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Grow your personal training business – the top ways to attract and retain clients

Grow Your Personal Training Business – The Top Ways to Attract and Retain Clients

As a fitness professional, you are most likely always looking for ideas and ways to discover new markets, find new clients and most importantly, keep the clients you have. Anticipating new fitness trends, as well as emerging markets, is essential to keeping your business growing and moving into the future. Trends can help you determine where to focus marketing efforts and what new services you should offer.

You need to have the resources or ability to do market research as well as use your instincts in the training field to be able to determine what direction you should go. You need to be an “industry watcher”. You also need to think about the clients you currently have and make sure you aren’t so focused on the future and finding new clients that you forget to take care of the ones you have.

Successfully servicing your existing client base will prove to be the most profitable thing you can do regardless of any other effort to increase your client base. So, how do you find the time to stay on top of all of this while maintaining your day-to-day training business?

PROPER MARKETING AND RESEARCH

Don’t second guess yourself when it comes to marketing your business. The name you choose, the logo you design (or have designed) and the website you create (or have created), will give your clients the first and lasting impression of who you are and what your business is all about. Make sure if you are just starting your business that you don’t limit yourself by the name you choose. While generic or personal names will work, take some time to think about the image that you really want to portray. Are you limiting yourself to a certain type of fitness or audience by the name you choose? Think about expansion into the future as well as where you are today when selecting a name.

The same applies to the logos, brochures, and signs that you use to market your business. If you have no experience with graphic or artistic creation, now is not the time to start. Select an experienced graphic artist to design a logo for your business once you have settled on a name. Do not compromise and select someone just because he or she is available immediately. This is a one time expense and if you have to wait a few weeks to get the best, it is worth it for the future of your business.

In addition, you must have a website. In today’s society, it is almost impossible to fully reach your target market without web presence. Keep it simple and informational. Research what you need to do and whom you should use to create it. Then build the page or work with the company/designer who is building the page and simply launch the site. When deciding on a domain name, remember to stick with something that identifies you and also something that people can remember.

Once you have all your marketing tools in place, you will need to do some market research. Don’t let the term or the idea of it scare you. It isn’t complex and it doesn’t need to require a huge time or dollar investment. A good marketing plan can help you expand on your ideas, know your target market and allow you to keep your business growing.

So, what are the basic steps of market research?

1. Determine the needs. What needs in your market place are not being fulfilled?

2. Do your research. Gather all the fact related to the needs that you identified in step one.

3. Create and fulfill. Make sure that your target market knows that you offer the service and are able to meet their needs.

4. Market, market, market. Do what it takes via the web, advertising and word of mouth marketing to make sure that everyone knows what services you have available.

5. Ask for the business. Gain the trust of current clients, as well as potential clients — and ask for their business!

BUILDING AND MAINTAINING A CLIENTELE

First of all as a trainer, you must understand why people hire you. If you don’t, how can you confidently sell your services? You have to believe with confidence that the service you are providing has value! Because we are so ingrained in what we do every day we often lose the true perspective on what we do and the value that it brings to our clients.

Think about this – you probably wouldn’t cut your own hair, represent a friend in court or perform surgery on your dog. You hire people who are highly skilled and trained in these areas. That is why your clients hire you – you are highly skilled and trained in the area of personal training! Most people do not have the knowledge it takes to train alone in a gym and get the results they are looking for while staying injury free.

You know that the service you offer is of value, so how do you get clients?

– Create a packet that introduces you and your services.

– Do your market research and know your target market. To do this, honestly evaluate your strengths and limitations.

– Know your qualifications and market them.

– Ask for referrals from professionals and other clients.

– Make new acquaintances in the professional market. Introduce yourself to physical therapists, nutritionists, doctors, chiropractors, retail fitness owners and hair dressers.

– Use direct mail and online marketing campaigns.

– Barter your services with other professionals. Make sure you target those people who can help you professionally such as accountants or attorneys. You can exchange services and if they are happy with you, they can provide some great referrals.

– Offer specials. By giving someone a few training sessions for free, you can showcase your expertise and services. If they like what they get, they are likely to sign up as a client. Even if they don’t sign up with you, they can become a great source of referrals.

– Create a promotional brochure. People can’t hire you if they don’t know about you and what you can offer. Distribute the brochures in public places where your target market will frequent.

– Continue to reinvent and sell yourself. Stay on top of your client base, your target market and the latest industry trends.

But what if gaining new clients isn’t your focus? How do you cultivate, make the most of and retain your current clients?

– Fine tune your interpersonal skills. This cannot be stated enough!

– Put safety first! If a client gets injured they won’t be able to work out and when they are feeling better they may not want to continue with you. Worse case scenario, they may sue you for damages and lost time.

– Target training to clients goals. Even if you think gaining muscles mass is the way to go, if your client insists she doesn’t want to gain muscle, keep her goals in mind when you develop the training program. Knowing that you are listening to her and keeping her goals at the forefront of all you do will keep her a happy client.

– Keep things positive. The world around us provides enough negativity. Make sure the training session is nothing but positive, both physically and mentally.

– Change it up. Variety, as well as fun and enjoyable workouts, are sure ways to keep your clients coming back to see what else you have up your sleeve.

As a personal training professional, much of the success of your business is up to you. Remember that your clients are business priority number one, always. Without them you have no business to grow. Take a proactive, not reactive, approach to growing and developing each client’s program. Follow-up with them regularly via an email or a face-to-face talk to ensure their satisfaction. Be flexible and adaptable if the training situation or a client’s personal situation changes. Make sure you are in tune with each client’s health issues and any special needs. One way to do this effectively is to use a web portal. This is a great way to keep yourself and each client’s data organized, stay in touch with clients and even train them virtually when you can’t meet with them in person. You can use this type of service to create custom workouts for each client as well as monitor progress online and update workouts virtually.

Some services, such as those available via the Personal Trainer Portal provide a dashboard so you can view all your appointments online no matter where you are as long as you have internet access. You can provide client feedback, motivation and encouragement to clients via the online portal as well.

Just remember to always present yourself in the most professional manner possible. Being honest, professional, and credible and always putting your clients first will keep your business growing!

How to buy an affordable treadmill

How to Buy an Affordable Treadmill

If you want to purchase a new treadmill, chances are you will not find a treadmill for less than $500. It is obviously a great investment for your health. Research found that cardio workouts will be the healthiest from the exercise for adults, as mentioned above, it will cost for you. As being said before, you should not let a large price tag prevent you from finding this useful piece of fitness equipment. So, the budget-conscious health buff to do is by purchasing the used treadmill.

You can visit some local thrift stores, second-hand shops and also Salvation Army centers. Most of these stores have the fitness equipment at the affordable prices.

You can purchase some local newspapers which are available on Friday. And then you can scour the classified parts for yard sale and garage sales of your area. These kinds of sales almost features used fitness equipment such as a treadmill that can be found for the affordable price.

If you wish to buy the new treadmill, but you still want the new one to be affordable, you can use an internet in finding bargains by workout-equipment stores or you can find retailers that have major sales.

Keep your eye out for the affordable treadmill offers that features in the junk mail. These kinds of offers usually come about during weekends when some stores try to get more customers.

You can also use the auction sites such as eBay. If you want to concern of shipping and handling charges, you may narrow your search, so it will include neighboring cities. In this way, you can find out the treadmill and choose it in person.

It is also necessary for you to go to the local retailers and find out of kind of payment choices that they offer for the treadmill. Smaller, non-chain fitness equipment stores have a willing to work out the plans of monthly payment with you.

The obesity epidemic – how helping fight it can increase your revenue

The Obesity Epidemic – How Helping Fight It Can Increase Your Revenue

According to recent research (The Culprit and the Cure, Dr. Steven Aldana), 60% of company CEOs state health care costs and lost productivity as their number one concern. An overweight employee can cost an employer $450-$2000 annually in health care costs and lost productivity. Seventy percent of health care costs come from tobacco use, poor nutrition and lack of exercise. As a personal trainer or health club manager/owner, you can help in the fight against obesity and increase your revenues at the same time.

The World Health Organization sites that 17 million deaths annually occur because of obesity and that number is on the rise. Officials believe it will reach epidemic proportions in the next decade. Furthermore, being overweight puts a person at higher risk for chronic disease, which in turn taxes the already burdened health care system.

In addition 67% of Americans do not get enough exercise to reap the benefits. Changing their minds about exercise, (how to do it, when to do it, where to do it and that it can in fact be FUN!), can help increase your membership, clientele numbers and retention rates.

BENEFITS OF EXERCISE

As a society, we have done just about everything possible to avoid physical activity. We have drive through restaurants, banks, ATMs, and even pharmacies. We have garage door openers so we don’t have to get out of our car to pull right up to our door so we don’t have to walk any distance before walking in our back door. We have TV remote controls. And how many times have you driven around the grocery store parking lot looking for a closer space so you didn’t have to walk as far?

Because of all of these modern conveniences and advances in technology, we now have to go to great lengths to make sure we are getting the recommended amount of physical activity to maintain good health. Committing to an exercise program is often the most difficult challenge we face. As a health club owner/manager or personal trainer you can help fight obesity while also increasing your business.

But, since there is so much competition out there, how do you get people to commit to a workout plan and more importantly, how do you get them to choose your facility or select you as their personal trainer?

The first step is to make sure that your target audience is aware of the benefits of exercise. Use websites, direct mail pieces, in club or community challenges with prizes to get the word out. Part of the problem is that the general public doesn’t even realize the risk in obesity. Sure, they know it isn’t healthy but do they fully realize the risks? Or the benefits of exercise? Now it is up to you to get the work out and get the business in!

– Prevent or lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. If you compare the long-term health of people who exercise regularly to those who are not physically active you’ll see that the risk of heart disease, instances of heart disease death, and stroke drops dramatically with a consistent increase in physical fitness and physical activity.

– Lower blood pressure.

– Lower cholesterol.

– Maintain or obtain a healthy body weight.

– Prevent or lower the risk of certain types of cancer. People who exercise regularly have a 30-40% lower risk of colon cancer than their sedentary counterparts. Researchers are still working to determine why exercise, not diet, is a key factor here but in the meantime, we know that exercise does reduce the risk. Some studies show a reduction in the instances of breast cancer among those that exercise as well. Again, we don’t know exactly why that is, but we do know it is beneficial.

– Relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety.

– Improve mood.

– Improve self esteem and self confidence.

– Reduce the symptoms of stress.

– Have fun!

HEALTH CLUB AND PERSONAL TRAINER PROFITS

According to the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC), it is a national objective to cut the obesity rate to 15% from 31.6% by 2010. Since 1980, the increase in overweight individuals in the United States has grown marginally (32% to 33%) but the rate of increase in those individuals who are obese has grown dramatically. The number of obese individuals in the United States was 14.5% in 1980 and today nearly two thirds of the population is considered obese. A new category is even being added by the CDC to include those considered morbidly obese.

As health club owners and personal trainers, now is the perfect time to get in on the profits of this national objective. First and foremost, your goal should be to help reduce the obesity rate. However, as a business owner, if you are able to build business and profit from a positive national objective, why not do it?

– Talk to your local congress members about what your city, county and state are doing to support this national objective. Find out how you can get involved.

– Set up meetings with local doctors, physical therapists and hospitals in your area to create a referral system. If a person they are treating can benefit from your services (and who couldn’t), set up a system of working with each healthcare professional to design well rounded programs that they are happy to recommend to their patients.

– Hold a meeting at your facility emphasizing the growing obesity epidemic and the problems it presents. Then explain the benefits of exercise. Perhaps you can get a well known health care professional to speak at the meeting and support this information.

– Talk to local health care corporations to see if they would be willing to pay a certain portion of employees’ health club or personal training costs to help keep rising health care costs and lowered productivity to a minimum. Explain how investing the money in prevention will benefit them and their employees in the long run.

– Sponsor a local weight loss/shape up challenge for your health club members as well as non-members. Non-members can see what your facility can offer and may become members to maintain their progress after the challenge ends.

Now it is time to put your knowledge and your skills to work to do all you can to help in the national objective and join the fight against obesity. Unlike other diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, and certain genetic cancers, the obesity problem is linked directly to lifestyle choices. There has never been a better time to be a personal trainer or be in the health club business. You can increase your own business while helping to fight obesity, one person, one choice at a time.

Sports fanatics have found a new home

Sports Fanatics Have Found a New Home

www.CappersInsight.com/forums

Ever found yourself in a situation wherein you are talking about the latest home run and people are giving you blank faces in reply? How about that annoying feeling while you are excitedly talking about the number of baskets you scored and your wife or girlfriend would just roll her eyes at you, and worse, just up and leave the table? For the ladies, how about when you are talking about your favorite team in WNBA and your husband just grunts and drones on and on about a lecture on how men basketball players are better than women basketball players? Well ladies and gentlemen; fret no longer, as the answer to this nightmare has come. At the Cappers Insight, you’ve found your new home!

This Is Not Your Ordinary Sports Forum

The Forum at Cappersinsight.com is a virtual meeting place for people who share similar interests. Now you’ll get the chance to talk all day about sports and for once actually be understood by the people reading your post. They will not yawn at your narratives or scold you for being too focused on a game. Instead, they will cheer you up and encourage you – whatever it is that you have to say.

Imagine that your dream in life is to play for the National Basketball Association. Now, you’ve never had any serious training, mind you, aside from those moments you spent playing with your dad in the garage when you were a little boy. You tell your wife about the idea and she scoffs at you for being a hopeless dreamer and, in the same breath, declares that you don’t have what it takes to be a professional baller. Well, at Cappers Insight Forum, you can say, “I want to play in NBA, but I need skills…” and you’ll actually find yourself talking to another Cappers Insight (CI) Forum member and having that someone tell you, “I know just how you feel.”

You’ll find yourself in the company of new brothers and sisters who would respect and treat your ideas as sacred as their own. They will give you wonderful insights, provide you with better opportunities, and introduce you to other people within your community. How’s that for getting a job done while staying at home and doing forums?

Imagine a sports haven where people are able to bond with other people who share their inspirations and aspirations in life. A brotherhood will open for you if you’ll just click on your browser and type in cappersinsight.com/forums.

Mouth-Watering Features to Seduce You

This site offers different forums wherein spirited sports players can jot down their own insights and feelings. This would be like having an online diary where you would be free to babble on and say whatever you have in mind. With this, you can have access to ideas and experiences of other ball players. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find a retired coach perfect to teach your son, or you might pick up a useful tip or two once you start exploring. More information about the forums would be disclosed near the end of the article.

CI also offers the Calendar option wherein any member would be free to put down dates to remember for other readers. Your ten-year-old is having a soccer game? Why not save it in the Calendar and allow other members of CI to visit your area and cheer for your son? Or if you’re feeling out of touch with the sporting community, you can check out the Calendar to see what events are being held near your area. Maybe a sports clinic is open nearby, or maybe your favorite baseball player is coming! You will have access to an online calendar which will guarantee tempting sports offerings that will fit your every desire.

Another feature to look forward to is the Member’s List. With this, you can see which person is inclined towards the same sport as you are. Now you can spend your time talking with someone who understands the same terms as you do. Imagine if you’re talking to a basketball player who talks about free throws, fouls, and traveling, while you yourself are a devoted soccer player who knows about corners and goal lines. It would be a mess, right? If you can find someone who shares the same passion, the same will, the same love for the game, then it would be perfect. Now you can have more friends to spend that Saturday night with in case you need someone who would understand the beauty of a hotdog sandwich and a hot game.

The Best Bit: Forums with Different Rooms and Different Moods

The forums serve as different rooms wherein you can talk about a specific topic. There is a Welcome to Cappers Insight forum where the aim is to welcome new members. Here, new forum members introduce themselves. Well, it’s a great room really as it would help you get to know other members. And since you are encouraged to list down your hobbies, favorite sport, among others, you will immediately find someone who shares your interests.

Another room in the Welcome to CI forum would be the Forum Rules, where you don’t have to go stumbling in the dark for rules. This would give specific rules and guidelines while you’re saying what’s on your mind to ensure that you can avoid offenses and avoid being blocked.

The next category would be Gambling and Entertainment. There are rooms like Cappers Corner and Poker Room which are dedicated to all kinds of gambling-related subjects. Now you can exchange Poker tips with someone who is an expert on the field! Stock Market room is open for businessmen who want to talk about figures and the stock market and plain business, while the Fantasy Sports Discussion category is for those who play in fantasy leagues.

The best part of the Gambling and Entertainment forum would be the Open Discussion, Polls, and Headlines News rooms. These rooms would allow you to talk about anything and everything under the sun. Polls will give you an opportunity to get inside people’s minds and see what they are thinking, and headline news will keep you posted about the latest information in other areas. Wow! Is that a great deal, or what?

Let’s now get down to the details of the Handicapping category. This forum is dedicated to specific types of sports. The first room would be for NFL, CFL, and Arena Football which every American seems to know about. Feeling the need to know what’s happening with college football? Then select College Football once you enter the site! Another would be the rooms for College Basketball to NBA and WNBA. Who doesn’t love basketball? The great part about CI is that it is not limited to just a particular sport. It can run from NASCAR to other Motor Sports to Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, Baseball, Hockey, Golf, Soccer, etc. Name it; they have it!

Everybody wants gifts, right? Well, with the Contests Forum offered by CI, members will be given opportunities to get priceless items. Imagine yourself owning a ball autographed by your favorite player! Promised prizes are gift certificates, clothing and other cool rewards. The Cappers Insight Contests are available daily, weekly, and monthly. Who knows? Maybe now’s the perfect time to start stocking up on those precious sports memorabilia!

Then there’s the Health and Fitness Forum. Ah, another tempting room. Not only will this section give you better ideas as to what to do with your health, but it will also give you the opportunity to talk to people who wanted to lose weight and actually succeed. Now you can have both motivation and a role model with your battle for your weight.

Lastly, there would be the Hall of Shame Forum wherein you can bash anything you want. This forum is Rated R, so children are not supposed to see them. However, there is still a precaution of what should not be mentioned in posts. You would have to abide by the rules though. All they’re prohibiting are posts that are obscenely gross.

Register Now!

What are you waiting for? This is the opportunity of a lifetime. You can now have access to an online forum where you can talk about sports, meet new people, win prizes, be informed about the latest events in the sporting world – and talk some more about sports. All you would have to do is to type www.cappersinsight.com/forums on your browser and let your fingers do the work. Click Register to sign up. This is absolutely free of charge, and you would be asked for only minimal information like your birthday and choice of user name. After that, verification would be sent to your e-mail address, and voila! You can now start surfing and posting on its wonderful forums!

Remember, if someday people talk about sports, would you have something to contribute because you are in the know? Or would you have to simply listen and pretend to know what the person is talking about – all because you missed the chance of joining something that requires absolutely nothing from you, but would give you benefits far more than your mind can imagine?