Starting a personal training business takes much more than a good workout routine and a little confidence.
Personal trainers are knowledgeable, patient professionals. They have excellent people skills and a deep understanding of what it takes to transform a body from the inside out.
If this sounds like you, you're already on the right track to creating a successful career as a trainer.
However, you need to be just as dedicated to building your company as you are to building muscles.
Here's everything you need to know about pricing personal training packages and expanding your business.
Get Certified to Maximize Your Value
Before you start selling personal training packages, you need to get credentials.
Being a certified personal trainer adds a significant amount of value to your business.
It shows you are serious about helping others on their journey and have taken the proper steps to expand your capabilities.
With this level of recognition, you can charge more for personal training packages.
Plus, if you're just getting started, an accredited organization's stamp of approval will carry much more weight than a word of mouth referral. It might even help you book your very first client.
Courses and certifications are available through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and the American Council on Exercise.
You can complete most programs online, with some requiring an in-person exam.
There are no national or state regulations on certificates, but most people will ask for some way to verify your ability to train them. As your client list grows, you may even feel like doing more certificates to expand the kind of personal training packages you offer.
Pick a Niche
Whenever you sign up for a certification program, think about the kind of fitness you want to focus on.
Do you want to help people living with obesity on their journey to weight loss? Are you looking to get clients prepared for bodybuilding competitions?
Identify what your passion is before you even think about creating personal training packages. To help you decide, here are some examples of courses you can complete.
- Advanced Personal Trainer Certification
- Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification
- Senior or Youth Fitness Certification
- Functional Training Certification
An advanced degree will give you an introduction as to what general personal training looks like.
Other courses will prepare you for a certain kind of clientele.
Strength and conditioning courses can work wonders for athletic training or as a form of physical therapy. Similarly, senior fitness is meant to help the elderly keep their minds and bodies sharp.
You can also choose to focus on special types of training like yoga, kickboxing, and even Zumba.
Understand the Basics of Personal Training Packages
Once you've chosen a direction and completed your coursework, you're ready to train!
First, you have to decide how you will structure your sessions. Here are a few things to consider when creating your personal training packages.
Pay Per Session vs Monthly Packages
Some trainers offer sessions one-by-one. Others prefer to work with fully-priced personal training packages.
The one-by-one system is kind of like a standing reservation at a restaurant.
Clients may book you for a regular appointment of a specific timing and price each week. But, they pay you per session each time.
This means you have to collect money every time you meet. It also makes it easier for clients to back out. They may lose motivation to keep coming back, or simply decide to put their money towards other things.
Scheduled packages counter these setbacks and offer more benefits.
These types of personal training packages come with one fee to cover all your sessions together. It is a rate most trainers expect paid in full up front. Others may charge periodically, like half before and another half after the program's completion.
Still, a larger price in fewer frequencies pays off for you and your client.
A client is much more likely to show up for something they've already paid for.
Plus, locking them in for a long-term package means you can track their progress better. This allows you to create a truly unique, efficient plan to meet a client's specific fitness goals.
Over time, you can build a stronger relationship and make adjustments as needed.
Your client will enjoy giving feedback and having you as a source of accountability. They may even opt to increase your sessions, which boosts your paycheck.
Factor for Cancellations
Speaking of your paycheck, don't count your income until your cash is in-hand.
Cancellations are bound to happen.
Luckily, clients on a package plan will have already paid you for everything and you won't lose money if something comes up. But if it's a last-minute cancellation you'll lose time. That's basically the same thing.
You could be using the extra time with another client or promoting your brand.
These hours can add up if the same clients cancel consistently or if you many clients cancel in the same week.
Some trainers alter these setbacks with a cancellation fee. It's a smaller price compared to a regular session, but it does work like insurance for clients to show up.
Don't Forget About the Benefits of Group Rates
Some clients may want to train with their partner, relative, or best friend. Others may contact you for group fitness courses as a company event.
As such, it is important to have group rates prepared as well as personal training packages.
Group fitness programs are an entirely different ballgame. There are many ways to set up a group program, but these are some of our favorites.
Circuit Classes
Circuit classes are a fun way to keep everyone moving.
Instead of waiting for machines or working with clients one by one, everyone's time is well spent.
Circuits involve setting up stations for different exercises.
Each person (or small group of people) will start at one station and complete the circuit in a rotation. You can make one big circuit to be completed once, or a small circuit for everyone to do a few times.
As the group progresses through the workout, make a point to help each individual. This lets you show your care as a trainer while keeping respect for everyone's time and effort.
Challenge Groups
Challenge groups are the godfather of group classes.
They're part personal training packages and part accountability group.
Everyone pays a flat fee to join the group and gets the same workout plan. Together, the clients complete their sessions and share their successes.
Sessions can be in person at a gym or local park. Or, you can offer these as an online group for anyone to join.
Going online opens the challenge group to anyone with wifi and motivation. This allows you to maximize how much money you make and how many lives you change.
Starting an online group also gives clients the flexibility to workout on their own time.
Many people enjoy not having to commit to the same time every day, and find this makes fitness more accessible.
Don't forget to offer extra incentives for even more profit. Such options include a diet plan or an additional one-on-one workout session.
Build a Client List
After testing your brain power with certification courses and setting up your personal training packages, you're almost there!
The real work happens now. This is the time to bring your training business to life with your first set of clients.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when marketing your personal training packages.
Use Your Network
As an avid gym-goer, you probably have a network of fitness friends to reach out to.
Although these people are already in shape, they probably know a friend or family member who could use your services. Plus, they know you well enough to vouch for you and get your foot in the door.
Try offering a couple free sessions to the first few people who show interest.
This simple incentive can have powerful results down the line, and build your client list at a faster rate.
Free sessions also give you a chance to test out your workout plans. Call your sibling or best friend and invite them to the gym with you. Run them through one of your routines and ask for feedback!
Have a Target Audience
While spreading the word about your personal training packages, try focus on a target audience.
Remember the certifications you completed and think of who can benefit most from a certain kind of training.
You might find you have a knack for working with an athlete's agility and strength. Or, your passion could be in helping people get back on their feet after some sort of injury.
Think of the age group and demographics you want to work with, too. Also, consider the lifestyle trends of where you live.
For example, if you live in a college town, you may have to lower your pricing.
Students don't have as much discretionary income as adults. They have smaller budgets yet still want to live a healthy lifestyle.
Senior citizens, on the other hand, tend to have more to spend.
If you live near a retirement community, these can be some of your best clients.
Beyond making a profit, seniors have their own set of challenges and needs you can focus on. Working with seniors expands your skills as a personal trainer while improving their quality of life.
Get the Most Out of Your Pricing Strategy
When pricing your packages, you have to cover your losses in addition to establishing your value.
Don't forget to include overhead fees in your total price. Also, try to put some of the money you make back in your business.
Overhead Fees
Personal training can be in a place as simple as an outdoor park or as fancy as a five-star gym.
Either way, you're going to have overhead fees.
At a gym, this could be an agreement with the owners to pay a fee for training in their facility. You can set it up as a percentage of each package or pay a monthly rate.
Some trainers choose to skip this and just workout with clients in public places. Still, try to factor in things like gas and supplies. When you're training multiple clients in various locations, you'll thank yourself for the extra boost in your pricing.
Expand Your Brand
Consider the basic branding materials you'll need as well.
Every personal trainer at least needs a website and business cards. It wouldn't hurt to get a few company t-shirts or do some advertising, either.
One of the best ways to do this with a small budget is through digital marketing strategies.
Make time in your schedule to build a social media following and look into simple SEO strategies. A little effort every day can reach a big amount of potential clients. Try using local tactics and keywords for even more success.
Better yet, you can choose to hire a specialist if you want to take on the added expense.
Start Your Career as a Personal Trainer
The world of fitness is much more than a passion, it is a life-changer.
However, not everyone knows where to start or how to keep going. As a personal trainer, you can be the tool to take your clients' fitness to the next level.
Whether through beating obesity or building the next star athlete in town, your programs make a difference. It all starts with the right mentality and the best personal training packages.
Stop underselling your ability or asking too much of your clients. Find the sweet spot for pricing and see how the rest of your career takes off.
Keep up with us here for more training tips and tricks.