Let's talk about clients!
Why is it so much hard to get personal training clients online?
Firstly, it's worth noting that success doesn't happen overnight. It takes time to build trust and to get your message out to the world.
Working face-to-face with clients and building a successful career in the gym is not the same as an online career.
In the gym, clients get to know you, see you regularly, and potentially know someone you train. It's much easier to build trust in this setting.
When personal trainers decide to move their career online, they find it hard to attract new clients because the online audience doesn't know who you are.
Here are three key actions that I encourage personal trainers to use when starting to build an online career:
1. You need to have a clear client niche.
You need to know who your audience is. A clean client niche allows you to attract more ideal clients.
Without a clear niche, you're swimming in a sea of sameness, and you'll never stand out.
In 2020-2021 personal trainers have been moving online because gyms have been closed. (cough couch COVID).
There are many online success stories, and a lot of online personal trainers are wondering why they didn't do it sooner.
The online market is now flooded. It's not a bad thing, but it does make it a lot hard to stand out.
By moving online, your potential client reach is massive. It also gives you the freedom to be your own boss and live anywhere in the world with a solid internet connection. Not to mention no more gym rent to pay.
It's a smart move.
However, it's easy to see why selling general personal training services online will be hard work. How can you possibly attract clients in a saturated market?
It would be best to have a niche because clients are not looking for a general personal trainer. They are looking for a personal trainer who can solve their health and fitness problems.
You need to choose a specific client niche and target a specific client problem. This is the best way to build trust, attract more ideal clients, and stand out as an expert.
2. You need a signature method (a specific program).
Selling packages is old school. Nobody is buying a pack of ten-session online.
To be successful, you need to have a proven signature method, a tried and tested solution to a specific client problem. What is your signature method?
Your signature method needs to moves clients from point A (where they are now) to point B (where they want to go).
Clients need to see that you have a solution to their health and fitness problems. They want to go on a journey and they want to know that you are the guide who can help them.
Clients needs to feel that your program has been specifically made for them.
Think of it this way, if I'm a client who is struggling with lower back pain, am I going to hire an online personal trainer who says, "I can help you improve your fitness and live the best life possible," or will I go to the online personal trainer who says, " I've built, and 12-week eliminate lower back pain program so you can get out of bed and attack the day with confidence."
I'm going to signup for coach number two.
A signature mthod that is packaged and marketed correctly will powerfully attract clients. It's far more appealing than buying a 10session package or a monthly subscription for general training.
On a side note, once a client has completed your signature program, you can then offer ongoing training via a subscription model.
3. You need to have consistent visibility.
You need to show up and produce content regularly. This can be social media posts, stories, blog posts, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc...
If you're working at a gym, potential clients see you every day. They watch what you do. They chat with you, speak with your clients, compare you to the other trainers, and grow to trust you before giving you their money.
People will buy based on trust. It important that you make the time to built trust.
Showing up consistently is one key way to build trust. Clients look at your content because they want consistent value.
Finding clients online requires you to get online and seek out your potential clients. One way you can do this is to find existing Facebook groups that match your client niche. If your training "women with thyroid issues," you can seek thyroid support groups. If you're offering "mobility training for tight AF CrossFit athletes", you can find CrossFit groups.
Make sure the group doesn't belong to another personal trainer or fitness company. Start to connect with the members. Share information, answer questions, DM members to find out more about their health and fitness problems (not in a sales pushing fashion). Show empathy before offering your support and guidance.
Another way to attract online clients is to run workshops. Yes, even though you want online clients, you can often find them by running a workshop.
Where will you run your workshop? Where do your ideal clients hang out? The hairdressers, the health food store, the sports club, the sports shop, or even online.
It's much easier to build trust when you're face-to-face with potential clients. Getting in front of new faces, sharing your knowledge, showing empathy, showing authority, and find out more about your ideal clients is essential to your success.
If you're going to build an online personal training career, you will need to begin by getting in front of clients. You need to commit time during your week to search for potential clients and connect with them.
Final throughts
Rejection is hard. But over time, we learn what works and how to connect to our audience in a meaningful way that builds trust. We need to keep moving forward with self-belief, even when there is minimal external validation.
Keep your head up, champ! You can do this!
When you do decide to take your personal training career online, you need to transition slowly. I'd recommend you continue working with your current clients. If you are doing face-to-face sessions, keep that up.
It can take 6-18months to transition, and you're going to need to pay the bills.
Take it slow. Enjoy the journey.
If you put in the hard work, you will enjoy the freedom and the wealth that a successful online career offers.
Are you struggling to define your client niche and generate client leads online?
Let's get your message out to the world and build a freedom-based, money-making online career.
Grab your free copy of 3 Niche Building Steps for Online Personal Training Success.