The personal trainer industry has experienced excellent growth over the past five years, with weight loss services and customized workouts being the most solicited services. Research indicates that the upward trend is poised to continue. Consumer confidence is growing and median incomes are expected to rise, meaning that Americans will have more to spend on health and fitness. Currently, income levels are nearly at pre-recession levels, which is good news for the health and fitness industry and the economy as a whole.
Rising demand means an increase in competition, which is always a positive thing when it comes to improving service. Set new standards in personal training by ensuring your clients remain loyal and by providing them with increasingly better, more personalized service as your business relationship progresses.
Nurturing Customer Loyalty
Customer loyalty programs are a great way to let your clients know, in a clear and measurable manner, that they can earn points by relying on your services regularly. Interesting incentives for customers include rewards (e.g. offering them a free training session for every eight paid sessions), partnering with other trainers (think a yoga, meditation, or Tai Chi coach) or a traditional points system (rewarding high point counts with a free session, discount, or special training session).
Rewarding Clients
Customer loyalty programs are clear-cut and essentially based on customer expenditure; rewards are different. They arise because you wish to personally recognize your client’s efforts or show them you care about them on a personal level. Far from being a marketing strategy, rewards are based on a genuine relationship, which you should certainly build with each and every client if personal training is your passion. Rewards might include giving clients your time (e.g. having lunch together), rewarding them with a gift certificate when they have achieved a weight loss goal, or simply calling them to find out how they are when they are facing challenging times.
Use Social Media to Your and Their Advantage
Having a big following on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are important when it comes to establishing yourself as an authority in your field. Having a personal trainer who is also an influencer can be very motivational to clients. Boost your following by posting great content: useful tips, stories featuring funny moments, blog posts with personal success stories, and videos of your clients achieving their goals. Make sure to post information on nutrition as well as exercise: articles on new diets, interesting articles, and studies, etc. A YouTube channel is a fabulous way to talk to existing and potential clients about your views on everything from nutrition to workout routines.
Hosting Mini Bootcamps
Some clients love training with others once in a while in an effort to expand their social circle. Once every few months, when the weather is ideal, why not host a boot camp week, weekend or day, enticing clients with a plethora of exercise forms they may not be used to? Think of how to make the most of your local area, perhaps through beach circuits, kayaking, mountain treks and outdoor obstacle courses.
Variation and the personal touch are key elements of optimal client retention. By providing clients with new activities (including outdoor assault courses and nature activities), keeping them informed with nutritional and fitness tips, and rewarding them for loyalty and commitment to their goals, you will build a bond that lasts for a lifetime.
Was this Article Helpful?
If this article was helpful to you, please consider linking this article to your own blog or sharing this through the social buttons below. You will also find other great articles at “Business“.
- 3shares
- 1Facebook
- 0Twitter
- 1Pinterest
- 1LinkedIn
Sally Perkins
