How To Be A Successful
Personal Trainer
Terry Stokes
Personal Trainer
Terry Stokes
You Must Specialize
The first thing I tell someone who wants to be a personal trainer or personal trainer who struggling to get clients is that they have to specialize.
Pick one group of clients you like working with most and specialize in that particular niche of clients
Pick one group of clients you like working with most and specialize in that particular niche of clients
Becoming a Personal Trainer and Specializing:
- There are so many different choices when you become a Personal Trainer. You can train women, kids, women who are pregnant, seniors, athletes. There are different types of classes you can teach, such as TRX, spin, crossfit, powerlifting, group fitness etc. The list is long. You may become a trainer thinking: "I'm going to do everything and have a ton of clients!" Nothing could be further from the truth.
- It's very important as a trainer that you don't try to be a jack of all trades. You don't want to have a business card with a laundry list of different people you work with, for example: kids, women, athletes, seniors etc. You want a card that says: "I'm Suzy Smith and I work with kids who are overweight", or "I work with seniors to help improve their strength and mobility".
- The idea is to pick one group of individuals and specialize in what they need.
Do You Work Well With Seniors?
"Why do I need to specialize, why can't I just train anyone who wants to hire me?"
Take this example of why you should specialize. Let's take a look at doctors. The General Practitioner may have many clients and a waiting list for new patients (ex. when you get a new doctor and it takes 8 weeks to get in for your first visit). Compare this to a brain surgeon. He doesn't have nearly as many people on his waiting list for brain surgery, but he gets paid a lot more money because he has a specialty. For example, if you specialize in weight loss in overweight children, parents will seek you out and be willing to pay for your help if you posses specialized knowledge and training for their child.
Take this example of why you should specialize. Let's take a look at doctors. The General Practitioner may have many clients and a waiting list for new patients (ex. when you get a new doctor and it takes 8 weeks to get in for your first visit). Compare this to a brain surgeon. He doesn't have nearly as many people on his waiting list for brain surgery, but he gets paid a lot more money because he has a specialty. For example, if you specialize in weight loss in overweight children, parents will seek you out and be willing to pay for your help if you posses specialized knowledge and training for their child.
Things Changed:
Things changed when I started focusing on people with back injuries post-op. Then I had people seeking me out and doctors referring patients. People started to see me as a 'specialist'. Along with this specialization comes a higher training fee because people see you as having a special set of skills. People want to feel that you know exactly what 'they' need. If you are a 'jack of all trades' you will be looked at as 'just another trainer'. Once you become known as an expert/specialist, you no longer have to spend all of your time looking for clients because people will begin to seek you out.
Things changed when I started focusing on people with back injuries post-op. Then I had people seeking me out and doctors referring patients. People started to see me as a 'specialist'. Along with this specialization comes a higher training fee because people see you as having a special set of skills. People want to feel that you know exactly what 'they' need. If you are a 'jack of all trades' you will be looked at as 'just another trainer'. Once you become known as an expert/specialist, you no longer have to spend all of your time looking for clients because people will begin to seek you out.
Take your time to choose a specialty:
When you first become a trainer you may not know what you want to specialize on. If this is the case you should take your time and see where your passion takes you. I went from post-op back patients to women's fat loss. Explore different groups of clients. You may think you like training kids, until you have to train them and you realize you don't have the patience for pre-teens. I know trainers who tried training women for competition like I do, but quickly realized that training women to lose bodyfat for a bikini or figure competition is a lot more difficult and not nearly as glamorous as they thought it was. Be patient if you are a new trainer, it may take a few years to find your niche.
When you first become a trainer you may not know what you want to specialize on. If this is the case you should take your time and see where your passion takes you. I went from post-op back patients to women's fat loss. Explore different groups of clients. You may think you like training kids, until you have to train them and you realize you don't have the patience for pre-teens. I know trainers who tried training women for competition like I do, but quickly realized that training women to lose bodyfat for a bikini or figure competition is a lot more difficult and not nearly as glamorous as they thought it was. Be patient if you are a new trainer, it may take a few years to find your niche.
Do You Have Experience
With Athletes?
With Athletes?
Become a sponge:
Once you decide what you want to specialize in, become a sponge. Learn as much as you can about the specific group of people you want to train. You want to have much more knowledge than the average trainer about this group of clients. When a potential client questions you about training, you want them to say something like: "Wow, I didn't know that eating 500 extra calories twice a week can actually lead to faster weight loss" or "Barbell Squats won't help my daughter jump higher for Volleyball?" Become a sponge learn as much as you can about your group of clients.
Once you decide what you want to specialize in, become a sponge. Learn as much as you can about the specific group of people you want to train. You want to have much more knowledge than the average trainer about this group of clients. When a potential client questions you about training, you want them to say something like: "Wow, I didn't know that eating 500 extra calories twice a week can actually lead to faster weight loss" or "Barbell Squats won't help my daughter jump higher for Volleyball?" Become a sponge learn as much as you can about your group of clients.
Your Business Card
A Business Card That Works
Most Trainers Get This Wrong!
Most Trainers Get This Wrong!
- It's very important that your business card be focused on your target group! Your card should mention only one specialty... not 7 or 8! Something as simple as this will get great results: Mary Smith "Women's Fat Loss Specialist". Then go on to describe what you can do for the woman looking for fat loss.
- Someone looking to lose weight does not care if you can train kids, athletes etc., They are concerned about themselves. A parent who wants their child to get stronger for their sport so their kid can get a scholarship, does not care if you are a Boxing Coach or Group Exercise Specialist. If you have to many 'specialties' on your business card, it will make you look like you don't have any specialty at all ("jack of all trades... master of none").
- Resist the temptation to load up your business card with all of your accomplishments, awards etc. Your card should focus on what the client will get out of the experience of training with you. It's great that you were the National Cheerleading Champion or State Powerlifting Champion but if your client is not a cheerleader or is not into powerlifting, they are unlikely to be convinced to train with you because these accomplishments don't relate to what they want to accomplish. Keep your business card focused on the benefits the CLIENT will get and you will greatly increase response (potential clients) you get from them.
