Climate Business Network

Due to the economic climate in the UK and with many being made redundant in the recession, there has been a surge in people training to be personal trainers. Unfortunately, many run back to jobs they hate when the clients are not forthcoming. Business and Marketing Skills are so important in the personal training profession, particularly when more and more competition enter the industry. So I thought I’d write this article, giving a step by step overview how you can build a profitable personal training business and get to 30 sessions a week within 12 weeks.

1. Get a blog based website, you can get your own domain (recommended) or you can get the free version, have your city name in the domain and the words personal trainer in there somewhere don’t pay more than £5 per month and don’t pay hundreds to get it designed.

2. Get a members online area

3. Set up Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Linked in accounts

4. Get some branded T-shirts and business cards, keep it simple and don’t pay anyone to design anything, its all about the profit remember

5. Tell 10 people a day about what you do, start with the people you know and move down

6. Set up 2 fitness bootcamps, 3 mornings a week and 3 evenings a week and charge a monthly fee for it, do it indoors where possible and have two places that pay you by referring 2 people per month

7. Name and Package your programs – what sounds better “12 PT sessions for £350″ or “Extreme Fat Burn – Guaranteed 1 stone loss in 12 weeks”

8. Go business networking

9. Give a talk on fitness at a community meeting, give an offer at the end

10. Set up EFT, you can do this through PayPal and charge clients monthly

11. Negotiate a space to workout of, can you teach classes rather than pay gym rent? Can you pay per client and can you get a discount if you block pay?

12. Cycle rather than drive if possible

13. Speak to local gyms and council leisure centres and offer yourself up as a “cover” instructor, you can pick up regular work this way too

14. Develop a sales consultation forms that help your prospective clients make a decision

15. Be a fantastic personal trainer, really invest in your education, get people great results, collect testimonials and reviews and the rest will look after itself

Networking with local business people can generate more sales for both B2B and B2C companies. You’ll find that the opportunities at your chamber of commerce, BNI groups, or local independent networking events, when used strategically, will help you grow your business.

But, to be sure the time you spend pays off, treat your networking like a real campaign.

Your Plan of Attack–

Know your objective for the event. Is there a specific person you want to meet, or do you mainly want to catch up on the current happenings in the community and “be seen”?

If you know the purpose of the event and who is likely to attend, you can sync your objectives with the event.

NOTE: at most networking events you won’t obtain a new client or even get a firm appointment. If your objective is to get to know those in attendance to build a relationship for future business dealings, you’ll be more successful.

Your Logistics Management–

Did the sponsor ask for a response? If so, call by the deadline to let the host know you’ll attend. If you’re not familiar with the location, enter the address in a mapping program and print out a copy. Write the name and phone number of the sponsor on it and tuck it into your calendar or post it on your board where you can grab it on your way out.

Think about what time you want to get there. If a meal or program is scheduled, arrive early enough to meet and greet before the formal presentation. For a fluid event, arrive early enough to start up a conversation instead of trying to break into established groups. Continue Reading