Ryan's Q&A Thread - Building Successful PT/Coaching Businesses

[Irwell1986]

One thing I could do with after reading over this thread again, is some relevant forms, like contracts and stuff.. Any suggestions.

[2020Wellness]

One thing I could do with after reading over this thread again, is some relevant forms, like contracts and stuff.. Any suggestions.

This is a good idea actually. I do have forms made up, but not sure how to add them to this thread. Any idea?

[19Lubo86]

Hey Ryan,

thanks for doing this. I've spent the last couple of days reading through more than 2 years worth of information. Amazing stuff. I quit my office job two moths ago to pursue a career in fitness. I would like to help people get better and show them that getting stronger is one of the best long-term investments there is (my secret plan is to make everyone into jacked powerlifters, haha).

I am fully aware that I will have to spend the next couple of years working my ass off. Having spent 7 years in corporate jobs I am now convinced, that even if I fail it would still be better, than slowly dying in the office.

I wanted to ask you about your own training and training goals. If they have changed over the years and how you had to adapt your own training around your clients, if that was ever the case?

Thanks again for being a true leader and sharing your knowledge and experience.

[2020Wellness]

Hey Ryan,

thanks for doing this. I've spent the last couple of days reading through more than 2 years worth of information. Amazing stuff. I quit my office job two moths ago to pursue a career in fitness. I would like to help people get better and show them that getting stronger is one of the best long-term investments there is (my secret plan is to make everyone into jacked powerlifters, haha).

I am fully aware that I will have to spend the next couple of years working my ass off. Having spent 7 years in corporate jobs I am now convinced, that even if I fail it would still be better, than slowly dying in the office.

I wanted to ask you about your own training and training goals. If they have changed over the years and how you had to adapt your own training around your clients, if that was ever the case?

Thanks again for being a true leader and sharing your knowledge and experience.

Hey Lubo,

Congrats for taking life by the horns and trying to do what you really want to do!

When you ask me if I adapt my own training around my clients, what do you mean by that? Do you want to know if I changed my own training program based on what I'm having clients do? Or do you mean how do I schedule my own training around work hours?

I'm glad you took the time to read through the previous information in this thread too. It's still all valid and will help you build a client list efficiently.

Ryan

[19Lubo86]

Hey Lubo,

Congrats for taking life by the horns and trying to do what you really want to do!

When you ask me if I adapt my own training around my clients, what do you mean by that? Do you want to know if I changed my own training program based on what I'm having clients do? Or do you mean how do I schedule my own training around work hours?

I'm glad you took the time to read through the previous information in this thread too. It's still all valid and will help you build a client list efficiently.

Ryan

Thanks for the kind words Ryan.
What I meant to ask was how you scheduled your own training around work and if there was ever a time where you had to significantly reduce training volume (not just reps and sets, but number of training days) due to work schedule. I'm sure there's always a way where there's a will, but I'm still curious.
And another question would be, if and how your own training priorities/goals changed over the years.

Lubo

[2020Wellness]

Thanks for the kind words Ryan.
What I meant to ask was how you scheduled your own training around work and if there was ever a time where you had to significantly reduce training volume (not just reps and sets, but number of training days) due to work schedule. I'm sure there's always a way where there's a will, but I'm still curious.
And another question would be, if and how your own training priorities/goals changed over the years.

Lubo

Well, I can't say that I ever really changed my own training schedule because I've always trained when I could whether I was busy with school, college, work, family, etc. I get it in when I can and make it a priority, which helps. The priority thing is key!

As for my own training goals, I've really just always trained with the goal of muscle growth first and maximal strength second. As I get into my upper 30s, I am now past the point where my natural hormones aren't going to allow me to get bigger than I have been in my early 30s. So I guess you could say that my training goal is still to stay big, but also realizing that I'm not going to be bigger than I have been in the past.

I hope that helps you out!

[Puchkin]

Hi Ryan.
As an aspiring personal trainer (I already trained people personally two times in the past, ran a few dozen group (10-25 people) fitness training sessions with young ones, and have been training myself for over a decade, even made instructional youtube videos), currently a gym trainer, I'm considering the following, fundemental question, which I would be happy to share and see what you have to say. Why do people, of all ages, genders, backgrounds, require a personal trainer at all? Not these rich ones (hypothetically considered) which can afford to spend easily, but middle class working people, what could drive them to spend 30$/hour (at least where I live), large portions of their hourly income, for being trained personally by a coach? Why shouldn't one be able to train by himself and not require anyone else to motivate him? And would you agree that the purpose of a personal trainer is to make the person trained eventually be able to train by himself, or move the body, in the way which is in accord with his life? doesn't a person hire a fitness trainer initially because his moving level is not in accord with his life and he only needs a person with the science and powerful presence to motivate and guide his efforts to his bodily goals? Once these goals are reached, is it all that important? Isn't it more important that the person be able to train himself without any other person to motivate him, for if one motivates him it means he doesn't believe himself in the pursuit, which is to reach so and so bodily fitness goals. And there are arguements for and againts that pursuit. So what's the take of the personal trainer on this? To educate about keeping the body healthy and functional as long as one wishes to live, or in other words as long as one is living, and to live so himself? Is it the powerful presence some of those people are yearning for, to be there as a companion and experienced guider? Is there any other reason to hire a personal trainer? obviously this is sort of a query instead of a question, more of an attempt for me to hear what you have to say about this in a more general sense rather than considering every question. No expectations for you to answer either if this is a hassle, even reading this can suffice.
With respect, A.

[2020Wellness]

This post outlines a tip for trainers working with clients face-to-face who want to improve their business all around (look better to non-client gym members, provide more value to the client they're working with, etc).

Here we go. When training someone in person it's good to try and avoid time where you're both just standing around, for instance during rest periods. I think it looks bad to other members and they'll be watching how you operate because they may be thinking about training with you.

But at the same time, we know how valuable and necessary rest periods are, so you may wonder how you can train someone for an hour and almost never both be standing there doing nothing.

The answer is the same thing I recommend to my own clients, which is to have them stretch during rest periods. This is easy to do, you can repeat the same stretches 2-3 times that day, and it'll keep your client active throughout the whole session.

This will lead you to be a better trainer for your client and also to the people who are watching. Trust me, people equate 'doing something' to a good workout. When they see a trainer and client standing around during paid time, they will be less likely to want to pay for you as a trainer. So just have some stretches that cover the whole body lined up and go through them during rest periods. It'll benefit you, the client, and the gym in the long run.

[heroeslair]

Hey man! I wrote a comment in this thread a few years ago (forgot my password to my old account). You gave me the idea of using a fishbowl to get leads with free pt sessions. This worked amazingly at the gym I was at. I have now been at a different gym for two years and have been looking into online marketing for around a year. The problem is that I wasn't focus on client acquisition. Slowly I have lost clients and now I need to get my act together. (was due to things like wedding, buying houses etc)

I tried a free personal training poster when I first started working there (they wouldn't let me use a fishbowl) and I got only one reply. (which sucked)
But I made use of the consults I was given and did pretty well until I started my online venture (which is taking its time).

The gym I work at only gives consults in the first three months then you are on your own. So I pretty much have to do everything myself.

Atm my plan is to floorwalk (Problem is all the other 18 pts do this too)
Hand out flyers to people on the cardio machines and ask my current clients for referrals.

Do you have any method I could try for getting more leads?
Thanks!

[2020Wellness]

Hey man! I wrote a comment in this thread a few years ago (forgot my password to my old account). You gave me the idea of using a fishbowl to get leads with free pt sessions. This worked amazingly at the gym I was at. I have now been at a different gym for two years and have been looking into online marketing for around a year. The problem is that I wasn't focus on client acquisition. Slowly I have lost clients and now I need to get my act together. (was due to things like wedding, buying houses etc)

I tried a free personal training poster when I first started working there (they wouldn't let me use a fishbowl) and I got only one reply. (which sucked)
But I made use of the consults I was given and did pretty well until I started my online venture (which is taking its time).

The gym I work at only gives consults in the first three months then you are on your own. So I pretty much have to do everything myself.

Atm my plan is to floorwalk (Problem is all the other 18 pts do this too)
Hand out flyers to people on the cardio machines and ask my current clients for referrals.

Do you have any method I could try for getting more leads?
Thanks!

Hey Heroes,

Sorry for the delay on this. This thread lost traction even though it's great for helping people and I didn't see this reply right away.

It sounds like your management is really missing out on a good method for added clients with the fishbowl method....... That's unfortunate, especially since you know it works and have used it in the past.

One thing I would say is that with 18 other PTs on board, there is some big competition there for getting new clients. If you want to beat them, you have to out-hustle them. To me, the way to do this is to be around the gym when new members are signing up. Once they've signed up, the manager signing them up introduces them to you and you set up a free consult on the spot.

Truthfully, this is initially how I built up my client list and reputation at the first gym I worked at. I hung out with the manager or in the same general area and nabbed consults with any new member that signed up that day and accepted the offer for a consult.

Is this something you can do in your particular gym?

[heroeslair]

Usually the new people have slots where they have to it at reception and help them. I did however have a conversation today with my manager telling her my situation and he says she will talk to the head coach and see if she can fit me on the roster. So here's hoping.

I have been floor walking and chatting to people, but it is definitely the slow approach, I just have to make sure I keep it up when I get back to a full schedule. Then hopefully this won't happen again.

Hey Heroes,

Sorry for the delay on this. This thread lost traction even though it's great for helping people and I didn't see this reply right away.

It sounds like your management is really missing out on a good method for added clients with the fishbowl method....... That's unfortunate, especially since you know it works and have used it in the past.

One thing I would say is that with 18 other PTs on board, there is some big competition there for getting new clients. If you want to beat them, you have to out-hustle them. To me, the way to do this is to be around the gym when new members are signing up. Once they've signed up, the manager signing them up introduces them to you and you set up a free consult on the spot.

Truthfully, this is initially how I built up my client list and reputation at the first gym I worked at. I hung out with the manager or in the same general area and nabbed consults with any new member that signed up that day and accepted the offer for a consult.

Is this something you can do in your particular gym?

[2020Wellness]

Usually the new people have slots where they have to it at reception and help them. I did however have a conversation today with my manager telling her my situation and he says she will talk to the head coach and see if she can fit me on the roster. So here's hoping.

I have been floor walking and chatting to people, but it is definitely the slow approach, I just have to make sure I keep it up when I get back to a full schedule. Then hopefully this won't happen again.

Floor walking is not easy. I assume it's extra tough today too, since people are more to themselves with headphones on and stuff like that. That's why the fish bowl or the personal consult request as they're signing up works so well. The bowl isn't invasive at all and the personal request on the spot is at least somewhat expected by the new member at the time of sign up.

I know it's tough to try to find clients when you're busy with existing clients too. It's like you almost don't want new clients at that point because you'll become too busy, so it's a fine line to walk.

One thing you might ask your boss is if you can put educational material out for clients to look at. I used to print articles I wrote and laminate them. Then I'd hang them up near the entrance of the gym for members to pick up and read. They'd be working out and reading my materials, so they knew to come to me for questions and my reputation as being knowledgeable grew. Just another idea that worked really really well for me, personally.

[heroeslair]

Hey man. Sorry for the delay.
I finally got a hold of the head coach and he said I have to floorwalk. The be cruel to be kind method. I found out that I can be at the desk if theres no new pts rostered on. So I can do tours etc if thats the case.

Im thinking about doing the flyer method you suggested. My coach suggested that I still buikd rappirt before giving it to them. Do you reckon I should do that or just hand them out to every one?

Also any other tips would be awesome

[2020Wellness]

Hey man. Sorry for the delay.
I finally got a hold of the head coach and he said I have to floorwalk. The be cruel to be kind method. I found out that I can be at the desk if theres no new pts rostered on. So I can do tours etc if thats the case.

Im thinking about doing the flyer method you suggested. My coach suggested that I still buikd rappirt before giving it to them. Do you reckon I should do that or just hand them out to every one?

Also any other tips would be awesome

Well, I'm not familiar with the 'be mean to be nice' approach. I honestly don't even know that means, haha. It seems like a strange approach when trying to cold-sell someone on something. People don't like being bothered in today's world, it seems, so allowing them an avenue to come to you with little pressure seems best.

If there was a place you could at least put your flyers in the gym so people could take them on their own time, that might be helpful. With that idea, you can count how many flyers you put in so you know if any are being taken.

The way that you build rapport with someone is to have time with them, aka, the free consult.

[2020Wellness]

Hey man. Sorry for the delay.
I finally got a hold of the head coach and he said I have to floorwalk. The be cruel to be kind method. I found out that I can be at the desk if theres no new pts rostered on. So I can do tours etc if thats the case.

Im thinking about doing the flyer method you suggested. My coach suggested that I still buikd rappirt before giving it to them. Do you reckon I should do that or just hand them out to every one?

Also any other tips would be awesome

Just checking in. Are things picking up for you?

[2020Wellness]

Bump. Looking to help some more people in 2022!