Introduction
Starting out as a new personal trainer can be exciting but also a challenge. Let’s say you’ve just qualified and finished your level 3 personal trainer course, your ticket into the industry. Now you’re swamped with possible directions and opportunities in front of you, with thousands of other personal trainers also looking in the same direction. In order to stand out and grow in the industry, it is imperative that you start to build your brand, develop strong relationships, and continue to develop knowledge and skills. This article will present some of the best ways you can get ahead as a new personal trainer.
Invest in Continued Education
One of the best ways to get ahead as a new personal trainer is by continually expanding on your knowledge and skills with continued education. In an industry which moves as fast as fitness, staying up to date with the latest principles and training methods is imperative.
At the PFCA, we encourage personal trainers to continue their education with FFC level 1. The course provides in depth knowledge and skill development in functional fitness, which is increasingly becoming one of the preferred styles of training. FFC is not just learning about how to coach functional fitness movements though. We teach better communication styles, how to progress and regress clients properly, and how to cue and develop movement properly for safety and performance, with a functional pattern approach to squat, hinge, lunge, uni knee, uni hip, horizontal and vertical push and pull, core static, dynamic and carry movements. The programme teaches how to intelligently create programmes which are ideal for goals in hypertrophy, strength, endurance and functional fitness.
Having a speciality with more knowledge and expertise allows you to bring more value to your clients. It helps your credibility and gives you a distinct USP from other trainers. You may also be able to charge higher rates.
Build a Strong Personal Brand
As a new personal trainer, building a personal brand in this day and age is key. Your brand communicates who you are, what you specialise in, and gives potential clients a reason to choose you over someone else. You should start by identifying your niche, essentially, what you want to specialise in and who is your ideal client. Once this is defined, you can communicate it on all your social media channels, website, business cards or gym profile poster.
Delivering the Best Experience for Clients
In an industry like personal training, which is heavily relationship based, much of your success as a personal trainer will depend on the quality of relationships you have with your clients rooted from the experience that you give them. This is why skills such as good communication, showing empathy, and keeping clients engaged and motivated are so important.
You want to make sure every client has the best experience with you, to not only keep a high retention rate, but also increase your chances of further client acquisition through word of mouth, and good reviews. It’s always far easier to keep a client than gain a new one, so keeping your clients happy through overdelivering is key.
Set Goals for Yourself
It’s easy to think of ‘goal setting’ in personal training as just applying to your client, however it is also super important for you as a new personal trainer to set professional goals for yourself. This could mean acquiring new customers, improving your retention rates, or gaining more certifications/qualifications.
Setting these goals and measuring your progress is incredibly important to figuring out what works best for you to optimise your plans going forward. Measure your success alongside what you’ve done in order to maximise your chances of success in the future.
Networking
Whilst you may be a self employed personal trainer, networking with others in the industry can open doors to new opportunities. We recommend that you network with both other personal trainers and with people in slightly different occupations such as physiotherapists and nutritionists. The personal training industry is highly recommendation based, and so getting to know professionals in other areas can help you to exchange knowledge and strategies whilst also increasing your chances of acquiring clients through referrals.
By knowing people in these professions, you also become a greater asset to your own clients, as you will have professionals to recommend in instances where your clients need those particular services.
Look for Mentors and Feedback
Having a mentor in the fitness industry can be incredibly valuable, especially when you’re first starting out. Whether it is advice on techniques, communication, business, client acquisition or retention, having a mentor can help you avoid mistakes and stay on the right track.
You should also never be afraid to ask for feedback from your clients. Having an open dialogue of what they like, what they don’t like and getting some constructive criticism both shows that you care about the way they want to be coached, and helps you tailor your approach to get the best results for them, improving retention.
Conclusion
To conclude, getting ahead as a new personal trainer essentially depends on how much you’re willing to put in. It requires a mix of creativity with personal branding, effort with further education, openness to networking and feedback and forward thinking with some goal setting and reflection. By focusing on these things, you can maximise your chances of early success in the personal training industry.