- Successful personal trainers have the same habits that they encourage their clients to form.
- Ongoing education helps trainers build credibility.
- Your values, beliefs, and standards play an important role in your success as a personal trainer.
Learning how to stand out from other personal trainers is an important task if you want to succeed and enjoy a lucrative career.
If you want to sell your services and stay one step ahead of your competition, you need to dedicate the time and energy it takes to be more than one of the nameless, faceless many in your local gym. Exercise.com’s gym management software can help you get ahead of the game and stay there.
While integrative software can help make your growth as a personal trainer easier, there are a few simple tricks you can implement to become more successful. We’ll guide you on how to master your career as a personal trainer with pride, passion, and persistence, all while having fun.
Check out our all-in-one Fitness Business Management Software to see how you can really stand out and manage your client roster efficiently. Request a demo now!
Stand Out From Other Personal Trainers: 8 Tips
Let’s face it, there’s more competition now than ever for personal trainers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed. The simple truth is that you’ll need to do more than just get a certification and get a job at your local gym.
By implementing a unique plan and establishing a strong foundation of morals and expertise, you can start standing out as a personal trainer.
How can you stand out from other personal trainers?
#1 – Love What You Do
Before you begin your journey, you need to ask yourself two important questions:
- “Do I love helping people?”
- “Do I live an active, healthy lifestyle?”
If you answered yes to these questions, you’re already ahead of the game. A positive attitude along with a passion for health and fitness will set you up for success!
#2 – Practice What You Preach
Although many personal trainers claim to be dedicated to living the healthiest life possible, many fall short. No one is going to have faith in your training abilities if you never exercise.
Showing your clients how to make the most out of their workouts isn’t the same as actively working out on your own. Sure, you’re tired and on your feet all day. But how can your clients rave about your genuine nature if they never see you working out or if you don’t eat healthily?
Yes, everyone is allowed to let loose and indulge every once in a while, but if you aren’t truly committed to practicing what you preach, it will become painfully obvious.
Successful trainers know there needs to be a healthy balance between work and play.
Set an example and exercise where you train your clients. Unless you work out of your clients’ homes, they expect to see you getting down and dirty in the gym.
Your clients will have more respect for you as a trainer, and they will see you as an ongoing source of motivation.
#3 – Never Stop Learning
Thanks to the internet, many fitness educational resources are at your fingertips. With so much emphasis on staying active and living the healthiest life possible, it’s no wonder that so many people seek the help of a personal trainer.
With that in mind, being a successful trainer involves more than just passing the initial certification exam. In addition to staying current with the latest health topics, furthering your own education is more important than ever.
Clients want a trainer who can answer even the most difficult of training questions. They want to hire someone who takes their job seriously. In addition to earning mandatory recertification credits through organizations like the American Council on Exercise, learning for the sole purpose to learn is equally as valuable.
Ask questions and listen to what people in the gym are talking about. Become the go-to source that both your clients and other trainers come to for information.
If you expect to be unavailable due to continuing education opportunities, Exercise.com’s workout logging software is designed to help you keep your clients on track with innovative and easy-to-use workout programs you can implement from anywhere.
#4 – Stand Behind Your Beliefs
To stand out from the crowd, you need to stand behind your belief system. Standards you set for yourself should be comparable to the ones you set for your clients.
For example, what do you value in terms of lifestyle choices and proper nutrition? Your core beliefs are what sets you apart from other trainers. Saying and doing are distinctly different.
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Basically, if you preach functional fitness and mobility, it’s likely a good idea to make sure you are mobile and practice at least some of your functional training methods. There are few things more awkward than clients trying to learn something like a Turkish Get-up when the trainer has no idea how to perform the exercise.
#5 – Find Your Niche
To truly make your mark, you need to target your clientele. Whether you are a Pilates guru or a strength training master, hone in on what you do best. Being a jack of all trades may work for some, but to excel, you should target a specific niche.
As with any job, when you do what you love, it shows. You enjoy what you are doing and go the extra mile because you want to, not because you have to.
Regardless of which type of training you prefer, find a way to become the best at it. Market your skills to a target audience who want what you have to offer!
You could even be able to increase your overall revenue using fitness ecommerce software to sell a variety of products; from training packages to apparel, to gym accessories such as lifting belts and straps. The opportunities are endless!
#6 – Promise and Deliver
Being accountable is what makes you an excellent trainer, so if nothing else, promise and then deliver. Good news may travel fast, but bad news travels even faster.
If you stand clients up or don’t deliver the services you are marketing, your appointment book will be empty.
Don’t promise your clients that they can lose 30 pounds in 30 days. Instead, encourage solutions that are healthy and more obtainable. Encouraging clients to work harder if they want to reach their goals sooner is okay, but if you’re making promises that are nearly impossible, you’re the one who will be held accountable.
#7 – Learn How to Run Your Business
One of the biggest obstacles trainers face is that they don’t really know how to run a business. Even though you may love fitness and helping others, you also need to understand what it takes to successfully manage your own business.
Can you make a living being a personal trainer? Absolutely! How much you make as a personal trainer is up to you. According to Salary.com, the median salary for personal trainers is over $60,000.
With so many loose ends, it’s a good idea to hire an accountant or buy quality accounting software. As you continue to build your business, you’ll learn about proper marketing strategies, proper business practices, and how to crunch the numbers yourself.
Exercise.com’s gym management software offers the total package that helps with managing memberships, inventory, running reports, and much more.
On top of that, you’ll be given a website and branded personal trainer apps so that your clients can register for classes, purchase products, and get important notifications on the go.
#8 – A Cut Above the Rest
Standing out in an ocean of personal trainers isn’t easy. The most sought-after trainers are the ones who always have their clients’ best interests at heart. They go the extra mile for their clients. They know when to push a little harder and when to show more compassion.
Most importantly, they are genuine.
If you continually find ways to add value to your clients’ lives, you’ll be miles above the rest! This is one key step when learning how to stand out in the fitness industry.
How to Stand Out as a Personal Trainer: Take-Home Message
If you want to stand out as a personal trainer, you’ll need to be passionate about fitness, education, and people. Your clients will respond better if they trust that you know and care about what you’re teaching them. At the end of the day, your clients pay your bills so you’ll need to cater to their needs.
Learning how to stand out from other personal trainers can be a challenge. Exercise.com has developed software to make the day-to-day operations of personal training flow seamlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I find clients?
Most personal trainers initially find their clients by working at a gym. You can also rely on family, friends, or recruit some clients through social media. Exercise.com offers marketing services to help increase your exposure to new clients with minimal work on your end.
How do I start a personal training business?
Starting a business begins with conducting a lot of research. You can learn how to start a personal training business in just a few months.
Should personal trainers work in a gym before starting a business?
Not necessarily. However, working in an already established gym may help you gain valuable experience that you can transfer to your own business in the future.
Do I need insurance if I start my own business?
Yes. In order to protect yourself from various legal troubles, you should be insured.
Don’t wait to book a demo to see how Exercise.com can help you grow your personal training business today.