How to Get Personal Training Clients

For the past eleven years as a Business Mentor and Marketing Consultant in the fitness industry, I have learned the importance of understanding your audience. Building a profitable personal training business means that you know exactly who it is that you want to work with. Once you are clear on the target audience for your service as a fitness professional, "how to get personal training clients" is a question that answers itself.

Your ability to communicate the benefits you provide, particularly with potential customers looking for help, becomes a simple and efficient method for not just gaining those clients, but also turning them into brand advocates, and long-term devotees.

This piece aims to cover the essentials to successfully promote and expand your services, and to teach you "how to get personal training clients" organically, even when the current economy might feel bleak or your current financial state feels a bit dire.

1.Define the service you give your clients.

Start with this question; do people buy trainers or programs? People don't buy personal trainers. People purchase the RESULTS that those personal trainers give.

Think of Brad Schoenfeld. People don't necessarily flock to him to be in the same space because of his winning personality; although, from my understanding, I can tell you he has that, too.

They're looking for him to provide them with hypertrophy-specific guidance that no other professional in his field can claim.

He's branded himself as a thought-leader; as an expert, which translates to success, particularly in fitness. 

The fact he's literally authored textbooks like The M.A.X Muscle Plan, along with a variety of articles like The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and Their Application to Resistance Training, published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, are exactly what drive home the success he's achieved, from an academic point of view.

To set yourself up to be that go-to expert in your local community, clearly define the niche, speciality and range of personal training services you want to provide.

This involves more than listing several target demographics — although many in the industry will recommend creating a Personal Training Avatar — and it's more than just telling potential clients how great your exercise programming is.

Target A Fitness Niche & Be Known As THE Local Expert For It

Clients look for a very specific benefit or benefit from their trainer, regardless of where the training sessions actually take place. This could be help with issues like:

No matter where you start out — and I'd advise against working as an employed personal trainer unless your local area just does not have affordable gym rental options for private work with clientele — it's about finding YOUR target market.

For example, maybe you see yourself as someone who wants to work solely with people over the age of sixty in an independent studio because the area just has too many typical, cookie-cutter big box chain gyms, like 24-Hour Fitness or Planet Fitness.

But these choices may make it challenging to branch out from your niche or speciality should you ever want to pivot or expand to other demographics.

Although, if your niche has you satisfied and you're fully booked, then keep rolling.

2. Market your services effectively

When it comes to "how to get personal training clients", a solid marketing strategy is your most powerful tool, but to start off you have to first develop that strategy.

A great way to begin brainstorming is to take an hour on a Saturday morning and see what's working for people already at the top in your specific target audience. 

Look at the services offered, the messaging communicated on websites and on social media, their client demographic, and most importantly; look to see what's not working for those brands.

You might also want to think back on your favorite books or even products and why you chose those products in the first place. 

Think about the best experiences you have had as a consumer or client — from your favorite restaurant, doctor or hairdresser — to any service you truly valued and continue to patronize. What are their most redeeming qualities?

Get Feedback

Also, take a few days and use quick surveys or questionnaires to collect feedback from potential clientele — these could be your family members, people in your close network, strangers at the park, even old clients who aren't with you anymore. 

By gaining feedback, you can determine ways to connect and meet those needs effectively to maximize your growth and success. 

I put great weight on the feedback and experience I had reading customer review databases when learning "how to get personal training clients" as this information helped me see patterns in clients’ overall expectations with trainer's and their training programs — all without actually interviewing one person directly.

To really understand what clients look for, ask open-ended questions to your audience. A great survey might be:

Use this list for inspiration. It's certainly not a blueprint to base your success on.

Your own unique take can help give you an "edge", that's for sure.

Get Seen By Those Searching For YOU

Once you are clear about the best service to provide, marketing will be your strongest weapon to grow your business. As  a personal training and marketing expert, social media must be an essential element for marketing your business effectively.

And that does not mean being present on every single platform either; you may spend hours and hours creating the content for YouTube, Snapchat, Tik Tok and Threads to help bring attention to what it is you have to offer. 

Although, if you really want to see the success and traction happen, start by picking 1 to 2 core platforms to focus on. Build an online presence on Facebook or Instagram and start with that.

Platforms like Instagram and Facebook allow you to reach a specific target demographic, organically and for FREE with no upfront expenses for designers or for campaigns. 

Facebook offers you another route, by allowing you to create Promoted posts and ads that communicate specifically to target audiences based on certain criteria you determine and establish for your service or business — these could include a free downloadable resource like a recipe, or discounts on a training session. 

By including clear "call-to-actions", viewers can readily schedule an appointment with you, give their email or just connect with you to learn more. 

And while Instagram isn't a free route, with sponsored or promoted posts, it gives you another option for getting new business from an organic social media standpoint. Instagram also makes it a more personal experience with a built in "DM" — the DM is where many people can connect and message with you directly for no additional fees.

I would make content on social media platforms that inspires, entertains, educates, interacts, persuades, promotes, or networks with your ideal target demographic or audience. 

By keeping your social media output simple and basic — and as you post try to always use pictures or video clips to capture people's attention — it could actually bring an abundance of people your way, even as an amateur personal trainer in the fitness space.

This content strategy, though, should be paired with another form of online marketing and branding.

Make Yourself THE Go-to Local Fitness Expert on a Simple and Sleek Trainer Website

These days, most people first check a trainer’s website when deciding to make that crucial financial leap of adding personal training to their lives. 

This is exactly why, as a successful trainer, I would make the smart step of establishing an online home-base for myself with my own website or social media page, if not both. 

It not only demonstrates the value I provide to customers with my fitness coaching services — whether that’s to look good for summer or prepare for their first obstacle course race with others from the training program they follow on a regular basis — but a professional site can be another valuable marketing and networking tool to drive more and more traffic my way. By connecting it with a social media page, this traffic has a chance to explode.

With sites like Squarespace , it doesn't cost much money upfront and can have your personalized, professional business up and running quickly and easily.

For most trainers who work online or as a trainer in the virtual space, having your Trainerize or Everfit services directly embedded to the site, including payment options that support the platform or platforms that work best for them — sites like Paypal are simple, but you could get Truemed integrated should you primarily work with NASM certified training — could generate more business from clients seeking services in online fitness or at-home, remotely designed programming.

In other words, people should be able to discover, purchase and start their first training session without even messaging you.

Offline Marketing

As a successful fitness professional, online business strategy has been critical. But I'd also say that you must also find the correct mix of both online and offline branding and marketing techniques.

Take the offline approach.

Find ways to use methods such as promotional mailers and networking or connecting with those target audiences face-to-face without creeping them out — networking can be an invaluable way of getting your name into the community or communities you serve. 

Flyers that are delivered right to people's doors on a Sunday are my favorite, because you’ll see much more action than you would if they went out on Monday, or any other day. People's attention is far more open on a slow Sunday.

Think of it this way; Sunday is church. Nobody's looking at their work email then.

These printed resources may feel a bit dated with the advent of smartphones and social media and I'm often one of the people saying, "everything's gone virtual.”

But think about who's getting physical mail. Older populations with higher incomes. This group often doesn't use Facebook, but they DO check their mail religiously and look closely through the different flyers, discounts, coupons or local business specials — the same flyer strategies also translate to those working 9-to-5 jobs. 

When was the last time you checked YOUR office mail, let alone looked for ads about local fitness facilities or fitness experts who provide coaching for Spartan Races?

Networking

Networking with people who give similar services like massage therapists, yoga instructors, physical therapists, even coaches at high schools and universities could see new clientele walking through the door with no fees to those individuals who you’ve given a “free lead” to. 

Networking with business owners in other local spaces, like coffee shops or hair salons where people gather or linger, could lead to potential clients seeking YOU out by asking those owners if you can put up promotional materials, including your personal training business cards. 

If you're looking for local opportunities — for example, imagine reaching all the yoga enthusiasts — join the local Business Directory so people readily can seek YOU out when they need fitness professionals.

E-mail and Client Success

When you have new clients inquiring through mailers, on social media or in-person when networking, always remember to collect and maintain a running e-mail address contact database of all those potential clients and existing clientele — a solid referral program that sends bi-weekly updates or monthly reminders keeps you in their conscious and can lead to more personal referrals, free of charge, as they share your success stories. 

But before we do that, we need happy clients. If your service or programming isn't providing real, palpable benefits, then marketing can just be wasted dollars, even if done well.

Make sure every person working with you not only sees the results, but also loves working with you. 

Be proactive by following-up with clients through their busy week, by sending texts with encouraging and supportive messages; or, go one step further and surprise your best and most committed clients by taking them to lunch, on your dime. 

As trainers, we get discounts at fitness clothing retailers or at healthy meal providers; don’t be afraid to send the occasional small gift or token of appreciation to remind them how valuable and important they are to your continued success and profitability. 

It doesn’t even have to be something free from companies in your fitness network; handwritten “Thank You.” cards go further than a free bottle of water with their protein bars.

Remember though, it's far, far, far more valuable to retain clients and make them feel seen and validated, then it is to make fancy mail pieces. Nobody cares about fancy fonts and colors.

3. Learn how to up-sell

One important strategy to keep in mind, especially as your roster grows, is to upsell your services and find ways to scale your brand effectively.

There’s a misconception in the world that when it comes to "how to get personal training clients", “hustle" always has to precede scalability. 

This really just depends on your unique skillset. 

The concept of creating “passive income” has been used effectively as a personal branding tool by experts for nearly two decades now, with a resurgence of popularity as digital media and remote working have transitioned us away from the “work more, make more, until you’re so burned out that you can no longer give great service to any clients”. 

For the more astute fitness professionals, this "hustle harder" strategy, popularized in 2007 by Timothy Ferriss’ book The 4-Hour Workweek — Ferris, in 2007, was an early pioneer to highlight this crucial business tool — doesn’t translate to long term health or sustained business and income. 

There will be periods when working hard or pushing past your limits and comfort zones is absolutely crucial; nobody creates a six figure or multiple six figure company from nothing without taking risks and getting a bit uncomfortably overworked at the start.

But this approach won’t always sustain you.

Scaling Beyond Face-To-Face Personal Training

Take group sessions for example; instead of training just one client in one hour for a single-session hourly training rate of $35 an hour, you could take that $35 price per individual and, with an interactive 5-person small group training program where all 5 clients work with one another during the sessions, suddenly generate an hourly training session rate of $175.

You could also scale your training offerings even more dramatically through using services like Trainerize. 

These remote, online based virtual training platforms make your in-person time and location virtually obsolete and expand your business nationwide or globally with minimal upfront effort. 

With negligible upfront costs for overhead, as long as you can maintain quality in a virtual platform without losing the connection with your clientele – platforms like Zoom can actually make online, personalized coaching and communications nearly effortless with proper organization. 

This could translate to exponentially increased profitability while working less and less — if your pricing strategy reflects those expanded offerings. 

And, by working from your home-gym to deliver services, the IRS will even allow you to write-off a significant amount of business expenses through at-home office use.

Online programs can easily be rolled into in-person services by adding things like:

Online services could really open up time for your in-person coaching — which many clients might prefer, even with that higher price tag.

4. Build trust.

It sounds pretty obvious but you know what the number 1 reason is that personal trainers fail? They prioritize making sales more than actually helping people or meeting the clients needs.

That’s just backward.

People First, Money Second

As an experienced trainer and coach, word of mouth can be far and away your most valuable resource when learning “how to get personal training clients” organically. 

But to establish that trust that leads to free marketing, you'll need clients who not only love working with you but see the results and can tangibly communicate the value of your services — this word of mouth could extend even further through the magic of digital word of mouth, with platforms such as testimonial databases and reviews like TrustPilot. 

By encouraging your committed and satisfied clients to review your services on these review platforms, you open your potential market and gain national or global recognition. There’s no better advertising than to show potential clients in the general public just how many people like and trust the services that you have to offer.

Don’t Ignore Simple (But Potentially Crucial) Offline Tactics

Even as someone in love with fitness, in-person contact was awkward. Although, after leaving the confines of the big-box chain gyms I'd worked for and creating an individualized program, getting past my own introverted and somewhat “non-salesy” personality has really led to profitability with very little outlay. 

For me personally, there’s never been an advertising or marketing method that translates better to gaining a strong personal training clientele as quickly or effectively as “meeting people”. 

And, in today’s market, people are starved to simply shake hands and have conversations with actual, real people rather than hide behind a keyboard.

Remember though, networking requires some upfront work.

The most time-efficient strategy I found — again this goes back to really being clear about your perfect target audience. — involved creating “networking opportunities”. 

It's great if you can swing the cost, by putting on weekly or even just once-per-month fitness and wellness talks with complimentary refreshments; offering free demonstrations at other places that serve a similar target demographic (like giving a presentation at a massage therapist's facility.) really does wonders.

Think about who you want to meet and work with.

Then try to become part of that group, in a “give more than you receive" way.

Some of these networking ideas may even pay you money through referrals if your state allows for barter; giving a discounted session in a fitness professional's space might allow you to trade money or time with them without needing contracts, invoices and lawyers.

Along these same lines, many high schools, colleges, and university fitness or health-related departments often hire instructors for “how to” wellness talks, and a good one could put YOU on the college roster.

Not to mention, that school will take care of everything, including promotions, fees, location, even materials.

Leverage The Current Culture By Hosting FREE Classes and Clinics To Show Who You ARE

This technique was a game changer. It involved leveraging my local gym membership (there’s almost always an extra space available on days that those classes take place) to host weekly "bring a friend, or friends." classes — sometimes I did these during a gym’s “Power Hour” session or when open gyms happen, for free. 

In truth, nobody asked; they were free for my client and all who signed up. These free community fitness clinics are not only a way to network or gain additional clients in your target market from within those facilities and gyms.

Although, always be professional. Don’t become THAT person who thinks they can take over another trainer’s turf or business without a head's up first.

You never know, if your service is quality —  even better, if your target clients see amazing benefits. — then the studio’s management will seek YOU out because their clients now trust you.  Remember; trainers need to market and expand their client bases, too.

And when you see the chance to expand beyond just teaching FREE training and wellness classes? Start offering “clinics”, for an added hourly rate.

I discovered through trial-and-error, people like the exclusivity associated with attending something where THEY paid money to be in the space with you. They also show up more. Nobody ignores a session they actually had to shell out their hard-earned money to do.

5. Build out a network of local partners.

You know what personal trainers get paid for at their local commercial gyms? Selling to their gym’s members. And to be even better, you know what the best marketing tools were back in the early years of the millennium to help personal training departments get clientele? Free one-week or even two-week free trial gym memberships.

So, instead of starting off with “how to get personal training clients”, begin with understanding that for many clients — especially those in younger demographics — fitness, trainers, healthy lifestyle are a luxury. 

And you don't go buying  high-priced personal training when you've already spent big $$ to actually walk foot in  a big-box, 24-hour keycard gym. 

For younger clientele or clientele new to exercise and training, this luxury is compounded; “they just don’t know you.”

They might see you as that overly energetic, muscled person walking around handing out flyers, instead of the friendly person who's deeply concerned with not just getting them in good shape, but truly, deeply understanding their lives.

Leverage Those Businesses to Show Your Value

Here’s one practical solution that really works and can translate into profitability; by creating a working referral and networking system with those businesses that provide free trials — including other businesses where you want to gain clientele that provide “introductory” offerings for fitness and exercise services or products — you can leverage them as lead generators.

For me personally, those introductory leads turned into gold; when gyms give potential members one to two weeks of free services and workouts — in some locations it can even be as long as an entire month. — the new customer does not always view that business as the final stop on their fitness journeys.

I had this situation happen last month. This led to a discussion of TriggerPoint balls, and we agreed to meet the next day so I could demonstrate.

It wasn’t just that new member who showed up; all of a sudden I was teaching three more free workshops. You might even land yourself an adjunct teaching spot if those training sessions or presentations show your expertise. 

The gym didn’t actually mind either as they are able to expand their class and workshop programming without paying an instructor to create or teach for those members.

6. Follow up with everyone (respectfully.)

A few months ago, Robb Wolf posted something on Facebook about book releases, with over 600 likes, 46 comments and 21 shares. 

For experts like Robb, those shares and those likes may not translate directly to cash; the more they give though, the more they get down the line.

Persistence

In your marketing approach to "how to get personal training clients" consistently remind every client in your base — those you meet with or those working with your  programs remotely — of the success, experience, education and the training credentials or training certification, certifications (even if that just involves being certified in CPR, First Aid or AEDs.) and other fitness qualifications you offer and have worked to acquire. 

Share how you’re continually improving and evolving — even simply by posting a photo of your gym session for that day — through platforms such as blog entries on your website and other social media accounts or e-mail blasts to highlight your dedication, enthusiasm and passion in a visual, easy-to-digest manner — especially if those updates include pics.

There's a wealth of information on websites, books, blog posts and databases about health and wellness — including testimonials, customer reviews and case studies about all of the experiences people have had when working with other fitness professionals.

Why is reading a 2,500 word piece going to get them to hire YOU?

Be Consistent on Your Channels (without Going Crazy.)

Take YouTube for example. If you were looking to be inspired or to find out what Robb Wolf or Layne Norton had to say, where would you look first?

And to really blow it wide open, even if they had stopped releasing regular videos, as experts you can STILL find out more by digging through their archives, the archives for thought-leaders on Facebook are like bottomless wells. YouTube has over 2.56 billion active users who watch an average of 19 hours per week and while you might never crack those stats, building your base or bases on video channels makes that marketing more lasting, free of charge.

This concept is referred to as Evergreen Marketing – by providing value, information or content to potential future clientele that won't "expire", or get stale — those viewers or target demographics that seek you out with those search terms won’t get distracted.

It doesn't matter if you’ve taken a two-week holiday to Maui or are now spending all of your income on raising two kids because you can’t teach as many evening training sessions anymore; people who just discovered you won’t even realize the info’s two months, two years or even twenty years old.

That is powerful stuff.

I know it has worked wonders for my business, too.

Ask for Help, but Make It Worth Their While

As an individual in love with coaching, business, and fitness, learning “how to get personal training clients” on a one-on-one, face-to-face, or in-person model required working for chain gym brands like LA Fitness or The Equinox because that’s what every expert I looked up to or followed recommended.

Creating win-win situations for mutual benefit is crucial. But to earn clients there, trainers need to become salesmen. This didn’t always make me feel successful.

Think Win-Win

That is, until I recognized this; the gym managers and owners who take such a huge percentage of my time are marketers, too. 

The more trainers on a roster, the more training packages and sessions they have available to give new clients and memberships who come to their facilities; as fitness professionals, we are products. 

Collaborative efforts are crucial in achieving mutual goals, and thinking win-win can significantly benefit everyone involved.

Here are a few practical ideas that helped to shift my mindset — and remember; there are a lot of different types of personal training blogs.

Informational Content: 

Write about fitness topics, create listicles exploring popular tips, and produce how-to guides on using exercise equipment or developing workout strategies.

Videos with detailed recipes, comparisons between different tools, and reviews of popular programs or products can be excellent Evergreen Marketing material. 

This content has the potential to generate free, passive income and increase your online presence.

Calls to Action and Leads:

Use effective calls to action in your content and give leads to other trainers. They will appreciate the referrals and likely return the favor, creating a beneficial network for everyone involved.

Host Free Classes:

Offer free classes at your clients’ houses to advertise to their family members or networks. This approach takes the effort and headache off you because the clients handle the logistics, and you gain exposure to potential new clients.

Create Comprehensive Guides:

Develop simple yet comprehensive "take-home guides" that provide valuable insights and actionable tips for potential new clients about health and fitness. These guides should be informative, engaging, and tailored to address common questions and concerns. Consider using engaging and thought-provoking topics such as:

• “The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Weight Loss”: Offer practical tips and strategies for achieving and maintaining weight loss goals.

• “10 Simple Exercises to Improve Your Core Strength at Home”: Provide easy-to-follow exercise routines that clients can do without special equipment.

• “How to Create a Balanced Meal Plan for Optimal Nutrition”: Share guidelines and meal planning tips to help clients eat healthier and achieve their fitness goals.

• “Overcoming Plateaus: Strategies to Keep Progressing in Your Fitness Journey”: Offer advice on how to break through common fitness plateaus and keep making progress.

• “The Benefits of Regular Exercise for Mental Health”: Highlight the mental health benefits of regular physical activity, with tips on incorporating exercise into daily routines.These guides can serve as powerful tools to convert potential clients into committed customers. By providing valuable information upfront, you build trust and demonstrate your expertise, making it more likely that readers will turn to you for further training and support.

Collaborate with Local Organizations:

Work with local libraries, school boards, or community organizations to deliver weekly or monthly health talks. These organizations can promote your talks on your behalf with email reminders and handle the logistics, allowing you to focus on delivering valuable content. This collaboration helps you maintain and organize your potential contact database.

Utilize Sign-Up Forms: If a school or group you’re part of uses sign-up forms (like a Google Business Form) for their workshops, meetings, and community updates, all the contact information or even just emails are potential leads. These forms help you maintain a well-organized and updated contact list, crucial for follow-up and client retention.

By implementing these strategies, you can create a supportive network and gain valuable referrals, ensuring that your efforts to get personal training clients are both effective and mutually beneficial. 

Remember, helping others and creating win-win situations is a powerful way to grow your business and establish long-lasting relationships.

Conclusion

Building a successful personal training business requires a strategic approach, dedication, and an understanding of your target audience. 

By defining your services, marketing effectively, leveraging both online and offline strategies, and building strong relationships, you can attract and retain clients, ensuring long-term growth and success.

Remember, it's not just about selling sessions but creating value, trust, and a community around your brand.