I have been a little absent lately but for a good reason: my clientele is building up! I am actually surprised by how fast I am getting clients. Most of you might not know how personal training works here in NYC and basically most places. I will give you a brief explanation of how the process works in the gym I am currently working. When a new member signs up for the gym they automatically get a free (complimentary) Personal Training session. The managers or whoever makes that sale can schedule that PT session for the new member or they can give us their contact and we do the scheduling as we would like. Sometimes when I get to the gym and check my calendar, new appointments have been scheduled. In most gyms a trainer will not get paid for these complimentary sessions, so basically we are doing show cases - just trying to show the members what we can do, hoping they will buy a package. The gym I am working now pays its trainers for these COMP sessions but believe it or not, it is minimum wage. I know right, not fun - especially for those who went to school for 6 years to become competent professionals!!! The free PT sessions are just one way of selling personal training sessions. Another way is what they call prospecting. Now...this is voluntary work.
Prospecting is when you walk around the gym and every now and then you create the courage to tell a member that they are performing an exercise wrong or that they should try performing an exercise in a different way. Personally, when I prospect I just like to introduce myself and let them know I am there if they need anything. Some people don't appreciate when you interfere on their workout so you have to be careful when approaching someone like that. When you prospect you can also schedule free pt sessions for members if they seem interested in buying PT packages.
As you can see it is not easy being a personal trainer, you have to be motivated and positive because there is a lot of work involved and at the beginning nothing is guaranteed. Since I got to NYC I have been extremely positive and determined. I have set goals for myself: the first week I started at this gym I got 2 paying clients and by the end of the second week I wanted at 3 more - I got them! As that goal was reached, I made a new one: to have at least 8 clients within the next two weeks - today a client bought a 10 session package after I trained him for one hour and my manager gave me another client who had just bought sessions without even doing her complimentary training -- the 2 new ones from today gave me 8 clients. NEXT GOAL: I want 7 more clients by the end of March. I believe it is possible and because I believe it, IT IS DONE!
If you are a new trainer or is thinking about becoming one, I hope this helps a little - just be patient, positive, and determined. NYC is one of the most competitive markets for personal training, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere!!!
This is for everything right? Your profession, your relationships, your health - but it is always worth it when you get there!!!
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