Leads are the backbone of personal training. But before you borrow Grandma’s Yellow Pages and cold call from Abbott to Zimmerman, let’s go over the most efficient and successful ways to position yourself in front of potential clients. As we move through these strategies, always remember this: we get leads by giving value.
1. Give Free Sessions
Your time is your most valuable asset. Use it to showcase your skills and attract potential clients. Offering free sessions is a powerful way to demonstrate your expertise and convert interest into ongoing clients.
Historically, this strategy has the best conversion rate. Why? It gives the most value at the lowest cost: free. Additionally, it puts you in the best position to demonstrate your talent and, more importantly, build a relationship.
In a 30-minute free session, you can really get to know the person you’re training. The importance of that connection can’t be overstated – because at the end of the day, people hire people they enjoy being around.
2. Workshops and Seminars
Organize events at your gym or even at a local park. Choose a relevant topic like "Losing Stubborn Body Fat" or “How to Get Six Pack Abs” and invite as many people as possible. Make your seminar engaging and upbeat. Think of that boring Philosophy 101 lecture you took in community college and do the exact opposite. Make sure your audience can see how much this opportunity means to you!
If public speaking isn’t your thing and picturing the audience in their underwear is a grey area in your moral compass, consider hosting a workshop. You can take people through a 30-minute mobility routine and show them the immediate benefits of corrective exercise. There are no rules. Get creative and give value.
3. Approach People in the Gym
This is the approach most personal trainers struggle with. I get it – you spent your whole childhood being told not to interrupt, and now some blog writer is telling you to go ask that guy on leg press if he wants a free session. It sounds counterintuitive and uncomfortable.
But if you go about it properly, approaching people can become a reliable source of leads. So, how should you do it? Instead of critiquing someone’s form, tell them about a useful tip you recently learned. This will keep them from feeling insecure and defensive and will open the door for you to offer a full free session if they seem receptive.
Another option is to just talk to people at the gym without offering them any advice and without trying to make a sale. Instead, some personal trainers prefer to put their attention into getting to know people and building relationships with them, hoping that it might lead to a sale in the future.
Those are just two ways to navigate the situation. The right way to approach someone is entirely up to you. The only thing that matters is that you get the conversation started, whether that’s offering a spot or asking who they think will win the Super Bowl.
Everything you learned about in-person leads can be applied to digital leads as well. The fundamentals — giving value, being seen, and building relationships — are still the driving force that generates leads. With that said, the digital landscape can be intimidating. Let’s take a look at the top seven practices that’ll help you make the most of it.
Focus on SEO (search engine optimization). Be sure your website uses relevant keywords related to personal training. This helps improve your visibility and attract people searching for fitness solutions.
Interact with followers. Treat every comment like a customer walking into your door. Engage genuinely with your audience to build relationships and trust.
It’s not enough to pump out content. It has to be content that people actually want. Instead of playing a never-ending game of trial and error, type a common fitness word in the YouTube search bar and see what it auto-fills with.
Ex: If I type “knee” the first auto-fill is “knee pain.” This tells me that people are searching for and in need of content about knee pain.
Note: When tailoring your content to public interest, don’t tailor your personality to it. Be your genuine self throughout.
Publish an eBook, write a blog, or send out a newsletter. Provide valuable information in exchange for email addresses. This is a winning transaction! Some of the most successful businesses rely on this model.
Quality over quantity. Don’t get discouraged by small numbers. Whether it’s 5 people on a webinar or 2 comments on a post, remember that real connections matter more than inflated metrics. Likes don’t equal clients.
Engage in discussion. The internet, for better or worse, is a place where everyone has a voice. Set aside time to get into the mix. Interact in Reddit forums, respond to Instagram comments, or share your reaction to viral posts. Get involved in public discourse.
Remember, it’s not all about you and your content. The goal is to help people, even if that means directing them to someone else.
Sharing quality content from other trainers can position you as a trusted resource. Sifting through a sea of information and making education accessible is incredibly valuable.
Now that you’ve made it through our guide to generating leads, it’s time to give value and get clients. Good luck.