I want you to take away from this post today is that you can bet on the fact people are motivated to start personal training again and you need to also look at the goals you set for yourself back on one of those cold January days.

The Answer to the Million Dollar Question

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So how do you get more personal training clients?

This is the million dollar question that every personal trainer asks at some point in their career and I have a simple answer for you today. If you want more personal training clients then you need to create raving fans. Yes, I mean clients who at every chance they get they talk about you and brag about how great their personal trainer is. Now not every client is going to be a raving fan so the key here is to find the ones who are and get them out there talking about you. Okay so you are asking how do I create raving fans? Well it is not as hard as you think and by the end of this post you will know what constitues a raving fan and how to create them.

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So what defines a raving fan?

First of all a raving raving fan comes often. In our profession they personal train 2-3x a week and come week in and week out throughout the year.

Second, a raving fan pays full price. You do not need to give them free sessions or give them a package deal.

Finally, a raving fan is someone who tells people and tells us about it. You will absolutuely know who your raving fan is because they will tell you that they talk about you to all their friends and family and at the same time tell you how much they LOVE you!

Now, let’s assume you are just getting started or maybe you need some more raving fans well this next section is going to be about how to create Raving Fans. 

I have said this before but the single most important way to attract and build a raving fan is to build trust with them. They need to trust you as much as the trust their closest friends and family.

Deliver 2nd Mile Customer service. Matthew 5:41 in the bible states ” If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” Essentially, what this passage is referring to is do the unexpected don’t just reciprocate go beyond. Going the second mile can make the difference between a normal client and a raving fan. It does not have to be something totally crazy but surprise your client by doing something they would have never thought you would do. It could be as simple as sending them a gift card to their favorite retail store after they reached a weight goal. You don’t have to give a lot but you need to give something your client would not ever thought you would do.

The final step to creating a raving fan is to create an emotional experience with your personal training client. If it is all about reps, sets, and exercises you will not connect with them. You need to make it personal and find that emotional hot button that really gets your personal training client engaged. Also, I cannot tell you how important it is to conduct your personal training sessions with enthusiasm. There is nothing more troubling to me then to see a personal trainer stand there with their arms crossed and lips shut throughout the entire session. Show your enthusiasm and energy towards your client.

If you build trust, dekiver 2nd mile customer service and create an emotional experience with your personal training client then you will succeed in building raving fans and ultimately you will get more clients!! Now go get some raving fans!!!

What you can learn from “Shamu” the Killer Whale

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Well I am back from a wonderful relaxing vacation with the family. Despite the sweltering heat we had an amazing time visiting San Antonio and Sea World. Now, I would like to be able to say that I did not think about work but unfortunately I can not help but think about how my experiences can help give you an edge or tip to increase your knowledge and business. So, my question for you today is, what can you learn from a killer whale named “Shamu”? 

I am assuming everyone has had the opportunity to visit a Sea World and has seen the Shamu Show. If not, I highly recommend that you visit a location near you and take in the experience. So with that being said, each year Sea Worlds change things up with the themes of their shows and currently the theme of the Shamu show is “Believe”. What a great theme for what we are currently experiencing right now in this economy. I know people are struggling right now and now more than ever it is important to continue to believe in what you are doing and most importantly, believe in yourself.  Beleiving in yourself is an important first step for your success, but the real lesson I want to get across to you today is what you can learn from Shamu the killer whale.

The first and most important lesson to take away is that Shamu is the predator of all predators in the ocean; however, as dominant as this creature is the killer whale and the Sea World trainers have developed a trust that is incomprehensible to think of. Who would ever think that a whale and a trainer could come together and develop a trust that allows a unique relationship to develop and flourish. Building trust is the single most important  trait that you need to develop with your clients. Trust will open up doors that you never thought were possible and once the doors are open then you will be able to help solve the emotional pain that your client is experiencing. I guarantee you that once you have established trust with your client you will create a raving fan. (More on raving fans at a later date)

The second take away from Shamu is the adaptability that exists between him and the environment that exists at Sea World. It is almost unfathomable to think that a killer whale is able to adapt to different elements and ultimately succeed no matter what environment that he is in. This is important for personal trainers if you want to succeed. The best way to become a successful personal trainer is to adapt to your environment and your client. Each client will present a different opportunity and with that you will need to adapt to their personality and their needs if you want to retain them as a client. Listen, if a killer whale can adapt from being the dominant animal in the sea to a trained entertainer then I know that you can adapt to whatever client personality that is presented to you.

If you want to be a successful personal trainer learn two things from Shamu the killer whale. Build trust and learn to adapt to your environment and you will become successful with your business.

It’s not the Recession It’s You

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I am tired of hearing from everyone saying it is the recession that is causing me not  to do as well in my business. Apple, the company that has changed the way we listen to music and use phones today is a prime example of businesses that are prospering during this recession. The company sold 2.6 million Macs, up 4 percent from a year ago, and 5.2 million iPhones, a 626 percent leap from a year ago. Totally Mind Boggling! Those numbers are from the previous business quarter and they tell me one thing and that is if you have a product or service that people want, it does not matter how bad the economy is they will seek it out and buy it.  So, stop blaming the economy and focus in on changing you. People are going to buy from people they like and trust. Pretty simple and the first thing you need to do is start becoming a person who is likable and trustworthy and you will break this bad economic cycle and will start to prosper. See you on the other side.

Coach Dave