“FREE Video Reveals Proven Blueprint For Getting 7 to 9 New Clients Each Week and Building a Booked-Solid Fitness Training Business”
The secrets you’re about to discover work so well, you may NEVER have to worry about where your next client will come from again...
Just enter your email address in the form below and I’ll send you your free video as well as all kinds of tips, tricks and strategies for building your fitness training business to the six-figure level and beyond
**Double-check your email for accuracy to ensure you receive the report.
** Privacy Assured: Your email address is never shared with anyone.
The Four Biggest Reasons Personal Trainers Make GREAT Marketers
Guest Post by Kaiser Serajuddin
The following is a guest post by Kaiser Serajuddin, the master of helping employee trainers break off on their own and start their own business
Why do Personal Trainers and Fitness Pros make such great marketers? I've asked myself that question a lot of times…
Because on the surface that shouldn't be the case at all should it? There's really no correlation between the two!
One career deals with making people sweat, getting them fit, building muscle, and losing fat.
The other deals with creating systems that turn into cash registers – how are the two even related?
They're not, but you can't help but see a strong cross-over – otherwise blogs like Chris' wouldn't be nearly as popular as they are.
It seems to some degree, everyone in fitness has also got the marketing bug burning inside, at some level or another. That goes for guys like Joel Marion just launching his first e-book, to infomercial guys like Mr. P90X Tony Horton, all the way up to the Madonna's Trainer Tracy Anderson, who for trying to squeeze $5,000 per year for memberships at her new gym, has got to be the most craziest of them all !!!
Being in this business and talking to a lot of the big dogs, I've asked myself this question plenty of times. But what can't be questioned is that we as trainers and fitness pros have an obvious talent for it. Otherwise you wouldn't see so many trainers (who are now former trainers) doing so exceedingly well at it, with high six into seven figures paydays, and with new trainers getting started in marketing every single day.
So after speaking to what feels like a million fellow trainers and letting this question rattle around my head for a while, I came to four conclusions on why the big-money marketing world and the sweat and dumbbell training world are kissing cousins – what I found is when you look deeper, you find out that the two really do go hand in hand …
1. Our market is elastic – there's always room to grow:
Almost by definition, fitness pros exist because getting in shape and keeping it off for the majority of people is harder than Carrot Top's delts.
The truth is the need for fitness books, services, information, and products never go away in the life of the person that needs them. They'll always be back, looking for the next magic bullet, or re-upping on their current training sessions. What a lot of smart trainers realize at a certain point is that instead of satisfying this need at a one-off level, they need to make it their priority to learn how to do it for the masses. Because the one certainty is, they will be back looking to buy something new, so you should be the one selling it to them!
2. Good Trainers are already good marketers:
Every trainer faces a harsh fact the day they get their certification in the mail – that clients won't come knocking on your door – you've got to out and get them.
So out of necessity, every successful trainer has learned to sell themselves. You learn to make sales, market, communicate value, understand customer psychology, get referrals, and use the web. I think what happens for a lot of these trainers is they wake up one day, and whether consciously or sub-consciously, they're amazed by this new found skill they've developed. Once you get good at the "getting clients" part of training, you've gotten good at marketing, period. You're next job is to get good at leveraging your time, either by hiring employees or outsourcing, or leveraging technology to get you even further.
3. Trainers hate work:
If you're honest, you'll admit the reason you got into fitness was because you hated or weren't good at traditional work. You wanted something that came naturally to you (and didn't feel like work), and training was it.
For a fitness enthusiast, the work we do with the general population could hardly even be considered work anyway. The only work is the long hours that often times go with it. Again, that's where marketing comes into play. It's a way to fulfill that need to avoid anything that looks like real work. And marketing, especially the online type, is just another way to avoid real work. Hey, as we all know, the reality is if you're looking to grow and expand, you're always working in some way. What we all really want is work on our own terms (and at the end of the day we're all just a bunch of lazy bastards!).
4. No matter what level you're at, training will one day burn you out:
Sorry folks, the writing's on the wall. It's just a natural part of life that you can't do what you've always done forever. When you're 21, running some big money sessions, lifting weights yourself, guzzling a protein shake, and hitting the bars can seem like a dream life. But we change and grow as people – when it comes to what makes our ideal life, like Einstein said, the answers are always changing.
At a certain point you've got to start looking at what's over the next horizon. We're lucky, because we're in an age where you can start to explore this marketing passion of yours, and do it for a relatively small amount of money and still get very, very strong individual results.
The marketing is a process in itself – it sets the stage for a life and world that may one day involve ventures that are not even related to fitness at all.
So that's how it goes – if you've been listening to Chris for any amount of time, you've probably already got the fire in your belly (I think that's why Chris has got a gut – the guy's really 6% body-fat). You just have to jump into it.
In your first jump into marketing you'll almost certainly make a fool out of yourself – it's worse than fumbling around for that first bra strap. You may not like that phase, but you've got to go through it. Do you remember how uncomfortable your first training session was?!?! Thankfully, this isn't nearly as bad.
But just like any skill, you start to get the hang of it. And here's what makes the process at least 10x easier and faster: getting the info from guys that have already been through and gone through the trial and error before you. We've got some tremendous coaches in this business that everyone needs to pay attention to, and pull out your credit card and buy from every now and then.
Hey if you want to play the sideline that's fine – there are going to be players, fans, critics, and naysayers in any game – that's just how it is. But I'd recommend jumping in – the funniest thing is, you'll find out you're already good at it!
Check out Kaisers kick ass fitness marketing blog at Super-Trainer.com
Comments on The Four Biggest Reasons Personal Trainers Make GREAT Marketers
Great stuff, Kaiser!
I was wondering the same thing the other day, why all this stuff felt natural. Now I have an idea!
And you're right that I don't like work (I'm the laziest SOB on the planet) and the better my marketing gets, the less I have to work.
Sweet!
I'm headed over to Super-trainer right now.
~ Luke
Hey Kaiser,
Wicked post mate. Like I mentioned in Wed post my First Day as a Trainer was HORRIFIC!
But damn have I learned so much more since then and I am greatly looking forward to the next 12 months and beyond.
Point 1 is great and rings so very true. The bottom line is Everyone has their own unique story. You just gotta get out there and tell it. Add a little Fire and some Passion and the rest will follow.
Will you fall on ur ass? Probably… and yer it can be scary but damn is the Grass greener on THAT side of the fence once you get over the Fear…
Oh btw
Fear = F!@# Everything and Run…
(not to be taken THAT literally… easy Knackers/Steve)
In other words feel the fear and do it anyway..
Thanks again Kaiser
Cheers
Adam Toohey
Hell yeah – Never seen you write like that before, nice -
Yeah I remember that bra strap like it was yesterday …… MMMMmmmmmmmm
Killer writing on this one Kaiser,
I just right now am starting to live the LIFE as an independent Trainer – after you made me dump the gym…and info marketing is definitely too good to NOT pursue.
Btw I really like how the greatest PT blogs are working together. If only Neil Strauss could write a book on this 6-figure society.
And Adam – yeah I agree with you 100%, fear is nothing more than raw excitement.
Hey, great post! I agree wholeheartedly. I am a PT who did the "gym thing"–long hours, no money and the constant abuse by management! About a year ago, I left and opened my own training studio and couldnt be happier. Some clients followed, some sent referrals and I got the rest on my own.
When the recession hit, I started teaching teen fitness classes, because let's face it, people are more willing to pay for their kids then themselves. Its great and opened new doors for me.
Also, started a website with a partner, friend of mine which is our new challenge now–but we're plugging away…..
So, bottomline is, if you are passionate about what you do, you can make it work. Believe me, it was scary and I took a big leap in faith that Id be able to do it on my own. You need to face your fears and jump in!!!
Go for it!! It is definitely worth it!
Now that you mention it… I am a lazy bastard!
There's nothing better than seeing your marketing effort pay off. Smarter not harder!!!
Great post Kaiser! I can't believe you giving away so much great content today on your site! If you guys haven't checked on Super-Trainer.com GO NOW!
Ryan Dobbs
WOW!!! Seriously, I just 2 weeks ago said enough is enough and hired a web guy and video guy and said I need to study more marketing and stop wasting my time with something that can be done for me. I did stuble at first but I learned and now I am moving through the other stuff a bit faster. And I am always willing to pay for something that will giving me a ROI.
Awesome blog post!
Mike
KAISER "SOZE",
Love your post man I was reading your BLOG around 4am now I am back up at 9 reading your stuff on Chris' site.
Guys like you elevate the profession and have people realize the full scope as what we do as business men or as I sometimes call myself fitness marketing entrepreneurs.
I actually got fired from my last gym for not making quota although my boot camp outside what doing well. Everyone was like "Oh Nii I'm so sorry because I know you have a daughter on the way!" I was super happy and I have not looked back. I went to have a beer in the middle of the day and after I was "fired" I was in Central Park getting paid.
Now the trainers in the gym will call me and ask how I do it when they see me in the press or see my website ranking in GOOGLE.
All I tell them is invest in their business education. These are the same group of people that looked at me like an alien or idiot when I would mention marketing…you know the phrase
"Uh I don't like to talk about marketing because I am a "trainer"
Imagine if guys like Chris, Kaiser, Ryan Lee, or Alwyn Cosgrove NEVER picked up a marketing book or invested in their business education.
peace and see you guys at Ozworth or Fast Track
YOU just think about that for a while
Nice post Kaiser.
That is a very true feeling. It feels very natural to learn and then implement marketing strategies. Crazy thing is, most trainers I know love to learn about marketing but rarely do anything with it. The trainers that do all seem to be the players in the game.
It's just real and necessary.
Great post man.
Donovan "DFitnessguy" Owens
yea i have to go out and meet and greet! it is kind of scary thou. that reminds me when i was delievery telephone books and i was gun pointed at my face one time. lol. i told the woman that i was delievery phone books. duh???
you know it is the only choice that traines will have to say..oh heck, i will have to go get them and grab them!
i don't like saying..hey i am a trainer and would love to invite you to come to my park and try our boot camp. i hate that
what is the great line opener? any clues…..thanks
You hit a bullseye! 21/m here and the ideal life right now does look like lifting weights, have a handful of clients, guzzle my protein and hit up the bar/club on the weekends and take home a sexy lil thang lol. nah seriously though good post. I'm waiting for my dam certification in the mail!!
Great post. Sometimes I find myself enjoying the marketing more than the training!! Love the competiton of getting to No1 in Google etc.
What to get to the stage where I am training the clients I want on my Terms. And build a business I can leave to my son.
John Cusick
Awesome Kaiser! Marketing most certainly is fun, especially when you do it right and get awesome results. I love just sitting back and seeing new clients come in daily because of innovative / online marketing.
HAHA! I see I was right! Yeah, the two really go hand in hand –
We've got a nice little community going here with all of us on the same page, and a great wide world open out there to reach people and communicate about fitness – kind of breathtaking what we're on to and what the potential is –
Love having you guys as part of my network and looking forward to meeting every single one of you at the events and chatting more online –
Peace to everyone – kick ass blog Chris! – ciao
Great guest blog as usual! Thanks- Chris for all the great info, reminders and generally keeping me motivated!
Brian
I totally agree with fourth point .Personal training has a life span you cant do this kind of job forever.