u/Strange-Risk-9920

Not so much the classes, equipment, etc. But more how you are greeted, how complaints are handled, how problems are anticipated, etc.

Basically how much of the human experience is five star?

What grade would you give your club(s) on a scale of 60 (Fail) up to 95 (A+)?

Does anyone deduct part of your dues based on use of an EQX co-working space and what % are you deducting? I know "ask your CPA" but I'm curious if anyone is doing it. Ty

I'm just going to share a few thoughts bc several requested more detail. I don't have tons of time at the moment. I'll probably do more later.

But as a follow up to my previous post:

1. Reliability is the most important trait. If they aren't reliable, they will cause you great pain. Until you terminate them. Charisma, etc is good. But an unreliable charismatic trainer is not valuable to a business. They will bring you pain. I said that twice for a reason. ;-)
2. Try to assess reliability by their past and discuss it during the interviews. If they are late for any interview or anything, I would not even consider hiring them. Of course, interviews are notorious for not being a great indicator of employee behavior so the struggle is real.
3. Figure out what the role requires and judge the applicant based on that. We need someone knowledgeable on anatomy from a training perspective, able to deal with a variety of joint challenges, someone who is a good communicator and someone who is reasonably pleasant to be around. We don't need a super-funny personality or anything like that. If the role is group fitness, you might need more charismatic kind of personality. Know what your own model needs to function well.
4. Our general thing now is 2 years experience. We run a semi-private model and past hires with no experience struggled. 2 years experience seems to be a good fit. More than 2 years (or so) they might be more stuck in their ways. Not saying that 100% but it's an issue worth being aware of. If they are really, really good and really reliable, look to reward them even more. Some people might disagree with this and low ball everyone. Make the decision that you think is best.
5. If someone is really good, I try and reward them with $ immediately. I might put a bonus in their check or whatever. Let them know there is an opportunity and you see their hustle.
6. Be absolutely clear about expectations from day one. Don't try and be their best friend although a business relationship of mutual respect ideally develops over time.
7. We have always paid W-2 and have never had a single independent contractor in 14 years. We even pay interns W-2. I know not everyone does it this way but this keeps it simple and is probably less risky. But do what you think is best.

After 20+ years in our industry, I am in a good place today. But in hindsight, I would have done a few things differently. Of course, life is not lived in hindsight so maybe consider this a reflection on a career.

1. Would have dug deeper on anatomy from Day One (or before Day One).

I had a decent knowledge of anatomy at the beginning but was not an expert and didn't have a science degree (my undergrad was economics). I was conservative with what I did but when I went all in on anatomy and mastered that, my confidence and career took off.

2. Probably would have stayed at a commercial gym a shorter time.

I was at a commercial gym 7 years total, although the last 2 I was part-time and was starting my own thing outside. TBH, I really loved that environment and we had a great crew of trainers there. We had some former Olympians, former military and other trainers who were just skilled in a variety of ways. It was just a great, cordial vibe. We had 30 trainers total and probably 20 were doing pretty well. The biggest limitation there was management and a lack of vision. If we would have had good management and a visionary CEO, who knows, I might have stayed there forever. But as is usually the case in fitness, management was weak so the culture was weak. So I probably should have left earlier. But I was a reluctant business person.

3. Would have better understood hiring, interviewing, etc earlier.

In my career as trainer, studio founder and studio partner, there is one challenge that outweighs all the other challenges combined and it is not even close: hiring trainers who can service, retain and (ideally) grow a business. I have now studied this a lot (still some room to grow) but man this kicked my ass for a few years. I could go into more detail on that but that would be a long post.

4. Would have had more clarity about our target market and our role in their life

Our clients are not trying to get a "summer body" for the most part. They want to be able to move, travel and enjoy life. AND drink wine. Lol. Understanding this has allowed me to target market with ease and efficiency. We also moved out of the weight loss market years ago, which has been great in my opinion.

5. Understood a long-term approach is the best approach

I actually got this pretty well but maybe I would have enjoyed the ride more if I would have thought of everything in the long view. Spending 5 hours per week studying (which I did) is highly likely to put you in a great long-term position. It doesn't really pay off in 30 or 90 days. But do it for many months and you are simply going to have an advantadge. Very little of this work is directly compensated so it's understandable why people might not take to this idea. But continuing to learn and develop myself outside training hours, first in training and then in business, has produced good results.

A few thoughts...

We put a lot of effort into what I call hospitality. We are very intentional about welcoming clients, being friendly and stuff like that. The key here is we are focused on a series of actions on our part.

Our goal is to basically provide the best service possible and the only thing we really ask of them is to show up and give us a credit card to run every month.

As a general rule I do not like the idea of trying to be friends with clients and hanging out with them, although that comes with some nuance.

To me, 2 friends are different than a business that provides a service. In a friendship, 2 people support each other. My position would be we do everything we can to support the client but we don't really need them to support us.

We just need them to pay us.

I think the friend thing can often drift into something that doesn't align with good business practices, although I also think some people can pull it off.

There might even be some clients on here who will say they're great friends with their trainers and that's all good. But it is something that can drift into something that doesn't serve the interest of the business.

Hi Everyone,

I think our industry is in a great spot for growth over the next 5 years and there is objective data to support that belief.

But I think we all need to think about things differently and come up with new solutions.

Why do I think that?

1. Numbers vary somewhat depending on the source but the typical trainer makes maybe 48k-60k. And this is for those who are able to make it through the challenge of onboarding, sales, etc. In many places, this is simply isn't enough to build a true career. Even if it is enough to get by, everyone would like to make more than that, all things being equal.

2. Job conditions often suck. Poor management is almost a given in our industry. Crazy schedules. Often little or no holiday pay. Unpaid hours where you wait for the next client and don't get paid to wait. Health care benefits vary although I don't believe most trainers have good health care. Even when people are doing well above the typical pay rate of trainers, there are many very difficult aspects of the role.

3. It's often a career with an expiration date. Many trainers are on the younger side. The problem with this is why even go into it in the first place if you are going to get out, assuming you know there is an income cap and the job has many problems with it? Ideally in a career you would be increasing your earning potential over time and as you get older you would make much more money or the job would pay well from the beginning (like nursing) even if it doesn't go up dramatically over time.

Here are a few things to consider for the younger trainers.

1. Know the current financial status of the industry and how much trainers get paid. Don't be swayed by marketing campaigns from certifying agencies, schools and even gyms. At least go in informed, even if you believe you'll do much better than average.

2. Honestly, just look for different ways to do things if you don't like what is currently being offered out there. One obvious thing for me was the semi-private model, which I have been doing since January, 2012. It solves SO many problems with the problems listed above. I know it might not be for everyone and I am not saying everyone should do it. I use it mostly as an example of not following what the industry does, if you don't like the options out there. Online is another option, I guess, although I have not gotten too into that yet.

3. People do want and will pay for what we offer and there are many positive trends contributing to that. Aging population, doctors telling patients to exercise, media reporting on the benefits of exercise and just a general greater knowledge about the benefits of exercise will all keep demand elevated with no obvious dropoff in sight.

I don't claim to have all the answers but personal trainer jobs (with some exceptions) suck for the most part, and I am against that.

Better solutions and better models are needed, maybe more than anything else.

As the title says, here are several ways I have acquired clients.

1. Talk to people about their interests based on an item of clothing.

This was one of my first ones I learned working the floor. If someone was wearing a Yankees hat, I would ask them if they were from NYC. If they had a Hawaii t-shirt on, I might ask them when they visited last. I actually just did this to pass the time when I started but I found it was a good ice breaker and it lead to clients later. I guess key is being friendly but not creepy.

2. Helped someone on the floor with a question.

Funny: I did this once on a floor shift and years later a woman tracked me down after I started my own place and signed up. Crazy but she has spent about $25k in training now.

3. Write an article in the local paper.

I met the publisher of the neighborhood paper at a networking event and she became a client. She then asked me to start writing an article. I haven't calculated exactly how much $ this has produced over the years but it produced 7 last year and that's worth six figures from those clients alone over their client life. These little papers often need content so I highly recommend trying this.

4. Talked to a client of a chiro I was subleasing from.

Just struck up a convo with a chiro client when I was subleasing back in the day. She became a client and even got me the location for my studio bc she worked in commercial real estate.

5. Spouses

Many spousal referrals over the years. Once I get one spouse, I will ask about their spouse and how they're doing. They will often say "I really wish he/she would sign up here." Then I am really going to be asking about that spouse lol and even try to meet the person if possible. Sometimes I have offered a free 2 weeks or something and that can get things going.

6. Self-brand yourself on social media

This is more of an organic strategy but anyone who follows me on FB thinks of me as a "fitness guy" bc I post articles and the like about fitness. Just simple stuff. Then (when they hit the right place in the funnel) they reach out and I have added several clients that way.

7. Public speaking

This has not produced tons of clients in part bc it has been hard to get lots of speaking situations, for whatever reason. But I have generated some clients from speaking to the Rotary and Chamber of Commerce.

8. Joined a networking group.

I joined a networking group when I first opened the studio. This produced several clients, although not always great quality in the sense of financial qualifications and longevity. But it helped me get started.

9. Former clients

Best story here is I saw a former client at an outdoor event during Covid. I walked up to her and asked her my genius sales opener "how have you been?" She said she was doing horribly physically. She had seen me and wanted to approach about starting training again but was too afraid to, for whatever reason. Long story short, that was 5 years ago or so (don't have the exact date in front of me) and she is a great success story. Don't take people leaving personally, I guess is the take home. Things happen. Life happens.

Bottom line is you can get clients in many different ways, especially if you aren't afraid to approach people!

After informing me she had bone health issues and her asking me directly if I had any knowledge of or experience with the subject, I gave her a brief, hopefully jargon-free rundown of the relevant science re: strength-training and bone health, my 20 years of training experience including working with bone health clients, my education which includes a M.S. I usually don't go into all that on a phone call but she asked directly.

There was a little pause and she asked me:

"Are you certified?"

I kind of paused and said yes I have a CSCS which is considered one of the most reputable certifications.

Then she asked "oh, you don't have a senior training certification or corrective exercise certification?"

Doh🙂

The other day a newer client (I'll call her "Susan") approached me and said "you know what I really like about this studio?"

I wondered to myself what her answer might be...

emphasis on unilateral training?

brilliant non-linear periodization schemes?

the ideal progressive overload plan?

Narrator: Susan didn't say any of those things.

Susan said (drumroll, please): "I like how there aren't any scuff marks on the walls."

I wanted to burst out laughing but instead said "Thanks for mentioning that. We do try our best to keep the place looking nice."

Now, I am at heart an old school lifter who grew up in gyms with cops, bodybuilders and even some pro wrestlers. Nobody there was concered about scuff marks on the walls. Although they did probably put a few holes in walls. lol.

But those dudes are not our target market.

Susan is our target market.

Susan is 50-ish, a mom, married, home owner, lives minutes from our studio and works in a high-earning, stressful career (as does her husband).

Susan is NOT hard core but Susan CAN pay $499 per month for semi-private training.

Susan cares about scuffs on the walls. So we do too.

Because we want Susan to feel like this is the place for her.

And her friends.

As long as what the client cares about does not conflict with one of our values or doesn't negatively impact other clients, we try to intentionally design a client-centric business that makes our target market feel like this is the best place for them.

P.S. If you are hard core and have a hard core gym, that is awesome. I would probably enjoy your place. One is not necessarily better than another. They are just different.

Few people get into training to get rich but you do need to make a living or you can't help anyone.

Here are some not so obvious decisions that lead to $ growth.

1. Got out of the weight loss business. Weight loss is a very common reason people hire a trainer, right? Take this marketing angle out and you're toast, right? Well...many years ago we tapped out of the weight loss market. There were many reasons for this but the bottom line is we now focus on increasing strength and quality of life. We can achieve this with basically 100% of people. People are happier, our systems are simplifed and everything just runs better. This simplication has been a big factor in increasing $ in a significant way. It also makes training more fun.

2. Run a single model. We only do semi-private training and I would say we do it pretty well. Each week we look for small things to improve to make the machine run better. Vs some gyms that are running many different training models and trying to market to all those models. A business book (can't remember the name of it) calls this the hedgehog model. This continuing simplification makes running the model dramatically easier and more efficient than trying to run a one on one model, large group model, kids' strength model, seniors' model-as just a few examples where fitness businesses try to be good at a lot of things. This means less work for us but more money.

3. Strategize toward permanent relationships and permanent clients. Truly understanding the value proposition of a trainer for our clients means they are extremely unlikely to ever workout on their own. We can teach them every exercise under the sun but as a behavioral point, they will choose not working out over working out IF they don't have an appointment with us. I had this convo with a client yesterday morning who said she really just wanted to stay in bed. She said because she is paying, she showed up because she just couldn't waste money like that. Our clients will NOT usually work out on their own. Many even have home gyms and they still won't do it. As long as we do a good job for them, they are likely to stay forever because much of the value comes from being an appointment for them. Add and retain enough of these clients and you will make a good living.

The thread about possible dropping demand/ PE-funded models and the like spurred some thoughts about the future. In no particular order...

1. Might sound ironic given the thread title but no one can completely predict the future. People have opinions on AI and fitness and many of those opinions might even be based in data and evidence. And many are based completely in bias. No one can tell you with complete confidence how AI, PE or any of that will impact our industry. All we can do is prepare the best we can.

2. Whatever AI does or doesn't do to our industry, I think it's a reasonable assumption to say it is likely to have an impact. I have taken 3 little Google courses on AI and use it to some extent on a daily basis. It's probably a good idea to get some education in it and keep an eye on trends, to the extent you can.

3. Be aware of the strengths and vulnerabilities of your model. This is something I think about constantly. I always look for ways to generate a better client experience/results which generates more revenue for the business. I try to make it stronger every day. I also look for areas where we are not maximizing. Whatever the future holds (see #1 above), I want to be as strong as possible if something changes. And change is inevitable. We just don't know exactly what that change will be.

1. One of the most challenging aspects of operating a training business is there are always 100 things you can be working on and there isn't a book that tells you what is next. Try to determine what your biggest challenge is based on your current situation and what the biggest lever is and improve that.

2. There are some problems you might not be able to 100% fix but you can improve them. Trainer schedule is an example. When you start you might be working early am to late pm most days of the week. This is common. Just try to consistently improve your schedule. Do that five times over several years and you can move to a much better schedule, even though it still might not be perfect.

3. Avoid binary thinking when it comes to technical training and providing a great personal experience for your client. A great training business will provide good technical knowledge and a good human experience. It isn't either or. It's integration of the two that makes the machine hum.

4. "Keep the showers clean." This is not a reference to actual showers (we don't have any). But it is a reference from a book where the author highlights the importance of consistently executing the basics as opposed to super-dramatic moments. The "keep the showers clean" is a reference to hotels where they put the mint on the pillow and all that. But the showers aren't consistently clean and that would destroy a hotel business. Focus more on the showers always being clean and less on mints on pillows. For our industry, "keeping the showers clean" means being reliable and consistent. Sounds incredibly obvious but a lot of our industry (probably not people on here) consistently cancel on clients with short notice and/or may be late for sessions. Keep the showers clean and worry about fancy bells and whistles later.

5. Actively question whether your model actually works. If you are making 6 figures but the model you work in requires you to be there 5am-7pm five days per week and half day on Saturday with lots of unpaid time on site in between, that model might not work for you. Or maybe it works for you when you are 25 but not when you are 35. Stay open to new models that are more conducive to all your goals-financial, professional and personal-not just your financial goals.

Let's go

Is how scared many financially qualified prospects are of the gym. Trying to make it easier for these clients to onboard can make you a lot of $.

I have done a "few" consultations and one thing most of them say is "I have been wanting to do this for many (months or years) but just couldn't make myself do it until now."

Often their biggest concern is getting injured or humiliated in the gym.

There really aren't a lot of super-simple solutions but I try to be aware of this factor when posting on social media. I don't post a lot of heavy lifting pics or post about beastmode and the rest.

It's okay to show fitness credibility but I'm aware that some things I grew up doing (and love doing) might intimidate our typical middle-aged client. Most of our social posts focus on support, encouragement and education.

When I joined our industry 20 years ago, I almost immediately noticed some issues with fitness business models. That started me down a (long) path of questioning how things were done.

Here are some things you would think a solid business model would provide.

1. A good income.
2. A reasonable (not necessarily perfect) schedule.
3. Opportunity to make more money over time.
4. Fulfilling work.
5. Reasonable time off for vacations and PTO.
6. Some flexibility
7. Opportunity to potentially hire and still achieve #1 (good income).
8. Fair pay for potential employees
9. Opportunity to potentially build a valuable business asset. Probably not everyone is interested in this but ideally it could be on your horizon.
10. The skills of the trainer match the needs of the position.

These are some of the first things that come to mind for me.

The typical gym trainer model fails a few of these-an unreasonable schedule (#2) being one. Also, often good trainers aren't comfortable selling/marketing(#10) and we know sales/marketing tends to part of what is needed to succeed as a trainer. #9,#4 and #7 generally aren't available either.

Going independent is one path to achieve some of these.

Another path is considering a semi-private model in a small space.

What that might look like chronologically:

1. Spend a couple years developing a basic skill set and demo you have the ability to attract and service a full-time (30 hour) training schedule.

2. Look into leasing a small space for yourself. 500 sq ft maybe.

3. Adopt a semi-private model. This is a big leap for many but I have found it has been the best (not necessarily perfect) way to achieve the 10 goals listed above. Many of the biggest concerns for people are easier than they might seem. Onboarding for example could be handled through an onboarding process outside your regular SPT schedule. But it does take some practice learning how to manage 3 or more people at once. Probably a couple years to get good at it. Just like developing a one on one skillset usually takes a couple years.

4. The huge benefit of a SPT model is it allows a clear path to generate much more revenue. And increased revenue is how you achieve 1-10 above, because you need $ to hire and pay a fair wage, to build an asset, to potentially segregate job duties (like sales) and all the rest.

5. Specifically, if you regularly charge $80 per session, your SPT rate might be $65. So $195 per hour rather than $80. And if you're on a subscription model, that's basically $195 guaranteed.

6. If you take that basic model and build up to just 25 hours per week, that's $4875 per week. $243k annual. Not saying that is easy to do but definitely achievable within 12-18 months.

With that type $, you have dramatically more flexibility and opportunity to achieve 1-10 above.

At that point you can hire, take on a partner, segregate roles where someone strong at sales/marketing and strategy handles those and someone who is primarily a good trainer can handle that.

But it is hard to do any of that initially until you first grow your $, unless you take a loan or something to make payroll which I would not recommend.

7. As a bonus, if you develop systems along the way that are not dependent on a single SuperMan or Superwoman individual, you might even find yourself creating a business asset you might be able to sell for a good amount of $.

8. Once you get around that $250k mark (or before), you could add training hours, open another slot per session (4 rather than 3) and potentially get a little bigger space.

But revenue dictates your options.

More revenue=more flexibility

I don't think anyone got into this business primarily to make money but the gym with no members closes and the trainer with no clients leaves the industry.

Making money is necessary for survival.

Here are a few ideas after 20 years in our industry. Most of these are long-term strategies but they can all help you make good money in the long run.

1. Embrace the suck and really learn anatomy. You can fake it sometimes but your confidence will improve (and clients sense that) when you know anatomy well. It's hard to work with a middle aged clientele (and up) if you don't know your anatomy pretty well.

2. Expand your personal horizons. Whenever I am in a gym, I watch the trainers. I always notice the demographical differences between trainers in most gyms and the clients. Often the trainers are maybe 30-ish and the clients are about twice that old. Try to maybe see a play, visit a museum or do some things that expand your ability to converse and engage with people who usually have never visited bodybuilding.com.

3. Try to establish a subscription model if you can. We never ask a client "do you want to renew?" Their agreement says they automatically renew until they cancel. This is an enormous asset for retention and financial administration.

4. Track your $ numbers with weekly review. I'm always examining our $ numbers and comparing them to previous years and months. "What gets tracked, gets improved" is the saying. This is absolutely crucial if you run a gym and important if you are just on your own.

5. Know the rate in your market but don't feel controlled by it. I know the general rates in our area but tbh am not too concerned with that. I review our numbers and then strategize based on those. Since we are pretty close to capacity, I can feel confident increasing rates since I feel confident if we lose some people we can replace them. I don't know all those details for other gyms so I don't consider their pricing for our decisions.

6. If you are doing well, consider communicating even more clearly with any clients who are difficult and establishing boundaries. Difficult clients are almost never worth the frustration unless you are barely paying your bills. I think trainers and gyms can be better off financially when you deal with these situations, even if they leave. Especially if they leave.

7. Consider outsourcing bookkeeping. I started outsourcing bookkeeping 14 years ago. Best money ever spent since I don't enjoy it and I can spend my time generating new biz, working on our service or do other things that improve things.

8. Track your Top 3 sources of business. Our Top 3 are returning clients, an article I write in the local paper and referrals. That's all we need to focus on to grow. People spend a lot of time and energy on unproductive growth strategies.

9. Keep overhead low, if you can. This keeps pressure lower than if you have high overhead. We can be patient and make decisions that serve our long-term $ interest vs running 6 week promotions. We haven't run any special or 6 week promo for maybe 7 years.

10. Study active listening and maybe get some education in that. When you pair good technical skills with good active listening skills, you are dangerous. lol

11. Make sure your prospects can afford you long-term. If your prospects can only afford short-term training, it can be hard to get momentum since you get so much turnover. Our average client has been here 4 years and once you get above break even, any new client is almost all profit. That's how you can really get ahead $ wise.