I have been a personal trainer for almost 20 years now. Initially independent, certified through ACE early on, went on to work for what would become the biggest fitness franchise where I was one of the first to train 10,000 sessions. Only had had one client switch to another trainer and that was because I was not fluent enough in Spanish. I was regularly sent for to talk to disgruntled members and would often end up selling them long term training. Ive been apart of a fitness team that wrote 100k in business in one month at a club and have wrote 7k in month without an aggressive sales technique(there were many who sold 10k). I have seen countless managers, compensation packages, training techniques, trainers and marketing techniques. The fitness industry was taking off and money was coming in, but personal training was a blossoming new industry. So I cant blame the big corporate gyms for trying to squeeze the maximum amount of profits from its trainers. That was a long time ago now, but the big companies are still up to their methods of exploitation. It is quick profit in the short run, but if they plan to be in business for the long haul it is not wise to exploit your trainers. The very best trainers out there scoff at the idea of working for a "big box" corporate gym. Why should that be? Doesn't a law firm want the best lawyers available? Doesn't the sales department in those very same gyms want the best salesmen? Does not a 5 star restaurant want the best chefs?
Of course you are going to have to pay more for the best, but that's because the extra revenue and attention they generate justifies any extra cost to employ them. For some reason this has not caught on in gyms yet. This leads to loss of revenue and business for all parties. Fortunately this is easily corrected.
The main mistakes I see is
Retention, retention, retention. ( rehiring trainers is prohibitively expensive compared to other occupations),
poor introduction to training with new members(which determines percentage of members who sign up and stay long term)
lack of client retention (which comes down to program design, trainers leaving).
Untapped Resource. Its asinine to own a gym and not maximize personal training. Everyone should have one, its more important than a tune up for the car. People will spend 500 for a scratch on their car but balk at hiring a good trainer. I wince every time I walk into a gym and don't see at least two trainers on the floor, horrible training , gyms squeezing the life out of there best trainers or worse not utilizing personal training at all. I overhead a very successful businessman tell a trainer this, "You are nothing but profit to this company. You have no overhead, bring and keep clients and members, you keep up retention, I would have quit the gym long ago...and you cost the gym nothing... NOTHING! Its asinine for them to run you off."
Trainers are pure profit once a good membership base is set up, even a few independent trainers paying a monthly sublease can cover a big portion of the gym lease -
I've seen great months out of clubs only to see the staff break up and go their separate ways for a number of reasons. This devastates the clubs numbers every time it happens. The big corporate hierarchy are blind, greedy or both. They would impose always changing compensation plans and rules, meant to maximize the companies cut. It is common business knowledge that replacing an employee that's leaving will cost the business 16-31 of the employees annual salary. For personal trainers, especially establishes ones, the cost is even higher. First the trainer will inevitably take a few if not all their clients with them, putting a dent not only in personal training revenue, but also in membership dues and miscellaneous sales (my clients buy a protein shake or preworkout drink daily.) Finding a trainer is easy, finding a good trainer with a solid client base ready to buy in to company mantra is almost impossible. The solution of course is retaining your trainers, their clients and all the bonuses and extra profits that come with them.
Is the solution to pay a trainer a living wage? No, that's for minimum wage people. A trainer needs to feel that they are entering a career with amazing financial potential, because that's what they will be doing in the right situation. The gyms that charge a flat hourly or monthly rate for trainers while allowing trainers to set their own price point will allow trainers to earn a substantial amount on the session, while providing the gym with money for that hour equivalent or greater than a monthly membership.
A set price for individual sessions(25-45 minutes) and for 2-5 person group sessions is an option, instead of the excessive %75 cut big gyms take per session, how about a %75 cut to trainer.
Gym sells 20 sessions of training for 700.
gives trainer 20 per session. Gym makes 500 and trainer 200
However it is rare to get a long term client in these times spend 70-210 a week on training, usually that's the last package they buy.
So over the course of a year, not including membership, the client provides 500 profit for gym.
With the 20 going to gym and 50 going to trainer (who has option to place client in group as long as gym gets its 20) the client is given the option of training in small group for 35 takes the option and continues twice a week training. Trains for a year at the discounted price, makes new friends and finds motivation in group(which inevitably happens). So for the year the client trains 2 x week with group, even with a modest 1/3 of group price of 6.66 x 2 x44=586 added yearly profits added to the 200
trainer and client to benefit. A flat monthly rate can also benefit both parties. The goal is to have the tr This is the current system I will be starting this project from. Gym has potential to earn 20 per hour and trainer 120+ per hour (more details later). Or a monthly sublease will enable the trainer to
The clients introduction to training must be the most important and productive day they enter the gym. The knowledge gained should be something they use forever, they should have the workout of their life PERSONALIZED to their specific goal with every step, position and technique explained in a way they can relate to, and they must see results ASAP. Results ASAP?! Impossible you say? There are two techniques that every trainer needs to utilize in the beginning- bodyfat measurements and postural assessments and corrections.Two separate complimentary first time appointments or assessments are a powerful selling tool for a competent trainer with bodyfat calipers (more explanation later) and a postural assessment and correction in the gym gives almost immediate results when done properly (more later). The main point is new members need to have an assessment when they sign. They can see the results they are getting with a trainer or the trainer can call out their lack of progress compared to those with training. Assessments and documentation are the most effective selling tool for gym newbies or personal training first timers.
Just as retention should be priority with every customer base it is true for trainers and gyms alike. Clients leaving for whatever reason is bleeding if revenue, so before any major work be done on the body, the bleeding must stop. Gym members leave for many reasons as do personal training clients. The three R's of personal training are Rates, Rapport and Results will provide the trainer and gym what they need most-Retention and Referrals. In the end this what its about.
Fitness Director Tasks
Identify or hire trainers
Teach how to do 1st impression session
Teach optimal program design
Guide to ensure client satisfaction and retention
drastically increase and maintain gross personal training sales
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