Category: Blog

The COVID-19 pandemic has put enormous pressure on everyone’s physical health and well-being, with many people being isolated and confined to their homes for months. Yoga has long been known for its ability to alleviate stress and anxiety (among other proven health benefits), so it should come as no surprise that an increasing number of people have turned to yoga during a year plagued with challenges, doubt and uncertainty.

But despite more people wanting to practice yoga, many yoga studio owners have been struggling after months-long mandatory closures turned the fitness industry upside down. So, what can yoga studio owners do to stay afloat and attract new members during these times riddled with ongoing uncertainty? 

Now more than ever, running a successful yoga business hinges upon the ability to establish a strong brand identity in order to retain and engage current students, as well as attract new students to your yoga business. The shift to online workouts has created a lot of new competition in the fitness realm, but your brand identity is what will make people want to choose you and keep coming back.

In this blog we’ll cover six key areas yoga studio owners need to focus on in order to run a successful yoga business:

1. What is my mission?

The mission of your yoga business will drive everything you do—in fact, it’s why you do what you do. Spend ample time developing your mission statement as you want to make sure it reflects your goals as a yoga business owner and resonates with your target audience.

2. What is the personality of my yoga business?

The personality of your yoga business will shape how you communicate across all boards—from how you talk to your yoga instructors and students to the tone and language that’s used on your social media pages and in your marketing materials.

3. Who is my target audience?

Defining your target audience and understanding how to communicate with them effectively is critical to running a successful yoga studio. Your yoga business can’t cater to everyone, and that’s okay—no business can! In fact, you may even want to consider a niche market, like yoga for beginners, families, athletes, or seniors. Once you figure out who you want to attract, you’ll have a better understanding of how to reach them.  

For example, if you decide to focus on seniors as your niche market, you’ll want to make sure your yoga classes are offered at times that are appealing and convenient to them. Additionally, make sure the language you use to describe your yoga classes are attractive to that audience.

4. Who are my competitors?

It’s pretty safe to assume you won’t be the only place offering yoga classes in your area, so you’ll want to figure out who your main competitors are. Do some research to see what competitors are offering, and then try to figure out how to differentiate your yoga business.

Is there something your competitors aren’t offering that you can? Is there something you think you can do better? Once you figure out what it is, that will become your value proposition.

5. How can I stand out?

It’s difficult for any yoga business to stand out in a saturated market, which is why it’s so important to figure out who your target audience is, as well as your value proposition and competitive advantage.

What can you do that your competitors aren’t? Here are a few ideas you may want to consider to help your yoga business stand out:

• Offer a free trial: One of the best ways to get new members in your door is to offer a free, no commitment trial. If your competitors offer one free class, consider offering a free week of unlimited classes (or some other variation that’s feasible for your yoga business).
• Provide referral incentives: Your current clientele can be your best brand advocates. If they enjoy your yoga classes, chances are they’ll tell their friends…but why not give them an extra nudge by offering an incentive to do so? Many of your competitors may also have a referral structure in place, so think about what you can offer that’s different and may be considered more valuable.
• Host competitions and challenges: Motivation and positive reinforcement can go a long way when it comes to fitness, and who doesn’t love a little friendly competition? The way you structure these should be driven by your audience, but switching things up every so often by offering special events helps create a valuable experience.
• Keep offering virtual classes: Sometimes people just want to work out from the comfort of their own homes, especially given lingering concerns around the coronavirus. This year challenged many yoga studio owners to adapt to the times by offering virtual classes when studios were closed, and now many people have grown accustomed to the convenience. Even if you’re located somewhere where all the restrictions have been lifted and business is back to usual, consider offering virtual classes year-round.  

6. How can I maximise operational efficiency?

Most yoga studio owners wear multiple hats, and it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Let us help you achieve peace of mind with our powerful yoga studio management system. Create custom yoga studio membership plans and packages, manage contracts and renewals, automate reminders and collect payments all from one platform.

We also recently rolled out our Zoom Integration and Video Library to help you stay competitive during the changing times.

To learn more, click here to schedule a free, no commitment demo. 

Many people will be heading into the new year with the same new years resolutions as last year: Be happier, make more money, live a healthier lifestyle and join the gym. Coronavirus or not, those things haven’t changed. And a new years resolution gym membership is great news for you as a gym owner!

Even though your gym classes might be meeting up differently these days, with the right strategies, you can be sure to keep any new members motivated and showing up day after day. Here are some do’s and don’ts for your new year gym memberships.

1. DO have your Management Software ready

With a good management software on your side, you’ve already won half the battle. While your software streamlines the administrative side of things, you can focus more attention toward retention efforts such as building and establishing new member relationships.

The best time to set up your software is well before the rush of the new year, so you know how to operate it. But we are happy to guide you through the process at any time, and answer your questions.

2. DON’T forget to track attendance

One of the things you can use management software for is to track new gym members attendance. Tracking any member’s attendance is always important to your clients success and your fitness business. However, tracking new member’s attendance is especially important because it helps you to understand how to better motivate them. Maybe you need to move around class days and times or switch up your offerings. Member attendance can help clue you into all of those things. 

3. DO send out nurture emails 

When you are alerted to a string of member absences, go ahead and send those gym members a personalised email to let them know they are missed and you care. If they feel like nobody notices, it’s easier to let themselves off the hook. But having somebody in their corner can encourage them to keep pushing toward their goals. And in this case, not just anybody- the gym owner! It could be greatly impactful.

 4. DON’T be afraid of the digital landscape

Now that all fitness classes have completely moved online, there is a good chance it could stay that way for awhile. So, don’t shy away from it. The gyms who learn to fully adapt and embrace the change will be the ones who thrive most in the long haul. Plus, it’s not so bad. Having digital fitness classes allows for more flexibility and connectivity.

5. DO find a niche

Do some soul searching and figure out what you’re truly passionate about when it comes to the fitness industry. Now that everyone is online, you need to find the thing that sets you apart. You need a niche.

There’s a lot of competition online right now. Some websites are even offering free content which make things even harder. So, it’s imperative to stand out. Having a niche can help you do exactly that. Figure out what makes you and your business unique and choose to be an expert in your field vs. somebody who dabbles in a little bit of everything. It can make a huge difference.

If you’re getting ready to open a new facility, you’re probably already thinking about what you can do to encourage potential members to visit your gym, as well as how you can convert those leads into new gym members in order to create a sustainable revenue stream.

The fitness industry is highly competitive, and it’s easy to get lost in the noise. So, what can you do to stand out? Answer: multichannel marketing campaigns.

Below we’ve outlined several gym marketing ideas that can be implemented across paid, earned and owned channels to create an effective multichannel marketing mix.

1. Content Marketing

Content marketing is a form of digital marketing that aims to provide value to the customer in a non-promotional way. In the highly competitive fitness industry, content marketing is essential to boosting brand awareness, establishing authority, and nurturing relationships between business owners and potential members/current gym members by building trust and providing inspiration.

Because the goal of content marketing is to provide value outside of your product or service, the fitness industry and content marketing are a perfect match. Fitness is about providing valuable information to help people better themselves, and the best way to communicate that information is through a content marketing strategy.

Here are two ideas to get you started:

• Utilise social media: Social media can help your fitness club build brand awareness, expand your digital reach and build customer loyalty. When you use social media for its intended purpose—to socialise—it helps motivate your gym members to keep coming back and inspires potential members to consider joining.

• Create a weekly blog: Blogging is still one of the best ways to connect with your target audience, and writing about a niche area of fitness can help build your authority as a fitness industry expert. Blogging also helps build your website’s authority and rank higher on search engines.

2. Direct Mail

We live in the Digital Age, and many business owners may think direct mail is dead. But don’t discount the value of integrated marketing campaigns that include direct mail just yet.

In fact, CMO Council’s Critical Channels of Choice finds that consumers have positive feelings toward direct mail, and one out of three respondents say they expect direct mail to be a part of their ideal communications mix.

Direct mail is tangible, and because of that it can actually feel more interactive than digital marketing or email marketing strategies. When utilised effectively, it can also elicit an emotional response from the viewer, making it more memorable than just another email in your inbox.

If you’re still not convinced, consider these stats from PFL’s 2019 Multichannel Marketing Research Report: Direct Mail in the Digital Age:

• 83% of marketers report good or very good ROI when direct mail is fully integrated into their multichannel campaign mix
• 89% of marketers report direct mail delivers moderate to major improvement in overall campaign performance when it’s highly personalized and tightly integrated into the channel mix
• Direct mail has a median ROI of 29%, putting it third behind email marketing (124%) and social media (30%)

3. Remarketing & Retargeting

Remarketing and retargeting amplify your marketing campaigns by reaching customers that are more likely to convert into sales (in this case, new gym members) or to complete a desired action (for example, subscribe to your newsletter). Both have the same goal—to get previous visitors on the path to conversion—but the way they accomplish this task is slightly different.

• Remarketing allows business owners to reconnect with people who previously interacted with their website through email marketing.

• Retargeting reaches that same target audience via paid advertising.

Using remarketing, you can reach out to people who didn’t complete the desired action with email reminders. Using retargeting, you can place strategically positioned ads while potential members browse the internet, with the hope they’ll click and come back to you. Both tactics are a great way to reach your target audience—people who have shown interest, but not yet converted.

4. Focus on SEO

Google is the most widely used search engine, and holds just over 92% of the global market share. That said, you want to make sure your business shows up in searches. In order for this to happen, your website’s data must be accurate and filled with keywords your potential members would use to find a business like yours.

Potential members will likely search keywords and phrases like “gyms near me” or “fitness centers in [insert city]”, so you’ll want to develop a list of similar keywords and incorporate those words throughout your site, but only where they’re relevant and make sense. It’s also important to use keyword identifiers in the page titles of your site so Google understands who you are and the nature of your business.

Another way to boost your SEO efforts is to make sure you have a completed business profile on Google My Business (GMB). GMB is a free tool that business owners can use to manage their company listing and online presence across the Google suite of websites. A completed page is essential for local SEO because it enables your business listing to appear in local searches, allows people to find your contact and location information easily, provides potential visitors with a picture of your facility, and lets users review your business.

Conclusion

Marketing is an essential function needed to promote your gym and to differentiate yourself from competitors in order to attract potential members—and, when utilised effectively, marketing campaigns can also be a great way to keep current gym members engaged and to reduce churn.

There’s no shortage of options when it comes to gym marketing ideas, but it’s important to remember that implementing a multichannel approach will increase the likelihood of reaching your target audience and the overall success of your marketing campaigns.

For more actionable insights and business tips, click here to subscribe to our blog.

It’s no secret 2020 has been one big, giant rollercoaster ride for gym owners. The pressing question on everybody’s mind is what will 2021 hold for the fitness industry? While no one knows the answer for certain, don’t be discouraged. There are still ways to keep pushing forward. Here are some tips and tools for creating revenue streams that will steady your member retention rates, increase revenue and help your fitness business grow.

Refresh online classes

At the start of the Coronavirus, the fitness industry made its collective jump into the world of online classes. By now, you’re likely a pro with a pretty solid handle on everything. But like with any trend, they’re always changing. So, pay close attention to your competitors latest class offerings, or do a little extra research on the web, and then give your own classes an occasional refresh when you feel it’s appropriate. Of course, if something is working out extremely well for you, don’t feel pressured to mix it up. Like the old adage goes, “If it ain’t broke- don’t fix it.”

Create a referral program anyway

Creating a member referral program might feel low on the do list these days but we are here to say: create it anyway. That’s because, it’s never a bad time to ask your gym members to help you spread the love to their friends and family. If anything, now is the perfect time for it. The rewards don’t have to be big, either. There are plenty of budget-friendly incentives including, free one-on-one workout sessions, free class passes or even a choice of merchandise from your shop.

Sell merchandise

Speaking of merchandise. Don’t pack up the yoga pants and reusable water bottles just yet. Whether your classes are meeting in person or online, your gym members will still need items for their workout sessions. And one item you don’t want to miss out on selling right now is face masks.

It’s true, they’re everywhere and everyone is likely counting down the minutes until we can be rid of them forever. But in the meantime, they’re here to stay. So, why not create some eye-catching and comfortable masks with your gym logo on them?

Team up with other companies 

We’re all in this together, right? Team up with your business neighbours. It’s no secret that other companies are trying to find ways to keep their goods and services out there also. So, team up with the ones you respect and admire and offer to help each other out. Let them keep some of their products in your shop in exchange for them doing the same with yours. Or, even better, if they in the health and wellness field also, team up for a joint class or workshop.

Look for trends with Management Software

If you want to see how your new tricks are performing, pay attention to your management software. It can help you track member attendance and engagement which can clue you into what’s really working for member retention.

Gym owners, we hope you enjoyed reading these tips on different revenue streams and how to make your fitness business grow. If you try them, come back and let us know how they worked out for you.

Some business owners make the mistake of dismissing the value of market research—but the truth is, no matter what industry you’re in, there’s a real need for collecting information for market research purposes. This is especially true within the fitness industry, where gyms and health clubs rely upon a steady stream of memberships to stay in business—and, therefore, ensuring customer satisfaction is a must.

Whether you’re opening a new fitness center location, launching a new fitness class or personal trainer service, or just looking for ways to improve overall user experience, surveys and questionnaires are valuable tools that provide critical insight used to make informed, data-driven decisions.

Here are a few ways market research surveys can benefit your business:

• Member Knowledge: Learning about your gym members will help you understand more about them, as well as what you can do to improve user experience and customer satisfaction.
• Competitive Advantage: Survey questions can help you uncover if your new gym members previously belonged to another fitness center, as well as their reasons for leaving. Collecting information of this nature will help you identify what your facility can focus on to gain competitive advantage.
• Business Growth: Member surveys will help you identify what it is your members really want, and therefore also help you to recognise new opportunities to expand your offerings or services to meet their demands.

Now that we’ve discussed a few ways market research provides valuable information, let’s talk about some common types of surveys and questionnaires you can implement to get the information you need to make more informed business decisions.

1. New Member Survey

A new member survey is filled out when someone first joins your gym. Use this opportunity to ask new gym members why they joined in the first place—was it based on a referral, proximity, cost, or something else?

This type of survey provides you with rich demographic data and helps you understand the types of people that use your facility. Not only will this help you understand how to tailor your offerings to improve customer experience, collecting information like this also helps build targeted email lists for marketing campaigns.

2. General Feedback/Customer Satisfaction Survey

A general feedback/customer satisfaction survey is a way for you to check in with your members from time to time to show you still value their input. While many businesses invest a lot of time and resources in attracting new business, don’t forget about your loyal customer base. Ask gym members for feedback on what you’re doing well, in addition to areas for improvement.

3. Fitness Class/Personal Trainer Evaluation

Personal trainer services and group fitness classes are a big draw for many gyms, health clubs and fitness centers. Because instructors and trainers can have such a huge impact on members, it’s important to survey participants for feedback about how your staff is performing.

4. Membership Cancellation Survey

Unfortunately, all fitness facilities will encounter membership cancellations at some point. It’s just the nature of the business. But rather than focusing on the negative, think of this as an opportunity to find out why and utilise the information to your future advantage. Figuring out why members are leaving gives you the chance to implement changes to reduce future churn.

Before you start writing out your survey questions it’s important to decide on the goal in mind and what type of data you want to collect as this will determine how you phrase your questions. Keep in mind that closed questions will provide a lot of quantitative data, while open questions will elicit qualitative responses.

The good news is, it’s easy to conduct market research online by sending surveys and questionnaires to members via email—and utilising an all-in-one software solution makes it even easier. To learn how we can help you manage all aspects of your fitness business from one intuitive gym management system, click here.

A part of what makes EZFacility so great is all the like-minded companies we get to partner up with. When our clients sign up for our EZFacility management software, they also gain access to a ton of other companies. Our partners help our clients with better attracting, managing, and engaging their customers. They also help them with enhancing their overall brand.

If you aren’t familiar with our EZFacility partners, they include 97Display, Authentic8, Brivo Systems, Constellation Payments, Passport Technologies, Perkville, Plastic Printers, QuickBooks, Smartwaiver, Textmunication, Rapid Gun Systems, CoachMePlus, SportsLife X, and Trainingym.

Here is a bit about each of them.

97Display offers website solutions and digital marketing services for health and fitness businesses.

Authentic8 helps protect businesses from all web-borne threats. They also supply specialised RFID cards, keyfobs, stickers, wristbands, and barcodes.

Brivo Systems provides a 24/7 cloud-based access control system. Plus, video surveillance products for physical security.

Simplify and streamline your payment processing with none other than Constellation Payments.

Passport Technologies helps deliver customised and integrated client-access solutions.

Are you thinking of finally creating that loyalty program? Sign up with Perkville. They have a plan to grow your business through loyalty points awarded for check-ins, referrals, birthdays, and more.

Plastic Printers is your go-to for member key cards, POS hardware, ID card printers, and any other printing needs.

QuickBooks provides a streamlined accounting system with financial management and sale tracking.

Now clients can sign waivers digitally (and securely), on their own electronic devices thanks to Smartwaiver.

With Textmunication, build brand recognition and improve engagement, retention, and member loyalty with targeted SMS messages and campaigns.

Rapid Gun Systems is a certified NCR Counterpoint POS reseller and systems integrator.

CoachMePlus is a coaching management software for coaches, trainers, and athletes.

SportsLife X is a social media platform designed for athletes with schedules, scores, standings, and stats. It’s a way for clients to further engage their players.

Trainingym makes sure gyms get their hands on some specialised tools. They have 3-d workout videos, body composition analysis, and satisfaction surveys.

Identity One’s IDlink will revolutionise the way check-ins are done at your place of business by making it completely cardless. To learn more in depth about our list of EZFacility partners, click here. The list is always expanding. That’s because it’s super easy to integrate with existing and future partners. Also- we just love doing it! So, if you are interested in being our partner and believe we could be a good match for you, please contact us to learn more.

Combing through a variety of management software programs in search of one that’s both good and trustworthy can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming.

We could give you a list of reasons why to choose us or tell you the many benefits of using EZFacility, but we believe our satisfied clients say it best. So, we’ve created a reviews page filled with multiple customer success stories straight from the source.

Our customers are from different industries including community centers, gyms & health clubs, shooting ranges, sports facilities and universities plus more but their level of contentment is always the same.

Take a peek at what some of them have to say about us:

“Brilliant. The system itself, I cannot fault. The customer service has also been excellent. Any question or queries I’ve had have been fully answered straight away.” – Sam House, Testlands

“EZ takes away lots of front desk scheduling which creates time for the team to spend with members. The backend is full of great reports to aid business decisions and can get instant information at the press of a button.” – Spencer Fanstone, Barn Fitness Club

“We started with another system which was horrendous and not user friendly… A recommendation to EZ Facility has made the clouds disappear and alot easier to use! The back office assistance by staff is second to none…(I’ve made a few mistakes!) which have been fixed no problem” – Southampton Fives

To keep reading more about the benefits of EZFacility and our customer success stories, click here. Or if you’re more of a visual person and would like to watch video reviews instead, you can find a list here.

Being a yoga teacher can be a very beneficial career path, and it offers a lot of flexibility—literally and figuratively. Many yoga studios hire instructors as “independent contractors” so if you’re a yoga teacher, it’s important to understand what that means for you and how that classification differs from being hired as an employee. If you’re a yoga studio owner, you should ensure you’re fully versed on the difference in employment classifications, and that you have an independent contractor agreement in place as part of your yoga studio best practices.

Why Does an Independent Contractor Agreement Matter?

Whether you run a yoga studio, or you’re a yoga teacher, the importance of an independent contractor agreement cannot be understated as it benefits both parties by preventing miscommunication, misunderstanding and the potential for liabilities or damages.

While yoga is a profession largely based on trust, an independent contractor agreement helps keep integrity and clear communication at the forefront of business relationships to make sure all parties are on the same page. For legal purposes, it also provides written documentation of your agreement, clarifies the responsibilities of all parties involved, and provides protection for both yourself and your business.

What Should an Independent Contractor Agreement Include?

While every business is different, below are some key sections that most independent contractor agreements should include (the below are mere suggestions—please be sure to contact your own legal representation on your specific case):

1. Nature of the Relationship: This section should explicitly state the terms of your employment and expressly declare you are hired as an independent contractor and not an employee. This is especially important as it relates to how taxes will be paid and filed.

2. Yoga Instructor Responsibilities: This section should information about what professional standards are expected, the types of yoga that will be taught, scheduling information, administrative responsibilities, as well as including the location(s) where you will be teaching.
   
3. Payment Methods & Schedule: This section should outline how and when you will be compensated for your services. It should also clarify if you will be paid a base rate or paid per student, whether there is a minimum or maximum payment per class, when the pay periods will be, and address any other questions related to payment for services.
   
4. Yoga Instructor Obligations: When you’re hired as an independent contractor, you’re required to invest in yourself and responsible for covering certain costs (which can later be listed as deductions when filing taxes). This section should outline what you are expected to cover, for example: transportation costs, professional fees, liability insurance, and personal supplies.

5. Studio Obligations: This section should outline what the yoga studio is responsible for providing, or assuming the cost of. This may include things like cleanliness standards, space and props available to all instructors, and proof of building insurance.
   
6. Default & Termination Details: While the severance of a business relationship is never fun to think about (or to deal with, for that matter), this is one of the most important sections of the independent contractor agreement. This section should clarify how, under what terms, and with how much notice is required of either party to terminate the working agreement.
   
7. Non-compete Clause: If you’re a yoga teacher who teaches at multiple studios, this is a section you’ll want to pay close attention to. Make sure you fully understand what the agreement includes before you sign anything, as a non-compete clause could have dire consequences if you plan to teach at multiple locations. 

Summing It Up

An independent contractor agreement is a vital tool needed to protect both the yoga studio owner and the yoga teacher. Once both parties are on the same page and the independent contractor agreement is signed, business can be conducted with confidence and clarity.

It may seem like a given, but it’s important to do something to welcome new gym members as soon as they commit to joining your gym. Sending a welcome email is one of the easiest ways to provide new members with all the essential information they need, and it gives you the opportunity to reassure them that joining your facility was the right choice.

If you’re currently using a gym management software like ours, you can easily create a new member email template and manage membership communication seamlessly. But if you’re still managing membership information and sending emails manually that’s okay, too, and we’re here to help.

So, what should you say in your email to welcome new gym members? Below is a sample gym welcome template you can use—feel free to copy and paste it as-is, or tweak it to add your own flair.

Gym Welcome Template

Hi [MEMBER NAME],

Welcome to the [FACILITY NAME] family!

By joining us, you’ve already taken the first step on your fitness journey and we couldn’t be happier to walk with you on the path to achieve your health and fitness goals!

Get started by collecting your [MEMBER ID CARD/KEY FOB] from the front desk, at which time you can also schedule an introductory session where we’ll review your goals and outline a plan together that best suits your needs. And, if you’d like, we’d be more than happy to do a guided walk through of our facility and show you how to use all of the equipment.

To check our hours of operation, view class schedules or to learn more about our facility’s offerings, click here [WEBSITE URL]. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call at [PHONE NUMBER] or simply reply to this email and we’ll get back to you right away.

Congratulations on taking the first step of your fitness journey—you should be very proud of yourself, and we’re excited to be a part of it!

We can’t wait to see what you achieve!

[YOUR NAME]

Or, if you’d prefer to write your own gym welcome template, we recommend including these key points:

• Thank them for joining and choosing your facility
• Offer reassurance they made the right choice
• Provide information about next steps and how to get started
• Include a link to your website where they can find practical information
• Include contact information if they have any questions

How to Improve Customer Relationship Building

Ideally you should send more than one welcome email to establish a solid relationship and maintain ongoing communication, so you may want to consider creating a series of introductory emails. Plus, some members may need that little extra nudge in their inbox every so often to keep them motivated.

Below is an outline of emails we recommend including in your welcome series:

• Welcome new gym members / introductory email: Outlined above.
• Reminder email: Send a reminder email within one week of the introductory email to encourage members to visit your facility as soon as possible.
• Value add email: Send a value add email within one week of the reminder email. This should include a mix of fun, educational and promotional material like healthy recipes, How To’s, or tips and tricks. You should also use this opportunity to encourage members to subscribe to your blog, newsletter, and social channels.
• Upsell email: Send an upsell email within one week of the value add email. This should include a special deal or discount on paid services like personal training or specialty classes.
• Milestone email: Send a milestone email one month after the member joins to congratulate them on making it to that point, and to encourage them to keep up the good work.

Remember—a little can go a long way when it comes to positive reinforcement and member relations. This type of ongoing communication will not only assist with trust building and customer relationship building, it will also help reduce the likelihood of buyer’s remorse that oftentimes leads to membership cancellations.

To learn more about how our all-in-one, cloud-based SaaS solution can improve your customer relationship building and make membership management easy, click here.

If you are a new personal trainer or planning to become one, here are some things to consider when attracting clients.

These are the top items customers look for when hiring a personal trainer or fitness instructor. 

Certification

Proper certifications and qualifications are the first items people will ask trainers to provide. And that’s fair, right? After all, improper exercise can lead to unnecessary pain, excessive soreness and potential injury. Ouch. So, a certified personal trainer is a must.

College education isn’t necessary however, a certification from either the NASM, ACE or NSCA is required: National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), The American Council on Exercise (ACE), and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

Personality

Personality is everything. The problem is, there are a lot of different personality types in the world and -let’s face it-  not all of them get along. The same is true for clients and trainers in the health and fitness world. Professional chemistry and compatibility should be obvious during the very first session.

You won’t always hit it off with everyone, (and that’s okay) but there are some things you can do to set each new session up for success.

Listening Skills

While it’s important for the client to get a feel for who you are and what you’re all about, be sure to listen too. You will need to take note of their fitness goals, what they hope to accomplish during your sessions and which style of coaching works best for them. Communication is a vital key.

Practice What You Preach

When you’re in the business of teaching others how to better themselves, they will look to see how you are bettering yourself also.

Practice what you preach by working on your own fitness goals in your downtime, including properly fueling your body with clean foods and scheduling time for workouts.

Patience

What works for one client won’t necessarily work for all clients. Some clients may need more encouragement, motivation and direction than others. Be patient.

Authenticity

Relax and be yourself! At the end of the day, of course you want new business and clients.  But it should never come at the cost of sacrificing who you are or your values. So, just be you. When you are yourself and you’re comfortable with it, it shows. As a result, you will attract the right people for you.

Reputation

A solid reputation is another hot list item clients search for in a certified personal trainer. If you’re new to the industry, don’t worry. It isn’t impossible to get paying clients without one. But, you may have to work harder initially to earn their trust.

Once you’ve established a working relationship with a handful of people, word of mouth will take off and new clients will come knocking. One suggestion to consider is getting yourself on social media. Word of mouth is fast but in the age of social media, having an online presence is sometimes faster.

Cost and Availability

Cost and availability play big roles in deciding factors also. Open yourself up to more potential clientele by offering a flexible availability.

As for pricing, new personal trainers sometimes wrestle with how to set up their pricing packages. First, focus on your value and ask yourself what you offer to clients. Then, work on communicating that value to them. If it helps you to take a peek at competitors prices before you get started, do it. But at the end of the day, don’t be afraid to ask for what you feel your time and experience are worth. If clients are confident about your confidence, they will pay for your services.

For more fitness instructor or health and fitness industry related tips, check out more of our blog.