Help Getting Clients

[Dickson]

Hey guys,

So I just recently got hired as a contractor at a private training studio in Edmonton, AB and am finding it difficult to find clients. What do you guys suggest. I'm really open to all populations. What have you guys done to find clients fast to start up your clientele?

Thanks for any ideas

[rnaco]

get a website going, register it with google, put in all the relevant search terms, and SEO it.

[caddz]

Maybe hand out flyers, at a local supermarket, or near the studio!

Go up to various small time gyms and set up a help desk and talk to people in the gym who look inexperience!

[RevolutionFF]

Read, read and read some more books on marketing.

Ultimately most of your clients will come through recommendations from people who you currently train (if you do so). Look after your clients and spend time marketing on them.

You need to expect to spend time with a progression of marketing to those who show interest. Many will not buy on the first request, so you need to drip feed them with some forms of marketing. Some will move on from interest through the stages to eventually signing, but many will not.

Try leads boxes in local shops, flyers, get out and do some group sessions, train friends - just get yourself out there and seen. Once you have a steady base, things will be easy.

[hammer92]

Read, read and read some more books on marketing.

Ultimately most of your clients will come through recommendations from people who you currently train (if you do so). Look after your clients and spend time marketing on them.

You need to expect to spend time with a progression of marketing to those who show interest. Many will not buy on the first request, so you need to drip feed them with some forms of marketing. Some will move on from interest through the stages to eventually signing, but many will not.

Try leads boxes in local shops, flyers, get out and do some group sessions, train friends - just get yourself out there and seen. Once you have a steady base, things will be easy.

I just took my first, and last marketing class of college in my life. Marketing is not black and white... If you can manipulate word of mouth without manipulating (if that makes sense), people trust their friends recommendations...

[ShannonSoBe]

have a website, have a flyer, have a business card, having clothing that says personal trainer so people can come up to you and ask about your services. shop around for a good price for these things. some printing companies will give you a package deal if you get all of the above through them. get the information about yourself out to:

homes in your area that look like the people have $$$, bridal shows and stores ( brides want to look their best for their big day), high end apartment/condo complexes that have gyms, hotels that have gyms, school coaches who may know of students that need extra help getting fit for their sport, post your flyer on bulletin boards at health food stores, get you flyers out at golf course club houses and tennis facilities ( both are high end sports with people who may want to improve their skills ) post your flyer on any public bulletin board. go to dance and gymnastics studios, coaches/teachers may have students that need extra help, go to modeling agencies im sure there are plenty of models who want to look better and agents who would like to help them look better with your services. sporting good stores and athletic apparel stores may have a bulletin board or let you put a few of your flyers on the counter. ask the manager, not a cashier for the okay to leave a few flyers at any business. you dont want a cashier saying okay but the manager not being happy about it and throwing out ( wasting) your flyers later. i just took a marketing course for personal trainers and got some of this info from there. good luck!

[pcproffy]

Sorry off topic,
I actually had a company's lawyer threaten to sue me for dropping off a flyer at a strip mall shipping store. They claimed I had spam faxed it to them which could end up in like a $5k fine to me, trying to extort me to settle out of court.

This isn't to scare anyone off, but always keep a record of your activities, like:
5/21/12 -- walked flyers to 16th street

Might seem tedious but little things can save your ass down the road. Have a schedule of all the PT work you've done in the last few years. Can also go back to show a client who thinks you're ripping them out of a session.

[Teekz9]

Hey guys,

So I just recently got hired as a contractor at a private training studio in Edmonton, AB and am finding it difficult to find clients. What do you guys suggest. I'm really open to all populations. What have you guys done to find clients fast to start up your clientele?

Thanks for any ideas

Ask your current clients for referrals, everyone knows someone who is looking for training, and to make sure your clients refer make it attractive. Either give them a deal on training if they refer or offer semi private training with the friend they refer at a reduced rate for each of them.

Get other businesses who cater to your clientele to refer. Hairdressers, tanning stores and hi end boutiques all cater to women with money. Go offer the manager some training in exchange for referrals or the ability to have a lead box in the store.

Create a lower barrier of entry training option like group training or Bootcamp to get people in the door and increase your exposure. The more people you have raving about your service the greater the opportunity to build up one on one clients.

Last but not least, make training with you an experience. I learned this from one of the more successful. Trainers I knew. He didn't know sh$t about program design but his sessions where dynamic and engaging and clients beat down the door to train with him. Most trainers won't tell you that clients get bored of doing the same thing over and over again, if you can make each workout the highlight of their boring, mundane day you will have no problem building a business quickly.