All too often I meet and speak to people who think they are ready to “Transform” their body and they are ready to begin a new fitness program. The first thing I ask them is, “Are you ready?” Of course they say YES, I sure am this time. So I wonder what happened last time that prevented them so my next question is, “What happens when you get knocked down?” Usually I get a nasty look or I’ll be asked what the heck I’m talking about. Sure enough they were struck with adversity in the past so they didn’t reach their fitness goal the last time they tried, so this time they are trying again. This time they believe that there is no way adversity will happen and they will have the perfect ride to reaching their fitness goals. They think that nothing can stand in their way, again. The fact is, if you’ve been knocked down with adversity before and you didn’t get up, the chances are when it happens again, you will stay down again.

Problems are going to happen and when they do they can bring any progress to a complete stop. It destroys motivation, momentum, self confidence and can spin your positive momentum into a negative direction where all you find is one thing after another stopping you from achieving. Since you can’t prevent adversity, what are you supposed to do? There are only two ways you can react to it and both will determine your destiny. One, you can see it as a problem and try to let it pass; which will hurt you mentally and physically by increasing your stress levels (fear levels), cripple your healthy lifestyle and most likely have a negative affect on those around you too. Two, you can see it as an opportunity to grow and learn from, to make your life and the lives around you even better. In reality, you only need to look at adversity as life telling you that it is time for an opportunity to become better in some way. I believe that adversity is among us all, not only for ourselves to become better people, but to contribute to others so they too don’t have the same adversity that we’ve had. It all depends on how you direct your focus. Yes, this is easier said than done, but like with everything, with a little practice you will become good at it. Next thing you know, you will start to see that although “problems” appear bad from the start, as each one arises you grow from them in some way to become a better person. That’s one of the great things about life, to grow and to teach.

First and foremost, you need to understand that you cannot prevent problems and know that it is a part of life. What you need to do is constantly expect adversity to appear and when it does arrive you need to learn, conquer it, grow, celebrate how you handled it and await the next one.

#1 Know when you get knocked down, get up, dust yourself off and hit it again.

I have seen that you can’t accurately measure someone’s success by the look of their body, the car they drive or the business they run. The true measure of success is discovered by knowing the obstacles they’ve conquered in order to reach their goals. Over the years, I’ve had special opportunities to meet many people who have overcome seemingly unstoppable obstacles to get where they are today. These people have focused so much of their efforts on other areas of their lives while efforts for their health were deteriorating slowly. Sure enough they became overweight, unhealthy, depressed and in many cases were told to take medications because of the negative effects the extra weight they were carrying had on their system, including low self esteem and stress. This is the same person most of these people promised themselves they would never become.

In many cases, it takes a lot of adversity in your life to really make a change: for everything to go wrong and for you to just look in the mirror, stop lying to yourself and decide that you’ve had enough; it’s time for me now. The decision is the key. Once that is done, you need to sit down and create a map toward your success, allowing nothing to stand in your way. I’ve seen it so many times where a person begins a routine and in the first month they’re unstoppable. Everything has been perfect, they’ve lost 15 pounds of fat and their friends and family are making positive comments about them. Life is great! Then, adversity hits. An example of this was one woman who was doing well losing weight and getting in shape when one day told me that her husband just left her. She was in shock and the last thing on her mind was eating right and exercising. At first she wanted to quit. While still dealing with the recent tragedy, even more adversity hit. This same person was told she was no longer needed for her position at work and that she was going to be transferred to a new location which was much further from her current one. On top of that, it demanded more time including travel, a lot more responsibility and no pay increase. She couldn’t stop thinking about all the bad things that had happened to her in her life. She then reached a turning point where a decision had to be made, either give up on everything or reach deep down inside and find the strength to bounce back. She then told me she thought back to the promise she made to herself, that she would finish this no matter what. She decided that adversity would not destroy her goals. She used it as fuel to make her stronger than ever before.

What a great feeling as a personal trainer to see a client go through this and beat it on her own. Of coarse you can pump people up while they are with you, but it’s a whole different ball game what goes on in their heads when they leave you. As a personal trainer, instead of just pumping up your clients when this happens, just redirect their focus so they don’t have to do it themselves. Do you see what was done here? She stopped asking “Why me?” and asked herself, “How am I going to handle this?” She said, “I knew it would be a poor example to my kids if I gave up, my family means a lot. ” She found courage to hold onto her dream of health, beauty and self esteem. Day in and day out this powerful woman conquered struggles which later helped her reach her physical goals by losing 40 lbs of body fat to in turn create even higher expectations for herself; however, the physical changes were simply evidence of the true changes that took place in her life! She not only achieved her physical goals, she also earned a new respect for adversity and perseverance. All you need to do as a personal trainer is to remind people what they are there for, their goals. Underneath their fitness goal there is something else that they want that reaching their fitness goal will get them. You need to know what that is for each person so that you can use it to remind them what it is that they really want when they are knocked down. It can be respect that they want, love, health, importance or to feel meaningful, whatever it is, know what powerful goal underlies the fitness goal to redirect their focus when needed.

#2 Know that it is going to happen, either large problems or small ones.

The adversity my friend had faced is merely an example of what can happen. In fact, I haven’t seen many cases where it didn’t show up. What I do see, is that some will persevere and some will give up. I’ve learned valuable lessons from many people’s patterns in a physique development program. Please, realize adversity is not avoidable. Do not take what you have for granted. Cherish and be grateful for what you do have. Do not let adversity kill your dreams and goals. The way you handle it sculpts who you are and gives you your character. Become a “hero” to yourself and to others. Be larger than LIFE. Adversity is your bridge to success, not your barricade. Only you have the power to create your destiny and it comes from how you react to ANY given circumstance. React well!!!

Anyone with a business knows just how important effective marketing is to its success.

However, many people in the personal training industry do not always know how to go about properly advertising their services. Some personal training professionals are uncomfortable with selling their services; they feel like their services aren’t tangible so they’re not worth the money or time of their clients or potential clients. All too often, insecurity and doubt can get the better of us and squash the majority of our personal trainer marketing efforts.

Luckily, using the long-standing, but not often used, law of attraction can help us make the most of our advertising attempts, all by making small adjustments to our attitudes and thought processes.

This type of personal trainer marketing is very different than traditional methods. Of course, these conventional marketing techniques will eventually be used later on and are necessary to expand your business. However, the law of attraction will lead you to which methods are best and to those that will help to make all of your marketing attempts more successful.

It is a very simple, yet powerful technique. Unfortunately, many people are not using it to their full advantage and, therefore, are struggling unnecessarily. Simply by being conscious of the law of attraction and integrating it into your personal training marketing plan, you’re already ahead of your competition.

Simply put, the law of attraction is the concept that the things you concentrate on will become more abundant in your life. A great deal of people hear this concept, but then continue to focus on the wrong things, and then wonder why they are not seeing results. They harp on what is going wrong and their lack of clients and money, instead of thinking about the abundance of what they currently have.

Noticing the positives, however small, will help put you in the right frame of mind to successfully go about your personal trainer marketing plan. Visualizing and feeling a wealth of clients and finances will, ultimately, attract these things to you.

Of course, to expect success to be handed to you on a silver platter is unrealistic. However, the law of attraction will make the road to these things quicker, easier, and more enjoyable, not to mention more effective. So instead of noticing how you do not have the number of clients you want or are not pulling in the income you desire, spend your energy on feeling content and thankful for what you do have. Focus on all of the great things you have going for you, and put your all into feeling and experiencing these positive things. The more often you do this, the quicker you will see your other personal trainer marketing techniques paying off.

Too many personal trainers don’t know how to delegate tasks, so they try to do every little thing by themselves. This can cause a lot of stress and isn’t truly cost-effective.

Please pay attention because this is vital. . .

The other night I went to see a movie at the local movie theater. . .

Then, I saw a couple sitting on the far left whispering while I was trying to watch the movie. All of this was bugging me, but I noticed how the woman paid attention to her partner’s every word.

The guy was talking about his life, work, goals, and accomplishments as if he had traveled the world before this night. It was amazing in the beginning, but I never heard the lady say a word. In a way, the guy tried to control the whole conversation without letting her join in with her opinion or personal experiences. In short, his idea of the date was basically about him.

Now, I was curious of why the lady just sat there listening to him go on and on about his life. All of this drew me to the fact they met over the internet and were at their first movie together. His problem was the inability to listen to her when she wanted to speak.

With this in mind, how many fitness professionals go on and on about their accomplishments without listening to their clients? The list is utterly ridiculous and your ability to listen is probably the reason your clients quit their programs.

If you want to build your business, you have to listen to your clients. Any personal trainer trying to build a reputation needs to understand what their client wants so they can create programs to do just that. Never take the initiative to change your client – your client has to want the same thing if you want to keep them long-term.

Take a moment to grasp this reality. . . .

You have to LISTEN to them if you want to make money.

No matter what kind of personal trainer marketing strategies you use. You have to know what’s going on in their minds and hearts or else you will lose their respect.

Build a relationship by providing WHAT THEY WANT.

Then create workout programs to match their goals in a realistic manner.

I have not met one customer that cared about a trainers certifications, degress, or years of experience more important than their ability to focus on their needs. What does your client want to achieve in their workouts? How can you emphasize on that and build a stronger presence in their hearts? It’s up to you and your ability to listen.

The 23 year old college graduate wants to hear about her losing her love handles. . . so you give her compliments once she overcomes each milestone.

The 41 year old entrepreneur wants to know how great his golf swing has improved so you create programs to help his swing improve over time. You have to focus on how he needs to increase his stamina and energy to make more money so he can have more time to focus on his game. Not only will your workouts make his golfing better, but it will also make him a better businessman to build a strong financial future.

Now, what makes you think YOU are the answer to making more money? It’s not you or your personal trainer marketing strategies – it’s your ability to listen to your client’s every need and the ability to try to fulfill it.

All of your clients want to achieve their goals by working with you, but you have to step out of the picture so they can grow into their own level of success.

Just as I mentioned in the beginning, the two at the movies were only a simple example. Imagine how bad it could be for you if you were on that date. If it were your choice, would you go out with that guy again? Or would you choose someone who wants to listen?

Part 2: How do I get clients and differentiate myself from other trainers to minimize competition?  How important are certifications?

Recently, I was asked a bunch of questions by a trainer who is just starting his business.   He basically wanted advice on the fastest way to build a successful personal training business.

Below are his questions and my responses.

QUESTION # 1:

It seems that many private personal trainers get their client base by poaching from the commercial gyms they have worked for. Is this the only/best way to establish a private clientele?

ANSWER # 1:

A lot of trainers do poach, but this is certainly not the best way to get clients and build your business!  Even in NYC, personal training is a small industry, everyone knows everyone, and any successful business is built on a foundation of relationships.   Don’t burn anyone!

At the same time, if you work at a facility for a respectable amount of time (1-2 years perhaps), then decide to pursue a different/better opportunity and your clients want to go with you, that is completely different.   It’s their body, their money, their health; so ultimately, it is the client’s decision on where they want to train.

QUESTION # 2:

How does someone who is very passionate about training, very well educated on both the science and practical applications of training, separate themselves from other trainers?

ANSWER # 2: There is an infinite # of ways to differentiate your business from other trainers, but my one word answer would be! MARKETING!

(Most trainers are not good at sales and marketing, so if you can add this skill set, you will be sure to dominate your market).

I am not talking about being pushy, I am talking about working smart.

One of the best marketing concepts that will help you stand out among the crowd is picking a niche. Ask yourself these 2 questions.   What kinds of people do you love training and what are their goals?

I love training kids age 12-18, and I love training people for performance and athletics, so Youth Fitness is a market I go after.   I am passionate about this niche, so it shows up in my marketing.   I target this market by writing blog posts for them, making contacts with schools in my neighborhood, and finding reporters who are looking for stories about youth fitness.

There are a lot of other ways to differentiate yourself, but follow your passion, and use your talents.   If you are a great writer, write to your market.   If you are a great speaker, find associations that are looking for public speakers.

Be sure to check out our resource page too, which will help you master marketing for your fitness business.

QUESTION # 3

How important are certifications? Do they matter to clients or are they just something that makes an impression on gym owners/other trainers?

ANSWER # 3

This is a great question, be sure to check out our blog post “What is the Best Personal Training Certification?” Essentially, a training certification is only as good as it helps you provide real world practical solutions to your client’s health and fitness problems.   Certifications have been instrumental in helping me grow and provide more value to my clients (I have 8 certifications so far and I am taking a Poloquin certification next weekend. )

However, they are not the only way to gain experience and knowledge.   Reading books, interning and working with other trainers, attending seminars, interning with physical therapists; all of these can help you step your game up.

NO, the clients don’t really care that you got a certain certification for the most part, but they do care about the knowledge and results that they can get from you.

So evaluate every certification and learning opportunity?  Will it help you provide results for the specific demographic of clients you are targeting?  What do other trainers have to say about that certification?

There are no easy answers here, and there is no shortage of certifications out there.   Just do some research, ask around, read up on them, and then trust you gut.

Until next time, keep your business fit.

Johnny Fitness

PersonalTrainingBusiness

There are instances when a personal trainer is essential. Personal trainers are retained by people who are invariably starting an exercise program or by people who need some variety to their workouts. However, when you’re coming back from having a baby, or need assistance with nutrition, or need help healing an injury, those are times when personal training is needed

Most women look for personal trainers to adjust their routines while pregnant or to lose fat after pregnancy. It takes a year for a woman’s ligaments to mend and return back to normal, additionally if a mother is nursing it could take longer. Their stretched abdominal muscles need special attention, too, so it helps to find an understanding post-natal personal trainer.

Women who are planning to get pregnant within the next six months to a year of their lives should ask a personal trainer to put them on a program that they will be able to continue throughout their pregnancies. It is unsafe to for a sedentary woman to begin a strenuous workout routine after she becomes pregnant, but women who participated in strenuous activity for six months prior to conceiving can usually maintain that activity up to and after birth.

The most common reason people seek the services of a personal trainer is weight loss and toning trouble spots. An experienced personal trainer will help with nutrition as well as the weight room. He or she will hold you accountable to your weight-loss goals and give you the means to reach your goals.

If you suffered an injury that has put you on the sidelines, a personal trainer will know how to ease you back into the game. Many who try to get back in shape on their own end up injuring themselves all over again. Your personal trainer spent much of his or her education learning injury treatment and prevention techniques and ways to modify your workout. Once your physical therapist releases you from therapy, a personal trainer is the next logical step in your recovery.

If you have a special consideration or health history, be sure to divulge all of that to your trainer in the very first appointment. Ensure your personal trainer can help your specific needs and wants. A male trainer who has never worked with pregnant women will not be the best resource for prenatal and postnatal personal training needs. Hire a personal trainer who will be by your side through all of life’s ups and downs.

If you are interested about a basketball personal trainer in…your brain then you have to take a look at this report – it’ll transform all of your current knowledge of basketball. What would you do if you discovered that you can improve your abilities in the game of basketball by an impressive 30%? What’s more, it is possible to do it by working at it at home. If you find yourself doubting this, or might think it’s just not possible, study the next few paragraphs – it will surely be a surprise.

Before going any further, you have to understand one very important fact – in basketball, it is not just a matter of who is more skilled at dunking or jumping, rather, it’s about who knows what to do and when to do it. The expertise to figure out what your opponent is planning, or to decide on the spot whether to pass or try to shoot, is related to your cognitive skills, or in simple words: brain skills. Most people mistakenly consider these skills as something athletes are born with, but actually, they are not entirely natural “gifts,” but instead are brain skills you can acquire.

It’s okay if it happens that you just wish to learn about a basketball personal trainer in…your brain, or whether you are still a student – in junior-high, high-school, or university – it’s very possible to better your capacity to compete at a high level by learning some valuable pointers. A group of scientists developed an amazing computer application which empowers you to doing that; it is founded on a video “game,” and the user simply has to “play” it for 30 minutes or less, 1 or 2 times per week, for a period of a few weeks – the outcome is astonishing. Coaches from all around the united states (memphis and uconn, to name two) have stated they’ve gotten incredible results after one-on-one coaching sessions with players, and even entire teams, with this amazing solution.

Before finding out more about a basketball personal trainer in…your brain, i recommend that you try this “secret weapon” by yourself. And now the very ambitious goal of one day making it to the nba for a lot of young players is becoming so close and attainable; players who have given this program a try said their overall game improved drastically after only 20-30 days of practice.

Every golfer needs a golf instructor who teaches the exact way to play the game. Without a private instructor, you cannot develop a victory strategy that works intended for you further than a positive level. All those prevalent expert golfers discuss more or less the meaning of a reasonable golf instructor. Though you can operate online means to obtain online golf training, you need to engage in a special instructor to help you devise a triumph strategy in favor of you. As golf is a accepted game, you can notice many individuals calling themselves golfing experts. You have to hire an expert if you intend to devote a significance intended for the investment you have made in golf.

PGA and LPGA are the significant golfing associations that recognize pro golfers. The instructor you pick out be required to be an apprentice or class A member of one of these associations. These members can be trusted even though qualified trainers charge more. The certified members need to keep informed themselves with the most recent technologies and consequently, you can expect the paramount training from these experts.

The instructor have got to be make plans for to go to work with you to identify your precise game. He have got to know what you can and cannot resolve. If you notice that the instructor is not interested in listening to you, you be supposed to therefore move to some other person. It is crucial to continue a optimistic affinity among you and your instructor. If whichever individual of you is not comfortable, breaking the connection is beneficial in favor of both of you.

Make definite that your instructor introduces latest education from moment to phase. Also, he be required to provide you roughly instant to practice the teaching. Experienced trainers know many tips and tricks that amateurs don’t know. You can bring into play their wisdom to steer clear of bad mistakes and become skilled at high-quality practices. The learning process be required to be smooth and gradual and the instructor ought to be glad to teach you fresh techniques.

While many trainers charge a sizeable amount of money to provide you the training, don’t progress with someone who values money more than everything. If your instructor is working with you specifically in support of money, you can on no account acquire better training. The instructor be required to have appropriate and essential learning aids which can help you advance the game. He have got to be standing by to be patient with your faults and work with you on the course. To attain reduce scores, short game skills are essential and the instructor be required to offer you inside information on gaming skills.

More than everything, you don’t yearn for a humiliating instructor. If you see to it that your instructor criticizing you often, it is time to look elsewhere instead of someone who really cares for you. The instructor ought to be able to indicate to your mistakes, but at the same moment in time, you don’t be looking for him to insult you. Self confidence is far more imperative as soon as you play golf, for the reason that with no confidence, you cannot aspire for your target. The golf instructor ought to be a helpful motivator, helping you discover your golfing talents. Working with your instructor, you ought to be able to arrive at a golf strategy that works well intended for you.

Part 1: What is the Fastest Path to Private Training Clients and My Own Successful Personal Training Business?

Have you ever wondered:
a) How much many can a personal trainer really make?
b) How long does it take to build up a client base?
c) How do I find clients that are a good fit for me?
d) What is the best way to build a successful personal training business fast?
e) How can I become one of the best Personal Trainers in the world?

I gotta admit, that last question is my favorite.

Recently, I was asked a bunch of questions by a trainer who is just getting started.   He is a really nice guy, and I think he has a lot of potential, so I thought to myself “how can I help myself and this guy at the same time?”

I love trying to think in terms of “Both”, instead of “either/or” (which is what we are taught from our education system, parents, and popular culture like “you can’t have your cake and eat it too. “

That is PURE NONSENSE.

So I wanted to help this trainer and help myself.   Then it hit me.   I asked him to write down his biggest questions about growing a personal training business from the ground up!  He will get good answers and info, and I will get a cool and helpful blog post. This post is the first in a series of articles that address trainers’ questions about the business of personal training.

What are your questions about building your personal training business?

His first question is below and will be followed by other posts to address the rest of his questions.

Question # 1

1) As someone who is new to the business, is it possible to develop a good practice as a private personal trainer, or is it essential to start at a commercial gym first?

This is a great question!  Personally, it took me 5 years before I felt comfortable “taking my clients private”.   I thought about it seriously about 3 years into the game, but decided that I wanted to get more experience before pulling the trigger.

For myself, I am glad I waited. With the support of a name brand gym, in two years, it allowed me to build my technical skill set (increased exercise knowledge) and increase my rate without having to worry too much about where my next client was coming from.   I am sure I could have moved sooner, but I doubt that my business would have been such a success.

HOWEVER, this does not mean that every trainer needs to wait 5 years before “going private”.   I was PAINFULLY SHY when I first started working as a trainer, I worked a floor shift 4x/week at World gym in NYC for 6 MONTHS BEFORE PICKING UP A SINGLE CLIENT!!!

Thank god I overcame my shyness (actually, personal training helped a lot in this regard, and ever since I have always thought of personal training as a way to develop oneself and one’s clients. )

So how do you know when you are ready?  For most new trainers, I think the following goals should be achieved before venturing out on your own:
1. At least 1-2 years of experience in a gym.
2. A combination of at least 2-3 certifications or degrees (to help develop critical thinking skills and increase perspective you utilize when training).
3. A solid client base and contacts.
4. Confidence in your ability to achieve results.
5. Confidence in your ability to promote, market and sell yourself.

Of course, these are just general guidelines.   If you know and have rapport with a lot of people in the area you will be servicing, have developed a skill set that will help you get exposure (worked as an advertiser, internet marketer, etc), and are confident using those resources to generate business, you can probably pull the trigger and “go private” in under a year.

Also, some private training studios will provide you with clients, which will make the transition from being a gym personal trainer to a private personal trainer easier and faster.   Be sure to ask them about how often you can expect a new lead from them.

If you don’t have the preceding requirements, I think you are better off leaning on the gym to help you build your business, so you can focus on developing your exercise skills and confidence.

Then once your business and exercise skills are built up, you can shift to a private facility and start working on your marketing skills. Having to work on business skills, exercise skills, and customer service skills all at once is not ideal for most people (although I would imagine some trainers would thrive under this pressure).

So ask yourself, honestly, what is the fastest way to become a big success in the training industry?  What skills and resources have you developed and are confident using?  Are you ready to go out on your own?

Still not sure?  We provide a step by step plan for “going private” in our Personal Trainer Marketing System (http://www. personaltrainingbusiness. com/marketing-system. php), which includes software to help you grow and manage your business. We make it really simple! There a lot of experts out there talking about a lot of cool stuff, but our system is the only one that comprehensively addresses everything you need to take your fitness business to the next level, step by step, in a very simple way.

We break down skills into 3 mega-competencies (exercise science, business skills, interpersonal skills) and then break down each mega-competency into several competencies and sub competencies:

A) Exercise Science

1. Career & Educational Path
2. Biomechanics
3. Physiology
4. Anatomy
5. Program Design
6. Nutrition

B)   Interpersonal Skills

1. Communication Skills
2. Customer Service Skills
3. Psychological/Motivational Skills
4. Leadership Skills

C) Business Skills

1. Marketing Skills
2. Organizational Skills & Systems
3. Sales Skills
4. Professionalism
5. Entrepreneurial Skills

Each of the above competencies are an opportunity to get better at your craft, help more people, and make more money!

There are many paths to success, and personal training allows a lot of freedom and creativeness regarding the skill sets that can be utilized to build a career.   This is why entrepreneurs love personal trainer.   But there are a lot of good trainers out there with potential who would grow faster with a little more structure.   That is what our system provides; a little structure to help you create your own path to ultimate success.

You don’t have to master every skill above.   In fact, you can’t master any subject above; a person can study exercise physiology for years and still argue about the details with someone else who has spent their life studying the same topic.   The point is not to master all the skills above, but to find and focus on the unique combination that will excite you and allow you to realize your full potential.

Our marketing system will help you to do this step by step, as well as help you find ways to delegate or outsource skills that you are not passionate about and not interested in.   (Of course, basic knowledge of every skill is essential, at least. )  You still have to do work, but our system will help you define a path that suits your specific dreams and takes you along that path step by step.

Are there any skills that you think I am missing?  What is your biggest problem with building your personal training business?  What skill are you great at?  What skill are you most passionate about or interested in learning about?

Until next time, keep your business fit.

Johnny Fitness

PersonalTrainingBusiness