How do you go about getting clients off the gym floor?

[ares0415]

Hey everyone,

So one thing that I continually struggle with is getting new clients without an appointment set up. If I see someone using a machine wrong, I usually can get this to at least a free eval and I do fine with the free evals my gym gives me. However, I just have a hard time approaching clients on the cardio machines with their headphones in and getting them to want to train.

Or the aerobics ladies who only do aerobics over and over, but with the right guidance they could benefit from strength training. Our gym has a large number of members who end up just in cardio or aerobics classes that I could see doing strength training and as such become personal training clients?

I don't work in a big box gym like 24 or Bally's , but rather in a family owned business. So there are fewer members, but still a lot of potential. Any advice?

[F33NY]

Give them a flyer while they're doing their cardio. Nothing else to do while on the machine but read it. Then the headphones come off.

[bajohns5]

Hey everyone,

So one thing that I continually struggle with is getting new clients without an appointment set up. If I see someone using a machine wrong, I usually can get this to at least a free eval and I do fine with the free evals my gym gives me. However, I just have a hard time approaching clients on the cardio machines with their headphones in and getting them to want to train.

Or the aerobics ladies who only do aerobics over and over, but with the right guidance they could benefit from strength training. Our gym has a large number of members who end up just in cardio or aerobics classes that I could see doing strength training and as such become personal training clients?

I don't work in a big box gym like 24 or Bally's , but rather in a family owned business. So there are fewer members, but still a lot of potential. Any advice?

Establishing a relationship with the gym community seems to be step one. As mentioned in a previous post, I train and work the desk at my gym. The first thing I assume is that gym members who know little about resistance programs are probably pretty intimidated by anything that isn't 100% straight forward. I feel like cardio equipment is generally the first approach of a uncertain newbie, because of its lack of apparent complexity and weight loss appeal. With this in mind, talking with people who are already nervous on cardio equipment will result in scaring them further.

The regular staff of the gym seems much more approachable than the trainer. A good method I and other trainer's in my gym use, is to convince the desk staff that you are an excellent trainer and give them a stack of your fliers or cards. As a staff member, I have basically handed numerous clients to capable trainers through cold calls, walk-ins, and existing member inquiry's just because I feel like a particular trainer will be able and willing to spend the time to help a potential client.

Additionally, I feel like the time and effort you spend in the gym speaks volumes to existing and new members. The better trainers are staples at my gym, and can call out most of the members by name. They have spent numerous hours working out, getting to know the regulars, and just making their faces seen. Word of mouth spreads as you demonstrate your knowledge without being forceful or arrogant. Gym regulars, regardless of their fitness level, are more approachable by newbies than the big scary trainer. Regulars will often recommend a trainer because of an existing relationship...word of mouth always sells more clients than any advertisement.

To sum up, my suggestion is to establish more concrete relations with existing gym members and non-trainer gym staff. I hope this was helpful.

[tkxii]

1. Keep your back straight
2. Stop being nervous and saying "I don't know how to approach people with headphones on." You just walk up to them...
3. Look good and wou will command attention.

Yes it's hard, we all have had anxiety, but you just gotta DO IT.

[KyleAaron]

Just talk to people. Yes, even the headphone-wearing ones. They'll let you know if they don't want to chat. "Hi, I'm so-and-so, I'm new here and just getting to know the members..." Remember that the people are coming regularly to the gym, so you don't have to sell them on PT the moment you meet them.

You can take time to get to know them, discuss training gradually, "you have lower back pain, eh? A desk job, you say? Well you know many people get a lot out of doing rack pulls, it helps their posture and strength and leads to less pain - you've never done a rack pull? If you have a moment I can show you." Then show them, and say, "Do you feel that will help you? Yes? Good, I hope to see you doing it regularly in the gym, let me know how you go with it," and then leave them to it.

Take your time to demonstrate competence, establish trust and rapport. There's no hurry - some of the clients I have I talked to for 2-3 months before they signed up.

[jando]

you'd have an office worker with probably tight and underactive hamstrings doing rack pulls?

[ares0415]

Just talk to people. Yes, even the headphone-wearing ones. They'll let you know if they don't want to chat. "Hi, I'm so-and-so, I'm new here and just getting to know the members..." Remember that the people are coming regularly to the gym, so you don't have to sell them on PT the moment you meet them.

You can take time to get to know them, discuss training gradually, "you have lower back pain, eh? A desk job, you say? Well you know many people get a lot out of doing rack pulls, it helps their posture and strength and leads to less pain - you've never done a rack pull? If you have a moment I can show you." Then show them, and say, "Do you feel that will help you? Yes? Good, I hope to see you doing it regularly in the gym, let me know how you go with it," and then leave them to it.

Take your time to demonstrate competence, establish trust and rapport. There's no hurry - some of the clients I have I talked to for 2-3 months before they signed up.

Thanks...I think that I might just be in too much of a hurry. I do already do this as I have become known on a first name basis with most of the members. Hopefully after the "slow" summer months business picks up again.

[bigw10921]

Two questions to ask every member...
1. When you joined,,what were your goals??
2. What have you achieved???
if they haven't reached their goals, offer to sit with them for 15 minutes and go over their plan....What do you mean they don't have a plan....I can always fix their problems...........for a fee

[KyleAaron]

you'd have an office worker with probably tight and underactive hamstrings doing rack pulls?

Yes, provided they are physically capable of doing them. Remember I'm not talking about rack pulls to assist a competition deadlift. It's just using light rack pulls from below the knee so as to progress to the deadlift - since only the 20kg plates in my gym are 450mm.

And if they can manage them, below parallel goblet squats.

Often have to start them on 45deg leg press, and if they have the co-ordination, kettlebell swings. This works to improve leg and postural strength and hip mobility, by the time they can leg press their bodyweight for 12-20 reps for a few sets, and swing a 12 or 16kg KB for 24-36 reps, they can do a below parallel goblet squat.

Along the way they've also done cable or bent-over rows (depending on co-ordination) and thus built up upper back strength.

I mean, obviously you don't just take the person off the street and put them straight in the power rack to see what happens. You progress the difficulty of the exercises. Within 2-8 weeks most deskbound office workers doing 2 sessions a week will be able to do rack pulls.

I think that I might just be in too much of a hurry.

I know the feeling. But really, patience helps. Remember what I said above, to get a client you need to demonstrate competence, establish trust and rapport. This can take months.

I signed up two new clients this week. Where did they come from? Well...

The first, I do group training of a dozen 16 year olds for a charitable foundation, they have group leaders - teachers and so on. One of the group leaders is a 55yo woman who has been active, but has one or two injury issues. A few sessions in she asked me for specific exercises to help her out, I gave her some.
On Wednesday at the end of the session I was stretching her and she was talking about her injuries etc again. "I can't keep up," she said.
"Well they are 16, remember - I don't try to keep up with them, this is why I stand around yelling at them instead."
She kept talking about her issues, and I said, "You just need a PT," and smiled.
"Actually I do."
It turned out she'd had a PT at a related gym before. People who've had PTs before will always be inclined to do it again - if they had a good experience, they want to repeat it, if they had a bad experience, they hope to better it.

This was the tenth weekly session. So I'd been chatty and generally helpful for two and a half months before she signed up.

The second one I signed up is a young woman who I did the initial consult and programme showthrough for back, dunno when, last November or something. I'd seen her around and given her lots of help because she had strength goals, which I think is cool. She disappeared for a bit, then reappeared in the last month or so. I just gave her the old nod and smile you give to any gym member you know.

Today I saw her again while I was doing PT with a guy. She was doing the exercises I'd given her months ago. I said, hi, how are you, and "surely it's time for a new routine?"
"Actually I wanted to do PT," she said.

So this was 6 or more months.

In case you're wondering if these clients last, well I've another example. When I started last July I found a young woman a bit frosty, I didn't care about signing her for PT, I just became determined to break the icy demeanour. So I said hello all the time, talked about training and so on. One day I found her doing crunches on a swiss ball, I explained to her why those are pointless generally, and not good for her individually.
".. since you're tight here in the hip flexors."
"How can you tell?"
"I can see when you walk."
"Oh." Something clicked - I had demonstrated competence.
"Anyway, adjusting exercises to suit individuals, that is what I do with my personal training clients."
"Actually I was thinking..."
We discussed it, and she decided to try a few sessions before signing up.

First session was due, she rang me up to say she was sick and wouldn't make it, could we reschedule for next week? Later I emailed something like, "thanks for calling, many clients only tell us at the last minute, or even don't call at all and leave us hanging, so thanks for your courtesy, I appreciate it. I hope you get well soon, I look forward to seeing you next week."
She replied, "What a lovely message, thankyou! I'll see you next week."

It was 5-10 minutes into the session when she asked, "So when will our regular sessions be?"

By a simple email thanking her and expressing an interest in her health, I established trust and rapport. Add in the demonstrated competence and we were good to go.

She signed up for a single half hour session a week in early September, after 6-8 weeks of my talking to her. In February she went to 2 sessions a week. She's still with me, and will do her 66th session tomorrow. At $30 a session she has thrown almost $2,000 my way (though I only get a bit over half that).

My theory is that the ones who sign up quickly also quit quickly, and are less reliable. The ones who are slow to sign up stick with it and are more reliable. I have no statistics to prove this, just my instinct.

Like I said, to get a client you need to demonstrate competence, establish trust and rapport. This can take months with some people. And bear in mind that only around 3% of all gym members will sign up for PT. If the trainers are lazy slugs sitting at the desk all the time, closer to 1%, if they're active and mostly competent, up to 6%. But 3% is the average. So you have to ask about 20 people if they want PT to get one "yes."

if they haven't reached their goals, offer to sit with them for 15 minutes and go over their plan....What do you mean they don't have a plan....I can always fix their problems...........for a fee

I find it works better to just try to fix their problems, but make it clear that if they work with you in their sessions their results will be even better and quicker.

"People can achieve all their goals without a trainer, even without a gym membership. You just need a lot of willpower and knowledge. A gym, a trainer, we just make it quicker and easier."

We're a luxury, not a necessity. It works better if we're honest about that.

[BelieveExcell]

Some great ideas, the fliers definitely - if you think about it, at least 70% of most female cardio bums wont be doing sprints or anything near that, the majority of the time it's aerobic or steady state, this is ideal for them to be able to read it and get you in their mind. They may even stop to have a chat or talk, even getting their name is a bonus, then you can say 'Hey ___' when you see them in future.

Looking the part is definitely another point to reinforce, in this game a lot of the clients you'll get will be women so it's important to look good. If you have that physique that demands attention they're gonna admire it and immediately have the impression that you know what you're doing. Even training during a relatively busy time in your gym and getting your face about could be a good tactic, if they see how hard you work it gives them the impression of quality. Keeping your head up, your back straight and looking confident with a smile.

Great post from Kyle. Rapport is one of the most important factors about PT, it's that gradual getting involved with peoples' lives that will bring their business to you, you've gotta make em trust you and give em reason to. So as Kyle's approach worked even with a pretty icy isolated client, he scoped out what problems she had, broke the ice by suggesting what she was doing wasn't necessarily the best approach for her and when she questioned it he was able to back it with a clear, concise response. This again sparks something inside the client's mind making them think 'this guy know's what he's on about, and he's taken the time to figure out what I could need' now if there was a better incentive to hire someone to help you than that I'd eat my hat. Courtesy, patience, being yourself and playing to your strengths to get involved with clients will get you the business, you won't have em all but the one's that you know you can help and think 'actually, they could do with doing this instead' or 'why are they doing that when they have this problem' and that's where you have your opportunity to jump in. Keep it cool, friendly, show you know what you're talking about, give them little snippets of correction, advice and a smile and they'll get interested. I like to think of it kinda like a relationship; you run after the girl all the time and constantly make it known you want them and they're not interested, however if you give a bit of attention, back off, they miss what they need/want and come back. Before any female members get on my back just point out that that was not in any way intended to be sexist or to generalize the female population.. Good luck buddy.

[FueledByYelyah]

but if you work at a commercial gym, don't they give you clients?

[FueledByYelyah]

Yes, provided they are physically capable of doing them. Remember I'm not talking about rack pulls to assist a competition deadlift. It's just using light rack pulls from below the knee so as to progress to the deadlift - since only the 20kg plates in my gym are 450mm.

And if they can manage them, below parallel goblet squats.

Often have to start them on 45deg leg press, and if they have the co-ordination, kettlebell swings. This works to improve leg and postural strength and hip mobility, by the time they can leg press their bodyweight for 12-20 reps for a few sets, and swing a 12 or 16kg KB for 24-36 reps, they can do a below parallel goblet squat.

Along the way they've also done cable or bent-over rows (depending on co-ordination) and thus built up upper back strength.

I mean, obviously you don't just take the person off the street and put them straight in the power rack to see what happens. You progress the difficulty of the exercises. Within 2-8 weeks most deskbound office workers doing 2 sessions a week will be able to do rack pulls.

I know the feeling. But really, patience helps. Remember what I said above, to get a client you need to demonstrate competence, establish trust and rapport. This can take months.

I signed up two new clients this week. Where did they come from? Well...

The first, I do group training of a dozen 16 year olds for a charitable foundation, they have group leaders - teachers and so on. One of the group leaders is a 55yo woman who has been active, but has one or two injury issues. A few sessions in she asked me for specific exercises to help her out, I gave her some.
On Wednesday at the end of the session I was stretching her and she was talking about her injuries etc again. "I can't keep up," she said.
"Well they are 16, remember - I don't try to keep up with them, this is why I stand around yelling at them instead."
She kept talking about her issues, and I said, "You just need a PT," and smiled.
"Actually I do."
It turned out she'd had a PT at a related gym before. People who've had PTs before will always be inclined to do it again - if they had a good experience, they want to repeat it, if they had a bad experience, they hope to better it.

This was the tenth weekly session. So I'd been chatty and generally helpful for two and a half months before she signed up.

The second one I signed up is a young woman who I did the initial consult and programme showthrough for back, dunno when, last November or something. I'd seen her around and given her lots of help because she had strength goals, which I think is cool. She disappeared for a bit, then reappeared in the last month or so. I just gave her the old nod and smile you give to any gym member you know.

Today I saw her again while I was doing PT with a guy. She was doing the exercises I'd given her months ago. I said, hi, how are you, and "surely it's time for a new routine?"
"Actually I wanted to do PT," she said.

So this was 6 or more months.

In case you're wondering if these clients last, well I've another example. When I started last July I found a young woman a bit frosty, I didn't care about signing her for PT, I just became determined to break the icy demeanour. So I said hello all the time, talked about training and so on. One day I found her doing crunches on a swiss ball, I explained to her why those are pointless generally, and not good for her individually.
".. since you're tight here in the hip flexors."
"How can you tell?"
"I can see when you walk."
"Oh." Something clicked - I had demonstrated competence.
"Anyway, adjusting exercises to suit individuals, that is what I do with my personal training clients."
"Actually I was thinking..."
We discussed it, and she decided to try a few sessions before signing up.

First session was due, she rang me up to say she was sick and wouldn't make it, could we reschedule for next week? Later I emailed something like, "thanks for calling, many clients only tell us at the last minute, or even don't call at all and leave us hanging, so thanks for your courtesy, I appreciate it. I hope you get well soon, I look forward to seeing you next week."
She replied, "What a lovely message, thankyou! I'll see you next week."

It was 5-10 minutes into the session when she asked, "So when will our regular sessions be?"

By a simple email thanking her and expressing an interest in her health, I established trust and rapport. Add in the demonstrated competence and we were good to go.

She signed up for a single half hour session a week in early September, after 6-8 weeks of my talking to her. In February she went to 2 sessions a week. She's still with me, and will do her 66th session tomorrow. At $30 a session she has thrown almost $2,000 my way (though I only get a bit over half that).

My theory is that the ones who sign up quickly also quit quickly, and are less reliable. The ones who are slow to sign up stick with it and are more reliable. I have no statistics to prove this, just my instinct.

Like I said, to get a client you need to demonstrate competence, establish trust and rapport. This can take months with some people. And bear in mind that only around 3% of all gym members will sign up for PT. If the trainers are lazy slugs sitting at the desk all the time, closer to 1%, if they're active and mostly competent, up to 6%. But 3% is the average. So you have to ask about 20 people if they want PT to get one "yes."

I find it works better to just try to fix their problems, but make it clear that if they work with you in their sessions their results will be even better and quicker.

"People can achieve all their goals without a trainer, even without a gym membership. You just need a lot of willpower and knowledge. A gym, a trainer, we just make it quicker and easier."

We're a luxury, not a necessity. It works better if we're honest about that.

you can tell someone is tight in the hip flexors by the way they walk? i didnt read that in the acsm manual...

[popupwindow]

you can tell someone is tight in the hip flexors by the way they walk? i didnt read that in the acsm manual...

If they're walking around with enough lordosis (anterior pelvic tilt) and monkey butt, then sure, you can tell. However, as most people spend most of their time sitting down, 80-90% of people at the gym are tight in the hip flexors, so it's worth stretching them out, unless contra-indicated or if they're obviously flexible enough.

[WoofieNugget]

Kyle's approach is pretty much exactly what I use as well. Especially when you are new at a gym, you need people to figure out that you can actually help them. If you help people out with no intent of getting anything in return, then that will come back to you eventually (at least this is what I believe).

Meet as many people as possible and get to know them. Odds are even if they don't want or need training, they might know someone who does, and you will be the first person they talk to about it because they know and like you and they can talk to you. Sometimes you might get no clients for a while, and then suddenly you will get two or three in a week. It is a cyclical business and requires attention and care.

When you are on the floor with your clients, make a mental note if you see anyone watching you during your sessions (and they do, all the time). After, you can approach that person and just say "I noticed you watching us doing this exercise, I wanted to know if you had any questions about it?" Sometimes you have to take that step to approach the person and break the ice, just like meeting a member of the opposite sex.

[FueledByYelyah]

If they're walking around with enough lordosis (anterior pelvic tilt) and monkey butt, then sure, you can tell. However, as most people spend most of their time sitting down, 80-90% of people at the gym are tight in the hip flexors, so it's worth stretching them out, unless contra-indicated or if they're obviously flexible enough.

yeah, i have APT

[KyleAaron]

but if you work at a commercial gym, don't they give you clients?

At any gym, some yes. But why wait?

Some people will decide they want PT one day. Others will be sceptical about its value, or not know it exists, or it may simply never occur to them, they may think PTs are just for celebrities preparing for movies, or for grossly obese people, or that PTs are all meatheads, etc.

Some people will just walk up to the counter at reception and ask for PT. Others will be interested if you bring it up, or if they've seen you train someone and they like your style. At a gym with a good PT programme, around 50% the clients come from client enquiries, the other 50% come from the PT directly - like the stories I told above. At a gym where the PTs are slugs, it'll be 10% - I mean, even if you do nothing, some people will just walk up and ask for training like the woman I described above.

At my main gym in the last financial year, I was referred 9 clients and kept 4 of them, but I found 17 of my own clients, and have kept 10 of them. Had I simply waited to be given clients, I would have 4 instead of 14. I mentioned this to my boss, he said, "actually you wouldn't even have 4, if you can't get clients you won't keep clients, so I wouldn't have referred you as many."

No reason to wait except being chicken.

you can tell someone is tight in the hip flexors by the way they walk? i didnt read that in the acsm manual...

Yes. You can see some anterior pelvic tilt. With tight hip flexors will come weak abs and glutes, when they walk it'll all be in the knees, the thighs won't go back much (the glutes are too weak to drag them back). You'll also see some stiffness in the lumbar spine, this will be obvious when they try to engage in lateral flexion of the spine, or rotation.

when you are new at a gym, you need people to figure out that you can actually help them. If you help people out with no intent of getting anything in return, then that will come back to you eventually

Absolutely right.

Sometimes you might get no clients for a while, and then suddenly you will get two or three in a week.

Yes. Considering just the ones who are still with me, new clients in each month of my employment at my main gym came as follows,

Jul 2010 0
Aug 2010 1
Sep 2010 1
Oct 2010 2
Nov 2010 0
Dec 2010 1
Jan 2011 0
Feb 2011 0
Mar 2011 2
Apr 2011 1
May 2011 4
Jun 2011 1
Jul 2011 3

I was told that summer (Dec10-Feb10) would be the best time to recruit clients, and winter (Jun10-Aug10, Jun11-Aug11) would be the worst. Yet this July is working out to be my biggest month ever.

When you are on the floor with your clients, make a mental note if you see anyone watching you during your sessions (and they do, all the time). After, you can approach that person

That's one way. It's definitely worth bearing in mind that people are always watching you - so even if the client wants you to be harsh and swear or be friendly and hug them, etc, others watching will get different ideas, always be professional.

You don't necessarily have to talk to them straight away. Talk another day, mention that client as an example. They're bound to say, "Yes I saw you training them..." Rapport, remember - a common experience or interest.

It's really not super-difficult. Everyone you meet in the gym is already interested in fitness. It's not like chatting up someone at a party or something, where do you start? In a gym, easy - talk about training. Remember, 97% of them don't want PT. So you have to talk to a heap of people. Just be generally social and helpful. And don't rely on managers or reception to get you clients.