Last week I commandeered a post on fitness business shenanigans from friend, and fellow gym owner, Mike Perry of Skill of Strength. I took his original, bulleted-point list and added my own two cents to each one. You can check out points 1-10 HERE.
Today I want to highlight points 11-20.
On Running a Fitness Business: Part 2
11. Community is everything.
TG: Mike Boyle has a famous quote that I’ve heard repeated time and time again:
“No one cares how much you know, till they know how much you care.”
I think it’s fucking pimp-level status that you know all 17 muscles that attach to the scapulae, have taken all 417 PRI courses, and can work Dan Duchaine quotes into casual conversation on gluceoneogenesis.
You’re a fitness nerd superstar and we should go practice karate in the garage together.
However, it’s likely the bulk of your clients could give two flying whatevers about the scapulae, breathing patterns, and/or the Kreb’s Cycle. All most really care about is that 1) you help them get results and 2) you’re cool to hang out with and not a pretentious, uppity a-hole.
Community is huge. People want to be amongst their people. Why do you think Hyrox has replaced CrossFit and is so successful? It isn’t the endless burpees and kipping pull-ups – I’ll tell you that much.
It’s the immense sense of community and being surrounded by other like-minded individuals that makes all the difference in the world.
This doesn’t always have to be attached to fitness either. I know some gyms where staff or even members organize a book or movie club, where people get together every so often to discuss prose or film.
Organizing day-trips is another fantastic way to build community.
Legacy Strength in Floral Park, NY will organize hiking trips outside the city or other “active” activities for their members. The peeps at Mark Fisher Fitness champion community service, which is amazing.
Dan John stresses “intentional community” where people come in to train, as a group, for free (and to have fun).
There are endless ways to build your community. Be creative. Pants optional.
12. Get everything in writing and NO special deals!!
TG: This is the face I make whenever I inform someone what my prices are at CORE and they shoot back with:
“Ah, I see. Well, do you offer any discounts or maybe a free trial session or something?”
HERE’s a post a wrote not too long ago on why I don’t offer discounted rates or free sessions.
Unless your name is Matt Damon or Rambo (or you have a time machine and can bring back early 90’s Mariah Carey) I’m probably not going to cut you a deal.
You wouldn’t ask a dentist or lawyer for a “free trial run,” so don’t ask me.
13. Get used to working mornings and evenings. The middle of the day is for eating, training, errands, and hopefully a power nap.
TG: In all seriousness, I’d also toss in continuing education here: catching up on digital courses, articles, research reviews, and, okay, the latest season of Lioness.
TG: My wife and I like to go out to dinner on Saturday nights. Thankfully we live in a great “foodie” city – Boston – which offers an infinite selection of restaurants to visit and try out. One of the things I’ll judge a place on is the cleanliness of their restrooms. If they can’t bother to keep that area clean, what’s the likelihood the kitchen isn’t covered in Ebola?
Take pride in your space. While I’ll be the first to admit you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, you can be damn sure people are judging you on the cleanliness of your gym.
NOTE: the only exception here are legit powerlifting gyms. I don’t have any Pub-Med studies to back this up, but I’m pretty sure the grungier the gym – and the more tetanus shots required to touch the barbells – the stronger the people are.
15. Word of mouth is often times the best marketing.
TG: Your clients are almost always going to be your best source of marketing.
I mean, if you think about it it makes sense. What’s likely to be more effective at driving more traffic to your gym: a random Facebook Ad that looks and sounds just like every other Facebook Ad? Or the honest endorsement from a spouse, friend, or colleague?
Here are two pieces of advice when it comes to word of mouth marketing:
Don’t be afraid to ask your clients to help spread the word. Ask them to share posts on social media. Ask them to refer people your way. It’s likely they’re more than willing to do so.
Reward them for it. I give all clients a 20% discount on their next package if they refer someone to me and that individual ends up purchasing a package him or herself.
16. Your family is more important than your business. It’s very easy to overlook this.
TG: Since becoming a dad almost ten years ago (my gosh, time flies!) this has never been more relevant. It’s not lost on me that your livelihood (the gym) is what puts a roof over your head and puts food on the table; I get it.
It IS important.
That said, so is your family, and if you’re more interested in reviewing last month’s margins for the 42nd time or figuring out whether you should switch the toilet paper in the bathroom then I’d make the argument you need to reset your priorities.
Maybe it’s the curmudgeon in me talking, but I truly feel that it’s important for all fitness pros to dedicate one day a week (at least) to either family time or personal time. What you do with that person time is on you. Catching up on shows, reading, Legos, or, I don’t know, kitty cuddles. It’s all gravy. Just try to make time for it outside of the #grind.
17. Networking is huge. Find good people to work with.
TG: I have been so fortunate in my career to be surrounded by such studs and studettes. That and I am just a very cool person to hang out with.
Going out of your way to reach out to other coaches and health/fitness professionals in your area – physical therapists, massage therapists, physicians, dietitians – is one of the best business decisions you can partake in.
Make appointments to go shadow or observe other people, follow suit with a “thank you” note, and I can almost guarantee you’ll get some referrals out of it.
This is the actual “thank you” card I send people.
18. You need a ” business person “
TG: This x a bazillion-gazillion “Mmmm hmmm’s.”
One of the aspects that made Cressey Sports Performance so successful at it’s infancy was the fact Pete Dupuis was on board to do all the “businessy” stuff – track sessions, bookkeeping, collecting payments, payroll, taking phone calls & answering emails – which then allowed Eric and I to do what what we did best: assessments, write programs, coach, and argue over who had control of the stereo.
Even if you hired someone as a business consultant to help you set up better systems and organize ways to be more efficient, someone you spoke to weekly or even on a monthly basis, even that, would be money well spent.
Not long ago a friend and colleague of mine, Mike Perry of Skill of Strength, posted a list (or treatise if you will) on his Facebook page of things to consider when running a fitness business.
It was great.
Mind you, in the age of AI things have gotten a bit more interesting and somewhat complicated. What’s more, it doesn’t help that whenever you peruse social media there are any number of “business coaches” telling you how easy it is to make millions in this industry despite the fact that very few fitness professionals make six figures.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the highest-earning 10% of fitness trainers and instructors make upwards of $80,740 per year in base wages. The math doesn’t math on TikTok I suppose.
Nonetheless, I have always been a firm believer that BASICS matter first…whether we’re talking actual training or even business advice.
I wanted to share them here with my own thoughts and additions after Mike’s suggestions.
On Running a Fitness Business…
1. You’re not going to get 50 leads a week. If you do, most of them are rubbish. Don’t bother clicking on that sponsored ad.
TG: The selfie video filmed from inside a private jet or with a group of models and a Camaro in the background should be a red flag enough.
The truth of matter is: allowing your business to grow organically via patience, hard work, and word of mouth is almost always going to “win out” over the quick gratification you’ll receive from dolling out a few hundred dollars to some fucktart who doesn’t even own a gym in the first place.
Guess what: When I was at Cressey Sports Performance we didn’t spend one single dollar on advertising or marketing in the first five or so years we were open. Maybe even longer (if at all now that I think about it). Likewise, since being on my own since 2015 I have not had to rely on Google ads or social media marketing in order to gain clients.
Instead here’s what I have always focused on: Greeting people with a smile. being a cool person to hang out with for an hour, and actually getting people results. Oh, and keeping my B.O under control.
Quit looking for the easy fixes, shut up, and do the work.
2. Systems matter. Make it as clear as possible.
TG: There should be as little ambiguity as possible here. When someone reaches out to me asking about training I give them the rundown:
Assessment cost this much. In the assessment we will cover “x,y, and z.” And, to keep things as transparent as possible I even send along my pricing sheet so they’re aware of expected costs should they choose to continue.
Systems will vary depending on size of a facility. I mean, how I go about “systemizing” my way of doing things – as a one-man show – compared to when I was at CSP, tag-teaming responsibilities amongst a larger staff, needs to be taken into account.
Suffice it to say, verbiage used during an assessment (and with larger staffs, ensuring the same verbiage is used to coach and cue exercises), pricing, cancellation policies, collecting payments, how programs are dispersed, tracking of sessions, scheduling, what night is after hours Fight Club, all of it, needs to be systemized to prevent chaos.
3. You cannot do it all yourself. Well, you can for a bit. Eventually you will get burnt out.
TG:I’ll tell you this: It helps to have a very understanding partner. I can’t thank my wife enough for her support throughout the years.
“Oh, my bad babe, I can’t watch House of the Dragon tonight because I’ve got programs to write.”
The thing about the fitness industry is that we work when others don’t. This is compounded when you factor in all the chores and responsibilities that percolate the “to do” list outside the actual hours of training clients.
Cleaning, bookkeeping, program writing, throwing one’s face into a brick wall, etc.
One thing I’ve done that has helped my life immensely is to hire a personal assistant. For the past several years, Keeley has performed all the tasks that are time sucks on my end: tracking sessions, doing some proofreading, keeping track of client’s birthdays, running my newsletter, and other organizational shenanigans.
It allows me to focus more on the things that matter most: Going to see The Odyssey for the second time.
Just kidding. Three.
I do feel some people are quick to turn their nose up on menial jobs like cleaning bathrooms and such. If you’ve just opened, and overhead is high, why “waste” money on something that’ll take you 15 minutes to accomplish.
I know some gym owners – and successful ones at that – you still do their own painting, assemblage of equipment, as well as cleaning duties.
You’re not above it. If anything it builds character and more pride in the business.
But yeah, after awhile, getting some help is life-changing.
4. If you train 30 hours a week and you want your own place, plan on doubling that.
TG: When we opened up CSP, and for the first 1-2 years thereafter we’d all put in at least 10-12 hours per day, 6, sometimes 7 days per week.
It’s no fucking joke.
Please, don’t enamor yourself with the idea that gym ownership is the holy grail, top seat, in this industry.
There’s no secret club or handshake that you’re privy to once you own a gym. For many all it means is added debt and stress. I actually wrote about how I’d never want to own my own gym early in my career…
5. Social media matters. It’s a game that has to be played whether you like it or not.
TG: My tenets to social media:
Engage with your audience. What’s the point of having it if you don’t take the time to answer questions and correspond with your followers?
More times than not – and I understand this is tough given the current political and social climate – distancing yourself from political and religious commentary is best. NOTE: I actually had a new client confide in me that she left her previous trainer due to his proclivity at talking politics during sessions (and on social media). I’m not saying it’s wrong or that it should be avoided 100% of the time – I’ve dabbled in it occasionally – but everyone has to weigh the opportunity costs of doing so.
The more you make it about YOUR CLIENTS and THEIR journey’s, the better.
Share, share, share.
Less selfies and badonkadonk camera angles, more actionable content
LOLCat memes are fair game though.
6. At first, train everyone. Eventually the energy vampires will leave and you will create a solid client base.
TG:I think this sage advice. I don’t want to touch it.
But I will anyways.
I’m lucky in that I’m at the point where career capital matters. 20+ years in the industry = I’ve developed enough of a name and reputation for myself via my writing that I could basically feed my Zod complex and people would just come to me.
The bulk of people who start up with me are kinda already familiar with me and know what they’re getting themselves into.
I mean, my tagline is “Because Heavy Things Won’t Lift Themselves.”
I wonder what would have happened if I named my place Toned Tony’s Palace of Techno and Tickle Fights?
7. If you are going to specialize in one thing, you should aim to be the best at it.
TG:Again, not much I need to add here as it speaks for itself.
There was a time at CSP when we were reticent to be accepted as the “baseball facility.” We were scared that if we did so we’d be leaving other business on the table.
We were wrong.
Thankfully, we (namely, Eric) saw that there was an underserved population out there and we took it upon ourselves to be THE guys to train baseball players.
I’d caution you to think you have to be a jack of all trades. Strive to be the best at one thing and I can almost guarantee you’ll crush.
So, whether you want to specialize in training certain athletes, powerlifters, fat-loss clients, postpartum, or bomb sniffing dolphins…own it.
8. Some days owning a business is awful.
TG:Makes me think of THIS post by Pete Dupuis on “hidden” costs to opening a fitness facility.
Owning a gym can be frustrating, tiring, stressful, and altogether a cornucopia of clusterfuckery. A valuable lesson I learned though, is to not let any of that affect your ability to provide a welcoming and productive experience to your clients and athletes.
You still need to be able to shut all that out, smile, and go coach.
9. Some people are just jerks.
TG:Oh man, this could be a blog post on its own.
You learn to roll with the punches. My wife, a psychologist, is always quick to point out that most of the time when someone acts rudely or uncouth it rarely has anything to do with you as a person.
She’s a doctor and gives people the benefit of the doubt. I just point out they’re likely an insatiable a-hole.
“It’s too cold, it’s too hot, I don’t want to do this, I hate this exercise, the music sucks, I feel fat, it’s Thursday, blah blah blah.”
The beauty about owning your own spot is that you don’t have to take them on as a client, or, worse case (and this RARELY happens), you fire them.
10. If potential clients say things like ” it’s too much money” or ” do you have anything cheaper” they are most likely going to be a pain in the butt. It’s ok to say no.
TG: All I’ll say here is that I wrote an article on why I don’t think it’s a good idea to discount your rates or offer free sessions HERE.
This Isn’t It
I think this post is long enough and we’re at a good point where we can stop and take a few breaths.
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the most savvy business person.
I likely wouldn’t be able to tell you my P & L breakdown for the month of December, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you how many sessions I completed that month either, and I assuredly, still, would need a few seconds to remember which is better:
I’m no Pat Rigsby or Pete Dupuis, but when it comes to the “x’s” and “o’s” of (fitness) business acumen I’d put myself in the same vein as the show Severence.
Pretty okay, not great.
And with that I want to share FIVE “things” you can do TODAY to help you retain more clients.
No Diggidy, No Doubt
1. Stop Selling/Pushing/Requiring Packages
I understand this won’t resonate or apply to those coaches/trainers who work out of a commercial gym setting, but for all others reading hear me out. This is something I adopted from my time at Cressey Sports Performance and a concept CSP business director, Pete Dupuis, has championed for years.
Not many things are going to make someone pump the brakes on hiring you as their coach more than you asking/requiring a massive amount of money out of the gate.
You: “That was an excellent assessment, I think we’ll be able to get a lot accomplished if we can work together.”
Client:“I agree. How much will it cost to get started?”
You:“I require six months in advance, and you have to share your Netflix account with me.”
Not many people are going to do cartwheels and take out their checkbook when they hear something like that.
It’s daunting and absurd.
Instead, offer a monthly rate.
It’s way less intimidating.
It forces you to EARN their business every month.
2. Know the WHY.
This quote should explain things:
If YOU (the fitness professional) can’t explain the “why” behind an exercise or modality in a program how in the heck do you expect your client/athlete to buy into it much less understand it?
— Tony Gentilcore (I’m cool. I quote myself)
3. People LOVE to Hear Their Name
I learned this subtle trick from my friends at Mark Fisher Fitness.
The coaching staff there have a rule:
“Each client must hear his or her’s name a minimum of three times during any given session.”
It ensures to the client that YOU’RE present and validates you’re paying attention to THEM.
“Great to see you today Matt Damon. Go a head and warm-up and lets get to work.”
“Hey, Matt Damon, that set of squats looked amazing.”
“Matt Damon, have I ever told you you’re the wind beneath my wings?”
It’s a brilliant if not altogether underutilized tactic.
This is going to be the most cliche piece of advice I’m going to give.
Call your mother.
Seriously, stop being a jerk.
Also, don’t discount the power of a hand-written note or card. Every client of mine receives a Birthday card of some sort every year. Here’s this year’s iteration: In it I’ll write a little sumthin, sumthin and also include a $10-$15 gift card to a local coffee shop or movie theater.
Clients love it, and there’s little doubt in my mind that this teeny-tiny gesture produces an immense ROI that bodes in my favor.
Likewise, if I haven’t seen a client in a while, or he or she has fallen off the grid, I’ll send them a “wildcard” care saying something to the effect of “Hey, where TF have you been? You too good for me? YOU THINK YOU’RE BETTER THAN ME?!?!”
One of two things usually happens:
1. They come back.
2. I’m handed a restraining order.
5. Just Do Your Job
Smiling (without being obnoxious or creepy about it), showing up on time, providing feedback and a fun, inviting environment, showing empathy (albeit not refraining from offering tough love when needed), and writing programs based on your CLIENT’s ability level and your CLIENT’s needs and your CLIENT’s goals doesn’t require a fancy algorithm or a bevy of letters next to your name.
It’s called doing your job.
And it’s amazing how that alone will make all the difference in the world.
Alas, my take on debauchery is to stay up past my bedtime to watch a Cirque Du Soleil show4 and to then trek back to my hotel room to watch House Hunters on HGTV.
I like to live life dangerously.
I’m actually here because I was invited to put on a full-day staff in-service for a local gym. I flew in Thursday morning and am heading back to Boston on Sunday. A quick trip for sure, but one that allots me plenty of introvert time.
To that end, today I have another guest post from Gavin McHale who’s been on fire lately with his contributions to the site.
I hope you’re enjoying his content, because I know I am. Especially today’s post. It really punched me in the face.
The Real Reason None of Those Business Tactics Have Worked
When I was a young buck in the fitness industry, I was full of piss and vinegar and I wanted to make sure my career was a success.
For an entire year after I graduated University, I studied blogs like this one, Dean Somerset, Kelly Starrett and others on T-Nation. I scoured the internet to find new things I could add to my training toolbox. If I wasn’t on the gym floor, I was reading a blog or textbook about being on the gym floor.
Then came the business building blogs. I read every article on the PTDC. I followed John Romaniello and Craig Ballantyne. I was eating it all up and reading everything I could.
And my business grew.
Most likely, it grew by happenstance – because I was good at what I did. It grew naturally, through word of mouth, as I’m sure your’s has.
But I didn’t have a hot clue as to why it was growing, or how to repeat the process to build a high paying, successful business.
Plus, I was starting to see the “trading time for money” model bumping up against the lifestyle I wanted to live. I was in my mid twenties – I wanted to travel.
I had a new girlfriend and I kinda wanted to see her.
Was the 6-1, 4-8 grind really going to be how I lived the rest of my life?
Plus, I was making a pretty average salary that I could’ve made in most 9-5’s with a university degree.
So, I turned my attention to growing the online side of my business. This would solve all my problems. I’d be able to help more people, work less and earn more money.
This was the ticket.
I slapped together a (terrible) website and started up an instagram page for my business. I assumed people would just bring me their credit cards.
But they didn’t. It was crickets.
I toiled away for nearly a year trying to build my online business in this way, while still working crazy hours on the gym floor to pay the bills.
That’s when I signed up for business coaching.
I paid more money than I had and over the year-long program, I took away a lot of tools.
How to price my programs, how to write website copy, how to post on social media and use lead magnets and create an email list.
Keep in mind, this was 2016, before business coaching was even cool.
After a year of that and some minor success, I jumped to another business coach.
More ideal client building.
More social media tactics and email list hacks.
Lots of sales training.
By this time, I had invested nearly $30,000 and probably could’ve written a textbook on ideal client building, copywriting and sales.
I knew this shit front to back.
And, truth be told, my business was doing quite well. I made pretty good money and about 30% of it was online, giving me some freedom to live my life and travel.
But seriously… what the fuck man?
$30K and tons of work and all I got was an above average 9-5 corporate salary while still working mind boggling hours and falling asleep during movies on date night?
Tons of hours on the gym floor coupled with every other waking hour on my computer or phone, scratching and clawing my way to a few more dollars a month.
I had every tactic and strategy I could ever need, but I was still left searching for more. I continued to look for business blogs and other coaches who could teach me more hacks and tactics.
That’s when I was slapped in the face with reality, because I was looking for the wrong things.
I had met a coach (and actually slept on his couch) in my first business coaching experience whose business was now taking off, two years later.
While I was doing marginally better, he had gone from essentially zero income when we met (and living off his savings) to nearly $1,000,000 a year.
What the fuck was I doing wrong?
His content was about more than just business tactics. He talked about self talk and mindset and the subconscious brain – things I had never really heard about beyond “play with more confidence” in my hockey days.
It was 2018 and I had been at this online business building thing for three years now. This was the last ditch effort. This was make-or-break.
I signed up, dropped another 5-figures in hopes this would be the ticket to the business and the lifestyle I wanted.
And in the first week of the coaching experience, my entire world view was shattered when I learned about how my language affects my self-talk, which affects my belief and my habits, which then affects my success (or lack thereof).
I mean, we all know this deep down, but none of us ever really face the reality that we are in control (and, therefore, at fault) for everything that happens in our life, good and bad.
I certainly never took responsibility for the place I was at and the results I had up until that point.
As I dug in further to the new program, he talked about my subconscious brain and the limiting beliefs I held that were like an emergency brake on my success.
I was trying to drive a Ferrari with the emergency brake on.
I didn’t like it, and when he personally challenged me on a coaching call midway through the course, I checked out.
All that money was circling the drain because I couldn’t face the fact that my own brain and my own beliefs were the reason nothing was working for me.
Anytime I had ever failed, I blamed others. My hockey coaches never gave me a chance. My former business coaches didn’t give me the right tactics for my business.
And now… I was left with nothing but the face in the mirror.
Luckily, this particular course is available for life. So even though I copped out and my coaching calls had run out, I could still come back to it.
After about 6 months, I came back.
I realized that the only way forward, the only way to get what I wanted, was through some really tough stuff.
I could either turn away and continue with a mediocre business (which is totally fine, by the way) or I could drop my shoulder and lean in.
I had to face my fears and literally change my brain if I wanted to have success.
And this is where, after now coaching nearly 100 fitness professionals in building their businesses since 2019, I see most of you struggling.
Information, strategy and tactics are important.
You need to know how to write words that help people take action.
You need to know how to communicate your value in conversations and content.
You need to have an excellent client journey and provide an amazing service.
But, without belief and a mindset that is helping you move in the right direction, none of that matters. None of it will get you what you truly want, whether that’s a fat bank account or a fulfilling life, or both.
You’ll be revving the engine and spinning your tires in the driveway.
This is why the majority of business coaching programs get people some results, but not enough to warrant the gnarly price tag.
They give you all the tactics and strategies you could ever dream of.
But it’s all built on an expectation that you already have the belief and confidence in yourself that many don’t. And when things inevitably get tough or don’t go as planned, they can’t offer anything more than “try harder” and “do it more.”
I’m not here for that.
So, allow me to leave you with one actionable item you can take from here before you go.
Your language plays a massive role in your outcomes. Your self-talk guides your thoughts. Your thoughts turn into your beliefs over time.
So if you want to shed old, self-sabotaging patterns and build belief, you must go to the source – your language.
There are three things we catch our clients saying inside the Maverick Coaching Academy, and they are not allowed.
Try
What’s that Yoda saying? “Do or do not, there is no try.” Case closed.
I Can’t
By saying you can’t, you are immediately shirking responsibility for that thing. You can, you’re just choosing not to. If it mattered enough to you, you would.
I Should
Whenever you say you should do something, it tells your subconscious brain that you’re doing it against your own will. It says, “I don’t want to, but some outside source is making me so I guess I should.”
Hmmm, doesn’t sound too powerful to me.
So, for the next week, I challenge you to watch your language. Notice when and how often you’re saying try, can’t and should.
Then, without judgment, simply think about how you could phrase that differently and note how much different it feels when you do.
This lesson is literally the first lesson inside our paid course. It is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what we teach inside Maverick Coaching Academy. If you’d like to learn more, follow me on Instagram and send me a message saying you read this.
I’d love to hear your story and how the language challenge goes for you, so don’t be a stranger.
Thank you for reading, I hope I’ve left you with something valuable.
About the Author
As a Kinesiology graduate, Gavin McHale quickly realized that following the traditional business model would lead to trading more time for more money.
Over the course of 8 years, Gavin built a 6-figure hybrid training business before founding the Maverick Coaching Academy in 2019.
Since then, Gavin has left the gym and gone all in helping other strength coaches build their businesses. He has made it his mission to fix the broken fitness industry and connect other amazing humans to the highest version of themselves.
I sincerely hope everyone out there had a splendid holiday season filled with copious amounts of love, friendship, and cookies.
Admittedly, I am a tad late with posting this article from TG.com regular, Gavin McHale, but the message is one that should resonate with most fitness professionals regardless of the time of year.
I.e., discussing detox diets, WTF actually happened in Matrix Resurrections? money with potential clients.
I think this will help a lot of trainers out there.
2 Keys to “I Can’t Afford It”: Especially Around the Holidays
If you’ve ever heard “I don’t have the money right now,” or “I’ll sign up when things settle down,” pull up a chair, you’re going to want to keep reading.
I have a very clear memory of a sales conversation that changed everything for me. I was selling personal training at a middling price point and sales were a breeze.
My schedule was filling up, but my bank account wasn’t.
Here’s how it normally went: Client walks in, referred by a friend or family. I show them the gym, with the music bumpin’ and others just like them working out, take them through a movement assessment, drop some knowledge and make them feel better, then share the price.
They were sold.
They were sold before they even walked in. I just had to walk through an open door. I was more of an order taker than a salesperson.
Then, I made the move over to selling on the phone and added an online component to the program, increasing the price.
My first call was with a former teammate of mine now doing investment banking in Toronto, Canada’s money capital.
As we moved through the call, it became very clear he was making excellent money – the stock market had been good to him. However, he had let his once athletic body go and could barely make it up and down the ice in rec hockey anymore.
He was a perfect fit for my new program, built for former athletes wanting to get back to the glory days.
When we got to the pricing, I shared my new and improved price of $2000 for a 10-week program.
He resisted.
“Ah, Gav… that’s not in the cards right now. I’ll have to wait until the New Year when I get my bonus.”
I knew this guy was earning upwards of $200,000 a year, buying lavish dinners out most nights and otherwise living the life of a young man with money.
But he couldn’t stomach $2k to get his energy and youth back?
Something wasn’t adding up and I was thrown, letting him off the phone with a “maybe later.”
Sometimes, I’ll admit it, it is about the money. And that’s okay…
More often than not, it has NOTHING to do with money.
It has everything to do with fear.
Fear of failure.
Fear the program won’t work for them.
Fear that you’re not the leader they need.
Fear of the unknown.
So often, our potential clients miss out on life changing experiences because of fear. They get in their own way and say no to things they know they desperately need.
If you know you can help this person, it’s your responsibility to help them take that scary leap into the great unknown. It’s on you to hold their hand as they jump.
Have a Human Conversation
If they object, the most important thing is to have a human conversation with the person on the other end of the phone. It’s okay to disagree, but you’re not butting heads with one another, trying to go separate ways.
You both want the same thing – for them to succeed and grow beyond what they’ve been able to do before. So instead of going opposite directions, think about being a few steps ahead, reaching out your hand and asking them to come along with you.
By staying calm and appearing certain, you position yourself as the leader that they desperately need. Their brain is freaking out because up until the point you mentioned money, they wanted and needed this program.
Once you regain rapports by empathizing with their situation (I’m sure you’ve had difficult decisions to make in the past), you can now start to help them see that their decision making compass is what got them to this place, in desperate need of help.
I call this the Dickens Method, thanks to his famous Christmas story.
We’re going to help them see the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.
In fact, the entire call up to this point should’ve been helping them see the problems they’re having right now. The ghost of Christmas Present should have punched them in the face and how their reality is not in line with their goals and desires.
Now, we must help them recognize the default in their past behaviors and help them see that repeating those behaviors again will only lead to the same place.
Remember, this most likely isn’t about the money…
Simply ask, “How has this belief affected your decisions about your health and fitness in the past?”
They may have made a bad investment in the past… Maybe a bad trainer, a treadmill that sits unused or a gym membership that they’re still paying for but have yet to use.
It’s your job to help them see why that won’t happen again with you.
On the other hand, they may have shied away from other opportunities in the past because they thought they couldn’t afford it or they felt like they weren’t ready or it wasn’t the right time…
Notice the pattern.
You should have leverage to pull from earlier in the conversation as to why they’re not where they want to be, and if you can frame it for them to see that the main reason is this built-in lack of belief, you can help change their perspective to one that’s ready to make a change.
And since you’ve covered the ghost of Christmas past and present already, you can now show them the ghost of Christmas future, helping them paint a picture of what their future may look like…
“I want you to look forward to 6 months into the future… How will your life look any different than it does now if you don’t make a change? If you don’t do this, do you think your financial situation will get better and you’ll be able to invest then? Do you think your fitness level will improve in that time without support?”
What if we could help you move closer to your desired result in the first month working together, would that put your mind at ease as to making this investment?”
These are all questions they’ve probably never thought to ask themselves, and although they may seem forward or ‘too pushy’ to those of us averse to sales, you’re on the verge of helping someone make the biggest and most terrifying decision of their life.
It’s on you to ask.
The Jiu Jitsu Rule of Sales
When a jiu jitsu coach was asked by a student how to get out of a certain headlock position, the coach responded with an answer no one was expecting.
“The best way to get out of that headlock is to avoid getting into it in the first place.”
In other words, if you’re in it, you’ve already made a lot of mistakes and put yourself in a tough position.
So, here are 3 ways to make sure you don’t get put in the headlock of a price objection:
1. Make Sure They FEEL Their Pain
Allow them to fully understand the prison they’re currently living in and the problems it’s causing in their life and the lives of others they care about
How is their lack of energy affecting their kids?
How is their low self confidence showing up in their relationship?
How is their weight gain affecting their own self worth?
Although these questions are difficult to ask, you must help them understand the scope of the problem, so they’ll be willing to take the steps to fix it.
2. Help Them See the Gap Between Their Current Life and Their Ideal Life
Once you’ve opened up the pain and taken them deep into their emotions related to that, it’s time to flip the script and help them paint a picture of their ideal future. Then, you can recap it in a way that emphasizes the difference between these two states.
3. Finally, You Must Learn to COMMUNICATE YOUR VALUE In a Way That Shows Your Prospect the Direct Benefits to Them
If they care about their kids, tailor every piece of what you do to how it will affect their kids. If they’re scared of losing their identity, make every pillar of your program about maintaining that identity or getting it back.
It’s not enough to tell them what your program is or what they get for their money. It has to be relayed in a way that they can see themselves benefitting from it.
For example, think about pitching the app you use to deliver your training program.
OPTION 1:“You’ll get set up on our app and all your workouts are available there for you. We do 3 days a week of strength training programming.”
OPTION 2: “Imagine walking into the gym, having everything you need in the palm of your hand. Exercises, sets and reps so you know exactly what’s next. Exercise demos are built in so you never have to worry about doing it wrong. We provide that peace of mind with this program.”
OPTION 3 (added by TG)“If you don’t use my app, Rambo will be angry. You don’t want Rambo to be angry.”
See the difference in how I present the exact same thing?
This is not about persuading someone or swindling someone into something that will only benefit you. Overcoming objections is about finding a win-win situation for everyone.
We both know that waiting until until “things settle down” is not only going to set them back months in their progress, but it’ll most likely lead into the next “life thing” that will keep them from signing up.
There will never be a perfect time to make a huge life decision, but if you’re there to guide them through and bring certainty, they can make the best decision for them and you’ve created a win-win for everyone!
Finally
A great sales or enrollment conversation is really the first coaching call, holding them accountable and allowing them to see just how you can help them in the long run.
This stuff is literally the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what we teach inside Maverick Coaching Academy. If you’d like to learn more, follow me on Instagram and let me know you read this – I can send you our sales framework, which our clients have used to sell close to $1,000,000 in training programs, absolutely free.
About the Author
As a Kinesiology graduate, Gavin McHale quickly realized that following the traditional business model would lead to trading more time for more money.
Over the course of 8 years, Gavin built a 6-figure hybrid training business before founding the Maverick Coaching Academy in 2019.
Since then, Gavin has left the gym and gone all in helping other strength coaches build their businesses. He has made it his mission to fix the broken fitness industry and connect other amazing humans to the highest version of themselves.
With my gym expansion here in Boston now back on the “to do” list, this guest post from New England based personal trainer and educator, Casey Lee, couldn’t have come at a better time.
I’ve always felt that one of the things many gym owners fail to prioritize is the client experience.
In short: From the minute a client walks into the facility to the point where (s)he leaves, what is happening?
Where do they place their belongings?
Where do they warm-up?
Does the layout of the facility make sense? Is it designed for 1v1 or semi-private or group sessions?
Where do the Jean Claude Van Damme posters go?
All of these are important, pertinent questions that are sewn into the client experience and play an integral role in the success of any facility.
If you polled ten strangers on the street and asked them what personal trainers did for a living, what do you think the breakdown of their answers would be?
Workout? Probably a solid 33%
Count reps? Cue eye roll. That probably gets a vote.
Eat out of tupperware? You know the real ones would say this.
Seriously though, whenever I would attempt a bite to eat between clients, the second I cracked the lid, like clockwork, my client would open the door.
The perfect X-mas present for any trainer in your family
Ultimately the biggest answer, I think, would be that we write workouts for people.
I like to call it ‘fitness prescriptions’, because, well, that’s what we’re doing.
We prescribe sets, reps, tempo’s, which you implement to use for your bicep curls, and of course, the occasional tupperware recommendation for our protege’s of strength that are trying to eat their gains on the go.
But Coach, I have a novel concept for you to include in your prescription.
Yes, I used the word novel. This is a big flippin’ deal!
Okay, maybe not novel, but it is truly important and I think has been ignored & overlooked alongside the many advancements of fitness programming.
Facility Logistics
Facility logistics can be a pretty big list. How many squat racks on the training floor? What increments do the dumbbells increase by? Ranging all the way to client-facility logistics like the time of day you train and how busy it is. For my brothers and sisters who train at a commercial gym, you’ll appreciate this one…
…is there going to be a small group or group exercise class going on that will boot you from the area needed to train. Anyone who’s been privy to being ousted from their power rack because of a looming “Tank Top Triceps” class I’m sure can commiserate as follows:
In 12 years of coaching out of a commercial health club, I can recall countless times that clients would receive their exercise prescription, full of thoughtful movement variations and calculated training volume, only to have a group exercise class bump them from a training spot on the floor or have some gaggle of high school kids monopolize 2 of the 4 squat racks.
I can visualize the email right now. I’ve seen it dozens of times.
“Hey Coach, went to the gym last night for my workout and couldn’t get any of the equipment. Ran for 45 minutes and went home.”
Sweet.
I think there is a case to be made that facility logistics, not exercise selection, sets, reps, tempo, or any of that jazz, is the most important programming variable that we need to consider. Specifically the facility that your client will be using when they are not training with you (boutique and aspiring online coaches take note).
So consider it we must!
And here’s how…
During the client onboarding, consider these questions:
1. When you’re not training in our private sessions, where do you envision your other workouts taking place?
(At said place) what time of day do you think you’ll be training?
*If the answer is at a commercial-style or big box gym, follow up with something like this…
2. Do they have equipment you feel comfortable using? Could you send me pictures of what the gym’s set up looks like?
Have you ever had a client tell you that they don’t want to use dumbbells because “that area of the gym is full of scary meatheads?”
Knowing your clients comfort level in their own gym should never be taken for granted.
3. Is the training space tied in with any kind of small group or large group exercise style class?
(Pro tip- Trainers, want to make your new client feel comfortable and let them know you’re invested in their success? Call their gym and secret shop the facility. Ask these questions as if you are a prospective member).
If someone is training at home, because there are a special set of facility logistics…consider asking the following
4. When you work out at home, what are a couple possible interruptions that could occur?
This is basically asking if a toddler is going to come storming in and demand that you stop what you’re doing and color.
5. Do you have any questions on the equipment you have at your house?
The answer may surprise you. Never assume.
6. Do you have the ability to preheat the area if needed?
January garage gyms in the northeast. Frostbite galore!
Summary
Though these questions may seem routine to us, to a client they are simply part of your process. A process that not only takes into consideration the client’s feelings towards their training facility, but will also help you write a program prescription that your client will actually be able to do with confidence and consistency.
Last I checked, those two things help clients achieve their goals 154% of the time.
That’s a proven percentage. Trust me. I graduated from Gentilcore University with a degree in AT-AT engineering. It’s a real thing, look it up.
Coaches, the biggest take away here is that before you sit down to look at movement screens, calculate training volume, map out a periodized training block, take into consideration the facility logistics of your clients training space. Put yourself in their shoes, program for their confidence and consistency, and the rest will fall into place.
About the Author
Casey Lee is the Director of Coaching and Education for the Parisi Speed School and also has an online personal training business called Purposeful Strength.
Both positions intersect at writing successful training programs for over 100 Parisi Speed School affiliates as well as a diverse private client population. What both have in common is that every client and their respective gym is unique in their own way and accounting for facility logistics as the first programming variable has led to better client success and business retention, and that’s pretty cool.
Growing a fitness brand/business can be a daunting endeavor, especially in an age where everyone is vying for everyone else’s attention.
This is never more apparent than online
For whatever reason some professionals are unwilling to lean into the power of social media with regards to growing their business, and I get it…
…it’s nothing but one big eye roll half the time.
In today’s EXCELLENT guest post by TG.com regular contributor, Gavin McHale, he showcases a few simple strategies you can use to “earn” the eyes of potential customers.
HINT: It doesn’t entail shirtless pics or more glute exercises…;o)
No, I’m not calling you stupid. Original Gangster of Marketing Dan Kennedy is. And that’s way worse, in my opinion.
“If something’s not working in your business; it’s the offer, stupid.”
The one common thread I’ve noticed through my own experience owning a fitness business, and a central factor in why I decided to move from training clients to mentoring coaches, is that a lot of people in our industry have a business that is not working that well for them.
Their business is not giving coaches the return on investment it should be for the massive amount of work they’re doing and skills they have.
This is a big problem; a bleeding-neck problem that I’m on a mission to fix.
I actually spoke on the topic of how to deliver your services in a way that serves you and your clients better in THIS article several weeks ago, but this article will speak to the work done before a client even knows who you are.
The point of both remains the same:
If you keep doing things the way they’ve always been done, you will be stuck doing all the work and seeing little to no reward while watching others in your industry sit back and relax while the new clients roll in.
We both know you’re better than them at what you do (if not at least as good), so why shouldn’t you get a piece of the pie, too?
It’s the offer, stupid.
Unless you truly dislike social media (and you have every reason to – I’ve seen the Social Dilemma), you need to see it as a tool that can provide your business with near unlimited potential new clients, if used properly.
But just like a hacksaw in the hands of my 3-year old nephew, used poorly it can be a waste of time and downright dangerous.
The epitome of stupid: the recent “crate challenge” craze.
I’ve seen too many coaches actually leave the industry or work themselves into oblivion simply because they refused to get their shit together and figure out social media, writing it off as no good.
But exactly how we fix that problem is where the real gold is buried. Because out of the thousands upon thousands of personal trainer’s instagram pages and websites that I’ve seen over the past two years, all but about twelve of them have completely botched this part.
I say that to outline the opportunity at hand. If no one is doing this right and people are still somehow getting clients, imagine if you did it right?
When someone taps over to your profile or through to your website after seeing a post they like, it’s the difference between, “Oh shit, that’s me and I want that” and “I’m bored, moving on.”
Which could mean the difference between a new follower or client application in your inbox and another opportunity slipping through the cracks.
So, if you’re not making as much money as you should be in your business.
If you’re not getting your message out there with the work you’re putting in.
If this whole social media thing is just confusing the hell out of you…
Listen up.
Your offer, that I’ve been harping on about for nearly 500 words now, is essentially a statement that tells your audience or anyone who makes their way into your corner of the internets what the hell you do.
And the majority of trainers and coaches miss the target. In fact, they’re often putting holes in the wall beside the target.
Your offer will show up in one of three places most often.
The First, Is On Your Social Media Bio
If you’re like me and use instagram for your business, this is where it’ll show up. Beside your tiny little picture, under your follower count and wedged within 150 characters.
It’s the thing that will ideally either keep someone hanging around and maybe even tossing you a follow or turn them off completely.
The enemy here is indifference.
The Second Place Someone May Find Your Offer Is On Your Website Homepage
We hope it says, “Stick around, grab a beer and hangout awhile” but it more often says, “I have no idea what I’m doing, so you should probably just leave.”
Finally, the third will be the most surprising. Your offer should show up whenever you’re asked what you do for a living.
Y’know, like in real life. Wild, right?
If you’ve ever been at a party or family event and seen the deadpan confusion wash over someone’s face when you respond that you’re a personal trainer, you know what I mean.
A better use of that valuable real estate, especially if they’re anywhere near or may know some ideal clients would be something like, “I teach former athletes how to look and feel young again.”
That just hits different, ya know?
Here are the three crucial components to a good offer:
Your Offer Has to Speak to a Specific Persona
And remember, you are not your ideal client. You may have been in the past, but that was before you figured out everything you know now. You are an expert and know way more about your specific expertise than they do. Use words they resonate with, not words you want to see.
And before you go commenting that you know your person is a 30-40 year old married woman with 2 kids, I’m not just talking about demographics. That’s important, but it’s certainly not the end of the story.
And, it doesn’t have to be limited to just that. Using our example above, a former athlete could be 22 and aged out of college or 45 with kids and a mortgage.
But where they’re similar, and where you can go deeper and really understand who they are, is by taking a look at their psychographics.
What is your ideal client’s biggest problem, in their mind?
What else have they tried to fix their current problem that hasn’t worked?
What frustrates them the most about what they’ve tried?
What are they afraid of most?
What do they desire more than anything else in the World?
Now we’re getting somewhere…
To That End, Your Offer Needs to Solve a Problem They Want Solved
It needs to be something they actually want to solve, not just what you think is important to them.
I’ll repeat that… because it’s the number one problem with most attempts at offers.
Your offer needs to be something they actually want to solve, not just what you think is important to them.
You may think they want to heal their injuries, but they really just want to feel young again.
You may think they want to lose 10 pounds, but they really want to feel sexy again.
You may think they want to get stronger, but they really want the confidence that brings.
Keep asking why it matters to them until you can’t answer it anymore.
Finally, Your Offer Needs to Make a Promise
I know, I know. It depends.
That’s the answer I’ve heard time and time again from other fitness professionals about a myriad of topics, but while that does make sense for a lot of potential solutions, it doesn’t put butts in the seats.
Your offer has to promise them something. You will get nowhere with wishy washy, it depends, maybe, kinda, sorta type promises, especially in 2021 when the waters are full of other people fishing for the same catch.
You have to take a stand. You have to show confidence.
You have ask yourself, what’s the biggest promise I know I can fulfill with my coaching service?
If you head over to my instagram page (or just look below), you’ll see that I don’t promise to turn you into a 7-figure coach (like some people out there).
That’s because I don’t know that I can do that… yet.
But I do know I can turn you into a real business owner, not just a coach trying to make some money.
The real secret to all this, and the reason I can give it away for free without worry that I’ll be shooting myself in the foot, is that this takes lots of time and effort doing research on your ideal clients and what they actually want.
And most people simply aren’t willing to do that.
But here’s the exact formula if you want a solid offer:
Spend about a week asking former clients, current client and yourself the questions outlined above. Really get to know the person you want to help and, in the process, learn what they identify as. HINT: no one identifies as a busy professional in their mind
Figure out the problem they want solved by continuing to ask “why?” until you can’t answer it anymore. Ideally, interview some people about it.
Narrow down your offer into a simple, yet powerful “I help” statement that looks something like this:
I help [CLIENT IDENTIFIER] [SOLVE SPECIFIC PROBLEM]
Now go slap that all over your social media and website and practice it in the mirror in case your cousin, Tom asks you at Christmas dinner. Remember, his buddy’s wife’s sister may be looking for exactly what you do.
About the Author
As a Kinesiology graduate, Gavin McHale quickly realized that following the traditional business model would lead to trading more time for more money.
Over the course of 8 years, Gavin built a 6-figure hybrid training business before founding the Maverick Coaching Academy in 2019.
Since then, Gavin has left the gym and gone all in helping other strength coaches build their businesses. He has made it his mission to fix the broken fitness industry and connect other amazing humans to the highest version of themselves.
A few weeks ago I asked for a little insight on what you, my loyal readers, would like to see me write more about.
Oddly, “How adorable your cat is” didn’t make the cut.
What was a popular answer, almost resoundingly so, was for me to go into a little more detail on the business side of the fitness industry. Specifically, gym ownership. Even more specifically, to reflect and pontificate on what that means to me, and to offer any sage advice to those considering traveling down that path.
3 Questions To Ask Before You Do Something Stupid Open a Gym
1. What The Fuck Are You Doing?
Are you sure you want to do this?
I’ve come to realize there’s one of two tangibles that serve as the impetus for someone wanting to open their own gym:
They’re passionate about fitness.
They want to stick it to the man.
To Point #1 (passion).
I’m passionate about a lot of things too: Health, fitness, & helping people (obviously), techno, cheese, and movies.6
You have to be careful with passion.
It makes us do dumb things and make irrational decisions.
This is why I’ve yet to open up Tony’s Techno Palace of Gruyere and Sick Hip-Hop Beats.
Following one’s passion, while commendable, can be a tricky situation. Before you know it you’ve opened up a 10,000 sq. ft facility with all the bells and whistles, yet have zero idea on where or how you’re going to get clients.
Rent’s still due at the end of the month by the way.
More to the point, and this is something I’ve hit on before, I think there’s this idea (or even stigma) that the only way you can become relevant or give off the guise that you’ve “made it” in this industry is to own a gym.
Many trainers/coaches put this unnecessary pressure on him or herself to be a gym owner despite 1) not really having the desire (not to mention career capital, experience, or skill-set) to do so and/or 2) because it seems like the natural career progression to take.
You don’t have to be a gym owner to be successful in this industry. There are innumerable fitness professionals out there who work in commercial, boutique, box, or studio gyms who do very well for themselves.
As far as “progressing” one’s career (which, let’s be honest, means: “how can I make more money?”) I’d suggest the more pertinent question people should ask isn’t so much “Hey, should I open a gym?“
…but rather…
“Hey, what can I do to incur additional revenue streams so that I don’t have to be coaching on a gym floor 40-50 hours per week?“
That’s a deeper discussion for another time (especially when we consider how COVID-19 affected everything within the health/fitness industry), but suffice it to say this is where things like online coaching, writing, consulting, producing educational products, affiliate marketing, private coaching groups, and public speaking come into the picture.
Not ironically, all of the above are typically only fruitful when someone has spent years working in a commercial gym setting and harvesting much-needed experience.
To Point #2 (sticking it to the man)
This is also called the “my boss sucks so I’m going to open up a gym” argument.
I get it, I really do.
I spent the first five years of my career working in various corporate and commercial gyms and I’d be lying if I said I never got frustrated.
Why do I have to work so many floor hours?
Why are they taking a larger percentage of my sessions?
How come they won’t let me train people with my shirt off?
(tosses chair through a window) THIS PLACE IS A PRISON!
Is this a self-funded endeavor? Partners? Investors? You found a magic lamp?
When we opened up Cressey Sports Performance back in 2007, Eric Cressey, Pete Dupuis, and myself did things the old fashioned way: we cut each other’s hands with a razor blade and shook on it.
Okay, not really.
But we did sit down and discuss what each of our respective roles were going to be and also made it clear who owned what percentage of what.
We were a little different than most gym start-ups in that Eric more or less funded the entire thing out of his own pocket and we already had a set client roster primed and ready to go between the two of us.
Not many gym owners have that luxury.
NOTE: We were able to do that because 1) Eric had been saving money since he was seven months old and 2) We made it a point to START SMALL with a very bare-bones approach.
The initial CSP was 2200 sq. feet located in the corner of an indoor batting facility.
And while we had several people offer to invest at the start, as a group we wanted to avoid that at all costs.
We didn’t want to be held accountable to anyone else but ourselves. Too, we just wanted to avoid weird situations.
With investors you run the risk of too many demands/opinions being thrown into the pot – “When will we start hitting “x” numbers?” or “Why don’t we buy this $5000 leg press?” or “What do ya’ll think of adding in BOSU ball Light Saber battles as part of the warm-up?”
We wanted our gym to be ours.
The rule of thumb is this: If you don’t have a minimum of 6-months of operating costs set aside – to cover rent, utilities, insurance, any CAM fees, etc – than you shouldn’t consider opening a gym.
But if you do, do yourself a huge favor and email Pat Rigsby.
Which serves as a nice segue to…..
3. Is What I Did An Option?
To speak candidly, I never wanted to own a gym. Sure, I was (and still am) considered a co-founder of Cressey Sports Performance, but I’ll be the first to admit I wanted nothing to do with the business side of the equation.
All I wanted to do was show-up, coach my tail off, and do my best to serve as an ambassador to the brand.
I let Pete and Eric worry about the TPS reports.
When I decided to leave CSP in the Fall of 2015 it wasn’t to open my own place.
An opportunity arose where I could sub-lease at a location that was really close to my apartment.
In short, I paid an hourly rent in order to have “access” to a space to train clients. It was a perfect fit for me. There was no overhead on my end and since I already had a bunch of people lined up and ready to train with me in Boston the risk was pretty low.
(Also, the 1-mile commute as opposed to a 45 minute drive both ways didn’t suck).
Fast forward several months and the person whom I was sub-leasing under informed me she wasn’t renewing her lease and asked if I’d be interested in taking it over?
After unclenching my sphincter I put pen to paper and crunched the numbers. I came to the conclusion that if I had even one person sub-leasing under me paying me rent, that it would be a cheaper alternative on a month-to-month basis compared to what I had been doing.
I was in.
CORE was born.
Part of what helped settle my fears was that I knew what I didn’t want CORE to be. I had zero aspirations (and I still don’t) of building anything close to the pedigree of Cressey Sports Performance.
To be honest, I don’t think I have it in me – either in skill-set, acumen, or talent.
All I want (and need) is a small space to coach clients ~20 hours per week. This still allows me the ability to write, travel (when it’s allowed), and spend time with my family.
Sub-leasing is a great fit for me and I believe it’s an option more and more gym owners are considering, particularly in a COVID world.
I currently have three coaches sub-leasing under me at CORE. They’re not employees and I am not in charge of their schedule nor setting their price points.
All I do is provide a well-equipped, clean space that they can utilize and build their own businesses.
And (hopefully) thrive.
It’s a small space – 550 sq. feet – so only one coach can utilize the space at a given time. There’s a shared calendar and if someone blocks off the time, the studio is their’s to use. I’ve been using this system for just over five years and it’s worked splendidly.
If you’re someone who’s more hands-on and prefers the challenge of building a business, it’s likely not going to be a satisfying approach. However, if you’re someone like me and want something a little more low-key and are also looking for ways to offset your overhead, this option may be a home-run.
HOWEVER: As it happens I am now looking to scale the business into a larger footprint and turn CORE into CORE Collective…
…an all-in-one health/wellness location that not only provides top-notch personal training where a team of coaches can share and utilize the space, but also physical therapy, massage, nutrition counseling, and psychotherapy to boot.
Who knows, maybe I’ll also host Laser Tag tournaments on the weekends.
My man Gavin McHale is back with another excellent guest post this month. If you missed his last article on lead generation you can check that out HERE.
This month, as the title implies, is all about how personal trainers can (and should) lean into more of a “hybrid” training model that doesn’t rely on IN-PERSON training only and allows you to better leverage your time in order to 1) make more money and 2) resist the urge to throw your face into an ax from work overload.
Give it a read. It will make a lot of sense and I hope afterward it’ll provide some inspiration to you to make some subtle changes in your approach to the services you provide.
I climbed into my truck and sat back with a huge exhale. I had just finished another ‘day at the office’ and, as usual, I was absolutely exhausted.
It was early afternoon, I had been up since 5AM and on the training floor since 6:30, eating and drinking coffee on the go. I was finishing up my 4th cup of coffee for the day, knowing it would affect my sleep but needing it to prop myself up for the evening full of clients that I had in about 4 hours.
The ‘00’s Pop Punk’ playlist had played at least three times through on repeat that morning.
The plan was to whip home for some lunch and some work on the business before heading back to the gym – another few hours of client sessions on deck. In reality, I knew I’d get home, crush some food and pass out for the entirety of my time at home, barely dragging myself out of bed to get there on time.
I loved my training clients and I got to provide them with the best hour of their day on the training floor.
And, by this point, I got to do it a lot.
I had built my personal training business up to nearly 30 clients, with upwards of 25 semi-private and private training sessions a week.
Business was buzzing… but the thoughts started creeping in…
My girlfriend of two years and I barely got to see one another. When we did, I couldn’t even keep my eyes open for a full movie and had to leave any social gatherings by 9PM thanks to my 5AM alarm the next day.
How long was she willing to put up with an absent partner?
I knew I wanted to have kids at some point in my life, and I wanted to be the dad who could do school drop-offs and pick-ups and coach the sports teams; not the one who always ‘had to work’.
We loved to travel, even just for extended weekends. But I couldn’t enjoy my time away, panicking about lost revenue and possibly unhappy clients.
But the worst part was that I wasn’t making the money I knew I could be. I wasn’t having the impact I knew I could.
I was making a decent paycheck every month, but it was just enough to pay my bills and allow me a bit of freedom. I was pinching pennies and living paycheck to paycheck while working a ton, with a university degree and numerous certifications behind my name.
And honestly? I was just fucking tired…. ALL. THE. TIME.
It didn’t add up.
Especially since the only solution I knew was to take on more clients and do more of the same… something I didn’t have the capacity for without sending myself down a spiral to burning out and being single well before my 30th birthday.
That’s when I was forced to get creative.
I began by asking myself the one question every single service provider should start with (I was just a little behind the curve): How can I best serve my clients?
(GIF added by me, Tony, because if nothing else I keep thing professional.)
I knew they loved their workouts and I loved working with them, but the majority of them weren’t getting the results they wanted because that 1-3 hours a week they spent with me would never offset the poor lifestyle choices they were making during the other 165+ hours every week.
Let’s be real, even though I loved doing it, grinding it out on little sleep and caffeine was not the best service I could provide. The cup I was pouring from… was empty and I didn’t have the systems in place to help them change their lifestyle beyond a couple sweat sessions a week.
And since I had no more capacity for more training sessions and they didn’t have the time to come to the gym every day,
I had to find a better way.
Enter, the Hybrid Training Model
This model created a win-win for me and my clients.
The win for me is that I got to stabilize my monthly income by charging for an entire package instead of session by session and got some of my time back, all while providing a better service to my clients.
The win for them? Straight up better results without having to schlep to the gym and back every day or pay thousands a month for a trainer.
This model would allow me to continue doing what I did best, training clients on the gym floor, but not have to live there, eating every meal out of tupperware, trying not to spill it on the turf and taking bites between coaching cues.
The hybrid model I built and refined since includes 5 key areas:
In-person coaching
Regular activity programming
Nutritional guidance or intervention
Belief and habit building
Accountability
If you look at the traditional training model – the one that left me half sleeping in my truck at the end of the work day, I covered maybe 1 or 2 of those bases… at best.
And, in most cases, the trainer isn’t being paid for anything but their time spent in the gym with each client. You can say the pricing reflects programming time and nutritional information and accountability, but it really doesn’t.
When your clients are paying session by session, they see the value in having you in the room coaching them.
That’s it.
Your clients are also financially incentivized by this model to actually miss sessions. If they’re low on energy or just don’t feel like it, they’ll miss a session and either save money that month or stretch their current package out over a longer period.
Bottom line: your income is unstable and they don’t get the best service.
In order to build this model out and be able to market and sell it, you have to ask yourself a lot of questions and completely reshape the way you provide your service and charge for it.
1. In-Person Coaching
How often do they need instruction lifting weights?
How often do they want to come to the gym?
Do you have the space and ability to do semi-private training with them?
2. Regular Activity Programming
Basically, this includes any part of the programming that doesn’t require you to be there, coaching them.
Can you program some or most of their workouts to be done on their own?
Do they have a gym membership or access to equipment at home?
Are there parts of the program where they don’t need to be in the gym like walking, running or mobility work?
3. Nutritional Guidance or Intervention
Any type of transformational program is incomplete without some form of nutritional guidance. If they already trust you enough to train them, then you’re probably the best person to guide them through some basic nutrition principles.
For most general population clients and goals, this is simple habit building. No need to go too deep and risk moving outside your scope.
You can either build your own curriculum or outsource this completely. When I was coaching, I outsourced this to Precision Nutrition and set my clients up on their year-long ProCoach software.
4. Belief and Habit Building
My most successful clients were the ones who made massive mindset shifts throughout my program. Over the time we worked together, they became better versions of themselves, which provided the outcome they wanted.
In my opinion, this is a non-negotiable in any coaching program, especially if you want to stand out from the Pelotons and the Orange Theory’s.
What do they need to learn to be able to shed their old skin and step into a new, better version of themselves?
Can you create a simple weekly or bi-weekly curriculum over 2-3 months that will allow them to do that?
5. Accountability
Finally, accountability is what they’re actually paying for.
Let’s be real – everything you (and I) coach can be found with a quick Google search if they know where to look.
Information and even education is no longer valuable like it used to be. What is? Accountability and a safe space to fuck up and learn.
Plus, the more skin they have in the game (i.e. the more you charge for this full spectrum service), the more accountable they’ll be.
I’m not sure how many free downloads you have sitting on your laptop, but I have plenty that I haven’t even opened… no skin in the game.
In Its Simplest Form, This is the Hybrid Coaching Model
I won’t lie, this will be more work upfront for you. But, as I learned throughout this process, if you can “work hard once” setting everything up, you make your life a whole lot easier down the road.
This will allow you to charge a monthly price for the whole package and stabilize your pay while actually working less and giving your clients the best chance at seeing the results they’re looking for.
No more never-ending selling of 10 or 20-session packages and no more needing to send out the same resources over and over to every single client who asks about keto or intermittent fasting.
You run the show and make sure all the bases are covered. They get the best of what you can offer and you get the most out of your time, energy and expertise.
About the Author
As a Kinesiology graduate, Gavin McHale quickly realized that following the traditional business model would lead to trading more time for more money.
Over the course of 8 years, Gavin built a 6-figure hybrid training business before founding the Maverick Coaching Academy in 2019.
Since then, Gavin has left the gym and gone all in helping other strength coaches build their businesses. He has made it his mission to fix the broken fitness industry and connect other amazing humans to the highest version of themselves.
Venn diagrams can be a very useful tool to help illustrate the relationships amongst a finite group of things. Circles that overlap have a commonality while circles that don’t overlap do not share those traits.
Let’s use the fitness industry as an example.
“Success” as a fitness professional can be broken down like this:
LOL – Just kidding.
It’s actually more like this (overly simplified, of course, for brevity’s sake):
There’s no shortage of resources out there highlighting the stuff on the left. It only makes sense that a personal trainer knows how to coach a squat or that they can differentiate one’s ass from their acetabulum, and there’s an abyss of ways to gather and learn that information.
On the right side, however, things becomes a bit more convoluted. Those things are less talked about and as a result are harder to learn (much less appreciate their importance).
Today’s guest post by Michigan based fitness trainer, Alex McBrairty, highlights the right-hand side. I promise you that if you’re a fitness professional this information is relevant and will undoubtedly help you grow your business.
How the “Friendship Formula” Can Enhance Your Fitness Business
Clients work with coaches who they enjoy being around.
At the end of the day, most clients don’t know the difference between good advice and bad advice, but they can tell the difference between having a good experience or a bad one.
Providing a good experience boils down to being able to connect with your clients.
But do you know how to connect with clients in a meaningful way, one that shows them you care and have their best interests at heart? The purpose of this article is to help you understand the psychological foundations for connecting with others. This process involves more than small talk and having the courage to go out and meet others.
Fortunately, the art of human connection can be broken down into a relatively simple formula.
We’ll call it, “The Friendship Formula.”
There are three core components of this formula: familiarity, likability, and vulnerability. Each component fulfills a particular role, creating a feedback loop that allows the relationship to reinforce and strengthen over time. If you learn how to implement this process like any other system in your business, you can attract and sign more clients, improve retention rates, and build a thriving coaching business helping people.
Familiarity
In 1950, researchers studied the community life of a group of veterans living in the same housing complex [1]. The results they found were surprising. One of the best predictors of closeness between individuals was their physical proximity to one another.
This same effect was repeated in another study completed in 1967 measuring the social interactions and relationships among college freshmen sharing the same dorm. Physical proximity was again a strong predictor of the strength of closeness between students—roommates were most likely to become friends, followed by neighbors immediately next door, then neighbors down the hall, then lastly by neighbors on a separate floor [2].
Proximity Principle
The proximity principle is the idea that mere physical closeness increases interpersonal attraction. In other words, repeated physical exposure to the same people increases the likelihood that you will become friends. This is due in part to the mere exposure effect and the attribution of perceived similarities (more on this in a bit).
Mere Exposure Effect
Another psychological phenomenon that supports the benefit of physical proximity is the mere exposure effect. This states that we tend to prefer things that are more familiar to us.
Think of your favorite comfort foods.
Likely you consumed these foods often as a child, and it is this familiarity that creates your sense of comfort upon re-experiencing them.
Additionally, studies have shown that we even prefer words that we hear more often [3]. If the proximity principle sets you up for increased familiarity, the mere exposure effect comes in for the alley-oop to allow this familiarity to breed into increased positive emotions toward you. Combined, they set the stage for a new connection to blossom.
Christina Abbey, an online fitness coach, understands how to create this proximity and exposure on the gym floor. Whether she’s training clients, performing her own workouts, or just being available to socialize, she makes sure she is visible to other gym patrons.
As Abbey said, “People like what they are familiar with. If they constantly see you crushing your workouts and being a positive motivator to others, you will be the obvious choice when they’re ready to ask for help.”
The first step in creating new connections with other people is to ensure you are being repeatedly exposed to them. Being seen on the gym floor, attending parties and events they might also be attending, participating in similar activities, and being generally as visible as possible leads to this familiarity.
This could also include online visibility—via social media posts and interactions.
Andrew Coates, fitness coach, writer, and host of the “Lift Free and Diet Hard” podcast, is a big supporter of creating this familiarity via a strong social media presence. Coates suggests being consistent on your platform, following and interacting with your followers, and regularly sharing high-value content. Combining those elements creates a sense of “being around,” which can breed that familiarity with you and your work that can draw in potential clients.
Likability
The second component of creating new relationships is establishing likability. People won’t want to be around you, nor give you their money, unless they like you. Being liked is so important, in fact, that Dr. Robert Cialdini identified it as one of the six principles of persuasion in his book, Influence.
Note From Tony: I shoulda included a picture of the book Influence here, but decided on Gizmo instead; one of the most likable creatures ever. EVER!
There are two core concepts important to understanding how to create likability: similarity and reciprocity (another of those persuasion principles).
Perceived and Actual Similarities
The power of the proximity principle lies in our assumptions about others. When we come into frequent contact with the same people, we often assume we have more things in common than that which is immediately evident. These perceived similarities lead to a greater sense of liking.
This occurs for a few reasons.
First, we craft our own self-identity, at least in part, by those we choose to associate with. This is called social identity theory. If we maintain a particular view about who we are as a person, we are more likely to self-select individuals who support that view—people who hold similar interests, personality traits, and world views [5]. We like those similar to us because they prove that we are who we think we are.
The second factor that leads to our favorability toward similar others is that it makes the relationship easier to maintain. When we become friends with individuals who carry wildly different views, or behave in very different ways, it exposes us to a greater likelihood of potential conflict with these individuals.
For example, imagine a trainer who took a drill sergeant approach, and a client who responded best to positive affirmations.
These differences would increase the likelihood of conflicts arising in the future. The coach’s lack of positive regard actively discourages the client instead of giving them the push that the coach expects. Now the coach wrongfully believes the client is unmotivated, and the client believes that the coach simply doesn’t care enough to acknowledge them. Befriending those different from us exposes us to these potential disagreements.
Therefore, if you want to give yourself an edge in establishing bonds with new people, work to identify and reinforce any similarities that might exist. This could include values, hobbies, food preferences, even favorite book genres; the possibilities are endless.
Looking at Coates’ towering figure, you wouldn’t immediately know that he’s an avid fan of fantasy fiction, comic books, and video games. These hobbies allow him to connect with individuals who share those interests, even when they might have little else in common. As Coates put it, loving “nerd culture” before it was cool doesn’t always align with growing up active, so his shared interest in that material allows him to connect better with this audience.
Tony Gentilcore, CSCS, has worked with everyone from powerlifters, figure competitors, moms, CEOs of big companies, and everyone in between. Gentilcore takes a two-tiered approach to finding similarities with his clients.
The first is to focus on the fact that both he and his clients are there to get the best results possible for the client. In other words, they’re both playing for the same team. (This focus on teamwork can also help create shared experiences. More on that in a minute.)
His second strategy is to ask about movies. In fact, Gentilcore includes a question in his intake asking new clients to share their favorite movie. As he says, “It serves as a nice ice-breaker. And on the off-chance that there’s awkward silence at any point during one of their initial sessions, I can always bring it up: ‘So, John, Eyes Wide Shut huh? what’s your favorite scene?’”
Fidelio. Cue awkward silence.
Even if there aren’t any immediately identifiable similarities between you and another person, you can almost always find some sort of shared interest or aspect of your backgrounds if you dig deep enough. Let your natural curiosity take over and explore the interests of others.
Reciprocal Liking
We have an inherent need to both act fairly and be treated fairly. As a result, whenever someone does something for us, be it a favor or giving a gift, we have a tendency to want to repay the giver in kind. Usually this is completed through a favor completed at a later time or a gift given in exchange. This effect also extends to our relationships with others.
When it becomes clear that others like us, we feel compelled to reciprocate by liking them in return [4], a concept referred to as reciprocal liking. Therefore, if you want to create new relationships with others, start by showing your liking toward them. In exchange, they will likely take a more favorable view toward you and be more open to establishing a relationship.
One simple way to create reciprocal liking is to tell your clients explicitly and regularly that you appreciate their business and truly enjoy working with them. This approach has such a big pay-off that it’s astonishing more professionals don’t do it as a consistent part of their practice. (And if you don’t enjoy working with them, you have a different kind of problem and may need to reevaluate what you’re doing on a bigger scale.)
Even if you seemingly have nothing in common during your first interactions (you can’t readily find any similarities), let your curiosity take over.
The best way to demonstrate liking and be interesting is to be interested.
Inquire into their interests and other areas of pride. Ask meaningful questions that allow you to learn more about the individual whom you’d like to create a connection with. Surely, if you are truly curious, you will eventually find something you have in common. You might even create a new shared interest that didn’t exist before.
In fact, this is one of Abbey’s favorite parts of the job:
“It’s a unique experience to not only work with people from all walks of life but to build relationships and connect with them over time.” She admits that sometimes it’s harder to find these similar interests. In these situations, she uses as many clues as she can, “T-shirts can give you a huge insight about what people are into. Places they’ve been, events they attended, or bands they love. If you are really listening, then you’ll likely discover at least one thing you have in common.”
When Mike Doehla, founder of Stronger U Nutrition, started his company, he had no idea about entrepreneurship or running a business. Two of his early clients were involved in multiple businesses in his area, and through them he began to learn more about it.
Because of them, Doehla eventually made the decision to quit his day job and focus on building Stronger U full-time.
I guess you could say that was a good choice, given that Stronger U has now helped tens of thousands of clients across the globe. Doehla’s interest in entrepreneurship remains. He’s gone on to be involved in seven other businesses and constantly reads about the subject. His passion for entrepreneurship started because he wanted to learn more about his clients.
Being regularly visible to and present with those you’d like to befriend increases your familiarity to them, which, in turn, improves your likability and their potential desire to want to connect with you. Building on shared connections and expressing your genuine appreciation for your clients further enhances your likability.
Both of these factors are relatively superficial, however, and while important for initially establishing a relationship, by themselves they are not sufficient to cultivate deeper bonds. For that more enduring connection, you’ll need to create vulnerability in order to develop closeness and trust.
Vulnerability
Vulnerability is defined as a state of being that exposes us to the possibility of being hurt or harmed, either physically or emotionally.
Being vulnerable in a relationship involves sharing our biggest dreams, our deepest fears, our greatest joys and our worst pain. This act of complete openness is often avoided by so many simply because of the risks of this exposure. By giving this information to another person, we give them the power to do us harm.
Yet, while it may seem so hard to be vulnerable with another person—especially someone we don’t know very well—research has shown that this vulnerability is actually the key to creating deep, meaningful relationships with others [6].
The Power of Shared Experiences
Why does vulnerability do such an excellent job of bringing people together into meaningful relationships? At least part of the effect can be explained by concepts presented by Sebastian Junger in his book, Tribe (and his ideas are supported by prevailing research).
The connectedness created through vulnerability is established because we bond best through shared emotional experiences with others, both positive and negative [7,8]. The ability to identify these shared experiences—through the openness created from being vulnerable—is what allows the connectedness of the relationship to solidify.
Mike Doehla knows how important these shared experiences are. In his work, the topic of cancer comes up and causes quite a disruption in clients’ emotional state and focus. As Doehla put it, “The last thing on people’s minds after a cancer diagnosis, or death, is what they’re going to eat. I’m a pretty open dude, so I would share my story often.”
The story he’s referring to is about losing his mom to cancer when he was just 23 years old.
“When I lost my mom, nothing else mattered, especially eating well. I wanted my clients to understand I could relate, and I knew what was most important in that moment. And it wasn’t the food. It was the family and the feelings. In these situations, I would always make sure people knew I was here and I did not expect perfection of any kind. I was just a shoulder they could lean on who could help minimize extra stressors if they needed it.”
Gentilcore is unbashful when it comes to discussing his personal journey with mental health and how he still routinely speaks to a therapist on a monthly basis. He sees how society prides itself in our ability to bottle up and compartmentalize our thoughts and feelings, and his openness can sometimes take clients by surprise.
“I often bring up my past bouts with depression with clients (when appropriate), if for no other reason than to emphasize how helpful it was for me that I started seeing a therapist. My thought is that if I am open about my experiences, then maybe it’ll be enough of a nudge to encourage a client of mine to seek out help if he or she needs it.”
Not only does sharing their stories create a shared emotional experience between each of these trainers and their respective clients, but their clients likely feel heard and validated, too—the opposite of being judged. When you can express your humanity, your clients will feel valued and cared for.
There is no better customer service strategy.
Empathetic Balance
While vulnerability appears to be the most important factor in creating closeness with others, proper judgment should be used when deciding when it is appropriate to share these experiences and feelings. Creating shared experiences allows us to empathize with others—the ability to feel the emotions they feel.
This means we can feel the positive emotions expressed by others, but it also means we will experience the negative emotions, too. If you are overly sharing your negative experiences and feelings with others, it can have the opposite intended effect by causing others to avoid future social interactions with you because they don’t want to be drawn into your negative energy.
If you are constantly “dampening the mood,” others will seek to avoid your company.
Think about what happens when a client upsets this balance with their constant negativity. Abbey and Coates agree that if this negativity becomes too great, the best course of action is to refer out or otherwise get rid of the client. Doing so can protect your energy and allow you to be more positive toward the other clients in your care.
Imagine if the situation were reversed?
A trainer who brings too much negativity is going to repel clients.
It is important, then, to not only use vulnerability as a tool to deepen relationships, but also to balance negative openness with positive openness—sharing your dreams, aspirations, and joyful experiences in addition to your fears and bad experiences.
Strategic Vulnerability
When considering when to create these shared experiences using vulnerability, remember the two most important factors: relevancy and empathetic balance.
You should share moments of vulnerability as they become relevant to the conversation, seeking to balance positive and negative experiences. Additionally, make sure the conversation remains directed to your client.
Disordered eating is something that most people never seek professional help for. Knowing this, as soon as Abbey’s clients begin to show signs of disordered eating, she uses that moment to open up about her own struggles with disordered eating.
Her goal in sharing her experience is first to let them know that they are not alone and shouldn’t feel ashamed.
Additionally, it’s to help them feel validated and encouraged to seek help from a registered dietician as well as support from people they trust. Opening up about her own struggles is a very personal subject, but it opens the door to creating deep bonds with many of her clients.
It takes a certain level of bravery to open yourself up to someone else.
Your client may not always be the first to share.
You may find yourself being vulnerable without an immediate return of vulnerability from the other person. This is normal and may just mean they need more time to feel comfortable. Fortunately, this doesn’t necessarily mean your openness was in vain. Once you’ve experienced your first offering of vulnerability, you have introduced a newer, stronger level of familiarity—which will breed greater likability and future moments of vulnerability.
Bringing It All Together
You now have the tools to better connect with current and future clients. Yet, there is one imperative piece of the puzzle missing that you must supply: a genuine interest in wanting to connect with others.
Most people are very aware when someone is being fake, and faking any of these steps can lead to disaster. You must be genuinely curious about others and want to make a connection with them in a real, authentic way.
Also consider that once a connection is established, it requires work to maintain. You must continually traverse this loop so long as you want to prevent the relationship from going stale.
Think of close childhood friends whom you no longer visit frequently. You’ve likely been very familiar, liked, and vulnerable with them during periods of your life. Now that you’ve grown apart, the relationship is not as close as it once was. This can happen to any relationship, even those with the closest of friends and loved ones, let alone your clients, without the proper care and attention it deserves.
You can use this formula again and again to reach and connect with more people. With this knowledge, you are better prepared to build new relationships to boost your client roster and retention rates. Building strong relationships will inevitably lead to greater success in your business.
About the Author
Alex McBrairty is an online fitness coach who owns A-Team Fitness in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Obese as a child and teenager, he blends fitness and psychology to help his clients discover their own hidden potential.
He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan and is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
His articles have appeared in Breaking Muscle and The Personal Trainer Development Center, and he’s contributed to Muscle & Fitness, USA Today, Men’s Fitness, and Prevention.
