Selling Personal Training
It’s that time of year when people are seeking help with their health and fitness resolutions. They are ready to take on a training regime, but are you ready to sign them up?
Here are some tips to help you in that initial process.
Sell the transformation, not the transaction. You need to genuinely be concerned with your potential client’s fitness journey - not just the price per hour for training them. So show them your priority. Look after the person first and then the money will take care of itself. Ask "What is it that you want to achieve?", and then stop talking. Listen. Take notes. Then ask "Why do you want to achieve that?". Again, stop talking, listen and take notes.
Read your client. By that I mean take note of how they are behaving - the things they say as well as their body language. These are all clues as to their psychological state. Understanding your client’s psychological state and pitching your own communication accordingly is key to making a sale. If they are anxious, make them feel at ease, if they are down about themselves, be empathetic and positive towards the future changes they can make. Build that rapport.
Purchasing personal training can be an emotional decision. Relate to your client to show them you care. Show empathy and help them understand the cause of their emotion. Show them how you can help them regain control of the way they feel. If the potential client trains with you, they are part of your team. You are stronger together.
Find the core motivation that has driven the potential client to you, so that you can focus on the real changes that you can provide them with and the value that those changes will have to them. For example, many clients will come to you believing that they are there to ‘lose weight’, when in fact what the client really wants is to have a more positive image of themselves that gives them the confidence to go and do things previously unimaginable. Understanding and re-visiting that core motivation is the only thing that will get your client through the tough times that lie ahead on the journey - maybe even including the moment they sign on the dotted line for your services!
Take away all objections and deconstruct all barriers to committing to your training one at a time. Some of the objections you may face include:
"I can't afford it."
"No time."
"I'll have to ask my partner."
"I'll have to think about it".
"I've had a bad experience with a previous personal training/fitness instructor
Leave any financial barrier until last. By leaving this until last, you are really showing your client that there are no excuses to not commit. In the grand scheme of things, the value of your client achieving their goal and feeling good about themselves, is far greater than the cost of your training.
Use positive imagery throughout your consultation to help the potential client visualise the positive effect that training with you will have on them. This could be done by asking the client what emotions achieving their goals would trigger in them. If they understand their core motivation - your client should at this point be smiling.
Ultimately, when it’s time to sign, don’t budge on price - your service has real value and understanding this will help your client have faith in your ability. Negotiating a cheaper deal may cheapen your perceived value and thus undermine your potential respect and legitimacy.
This article was inspired by a recent episode of the Train with the Best podcast by Trainer Gorres and Craig Hoffman. Go check them out!