Are you ready to take your personal training business to the next level? Sure, you’re up to date on the latest workouts and confident with helping clients to set, meet and exceed goals, but are you prepared to become a leader?
When you’re working with clients, whether one-on-one or in a group setting, all eyes are on you for direction, feedback and critique. It’s up to you to plan classes and keep client performance forms updated, so you’re constantly aware of what needs to happen for each client. As a trainer, your authority leads clients to healthy goals and increased fitness. As a businessperson, what are you doing to grow authority? Even if you work within a fitness facility, expanding your focus to include retail opportunities should be part of your growth plan. If you approach getting your clients the right product as a natural extension of your training program, it becomes easier to increase your own revenue or commission streams.
“My clients definitely feel more comfortable buying a new training product if they know that I’ve tried it already,” says Wendy Larkin, a NASM CPT, CES, PES, FNS, MMACS personal trainer who owns her own training service. “Every time I see a product that could be helpful to a number of my clients, I try it and decide whether or not it’s something I should introduce them to.”
Larkin’s success as a personal trainer is only enhanced by the care and recommendations she makes for clients. Her training isn’t formulated as a sales pitch, but she does connect with clients via email with insights and offers to order items on their behalf. This level of service allows Larkin to stay at the forefront of her clients’ minds while also increasing revenue potential.
Even if you’re working within a facility, walk clients into the pro shop and place the foam roller or bands they need for at home care into their hands. Being the authority comes from confidently assessing a client’s needs and actively following through on a suggestion; there’s no substitute for personalized shopping and care when it comes to today’s user experience. Your ability to answer questions, demonstrate how to use the product and make routine suggestions is invaluable to your clients.
“I take my clients through how to use a product before asking if they’d like one for themselves,” Larkin says, “and give them the background info of how and why the product works for them.”
Most recently, Larkin has found success with the VYPER vibrating foam roller. She was introduced to the roller at a conference and immediately enjoyed how it helped loosen muscles faster than other rollers. Larkin purchased one for herself, a “demo” roller, and has used it with every client either before or after his or her training session.
Now, Larkin is finding that clients are eager to receive one of his or her own. Another aspect of Larkin’s retailing success centers on her communication for ease of transaction: “Before I place an order, I email out to my interested clients and ask if they’d like me to order a piece of equipment for them. Most are appreciative of me asking and say yes!”
So if you’re interested in retaining your personal training client base, growing incremental revenue and providing a consistent customer experience, consider working to be the leader in new products for your clients. There are many ways to navigate inventory and sales margin questions, but the overall value you can provide, as the fitness authority, is something a big box retailer cannot compete with. Consider making the leap to leader and establishing yourself as invested in your clients, rather than just a trainer.
Connect with Wendy on her Facebook page for more information and tips.
VYPER 
Vitamix 
Intracell Sticks 
RockTape Kinesiology Tape