How Do I Scale My Personal Training Business Significantly?

[Samuel Wotton]

Absolutely quality advice from most of you.

The biggest takeaways I've received:
- just start. if you had 5 days to sell to 100 people, what would you do?
- sell your services to your ideal customer
- possibly offer something as cheap as a $5 first time session
- ask for feedback about my service
- walk the floor at the gym and be helpful/friendly
- set weekly quotas for how many people youre going to try to sell to each week
- ask for 3 refferals from everyone you know


Cheers to all of you. Not kidding.

Now I just need to prove I want it and execute.

I saw this thread pop up in my email.

I do marketing for a bunch of different supplement brands.

One of them in particular we have a 70k user email list.

I have been looking for coaches/trainers to work with who can produce good content especially written. Basically it would look like - you provide valuable information in the form of content, we drip articles into email blasts to 70k+, and include links to your training consultation / website / social media... on the back end, if there were brands/products you'd recommend to clients, we can provide a portal to both get paid on the recommendations as well as fulfill/ship them, and I can make you a custom collection on shopify with products you use/recommend to clients.

This would be a "free" way to get some clients and get rolling.


Provide value, leverage our platforms, get clients, monetize / provide further value through supplements

If you have any interest in something like this shoot me a DM I'd love to help. My goal is to bring people up with us as the thing we need most across all brands is better / more content and it's hard to get good content.

 

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[Samuel Wotton]

Absolutely quality advice from most of you.

The biggest takeaways I've received:
- just start. if you had 5 days to sell to 100 people, what would you do?
- sell your services to your ideal customer
- possibly offer something as cheap as a $5 first time session
- ask for feedback about my service
- walk the floor at the gym and be helpful/friendly
- set weekly quotas for how many people youre going to try to sell to each week
- ask for 3 refferals from everyone you know


Cheers to all of you. Not kidding.

Now I just need to prove I want it and execute.

Hey brother, shoot me a DM. I do marketing for some supplement brands and we are looking for trainers/coaches who want to get exposure by making / writing content for our audiences. One brand we have a 70k list of customers who could be potential clients. Would be a free way to get some momentum, with further possibilities for growth.

 

[Curtis2011]

The best thing you can do is get advice from the right people to begin with. Find successful trainers who are making as much or more $$$ as you want to make, and ask them for advice. Or even pay them for advice.

 

[Paydette]

Had a client in this space. We focused on getting corporate clients. He basically now trains groups of people in companies, all remotely. Basically positioned himself as a benefit corps can offer their employees. His groups range from life-long chunky corporate women to A-type men who became too successful and spend all day sitting in meetings. He gets a retainer, sends weekly plans and employees can contact him with messages/questions. It's an elite offering, in his case, but you can water it down to fit whatever price range you want to work in.

In his case, LinkedIn was his platform but he didn't do what you see other trainers do on LinkedIn (posting workout videos, etc.). He got his clients by pushing the benefits not the actual workouts/meal plans. For example, for the type As = would you like to up your game even higher?. For the chunky women = do you finally want to meet that last goal/achieve complete success. For business owners = take your team from good to great...etc., etc.

1 month of approximately 2000 LinkedIn invites and he had 125 interested parties, of which, about 25 became clients...that's 25, some being companies, others individuals.

Like all businesses, you need to pin down exactly who you want to work with and go where they are or where they are looking. Do you want to focus on stay at home moms, recent mothers, former athletes, nerds, corporate people? What you shouldn't do is become a generalist... if you're not focused, potential clients won't be able to figure out if you're right for them.

 

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[JLE]

Get 1 client. Start. Now.

It's been an entire two years and I've still done virtually nothing. No clients. I'm a slightly better bodybuilder, but I've done nothing with myself in regards to building a personal training business.

I had a brief stint of 5 months or so where I completely taught myself how to do web development (including HTML, CSS, Javascript, React, SCSS, TailwindCSS, NextJS, etc.) and I quit that too after having received 0 clients and repeated rejections from everywhere I applied.

My real passion lies in bodybuilding/fitness. I only took on web development in hopes of generating a better income, even though it's not something I'm passionate about or would like to play a long-game in at all.

I'm gonna go back to the personal training ambition but I don't want to make any empty promises. I know fitness is something I can stick with but I'll likely make plenty of action-fakes and be in the exact same place a year from now. It truly is something I'd like to do and be despite showing no signs of it.

 

[MakeItHappen]

Get 1 client. Start. Now.

 

[Spenny]

Bro you were told the secret:

Get 1 client. Start. Now.

Then you ignored it.

Okay but beyond that, what's an effective way to market myself and acquire a bunch of clients?

Then told a second time.

how many offers will you make today?
report back the results
go GET a client!

And then I realised that this thread is TWO YEARS OLD. Did you even try to get a client? Did you do the "buy me a coffee and give me feedback" thing? It's never too late to take action.

 

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[ZCP]

Just start. Now.

 

[ZCP]

What is the ONE BIG THING that if you did it today, you would be at your goal?
Ok, with that written on the wall in sharpie, what is the FIRST step to do that one big thing?
Go do that. Right now.

Break it down to super simple. Do that one small simple thing.

Get started. Now.

 

[JLE]

What is the ONE BIG THING that if you did it today, you would be at your goal?
Ok, with that written on the wall in sharpie, what is the FIRST step to do that one big thing?
Go do that. Right now.

Break it down to super simple. Do that one small simple thing.

Get started. Now.

The best plan I've assembled in my head would be to start an Instagram and begin posting my physique updates/workouts several times a week, make an effort to gather followers from that, and then try to sell coaching to whatever audience I gather.

The above strategy is a long-game with no immediate clients, but my life has already revolved around fitness for nearly a decade now with no chance of stopping. I really don't know how else I could find online clients for fitness coaching. I'm comfortable with it taking time considering I've devoted my life to this...

Additionally, I appreciate you taking the time; I realize I don't deserve it as a do-nothing for 2 years.

 

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[johnlepore]

With zero client first goal is to get your first say 6 clients. Offer free training for a month.

 

[Spenny]

The best plan I've assembled in my head would be to start an Instagram and begin posting my physique updates/workouts several times a week, make an effort to gather followers from that, and then try to sell coaching to whatever audience I gather.

The above strategy is a long-game with no immediate clients, but my life has already revolved around fitness for nearly a decade now with no chance of stopping. I really don't know how else I could find online clients for fitness coaching. I'm comfortable with it taking time considering I've devoted my life to this...

Additionally, I appreciate you taking the time; I realize I don't deserve it as a do-nothing for 2 years.

I want to scream. The small bit Ive highlighted is an action fake. You've been planning this for two years. I don't know how you have done it but you've yet again ignored the best advice given to you

Just start. Now.

 

[heavy_industry]

The small bit Ive highlighted is an action fakes.

Proceeds to highlighting 80% of the text.


@JLE The idea is that you will have to change your approach completely.
I know how it feels to have 1, 2 or even 3 years pass by without making any progress on a project you care about. I've made this mistake in the past and it was not a wonderful feeling, to put it mildly.

The whole idea is that you have to switch from event-oriented to process-oriented thinking. Really understand that success is build through an iterative process of incremental improvements.

That's why everyone says that you should start immediately.

The first small step might look pathetic and insignificant for some people. But a wise person will know that this is not the case at all, because every action (no matter how small) has a consequence. And repeated consequences create tendencies.

This is actually one of the most important lessons you learn from training. Incremental improvement.

So let's put the guilt and shame aside, because we cannot change the past nor recover lost time, but we can and should learn from previous mistakes and act decisively now.

Take that first step. And then keep walking.

 

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[ZCP]

@JLE how much for you to coach me for 90 days?

 

[Kevin88660]

There is this app called “meet up” where personal trainers advertise their training programs at specific time.

Some are virtually held via zoom.

 

[JLE]

@JLE how much for you to coach me for 90 days?

I would charge $200 per month for coaching. So for 3 months it would be $600. However, considering I have no present clients: I'd charge you nothing but an honest testimonial after the 90 day period.

I'm not sure if you inquired as a sign of interest in coaching or to gauge what my response would be, but if you are truly interested I think it's important that you fully understand what goes into being coached.

A few things:
1. Your progress falls on you. I can bring you to water but I can't make you drink.
2. I need you to have a very specific fitness goal that we're to be working towards.
3. This would require progress pictures sent every week.

 

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[JLE]

There is this app called up where personal trainers advertise their training programs at specific time.

Some are virtually held via zoom.

This is not my website and I'm not affiliated with the guy whatsoever. Not sure if I'm permitted to use external links on thefastlaneforums but here is a great example of the kind of business I would like to replicate: https://www.runandliftcoaching.com/

The premise is offering a month-by-month physique transformation service. Anyone who lands on the site sees a handful of previous successful transformations, you fill out a questionnaire, and then you'll be contacted by email for payment.

The coaching consists of email and/or phone correspondence, entirely online, and you receive a workout + cardio plan based on your goals, willingness to devote time to fitness, and previous fitness regime. Most also include a diet plan as it's a very significant part of weight-loss or muscle gain.

So yeah, simple business model; it's also recurring so that's a bonus.

 

[Robin 133]

If you're using Instagram. You could try following the most recent followers of competitors you look up to. Once people start following you back, send some DMs asking if they're looking for any guidance and offer a free call to help them make a plan together, offer it for free in return for a testimonial. This worked for me in a different niche. You may get a client, you may get a testimonial but either way you'll be adding value.

 

[Robdavis]

Note that we are allowed to "advertise" our services to some extent on the "self promotion" thread. There are rules around what we can post, but you could place a message on there for free.

MARKETPLACE - Self-Promotion: Post Your Offer, Products, or Services! (2023)

New Year, New Thread! Have something to sell? Want to do a little shameless self-promotion? :checkbox: Like to post a video from your YouTube channel? :checkbox: Want to promote your design service? :checkbox: Like to link to a company who you'd like to recommend? :checkbox: Have a book to...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

 

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[JLE]

If you're using Instagram. You could try following the most recent followers of competitors you look up to. Once people start following you back, send some DMs asking if they're looking for any guidance and offer a free call to help them make a plan together, offer it for free in return for a testimonial. This worked for me in a different niche. You may get a client, you may get a testimonial but either way you'll be adding value.

I completely agree with this.

The majority of the fitness industry revolves around Instagram; TikTok being a close runner-up. I really think my best bet, as I had the idea of earlier, would be to begin posting to Instagram every single day. Building up a following without selling anything. Become a recognized and credible authority in the bodybuilding niche, and naturally from that, I can do in-bound marketing. Finding clients merely from being an established bodybuilder.

The fitness industry is funny in that sense. The biggest and most in-shape guys are always perceived as the most credible even if they don't know what they're talking about. By merit of being in-shape you're assumed to be knowledgeable.

Absolutely love the idea of reaching out to the audience of competing bodybuilding coaches. I think that's my best bet at success with this that will come in time.

Fortunately for myself, and considering I make barely above minimum wage, I'd only need to have about 12 clients a month to entirely replace my slowlane/employment income and pursue this business venture full-time.

------------------

I think my largest issues fall under the lines of:
1. Not playing the long game
2. Not providing value prior to attempting to make a sale
3. Not having enough credibility (need to be perceived as a worthwhile bodybuilder + have testimonials)
4. And additionally, yeah, action fakes and making no progress on anything

 

[Ing]

I would charge $200 per month for coaching. So for 3 months it would be $600. However, considering I have no present clients: I'd charge you nothing but an honest testimonial after the 90 day period.

I'm not sure if you inquired as a sign of interest in coaching or to gauge what my response would be, but if you are truly interested I think it's important that you fully understand what goes into being coached.

A few things:
1. Your progress falls on you. I can bring you to water but I can't make you drink.
2. I need you to have a very specific fitness goal that we're to be working towards.
3. This would require progress pictures sent every week.

I see, you are afraid, if a customer threatens you with an assignment. Be a bit more self assured! Imagine, if you knew enough? Maybe a bit more as your client?

Make a 4 sec video with your smartphone of you while doing work out.
Post it in your whatsapp status with facebook.
Make posts about workout on facebook.
Take a friemd as a client and post on facebook.
It should go with the devil, if really noone recognizees you.

Just start!

 

[4gus]

I completely agree with this.

The majority of the fitness industry revolves around Instagram; TikTok being a close runner-up. I really think my best bet, as I had the idea of earlier, would be to begin posting to Instagram every single day. Building up a following without selling anything. Become a recognized and credible authority in the bodybuilding niche, and naturally from that, I can do in-bound marketing. Finding clients merely from being an established bodybuilder.

The fitness industry is funny in that sense. The biggest and most in-shape guys are always perceived as the most credible even if they don't know what they're talking about. By merit of being in-shape you're assumed to be knowledgeable.

Absolutely love the idea of reaching out to the audience of competing bodybuilding coaches. I think that's my best bet at success with this that will come in time.

Fortunately for myself, and considering I make barely above minimum wage, I'd only need to have about 12 clients a month to entirely replace my slowlane/employment income and pursue this business venture full-time.

------------------

I think my largest issues fall under the lines of:
1. Not playing the long game
2. Not providing value prior to attempting to make a sale
3. Not having enough credibility (need to be perceived as a worthwhile bodybuilder + have testimonials)
4. And additionally, yeah, action fakes and making no progress on anything

If online is more challenging, how about starting with offline?
For point no 3, are you open to give free or almost-free coaching for 1-2 months?
1. start with your circle: coworkers, friends, family, family's friends, etc.
2. in the gym, talk to people there, why do they go there? what's their goal? start a conversation and if you think you can help, you can offer your free coaching.
3. if you use IG or FB group, just make a post offering your free coaching for 5 people.

I also have similar issue with having no credibility, so I volunteered and even offered my help for free in exchange for experience.
After couple weeks I got 2 friends asking for help. I know I won't make money but at least this will get me started.

 

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[ZCP]

I would charge $200 per month for coaching. So for 3 months it would be $600. However, considering I have no present clients: I'd charge you nothing but an honest testimonial after the 90 day period.

I'm not sure if you inquired as a sign of interest in coaching or to gauge what my response would be, but if you are truly interested I think it's important that you fully understand what goes into being coached.

A few things:
1. Your progress falls on you. I can bring you to water but I can't make you drink.
2. I need you to have a very specific fitness goal that we're to be working towards.
3. This would require progress pictures sent every week.

ok. dm me and let's get started.

 

[ZCP]

now go get your 2nd client. today.

 

[heavy_industry]

ok. dm me and let's get started.

now go get your 2nd client. today.

You sir are a hero.

 

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[Spenny]

You know what, you're right on the credibility. @ZCP idea is fantastic.

I go to the gym loads and have been bulking recently. I'd love to put on more muscle & I'm currently doing a regime of push, pull, legs. DM me if you want a second client.

 

[N.S.]

Hey @JLE - kudos for you for coming back here after 2 years and having the courage to ask for help again.

I see you have your 1st client now and probably your 2nd with @Spenny.

People here are really trying to help you and a lot of it has fallen on deaf ears.

You remind me a little bit of me, and I'm going to try and help you. Around 13 years ago I was trying to start my first business, and I spent 18 months trying to find and perfect ideas, figuring out what to do etc. - a bit like what you have been asking here. (Yeah I got business cards printed before I'd secured any business too ).

Eventually I made it work and now I've built 4 businesses and 2 of them have done pretty well (enough for me not to worry about money again for quite some time, and I choose to live an expensive lifestyle based in the middle of an expensive city).

1-2 clients is progress. Well done.

Now the MOST important thing you can do.... BAR NONE - as has been said here - is go and get ONE paying client. EVERYTHING that doesn't DIRECTLY lead to this is action faking - instagram, e-book, business cards - all of it.

How do you get ONE paying client? You've made a good start - you're going to train @ZCP in exchange for an honest testimonial after 90 days.

I would tweak that slightly - agree on 2/3/4 training sessions and then ask for an honest testimonial. If ZCP likes it you can discuss moving onto a paid plan that's still a good deal for them or continue with the 90 days gratis, and then get a second testimonial after then. If they didn't like the sessions, well then you'll learn some things that you can use to improve your offer. The point is, you don't need to wait 90 days to get a testimonial. Testimonials will really help you grow your client base.

At the SAME TIME as this is going on go and TALK to a bunch of prospects e.g. text / DM your friends and say "Hey I've qualified as a Personal Trainer and am getting my training business off the ground, so I'm offering an insane deal - 4 introductory PT sessions for just $50 (*or sub in whatever numbers you think are a bit of a steal for you), and I'm highly motivated to make this work so I'm going to giving them my best attention - if you know anyone interested then let me know! Ps I am only offering this to the first 4 ppl to get started".

Once you have a few like this and have polished your training a bit, you can move on to selling $200/month plans or whatever else makes sense (e.g. next couple of clients at $100 for 4 sessions) to build up to that.

Now I know you are asking how to SCALE. But today you have 0 paying clients. What happens if you scale 0? What is 0 times anything?

the point I'm making here is this - and I WISH someone experienced had SHAKEN this into me when I was wasting 18 months. Getting 1-2 clients will help you get going, and start improving everything so that you can get to 10 clients. Your first 10 clients should all really be coming from word of mouth and relationships you are building.

What you'll learn with those first 1-2 paying clients will help you become a good trainer to 10 clients. What you learn in being a good trainer to those 10 clients will help you understand what niches and expertise you can hone in on to become an excellent trainer to 20 clients. Point is you cant get to 10-20 without first going from 0-1. So only focus on 0-1, then 2 etc.

Now of course at that stage it's still a time for money thing and I see you're smart enough to know that will max out on scale. But the hard truth is that if you want to create an info product or build a social media following or create some sort of tech (like an app to train ppl remotely) then you need 1) the learning that comes from getting ANY business off the ground and 2) the relationships and credibility that just becoming a good trainer will get you. A LOT of other good stuff will come from just getting in motion,

If you're worried about creating a well paid job and being stuck in it, isn't that a MASSIVELY better problem to have - I'm stuck in a well paid job and want to create a CENTS business from it - than the one you currently have which is (being blunt, but written with love) "I have no business or clients and I don't know how to get started".

Please forget about business cards, instagram etc. Go get the 2 folks here signed up, do a great job and get testimonials, and at the SAME TIME that's all going on go out there and go get 1/2/3 paying clients and build from there.

Good luck - hopefully you'll look back on this in a few years and nod your head that it was a rites of passage. But only if you focus on getting some clients ASAP and nothing else.

 

[John Clancy]

@ZCP @Spenny Great job to you both. You've gone out on a limb to help someone who's struggling to get started... stuff like this is why spaces like FLF are so valuable.

@JLE I've worked for a few personal trainers with solid online income streams (coaching packages + one-off sessions + product sales etc). I provided services like long-form content creation, funnel design, ad copy and customer acquisition strategy.

If you're not sure how to get started, I'd be happy to give you some pointers based on what I've seen work for other professionals in the space.

Also, depending on what kind of services you provide, I'd be happy to be your first paying client.

DM me if you're interested in discussing further. At the least, I'd be happy to pay you for a one-off consultation on diet + programming and provide you with an honest testimonial you can use moving forward (as well as feedback if I think there's anything you can improve on).

 

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[JLE]

@ZCP @Spenny

A big thank you to both of these members who are generous enough to grant me a start.

Please check your DM's. I've sent a questionnaire.

 

[JLE]

Hey @JLE - kudos for you for coming back here after 2 years and having the courage to ask for help again.

I see you have your 1st client now and probably your 2nd with @Spenny.

People here are really trying to help you and a lot of it has fallen on deaf ears.

You remind me a little bit of me, and I'm going to try and help you. Around 13 years ago I was trying to start my first business, and I spent 18 months trying to find and perfect ideas, figuring out what to do etc. - a bit like what you have been asking here. (Yeah I got business cards printed before I'd secured any business too ).

Eventually I made it work and now I've built 4 businesses and 2 of them have done pretty well (enough for me not to worry about money again for quite some time, and I choose to live an expensive lifestyle based in the middle of an expensive city).

1-2 clients is progress. Well done.

Now the MOST important thing you can do.... BAR NONE - as has been said here - is go and get ONE paying client. EVERYTHING that doesn't DIRECTLY lead to this is action faking - instagram, e-book, business cards - all of it.

How do you get ONE paying client? You've made a good start - you're going to train @ZCP in exchange for an honest testimonial after 90 days.

I would tweak that slightly - agree on 2/3/4 training sessions and then ask for an honest testimonial. If ZCP likes it you can discuss moving onto a paid plan that's still a good deal for them or continue with the 90 days gratis, and then get a second testimonial after then. If they didn't like the sessions, well then you'll learn some things that you can use to improve your offer. The point is, you don't need to wait 90 days to get a testimonial. Testimonials will really help you grow your client base.

At the SAME TIME as this is going on go and TALK to a bunch of prospects e.g. text / DM your friends and say "Hey I've qualified as a Personal Trainer and am getting my training business off the ground, so I'm offering an insane deal - 4 introductory PT sessions for just $50 (*or sub in whatever numbers you think are a bit of a steal for you), and I'm highly motivated to make this work so I'm going to giving them my best attention - if you know anyone interested then let me know! Ps I am only offering this to the first 4 ppl to get started".

Once you have a few like this and have polished your training a bit, you can move on to selling $200/month plans or whatever else makes sense (e.g. next couple of clients at $100 for 4 sessions) to build up to that.

Now I know you are asking how to SCALE. But today you have 0 paying clients. What happens if you scale 0? What is 0 times anything?

the point I'm making here is this - and I WISH someone experienced had SHAKEN this into me when I was wasting 18 months. Getting 1-2 clients will help you get going, and start improving everything so that you can get to 10 clients. Your first 10 clients should all really be coming from word of mouth and relationships you are building.

What you'll learn with those first 1-2 paying clients will help you become a good trainer to 10 clients. What you learn in being a good trainer to those 10 clients will help you understand what niches and expertise you can hone in on to become an excellent trainer to 20 clients. Point is you cant get to 10-20 without first going from 0-1. So only focus on 0-1, then 2 etc.

Now of course at that stage it's still a time for money thing and I see you're smart enough to know that will max out on scale. But the hard truth is that if you want to create an info product or build a social media following or create some sort of tech (like an app to train ppl remotely) then you need 1) the learning that comes from getting ANY business off the ground and 2) the relationships and credibility that just becoming a good trainer will get you. A LOT of other good stuff will come from just getting in motion,

If you're worried about creating a well paid job and being stuck in it, isn't that a MASSIVELY better problem to have - I'm stuck in a well paid job and want to create a CENTS business from it - than the one you currently have which is (being blunt, but written with love) "I have no business or clients and I don't know how to get started".

Please forget about business cards, instagram etc. Go get the 2 folks here signed up, do a great job and get testimonials, and at the SAME TIME that's all going on go out there and go get 1/2/3 paying clients and build from there.

Good luck - hopefully you'll look back on this in a few years and nod your head that it was a rites of passage. But only if you focus on getting some clients ASAP and nothing else.

This is a great comment. I read every word of it a few times in attempt to truly absorb what you're saying.

To be succinct, I completely agree! I definitely do need 1 or 2 or 3 paying clients. Additionally I agree that everything I'm doing has been an action fake (the business cards, starting an instagram, etc).

The problem here is: I need a different way to get clients. I don't think friends/family are a viable route.

Do you have any suggestions on getting cold clients rather than warm? How do I convince a potential prospect I've never met before (ideally online and not in-person as you must pay to train independently at a gym) to consider me for coaching?

I appreciate all the tough love by the way. Be as rough as possible, I seem to be thickheaded and could benefit from it.