Online personal training, aka virtual personal training, has become one of the most popular and rapidly growing facets of the fitness industry. If you simply scroll through Instagram or Facebook you are likely to find hundreds of trainers (although there are literally thousands) offering their services via email, whether it be for workout design, nutritional programming or a combination of both. Unfortunately, a great number of these “online coaches” are not very experienced or knowledgeable since almost anyone with a decent physique can claim themselves an expert. However, that is a topic for another article. The point is, there is a tremendous amount of competition out there, which means that you will need a strategy for attracting new clients so as to be able to build a successful personal training business.
Promotions to Attract New Personal Training Clients
One of the best ways to catch people’s eye is to offer appealing “personal trainer discounts” and/or promotions at various times during the year that will get your inbox/email flooded with inquiries. Let’s take a look at 5 techniques I have personally used to remain a very busy virtual personal trainer for over fifteen years now.
- Straight Forward Monetary Discounts: In this case you can simply offer new clients a set amount off your services for a period of time. For example, if you normally charge $150 per month for a combination of workout and diet design, you can drop the price to $100 for a “limited time.” It is then up to you if this particular discount is only temporary (1st four weeks) or will last for a longer designated period.
- Discounts Based on Extended Packages: Most trainers offer packages of varying lengths, charging less per standard service for committing to longer contracts. So, if for example you provide packages of 4, 8, and 16 weeks, you can advertise discounts that get “deeper” if they are willing to sign up for longer. Perhaps you could offer 10% off on 4 weeks, 15% off on 8 weeks, and 25% off on 16-week commitments. This is an excellent way to entice consumers to remain a client for longer, which keeps steady money pouring into your bank account.
- Free Stuff: People love to “get something for nothing,” so if you have any products, clothes, swag or even E-books to offer new clients, this is an awesome way to draw business your way. For example, I have written several E-books about my various training methods, and have also created a small line of clothing, hats, workout bags, key chains, shaker cups etc. with my logo on them. While I normally sell these items, I will occasionally use them for promotions when looking to add on a few new clients. Giving consumers something tangible, free of charge, not only makes them more motivated to sign up, but also can help you to further “brand” yourself.
- Complimentary Skype/Facetime Consults: I feel this is one of the best ways to successfully close the deal with potential clients. Because online training is, by definition, very “impersonal,” it is often very important to people to be able to look you in the eyes at least once, so they can get to know the person they are entrusting their health and fitness with. Try offering a free 15-30 minutes consultation to new customers and I bet you will see a rapid influx of new inquiries.
- 2 for 1’s: This simply means allowing two people to sign up for the price of one. Trust me when I tell you that people have a much easier time making a commitment when they have a “partner in crime,” whether it be two friends, a husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend or even training partners. Yes, of course this means giving away your services in a sense, but it should be specified that it is only for a limited time, like 4 weeks or so. The goal is to make each person so happy with their progress that you end up with two (fully paying) clients after the promotion ends.
