Recruiting Clients

[lewdog_5]

So I had an internship this spring, which was my last semester of college. I just graduated and the private gym I had my internship at liked me enough to let me train clients there and only have to pay a small fee. It is a very small gym with not a lot of memebers, so recruiting my own clients is a must.

I have gotten my business cards out to a few local businesses and to as my friends as I could, hoping they would also pass on the word. I just made up flyers, but have no idea about how to distribute them, or if that is even a good idea?

Also, I live in Montana, which is probably not the best area for personal training. But the gym where I get to train is awesome and I get to pocket most of the money. I really enjoy the few clients I have worked with and I know I really want to make this a career. From what I have heard, advertising in the paper or phonebook is usually a waste of money. My supervisor did that when he started and he is pretty sure he didn't make that money back.


Any ideas on client recruitement???

[EMISGOD]

Referrals, referrals, referrals.

There are a lot of good ideas for promotion in the threads in this section, so do read through them (everything from setting up a booth at wedding fairs to my own personal suggestion of finding nutrition stores and setting up a display or offering the clerks a kickback for referrals that lead to paying clients)...

[rpatrick5]

Definetly spend some time on internal marketing--see if you can get the database of members and send mail directly to them encouraging them to try your services or offer a free session or initial assessment.

External marketing--you need to find complementary business to team up with and share clients. Build a network of professionals. Try to get public speaking engagements--you can quickly establish yourself as an expert in your given area. I would also look into toastmasters or meetup to find some people to network with

[lewdog_5]

Referrals, referrals, referrals.

There are a lot of good ideas for promotion in the threads in this section, so do read through them (everything from setting up a booth at wedding fairs to my own personal suggestion of finding nutrition stores and setting up a display or offering the clerks a kickback for referrals that lead to paying clients)...

Thanks and I have gotten some ideas from the threads in here. I was going to make a trip to GNC this weekend, you seriously think they would let a trainer put a few business cards somewhere in the strore?The seem kind of
up tight there, but I will see what the manger says.

Definetly spend some time on internal marketing--see if you can get the database of members and send mail directly to them encouraging them to try your services or offer a free session or initial assessment.

External marketing--you need to find complementary business to team up with and share clients. Build a network of professionals. Try to get public speaking engagements--you can quickly establish yourself as an expert in your given area. I would also look into toastmasters or meetup to find some people to network with

Internal marketing is out of the question. This gym is small (probably 75 members), so anyone who has thought of personal training would have already asked the owner who traing 5-6 clients a day. New members are extremely rare. The gym is small, but the atmosphere is nice, along with the fact that the owner and I agree on almost all training principles.

Extrenal marketing is hard, but something I need to do. I have never been good at selling myself although I do have confidence in my knowledge and abilities. I have gotten my business cards out to some businesses about a months ago but not one call or anything from that. I have looked into speaking arrangements and I just emailed a lady who posted an ad about a 6 week weight loss program and asked her if she needed a trainer to come talk for free about exercise and nutrition.

I have some really nice flyers I just drew up but getting them out to the public seems challenging. Door-to-door seems absurd, and posting outside is almost useless this time of year with all the rain.

[EMISGOD]

Thanks and I have gotten some ideas from the threads in here. I was going to make a trip to GNC this weekend, you seriously think they would let a trainer put a few business cards somewhere in the strore?The seem kind of
up tight there, but I will see what the manger says.

Debatable unless they're doing a promotion (they have done it with Gold's a couple million times). I think you're better off giving the cards to the actual people or giving them the information and having them refer clients to you directly.

[nickmanzoni]

Definetly spend some time on internal marketing--see if you can get the database of members and send mail directly to them encouraging them to try your services or offer a free session or initial assessment.

External marketing--you need to find complementary business to team up with and share clients. Build a network of professionals. Try to get public speaking engagements--you can quickly establish yourself as an expert in your given area. I would also look into toastmasters or meetup to find some people to network with

I like that.