The career of a personal trainer is more complex than described in marketing materials or what you see in the movies. In truth, it’s a tough grind of early and late morning sessions to get your rhythm down as a new certified personal trainer. On top of that, if you cannot build a client list in the first few months, you will most likely be looking for a new career. Over the next ten years, the industry will grow by 14% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), so how do you maintain and build as a new personal trainer? In this episode of the KIPS Podcast, Joe Rouse provides advice and insights into the career after years of growing his gym in Hampstead, NC. Joe is an industry fitness pro who has spent time in rehabilitation before starting a gym that offers small-group fitness, adolescent classes, and personal training.
Diversify Your Career
One of the best ways to showcase your skillset as a fitness professional is by teaching group fitness. This has been shared in other blogs with KIPS and is an excellent way to put yourself in front of regular gym members. According to an article on LesMills.com, “59% of gym members do fitness class activities.” With most gym members signing up for classes, teaching group fitness can allow you to showcase your skillset, develop relationships with regular members, and enable members to see your professionals within the gym.
One hiccup for many personal trainers hesitant to teach group fitness is a fear of public speaking. Joe mentions that developing the skills to teach group fitness can take time, and experience can only help this process. If you need more time to grow your skills in this area, shadowing a class or helping out during regular class times can help you build confidence to teach your own class. Gyms might have an internship program to help you develop these necessary skills. Signing up for an additional group fitness format certification can help you gain the required knowledge.
Trainer Interpersonal Skills
A skill set that is not discussed as much in entry-level personal trainer programs is the importance of developing interpersonal skills. The profession of being a personal trainer requires sales skills, communication, and empathy. In this episode, Joe shares how the “sleazy salesman” persona that used to plague our industry is not a bad thing. Sales are the lifeline of being a personal trainer, and honing a strategy that fits your personality can help improve your closing rate.
Sales as a personal trainer can be easier once you find your voice as a salesperson. There’s not one way of closing a sale, and practice is the only way to improve the natural flow of a sales process. Asking a fitness manager or colleague to hear your sales pitch can provide valuable feedback you can implement in your next fitness consultation.
Social Media for CPTs
Social media is a free resource that will only slow down for a while. Joe shares how he uses the Golden Hour Challenge to help him consistently market his gym. He states that you’re not going to be as well-versed when you start, and the posts might not be ideal, but you’re going to get better throughout the process. The key is to stay consistent with social media.
In truth, social media is a marketing tool that many of your current and potential customers utilize daily. Customers enjoy following their favorite brands and engaging with accounts they feel will listen. As a personal trainer, you can give potential clients insight into what a session will entail if they purchase sessions and provide them with a preview of your personality. Potential clients are investing in you and your services and want to know that a session with you is enjoyable (at least conversation-wise).
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