Personal Training Business - Don't Go Chasing Trends

As the owner of a Personal Training business you can sometimes lose focus on your Point Of Difference and go chasing the latest trends. Fitness trends will come and go and some might stick, the good business owners will embrace some, and leave others for the amateurs. Chasing trends can take up your TIME and MONEY and distract you from finishing your commitment to your original business plan.

Always remember what you first set out to achieve. If you wanted to specialise in 1-on-1 Personal Training then do you need to be worried about not offering a CrossFit service?

Most of the successful business owners in the industry are successful because they know their market, know their product and don't spread themselves too thin trying to offer everything! Therefore, within their local community they are more likely to become the EXPERT in their field, rather than the person who is trying to offer it all. It's like the old saying "Jack of all trades... Master of none!"

When new trends or fads enter the market they need to be investigated but before jumping on board some questions need to be answered!

Will my target market benefit from this new service?

Will this bring in new business?

Will it affect my existing clientele?

How much will it cost to implement?

Will it compliment the services I already offer?

Do we already offer a service that gets the same results?

Will not offering this new service affect my business?

Will this trend stick, or will is be gone in 6 months?

Do I really need to diversify?

By answering these questions you can possibly prevent yourself from spending MONEY and TIME on something that really doesn't help your business, rather it distracts from what is your staple service. Doing the latest course, reading the latest trends in the magazines, and buying into what the media are promoting can be dangerous as you never get to settle your service. You never get to be known for a service, instead you constantly chop and change, and as a result your clients get confused.

Now, this blog post is definitely not saying that taking on a new service in your business is a bad idea, it has been known that adding an extra string to your bow can boost your business. However, tread carefully and always remember trying to take every shortcut to success can sometimes find you lost and directionless!

Travis Beckley from PT Business Systems.

PT Business Systems has been created to assist new and existing Personal Trainers build profitable businesses based on proven information and systems.

With over 17 years of experience in the Fitness Industry owning and operating Personal Training studios we have decided to share our experience and successful business systems online.

For instant access to more PT Business Systems and to download our free ebook "How To Continue To Earn While Your Clients Are Away" visit http://www.ptbusinesssystems.com/

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Personal Training Business - Stay True To Your Market or Niche

In a very interesting interview we did with Adro Sarnelli from "The New Me" earlier in the week I was extremely impressive with Adro's passion, professionalism and business approach.

It was clear that Adro is doing what he loves, and that is why he will be successful. Through his own experience on The Biggest Loser (which he won!), along with his further study, he now has the knowledge and skills to change people's lives for the better. His own journey from 155kg down to 80kg and discovering a whole new perspective on life, health and fitness has driven him to create a unique business so he can give the gift of health to others that are in a similar position to what he once was.

During this interview one point really stood out to me, and I thought I'd share it with you.

Stay True To Your Market / Your Niche!

In Adro's business they ONLY accept people over 100kg's into their program.

So he is focused in on a niche market (one could argue that people over 100kg's is not really a niche with the obesity numbers in our country constantly increasing) and he is quickly becoming the expert in his field. In doing this Adro can be confident in his program to create change and he doesn't have to worry about diversifying his Operational Systems to include fitter clients under 100kg.

The point that Adro made that I found really interesting was that even in the early days you have to stay true to your market. Sometimes you will have to knock back work and potential sales because they simply do not fall into your chosen market.

Now, this can be easier said than done in the growth stage of your business. How easy would it be for Adro to accept a 90kg client who meets with him with cash in hand, ready and keen to join his business? In this situation I'm sure Adro would offer the client some advice, and refer them to another respected professional that would cater for their needs.

"If you only want to train overweight people, you can't train underweight people cos they pay the bills!" - Adro Sarnelli

Staying true to your market gives you a much higher chance of becoming the 'expert' or 'go-to' person in that particular niche. After listening to Adro speak, I am absolutely confident that he is that expert in training obese clients over 100kg's. I know this because that is the only thing he does and he does it extremely well.

Summary!

It is fine to be a generalist, but if you choose to target a niche market then you must stay true to it. Diversifying and breaking away from your business vision in order to bring in some extra cash does nothing for your credibility and can prevent you becoming the expert in your niche.

Ask yourself: "What is my business known for?"

Travis Beckley from PT Business Systems.

PT Business Systems has been created to assist new and existing Personal Trainers build profitable businesses based on proven information and systems.

With over 17 years of experience in the Fitness Industry owning and operating Personal Training studios we have decided to share our experience and successful business systems online.

For instant access to more PT Business Systems and to download our free ebook "How To Continue To Earn While Your Clients Are Away" visit http://www.ptbusinesssystems.com/

View the original article here

How To Improve Your Personal Training Business Cash Flow

In a personal training business, cash flow should never be a problem. As personal trainers we are paid in advance so the only reason we should have a cash flow problem is if we can't control our own finances. There are measures that personal trainers can adopt t and help out with the structure of the financial arrangements.

The first method is review the way that personal training clients are charged for the service. Traditional methods include booking clients in packages giving large discounts for the amount of sessions booked. I can certainly see why this attractive as on the face of it the client is committed for longer and the personal trainer gets a large cheque for the privilege. The main issue with this is that it doesn't help cash flow. Most people do not manage money well so the tendency may be to spend that money before it has been earned. When you are 10 sessions into a 20 session package and have already spent the money, this isn't an enjoyable experience for a personal trainer.

The other issue is that is doesn't really help the client. The client gets a bigger discount but what about if the client hates the training experience after about 5 sessions, you will either have to refund the client or grin and bear it. If the client is doing one session per week and you have booked a package of 20, this isn't a pleasant expedience for both the personal trainer and the client. These days are really coming to an end if you want to be smart with your personal training business.

This method of package booking are dated in my opinion as it is focused on price and this isn't the main reason why people train. Personal training is becoming more and more affordable but will always be an exclusive service. By making your pricing structure monthly by standing order or bank transfer, you can still offer good value but not have to tie the client in for 20 weeks. This way you look more professional instead of running round after cheques or even worse cash as a method of payment. If you running a professional personal training business, then the financial side of the business should be professional as well. This can really make you stand out and give you sound financial footing to deliver world class personal training to all your clients.

Hi I'n John Hill, personal trainer for Inspiring Fitness. At Inspiring Fitness we are proud to support personal trainers to succeed in business. We offer;
? Guaranteed client enquiries for the life of your business
? Unlimited one to one personal support
? Continous investment in your growth & development

Please visit our website and download an information pack for more details.

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7 Bootcamp Business Promotion Tips

Bootcamps are becoming a popular business venture for personal trainers but many have a hard time thinking of bootcamp business promotions they can use to get more clients. Bootcamps are a great way for a personal trainer to make extra income. Personal trainers can run a bootcamp for a couple hours a day and make just as much as they do with their personal training sessions for the day. With bootcamp classes personal trainers are able to train as many clients in one session as they do all day with their personal training sessions. This is beneficial for both the personal trainers and clients. Personal trainers become more productive by training more people in less time and clients get to save money while still getting the personal training experience.

There are many ways a bootcamp business can be promoted. Here are several bootcamp business promotion tips that you can use for your personal training business.

E-mail your current personal training clients - This may take away from your personal training income but it will also free up more time for you to focus on your bootcamp business. These clients may have friends that want to join with them.

Flyers - Post flyers at gyms, grocery stores, community centers, and other places around your community that have bulletin boards available for advertising.

Start a Facebook fan page - A facebook fan page is a great free way to get people to share their experiences from bootcamp with their friends. You can also post updates for the group about schedule changes, workouts and nutrition tips. Ask your clients to like the page and share it with their friends as well. This will help your business go viral.

Give out T-shirts - Many successful gyms give out t-shirts to new members. If they stand out in some way people will notice and ask them about the program. This is a great way to get your clients talking about the bootcamp and promoting your bootcamp.

Give Incentives for referrals - Give your current clients an incentive for referring new members. You may give them a discount for each new person or perhaps several weeks free if someone signs up for a couple months.

Group Discount - Lots of people like to workout with friends or family. You can give them a discount if they join up together.

2 Weeks free - Give out cards to your current clients to pass around to their friends that gives them 2 weeks free to try out the bootcamp with their friend. If their friend joins then they get an incentive.

Try out a couple of these bootcamp business promotion tips and make sure you monitor which ones work for you.

Get some of the best workout and client-attraction secrets of the world's best bootcamps to help you build your bootcamp business at http://bootcamp-exercises.info/bootcampinstructors.html

If you aren't a trainer but would like some secrets, tips and bootcamp workouts to get great fat burning results from your workout check out http://bootcamp-exercises.info/bootcampers.html

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Personal Training Business - Sell For The Long Term

Quick question! Do you sell 10 packs? I remember when I first started in Personal Training 10 packs were all the rage. Getting someone to commit to 10 sessions with you was awesome and more often than not they paid up-front in cash!! As a new Personal Trainer in the industry getting 500 bucks in the hand seemed like a great achievement. It wasn't until years later that I asked myself WHY am I only selling 10 sessions at a time?

Was it because I was not comfortable asking for more commitment and money than that?

Was it because I was letting my own financial situation affect what I thought others could afford or would be prepared to pay?

Was it because I did not have a direct debit system set up and was fearful clients would not be able to afford more than 10 session at a time?

Was it because it was what everyone else was doing?

Fast forward 9 years and I can no longer see the sense in having the "10 Pack" as my staple product, and I look back at the early days and think about all of the money I lost during my "10 Pack" period!!

Here's my 3 reasons why I believe the 10 Pack product should not be your main product!

Most clients will not be able to achieve their goal in 10 sessions, so they'll have to purchase more anyway!

With clients training an average of twice per week, you will be asking for more money close to every month!

There are more opportunities for the client to say "NO!" to continuing with you!

After converting from selling 10 Packs to selling 6 months of Personal Training, I found that clients could afford it. Some clients still paid up front (in CASH) and most clients preferred it because it matched their commitment and goal time frame.

For me, the biggest bonus was NOT having the renewal (payment) conversion as often with my clients, hence not giving them as many opportunities to say, "Thanks, but NO thanks!"

If you are a Personal Trainer out there still offering the 10 Pack as your main product, you may want to download our Ebook about Direct Debiting and how it can positively affect your cash flow.

These days I see the 10 Pack product as an "Introductory Offer" or "Special" rather than the main product.

Travis Beckley from PT Business Systems.

PT Business Systems has been created to assist new and existing Personal Trainers build profitable businesses based on proven information and systems.

With over 17 years of experience in the Fitness Industry owning and operating Personal Training studios we have decided to share our experience and successful business systems online.

For instant access to more PT Business Systems and to download our free ebook "How To Continue To Earn While Your Clients Are Away" visit http://www.ptbusinesssystems.com/

View the original article here

Personal Training Business - Give Some Of Your Best Stuff Away For Free

A great way to stand out from the crowd and separate yourself from your competitors is to always give great value. Being prepared to give away some of your best stuff, be it information, a product or a service can be the masterstroke that will define you and your business.

Step out of your business owner shoes for a second and into that of your typical prospect. Imagine you are looking for a solution to your health and fitness woes and decide to check out what the local Personal Trainers have to offer.

You start your search online by searching in Google. You check out a few websites and all seem to be offering a FREE consultation or even up to 3 FREE Personal Training sessions. All are generally offering the same thing so you continue your search.

There is one website however that caught your eye. Not only do they offer the FREE consults and trial sessions, they also offer you access to their Online Nutrition Program and Weekly Group Training Session.

Additional to this, there is a whole section of the website dedicated to education, eg: How To videos on exercise routines, nutrition video tips and even an ebook on...?

With the professionalism of the website, the accessible free information, the access to the nutrition program (which you can start on straight away), the free group training and the option of the trial sessions and consult, the whole deal gets you thinking...

"Wow! If this is what they are willing to give away, how good must their service be! The other PT's in the area aren't even offering these services, and if they are they are charging for them!"

Now, let's put your owner shoes back on, and look at the this scenario a little closer.

The Complimentary group training session (no commitment to join) sounds like an awesome deal for the prospect. This one complimentary group training session can be held on a Saturday morning and can be your feeder into your Personal Training service.

Why not make it free for all current clients too, and welcome them to bring friends along for no charge...(referrals!) Some may never join, but plenty will. The benefit of current clients being in the session too is they can be 'live' testimonials for you. It only costs you 1 hour per week out of your time.

The Complimentary Nutrition Program access allows you to begin training prospects before they even sign up with you. By them gaining access to your nutrition program they still have a connection with your business. If you are paying for this program then maybe their access is for a limited time? By the prospect having access it gives them a taste of what to expect, and they haven't yet had to commit!

The information and "How To Videos" need to contain information that WILL help someone on their journey and be useful to them whether they sign up with you or not. It is in these short videos you display your knowledge, professionalism and personality.

By far the easiest value to add is that of free quality information as it doesn't cost you anything. What services and other products you want to give away are up to you, but always think about this comment...

"Wow! If this is what they are willing to give away, how good must their service be!"

Travis Beckley from PT Business Systems.

PT Business Systems has been created to assist new and existing Personal Trainers build profitable businesses based on proven information and systems.

With over 17 years of experience in the Fitness Industry owning and operating Personal Training studios we have decided to share our experience and successful business systems online.

For instant access to more PT Business Systems and to download our free ebook "How To Continue To Earn While Your Clients Are Away" visit http://www.ptbusinesssystems.com/

View the original article here