Easy Way To Find And Keep Clients - 7 Simple Essentials To Get Cash Flowing Your Way

Why do most Personal Trainers keep clients for less than three months and many go bust within a year? Don't let that happen to you, here are my 7 simple essentials to lots of long term happy clients and great cash flow.

1. Remember that Everyone is a potential customer! EVERYONE? Yes that's right everyone. As a personal Trainer your niche really can be that broad if you want it to be. I ask you, how many people do you know who are actually 100% happy with how they look, their fitness level, their tone, their energy, their attitude?

My first ever Personal Training client was my Big Brothers Girlfriend, he told her she had a big bottom which needed trimming down and that she should train with me to sort it out (the power of referral!). Needless to say my training relationship with this lady lasted many times as long as my brothers romantic association with her ;-)

2. Where to start? So if everyone is a potential customer of your personal training service, where will you start? Its a big old world out there, and that's pretty broad as niches go ;-).

Take 5 sheets of paper, sit down with a refreshing beverage of your choice and write these titles at the top: Page 1, FRIENDS - these days that means copy your Facebook list right?

Page 2, RELATIVES - yes even the ones you dont really like. Page 3, OCCUPATION - people in the same job as you are in now, or have been in if you have 'retired' to become a Personal Trainer.

Page 4, GEOGRAPHICAL - meaning they live near you.

Page 5, SAME NAME - in other words they have the same first name as people on your other four lists and this has sparked your memory . (The acronym to remember is FROGS)

Then simply (I said it was simple right?) list everyone you can think of in each area of your life. I recommend that you take half an hour or so over this, leave the sheets on a table, then over a couple of days you will think of even more names.

It is crucial that you are not judgmental at this stage... by this I mean, dont assume you know who might or might nor be interested in training with you.

What you do next is email or text everyone on your lists, yes EVERYONE!

"But I dont want to be pushy", you say!

Me neither, think of this is as a press release, not a sales letter. Even if the person receiving the message doesn't want to train, they may well let someone else know about your service.

It could be something like Hi Allan (use names, NO spamming your mates!) Ive set up a Personal Training service, can you think of anyone who would like help losing weight, getting fitter/stronger/toned? Your help appreciated. All best, Jane.

3. Listen twice as much as you talk. Clients want your attention not your expertise 80% of the time! Once you have started working with your first client your focus should be, LISTENING to them.

Blurting out all your ideas and expertise simply because you may be nervous or keen to show all your knowledge at once is a common mistake.

The client is not going to remember all your pearls of wisdom if you talk at them constantly.

Remember, this is their session, it is precious, and if you do it right this will time for which they PAY YOU for ever!

I read an amazing book about 10 years ago, Time to Think, by Nancy Kline and I put some of her ideas into practice - basically listen and ask useful questions to uncover what your client really needs and wants.

When I learned to listen this way my client retention rate shot up... and has stayed at many 100s of % above industry average. If a client stays for less than a year I suspect I have been breaking my 2-1 Listening versus Talking rule!

4. Time Keeping. I told you this stuff was simple. Be on time for your clients, even if they are late, finish the session on time. This will build you a reputation for reliability and makes it easy for your clients to recommend you to others. Do not finish late because they turned up late... this punishes the next client and gives an air of unprofessionalism.

I know a couple of otherwise excellent Personal Trainers who actually went out of business due to bad timekeeping. One of them said to me, I just find, people only last a few weeks then they kinda drift away...

What this guy didn't understand was that they 'drifted away' because he was late about 70% of the time, and would call or text them as the session was starting to say he couldn't make it!

How do I know this? I was one of his clients. I really wanted to learn the Martial Arts skills this guy possessed therefore I persevered longer than your average Jo who just fancied trying a bit of fitness with a trainer.

5. Keep workouts and programs that you design, fresh and fun. Try to spend an hour every week, reading new material and checking out training ideas from new places.

For example if your area of interest is running, dont just look at running sites, instead try looking for crossover training ideas from say martial arts or gymnastics. A great place to start these days is youtube.

My own experience is that clients really appreciate variety and if you have bothered to find out about the activity they enjoy. For example I train a high level amateur cyclist and I haven't really got a clue about cycling. I have made a point of reading some cycling articles and watching coverage. This has enabled me to have an appreciation for what makes this guy tick and I can listen to his cycling tales with genuine interest now!

This kind of small thing, is actually huge in the mind of your client and brings real loyalty. This cyclist, when asked why he continues to train with me, paying me great money, said, Well I suppose its because you really give a damn about my training and how I'm getting on.

Notice he never mentions my great cycle training knowledge!

6. Be a source of positivity especially when you dont feel like it! Clients will adapt to your mood. So, if you turn up grouchy, its going to turn into a bad session and probably be a short lived training relationship.

I had an experience of low level depression myself about 8 years ago and had been training a particularly challenging client, in that he was a high profile Merchant Banker with high standards.

I was scared of this guy at first, and I felt truly down most of that year, yet I simply put that out of my mind when I was training him. At the end of the year I asked him for a reference and he wrote, Thor is a ray of sunshine.

I was truly humbled by that, because he meant it. Did I feel like a ray of sunshine? Obviously not, but if you can make a deal with yourself to 'just for this next hour', be positive, listen to and encourage your client, you will build unshakeable loyalty.

Quite apart from the long term financial rewards, this loyalty also gives you a positive feeling hard to match.

7. Don't do free sessions or give discounts to win business. Discounting in a premium sector like Personal Training devalues your personal brand in the eyes of the potential purchaser.

People might like bargains when buying clothes but who wants a bargain Heart Surgeon? You are working with peoples bodies and minds, these are important things and deserve to be treated with respect by a quality trainer. Good quality trainers should be well rewarded!

You should put up your prices at least once per year and start from a position of 10% above local averages to establish your expert status from the start. If you later wish to reward long term loyal clients with some kind of loyalty bonus, that's fine. However, never begin with discounting to attract new clients because others can always 'out-discount' you, but they can't be you - unique, special, fun to be with, and a great listener!

The 7 simple steps boil down to working hard on yourself to be a great listener, focus on the positive, want the best for clients but don't overwhelm them with your knowledge or problems!

Start with who you already know, ask clients for referrals and if they are enjoying what you do they will be delighted to help.

If they are not keen to give referrals then that is valuable information. WHY NOT? You need to know, so ask them. Is there something you are missing?

Stay humble, take on board what your clients say and act on it if possible.