This is a guest post by David Crump, a Performance U mentorship student, owner of DC-Training and co-owner of Spark Fitness in Orlando, FL.
If you’re reading this you are probably a passionate and driven fitness professional. However, like many other trainers out there you may be struggling to keep your business consistent. If you feel like you are doing all the right things, yet still can’t figure out why success is evading you then read on.
The following are 4 common reasons that cause good fitness professionals to struggle.
1. You haven’t developed a training philosophy
Having a training philosophy is the foundation of everything you do and is of critical importance. It is basically a group of principles and concepts that govern what you believe about fitness and how you approach helping your clients reach their goals. Your philosophy will also act as your compass when furthering your education by allowing you to determine which methods and information line up with your beliefs and which ones you should pass on. That’s not to say that your beliefs can’t or won’t change, because that is a natural part of your progression as a professional and it is important to continually evaluate your processes, but your philosophy will provide the lens through which to view them objectively.
The hierarchy of your philosophy should look something like this:
Principles > Methods > Tools > Exercises
Start by listing the 2 or 3 most important principles that govern your training programs. Then you can begin to work your way down the hierarchy and fill in the blanks. Before you know it, you’ll have a clear understanding of who you are as a trainer and be able to align yourself with the opportunities that suit you best.
2. Your business skills need work
One of the biggest problems that most trainers have is that they do not have an organized way of doing business. Your business practices are a reflection of you to your clients and prospective clients. This is why it is important to have systems and guidelines for everything you do, from performing new client consultations and recording regular body composition assessments to taking client payments. The only thing more important than delivering an outstanding experience is making sure that it is consistent for every client and that is only possible when you have a specific process to follow.
Take the time to write out how you would handle all the most common interactions and commit them to memory. You should be as detailed as possible when doing this. Picture yourself writing instructions in a way that a future employee could easily follow and save them for the day that you become so busy that you really do have to hire employees.
3. You’re not positioning yourself appropriately
If you wanted to get your business some exposure 10 years ago you would probably spend some money on advertising, but today we have the wonderful world of internet and social media. The average trainer or training business can not only survive without paid advertising, but can actually thrive. The problem is that most trainers don’t put much effort into it. Usually they may post a couple Facebook statuses saying that they are offering training services and you should contact them if you are interested. That’s it. This is the equivalent to a billboard on the side of the road that says “Buy My Product”. It doesn’t work.
Instead what trainers should be doing is focusing on educating others, building a network of other professionals, and creating the type of energy that people want to be a part of. Create opportunities to wow people for free and you can guarantee people will be more than happy to pay for your services.
4. You think it’s all about exercise and nutrition
The one thing that always seems to amaze me is how often people forget that personal training is a SERVICE BUSINESS. Your job is to help the client reach their goals while creating an experience that surpasses their expectations. This often means that you have to go the distance to really connect with them to understand why they are here and what it takes to motivate them. The best trainers make people want to succeed. You can write the best training program and supply the best nutritional support, but if you can’t get co-operation it won’t matter.
This is a business built on relationships. Write regular text messages, learn names of spouses and children, and be genuinely interested. Always go the extra step and you will build a following of people that will make sure you stay busy.
About the author:
David Crump is a personal trainer and fitness educator. He is the owner of DC-Training and co-owner of Spark Fitness, a private fitness studio in Orlando, FL. David is passionate about changing the lives of his clients and helping other trainers reach their full potential by bridging the gap between knowledge and practical application.
Contact David:
via his email david@dc-training.net
by visiting his website or
at his Facebook page.
