One of the biggest struggles fitness businesses have is getting and keeping good personal trainers. Here are some of the most popular questions I answer on this topic. Remember, having solid systems in place that support your staff can make all the difference in the world!
How do I get and keep good personal trainers?
Keeping your trainers – you’ve got to have all pieces to the puzzle in place and include a fair compensation structure with some good perks, lots of genuine praise and recognition, responsibility and authority, gifts, team meetings, outings/get-togethers and a buy-in to your vision and what you’re trying to create….sometimes it’s easier to create this with new blood so even if you’ve lost some people, don’t stress out about it. They’ve left for a reason and your business will be better because of it.
How you prevent trainers from resenting the amount of money the gym makes on their services?
One of the best ways to help a team Read more on Get & Keep Good Personal Trainers…
One of the MOST common questions we get from fitness business owners/managers in our mastermind group and from those who have purchased our Business of Personal Training System is “Should I have Independent Contractors or Employees?”
Read more on Personal Trainers: Independent Contractor vs. Employee…
We have made it through the majority of the excuses that your clients will try to use to get out of training with you. After reading these last two scenarios you will be armed with what you need to help your clients overcome these obstacles. Pretty soon your clients won’t even try to get out of workouts because they know you always have a comeback that is just too good!
Let’s Go Back Home
Imagine this scenario. Your clients have scheduled a two-week vacation and have decided to drive to their favorite holiday destination. They get half way there, get a flat tire and turn around and go back home. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? But this is exactly what happens when most people start exercise or nutrition programs. They are on their way to their goals and they slip up. Instead of “fixing the flat” and continuing on toward their goal, they give up and return to old habits and patterns. We know that 70 percent of people who start an exercise program drop out within a matter of months. And most people who lose 10 pounds gain them back. So how do you help your clients avoid being one of the failures? It is important to help your clients realize and accept that there are going to be obstacles, challenges or perceived failures along the way to any goal. Those who succeed learn from the challenge and get right back on the exercise track.
The Here and Now
So many of our clients fall prey to the lure of immediate gratification. The chocolate cake staring them in the face is too great a temptation compared to future weight loss. They would rather experience the pleasure now and worry about the consequences later. A binge today simply means tomorrow they will eat better or they will work out twice as long or hard. There is always a way to justify a lack of discipline. Discipline and will power are perceived as deprivation – Read more on Overcoming Obstacles & Excuses – Week 5…
Spring is here and people start thinking about shedding body fat in time for summer. So it’s a perfect opportunity to offer a Fat Loss program or Weight Loss challenge.
At Northwest Personal Training, our Spring Weight Loss and Makeover program has been a huge winner both from a financial and a client success perspective. Here are some of the details of our program:
Read more on Group Fat Loss Program…
Last night I was helping Brianna with a project and checking her homework that was due today. As I was going through her work, it became very obvious that she put in the bare minimum and didn’t check her work because there were so many errors. So I was trying to explain to her at the young age of 10, the importance of always doing your best. I was explaining to her that you have to always do more than what is expected to impress your teacher, your coach, your boss etc. Doing the bare minimum will never lead to great accomplishments or success in any area of life. Do more than what is necessary and great opportunities will come your way.
Read more on What is your B.A.M.?…
Hey Fitness Pros,
“The harder I work, the luckier I get!”
I always related to this quote throughout my entire working career. No matter what position I held…whether I was a waitress making really good tips and all my fellow co-workers asking “How do you make such good tips?” I always thought it was so interesting that they didn’t relate to the fact that if you just bend over backwards, be extra special nice, really do whatever you could to take care of your customers’ needs, they would tip really well. Some people just didn’t get it. Once I entered the fitness industry, I would write articles for free, present complimentary seminars around the community, attend so many workshops and conferences, read as much as I could to advance my career….and as a result, my career advanced and so many incredible opportunities would be presented to me. In the beginning I had to work hard to find opportunities and recruit new clients, but then opportunities started to find me and clients started to track me down. Some might say, “Wow, you’re so lucky. You get all the good breaks.” But I couldn’t disagree more. I believe that the key to success in anything that you want in your life is “Knowing what you want and willing to do whatever it takes to get it.” Now life is a lot easier for me professionally. I don’t have to work as hard as I did when I first started my career 24 years ago. It’s the whole adage “Short term pain for long term gain”. I’m sure those of you who have been doing this for a long time can attest to what I’m saying. Those of you new to your career, put your time in and you will reap the benefits. Trust me, it works!
Read more on Fitness Pros – Do you want to get lucky?…
I had braces all through high-school. Imagine going through those awkward years wearing braces when the opinion of your peers was so important to your feelings of self-worth! Well as I neared the end of high-school and was approaching Senior Prom and Graduation, I scheduled an appointment with my orthodontist and asked him to remove my braces. And he said “No, your teeth are not ready yet!” And I said, “I don’t care. I want them off. I’ve been enduring these braces for years. My teeth are straight enough. I’m not going to my Prom and Graduation with braces.” So I forced him to remove the braces prematurely. You see, most people hate wearing their braces. They can’t wait till the day they are removed. So why do people wear braces then? Not because they want braces, but because they want straight teeth. So they are willing to go through the pain of wearing braces so they can get the straight teeth. Well, it’s the same way with Personal Trainers. Read more on Fit Pro Marketing Rule: Don’t Sell The Braces…
Hey Fitness Pros,
1 week until Valentine’s day. A couple action steps to inspire people to think ‘give the gift of fitness’ to their special loved ones.
1. Get in the habit, and train your staff, to ask each client over the next week “Do you need to pick up a Valentine’s Day gift certificate?” Just ask!
Read more on Valentine’s ideas for Personal Trainers…
Hey Fitness Pros,
“Anyone need advice on making the transition from 5.12 to 5.11?”
I saw this quote today. Climbers will understand the significance of this. 5.12 is a much harder climb than 5.11 and the message is, it’s easy to go backwards, to do what you’ve done before, to choose the easy road….but true excellence is reaching for something just a little more challenging that what you’re used to. Strive to be and do better! Set the bar high and don’t settle for anything else.
Read more on Striving for excellence in the Personal Training business…
Hey Fitness Pros,
What are you doing for your clients for the holidays? Here’s some ideas…
1. Thanksgiving workout. We’re doing a special class and also hosting a Flag Football and Ultimate Frisbee event. Clients can burn all the Thanksgiving dinner calories before-hand!
Read more on What are you doing for your clients?…
