“Do your work with your whole heart and you will succeed – there’s so little competition.”

The above quote is as apropos to your personal training business as it is to any and all aspects of your life. According to the “Fitness by the Bay” surveys you have been sending, one of the biggest topics of interest revolves around building a business. In keeping with my promise to you on writing FitBits articles pertinent to the survey results, I would like to share some ideas with you.

Before I give you marketing ideas however, I want you to understand that it is imperative that you begin with the right goal. You cannot be successful at personal training if you begin with a goal as penurious as “I want to make $100,000 my first year.” Your goal must be “to do the best job I can, for everyone I can.” If you will make it a habit to always do your best, work your hardest and give it everything you’ve got, the money will follow as naturally as night follows the day. But if you are miserly with your time, effort and energy, you will never succeed.

The following is a list of marketing ideas that have been used successfully by IFPA Certified Personal Trainers around the world. These ideas built huge personal training businesses and they will work for you if you focus on DOING not TRYING (remember: DO OR DON’T DO, FORGET TRY!).

1. Get the membership list for your club and call each member. Invite them in for one the following:
   1. Fitness assessment
   2. Body composition test
   3. Discounted (or free) initial personal training session
   4. Nutrition consultation
   5. Diet consultation
   6. New program design session or any other service you offer that has value to the member (your potential client).

Your goal is to introduce yourself and your services in the hopes of gaining a new client (and it doesn’t hurt to tell them that).

2. Introduce yourself to local area medical and health professionals (MDs, DOs, DCM, Physical Therapists, Massage Therapists, etc.). Better yet, invite them in for a free session (see list described above in #1. Educate them on the services you offer for both themselves and their patients.
3. If you already have the IFPA Women’s Fitness Specialist (WFS) Certification, make a special effort to get to know the Gynecologists in your area. Women have special medical considerations during pregnancy, post-partum or when they experience amenorria, osteoporosis or eating disorders. If you already have your IFPA WFS Certification, your knowledge and training sets you apart from other personal trainers and enables you to become a partner to Gynecologists that have patients needing your services.

   Marketing Ideas will be continued in the next FitBits...

    

Sincerely,

James T. Bell, M.S., IFPA President