For those of you who work at a commercial gym, what have you found to be a good strategy for converting orientations into paying clients?
Most people are taking what I show them and doing it on their own. So how do I fill up an hour and yet leave them thinking they would be lost without me? With the economy the way it is, I feel like everyone is a hard sell…
[quote]wfifer wrote:
For those of you who work at a commercial gym, what have you found to be a good strategy for converting orientations into paying clients?
Most people are taking what I show them and doing it on their own. So how do I fill up an hour and yet leave them thinking they would be lost without me? With the economy the way it is, I feel like everyone is a hard sell…[/quote]
I look forward to this question and the answers from others.
For me, at my gym for years, we’ve given free evals and programs as part of their membership. It’s really hard to get people to pay a high fee for a PT, when they get a free program that they really don’t know there’s a difference.
Now, once I turn them into a client later down the road, they’re amazed at how easy/worthless the free program really is.
One thing I’ve learned is you need to be a good salesman (not necessarily high pressure), but use things like emotion to get people to pay you for your services.
[quote]wfifer wrote:
For those of you who work at a commercial gym, what have you found to be a good strategy for converting orientations into paying clients?
Most people are taking what I show them and doing it on their own. So how do I fill up an hour and yet leave them thinking they would be lost without me? With the economy the way it is, I feel like everyone is a hard sell…[/quote]
Casually mention that although they can do it on their own, if they trained with you one on one, they WILL get faster and better results in as little as three months… and just as they’re about to say “I’ll think about it”, tell them “But wait there’s more!” Then whip off your shirt and show them your six pack abs (Of course this doesn’t always go over so well with male clients).
[quote]rrjc5488 wrote:
Chris Colucci wrote:
I know a little fella from humble beginnings in Montana who took one plane ride across the country to meet some people, next thing you know, two years later he’s writing for the best training website on the Web and has a nationally-published book.
And he’s banged a stripper![/quote]
I have full faith that the dude could’ve become a professional librarian and he still would’ve pulled that off. He’s one charismatic mofo.
[quote]PearS wrote:
Also…plyometrics. They seem to me that they might be useful for athletes in season training to maintain but not so much for actual gains in a gym. Thoughts?[/quote]
I probably wouldn’t be having an athlete doing plyometric work inseason. Too much potential for overuse injury and no immediate benefit. Pre-season or off-seasons would be better timing. Aside from sports training, some plyo exercises can be used effectively as part of a fat burning plan (tuck jumps, .
Sometimes, sure, especially with female clients. But it’s not like you’re not taking pictures of them in their underwear (actually, you don’t have to be the one taking the pictures, they could do it themselves or have their significant other do it).
Tell them to wear whatever they’d put on to go to the beach. Remind them that visual progress can be really motivating when things get tough. If they still flat-out refuse, at least take thorough before measurements.
[quote]wfifer wrote:
For those of you who work at a commercial gym, what have you found to be a good strategy for converting orientations into paying clients?
Most people are taking what I show them and doing it on their own. So how do I fill up an hour and yet leave them thinking they would be lost without me? With the economy the way it is, I feel like everyone is a hard sell…[/quote]
It’s definitely a fine line between giving away too much info for free, and teasing them into wanting to buy sessions. A few ideas:
Tell them ahead of time that the orientation is basic and cookie-cutter (meaning every member gets the same thing, not that it’s necessarily lousy), and their results will skyrocket with individualized attention.
While your going through the orientation, drop continuous reminders of what you’d provide. “This is how you do a machine shoulder press, but if we started working together, I could show you an even more effective option.”
Give a detailed orientation, answer every single question, wow them with an attention to detail, then send them on their merry way and cross your fingers that they decide to buy. More often than not, this creates the gym member-buddy, who continuously asks you for free advice. So, yeah, don’t go this route.
Unrelated, But Useful, Note:
I just read Cosgrove’s blog ( http://www.alwyncosgrove.blogspot.com ) today and, as usual, he had one part that screamed off the page. Talking about what he did when he first began as a trainer:
I also started writing a 100 word summary on every training session I did - results, coaching cues that worked, exercise modifications etc. I averaged around 35 sessions per week at the time - so at the end of one year - I had close to a 200,000 word thesis on training and coaching methodology.
This sounds like a killer idea, and sounds beneficial to newbie trainers and those of us who’ve been doing it for a while. The old “Note to self” thing.
Yeah i like that. It kind of goes hand in hand with the journal idea but with a more professional and easily referenced method. Also it would be a way to track my progress as a trainer.
I also like the tips to make the client really want to hire a trainer instead of just mooching or using the mass training sessions. Great stuff there.
What kinds of formal education do you all have?
Do you train at the gym you work at? And if so have you ever picked up clients that way??
[quote]PearS wrote:
]
What kinds of formal education do you all have?
Do you train at the gym you work at? And if so have you ever picked up clients that way??[/quote]
BS Exercise Science
I workout at the gym I work at. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a client like that. But, this is an important point and it goes back to professionalism. I have picked up clients from other members seeing me work with people.
You always have eyes on you when you’re training someone else. And if you’re not giving your full attention to your client other people see that.
[quote]PearS wrote:
What kinds of formal education do you all have?[/quote]
Formal education? Well, I’ve been certified by the ISSA, I almost-kinda-sorta-but-didn’t graduate from Hofstra University with a creative writing major, I have an honorary doctorate from the school of Hard Knocks, and I fuckin’ live at a Holiday Inn Express. How’s that for education, sucka. 
(Two of the above four qualifications are true. The other two are wishful thinking at best.)
Ugh. More trouble than it’s worth. I’m lazy, so I’ll copy/paste my reply from the Trainers Talking Shop thread, about this topic:
The biggest hassle with lifting at the same place you work is that there’s a good chance people will recognize you (yeah, even without the shirt that says “Staff” on the back) and they may ask questions that interfere with your training.
In that situation, I feel it’s best to stay professional and help them as much as possible, that way you endear yourself to them and they’re that much more likely to purchase sessions.
The easiest way to avoid the situation is to train at a gym you don’t work at. Only “problem” is that you’ll have to pay for your membership.
[quote]PearS wrote:
I was wondering if any of you out there have any good little tidbits for a new trainer on the scene.
[/quote]
Fuck every female you train.
Serialy.
I read this in Club Confidential.
Once the word gets out how big your cock is and that you’re willing to piitb, you will have hundreds of women paying you to ‘train’ them when in actuality you will be doing nothing but making them beg you to fuck them.
Naturally…you have to make them actually beg for it, but when you explain you love…now where was that letter again…oh here it is, ahem…I quote from the May 2006 issue Letter titled Anus Anyone? ‘hearing rich bitches beg for it’ they will understand and obey your every command.
Actually…now that I’m looking at the letter again, it was a tennis coach that was fucking all his students, but I’m sure the dynamic is exactly the same.
So…get out there and happy humping.
[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
wfifer wrote:
For those of you who work at a commercial gym, what have you found to be a good strategy for converting orientations into paying clients?
Most people are taking what I show them and doing it on their own. So how do I fill up an hour and yet leave them thinking they would be lost without me? With the economy the way it is, I feel like everyone is a hard sell…
I look forward to this question and the answers from others.
For me, at my gym for years, we’ve given free evals and programs as part of their membership. It’s really hard to get people to pay a high fee for a PT, when they get a free program that they really don’t know there’s a difference.
Now, once I turn them into a client later down the road, they’re amazed at how easy/worthless the free program really is.
One thing I’ve learned is you need to be a good salesman (not necessarily high pressure), but use things like emotion to get people to pay you for your services.[/quote]
The comprehensive answer to your question is right here:
You need look no further. Your welcome. I’ll collect tips on the way out.
[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:
Give a detailed orientation, answer every single question, wow them with an attention to detail, then send them on their merry way and cross your fingers that they decide to buy. More often than not, this creates the gym member-buddy, who continuously asks you for free advice. So, yeah, don’t go this route.[/quote]
That’s exactly what happens to me!
Great advice from everyone as usual. I’m excited to give it a shot.
[quote]Nominal Prospect wrote:
The comprehensive answer to your question is right here:
You need look no further. Your welcome. I’ll collect tips on the way out.[/quote]
Holy crap I love you.
Livefromteh781 had a thread about his experience at Ballys training…find it…read it…do not follow his example.
I just remembered Bauer97 gave me some good tips a few weeks back on becoming a PT.
[quote]
Becoming a PT is easy, look at how many there are that don’t know shit. Becoming a GOOD PT is something quite different, but you’re already on the path to that. That said, there’s a little more to being a successful PT than simply a good one.
Look the part. Most people looking for a personal trainer don’t know ANYTHING about what makes a trainer good, so simply being in shape helps.
Don’t waste your money on too many certs. Get a couple, and that’s all you need. Nobody knows what they mean anyway. I have never been asked, not once, about what my certifications are. If I was, I could rattle off 10 different acronyms and the person would be all dazzled even if they were just random letters.
Learn to balance what a client wants vs. what they need. If you always do what they want, they’ll likely never get any results. If you always do what they need, they likely won’t want to train with you for long.
Incorporate nutrition into your clients plans. Someone seeing you for 2-3 hours/week for exercise alone does next to nothing if their food sucks, but be careful not to scare them off with nutrition talk. I’ve had 3 seperate clients who have lost over 150lbs. training with me, and each of them said “I don’t want to change my nutrition” when they first started with me. Change 1 little thing at a time, though, and eventually they’re eating better than most of the people on this site.[/quote]
Hope this helps.