How do you floor approach?!

[soon2b3olympic]

Hey there, recently started at a commercial gym as a PT. Now, I've trained people in the past but 90% of my clients were brought to me or came to me of their own accord. Now at my new job I'm required to scour the floor and find clients, which personally I'd hate as a patron. How do you guys go about doing it?

Sidenote:
I'm friendly but very very stoic.
Very short tongue so difficulty with enunciating certain words.
To cut it short, I'm awkward.

[MrBodyShots]

Hey there, recently started at a commercial gym as a PT. Now, I've trained people in the past but 90% of my clients were brought to me or came to me of their own accord. Now at my new job I'm required to scour the floor and find clients, which personally I'd hate as a patron. How do you guys go about doing it?

Sidenote:
I'm friendly but very very stoic.
Very short tongue so difficulty with enunciating certain words.
To cut it short, I'm awkward.

After a short introduction, I would offer a few non-threatening questions like, "Where are you feeling this movement?", "Would you like to know a different way of doing this same machine?", etc.

Being friendly will be your advantage. That cannot be faked. The rest you can work on, and improve, relatively fast. Your initial goal should be to help and make people feel at ease or helped. The ultimate goal is to get into what a co-worker once described to me as a "fitness conversation", and take it from there. I promise you it will get much easier for you after you do it enough times, and after you see how effective it can be.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask specifics.

[WolfBeast]

One of the trainers at the gym I go to, but don't personally train at wanted to get me off the stairmill and do a 15min cardio workout with him with ropes, kettleballs, and leg raises. So give your potential clients a short preview of what they could expect with your services. Go up to them, give them a complement on something and then ask if they would like to try something else and give it a go.

[WoofieNugget]

Ah, the floor approach. The hallmark of every desperate PT manager who wants to sell, sell, sell. Go out there and sell yourself to people who are already working out...on their own...yes, makes perfect sense.

However, if they are forcing you to do it and you're new then the first step is getting to know everyone. Walk around, clean up, etc and introduce yourself to people. "Hi, my name is Opie and I'm new here. Just introducing myself to all of the regulars. What's your name? Great - have a good workout." and walk away. Write down their name in a little notebook from the dollar store and something about them you will remember, plus the time/day. Every night go home and memorize all of them. Next time you see them, "hey Max, how's it going? What are you working on today?" and you can get into other open ended questions to start a real conversation.

And obviously if they are wearing headphones, don't bother them.

[Sinix]

Did this at my first PT job and always felt pathetic doing it. To me, it gives off the vibe that your time is not valuable. All I'm gonna say is good luck.

[draybin]

This is a tough way to pick up clients, but a good way to meet the regulars of your gym and get yourself out there. As others have said breaking the ice and offering a free preview is not a bad idea. The more you can be on display training others the better, as during those times training you are basically showing others what you have to offer and believe me eyes will be on you. Try and ask people open ended questions that they can't say yes or no to. Good ones I like are "What are you looking to accomplish?" "What are your fitness goals?" "What are you training for?" This will get people to open up to you and give you the opportunity to be personable. Good luck, I know first hand how tough this is.

[KyleAaron]

During our gym shifts we're supposed to wander around cleaning stuff and helping people who ask, anyway. So I wander past, "Hi, you're working hard, what brings you here?" Nine times out of ten they're delighted someone speaks to them, and immediately talk about being overweight, or their bad back, or it's their "me time", or whatever.

If they seem friendly and open, "Great, what do you do for that, then?" and they say something vague since almost nobody has a programme and follows it. "Well have you ever tried X?" you say, naming some appropriate exercise. "No? Well I have a few minutes free, if you'd like I can show you." So you teach them to squat or something, they feel good, now you leave them to it. It's five minutes of chat, teaching them an exercise, then, "that was well done. If you need any more help, you know you can book in for a programme from any of us at any time, or you can just ask one of us like today, have a good day."

Rather than an official free half-hour with someone, six unofficial five minutes with people. It's not like walking up to a chick in a bar and saying, "howzaboutafck?" it's just talking to people, making your face known. Because when someone does want to do PT, who are they going to ask, the trainer standing around bored behind the gym desk fcking around on their mobile phone, or the trainer out on the gym floor talking to people?

It's a process. I've got clients who I talked to in the gym for 6 or even 18 months before they asked to do PT with me.

[BlackJack619]

I just started doing a little show and tell hour with all the cool smr tools I have. A lot of people have no idea about foam rolling, so I have been educated members on smr and showing them a few stretches on it.

[soon2b3olympic]

First and foremost thanks to everyone. Lately I've been hanging out at the front desk, getting to know members and get my face to be a recognizable one. Boss is a bit of an ass though and would rather I cold approach everyone, which as a patron of a gym I do not work at, would piss me off being interrupted.

Ah, the floor approach. The hallmark of every desperate PT manager who wants to sell, sell, sell. Go out there and sell yourself to people who are already working out...on their own...yes, makes perfect sense.

However, if they are forcing you to do it and you're new then the first step is getting to know everyone. Walk around, clean up, etc and introduce yourself to people. "Hi, my name is Opie and I'm new here. Just introducing myself to all of the regulars. What's your name? Great - have a good workout." and walk away. Write down their name in a little notebook from the dollar store and something about them you will remember, plus the time/day. Every night go home and memorize all of them. Next time you see them, "hey Max, how's it going? What are you working on today?" and you can get into other open ended questions to start a real conversation.

And obviously if they are wearing headphones, don't bother them.

Did this at my first PT job and always felt pathetic doing it. To me, it gives off the vibe that your time is not valuable. All I'm gonna say is good luck.

Thanks and I totally agree, seems like nonsense. We have an entire team of sales people. They can't do my job so why am I doing theirs and mine?

[KyleAaron]

We have an entire team of sales people. They can't do my job so why am I doing theirs and mine?

In my experience, the trainer will sell pt much better than someone behind a desk. It's a personal service, meeting the person who'll offer that service is key.

[esuhvaey]

Take speech classes.
If training others is important and engaging others is part of that than you should consider.