Five Steps to Turning Personal Training Prospects Into Paying Clients

My previous article focused on empowering personal trainers to book more introductory sessions. I shared five tips that, when implemented, make this an excellent experience for both the member and the personal trainer. For this issue, I follow up on that theme with the keys to conducting an effective introductory personal training session that turns a prospect into a paying client.

For most personal trainers, an initial session with a potential client will make or break the relationship. To reiterate a point from the June column, most people become personal trainers because they genuinely want to help people better their lives through health and fitness, not because they are excited to sell personal training packages. Operators must provide personal trainers with the tools and training to help them feel confident when demonstrating to members through introductory sessions why they should work together.

Ultimately, it is still selling, but it is selling by showing a member that the trainer is the best solution to the problem the member is trying to solve. Here are five steps to help trainers convert more intro sessions into repeat clients.

1.  The first impression

The first — and arguably most crucial — step in an introductory session is to create a great first impression. The basics matter. The trainer should arrive early in uniform. Greet the potential client with excellent body language, good eye contact, a warm smile and a firm handshake. The first part of the interaction should be the trainer expressing excitement to work with the prospect.

Next, the trainer should allocate time for an introduction and explain their background, qualifications and expertise. By doing this, the prospect will feel more comfortable, and the level of trust will increase. Remember that the session is about the client, so the trainer should keep this step brief but engaging and sincere.

Note that this article is focused on the in-person experience. Still, it is best practice to reach out before the session via email, phone call or text (or a combination) to tell the prospect what to bring, what to wear and what to expect during the session.

2.  The intake

The next step is for the trainer to gather information about the prospect. The intake goal is to have enough relevant information to understand what the prospect wants to achieve and paint a crystal-clear picture of how the trainer can assist. The trainer should first ask for basic information such as contact info, appropriate personal information and medical history.

From there, a trainer needs to understand the prospect’s exercise history and any experience they have had working with a personal trainer. Some good questions to ask in relation to exercise history are: Are you currently exercising? How often do you exercise? Do you strength train? Cardio? What do you like? What do you dislike? Some practical questions to ask about the experience working with a personal trainer are: Have you worked with trainers in the past? How was the experience? What did you like? What did you dislike? Did you get the results you were looking for?

Once the trainer has that essential information, it’s time to dig into the client’s goals and commitment level. Find out what the client wants to achieve, when, and how committed they are to that goal. Again, the trainer needs to ask a lot of open-ended questions and actively listen. Once all this information is known, it should be used to customize the active part of the session to the prospect.

3. The session

Now it’s time to put the potential client through a personalized workout based on all the specific info acquired during the intake.

Each session should be unique. An effective session will showcase the trainer’s skills while showing that working together is the best way to achieve goals. The session should start with a proper warmup, then move to exercises reflective of the prospect’s goals, and finish with a nice cool down and stretch.

It is effective for a trainer to use exercises that require assistance. For example, a medicine ball toss or holding a band that the prospect is using. Such exercises further emphasize the need to work together. The active session shouldn’t be too long or too challenging. It should offer enough to show value but leave the prospect wanting more.

Equally — if not more — important than the physical part of the workout is the way a trainer communicates throughout the session. The trainer should always refer to the prospect as a client when introducing them to people. The session should include some education, but the trainer should mostly focus on the benefits to the prospect and what the session and activity are doing to achieve the desired goal. Finally, the trainer should demonstrate knowledge of proper form and technique while providing encouragement and feedback throughout the entire session, leaving the the prospect energized, motivated and, again, wanting more.

4. The conversion

Following the intro session, it’s time to discuss the next steps in the client’s fitness journey. This is the opportunity for the trainer to sell their services.

The first part of this step is to sit side by side (not across) from the prospect and offer gratitude for the client’s trust and praise for their performance. Next, recap the session and how everything that transpired will help the prospect hit the goals identified pre-session.

Now it is time to sell. The trainer should recommend the most appropriate training package based on the prospect's goals, along with a plan, basic timeline and pricing.

Trainers need to remember that they are the experts. Making a recommendation is much stronger and more effective than asking someone if they would like to train. While doing so, it is essential to reinforce the benefits of having a personal trainer, such as accountability, personalized attention, and faster progress toward goals. Maintaining the energy, enthusiasm and positivity delivered during the first impression is also crucial. By now, there are only two possibilities.

5. The follow-up

At this point, the prospect is either a new client or still a lead. Regardless of the result, a trainer must follow up. If the prospect says yes, reinforce that they have made a great decision and reassure them that goals will be reached. Review any necessary paperwork, policies and procedures, and ensure the first official workout is scheduled.

The process should end with a sincere thank you and excitement. It is a good idea to follow up via email, call or text with another thank you, welcome to the program and any other relevant information.

Conversely, if the prospect says no, the trainer must understand that they are not ready to start. It is appropriate for the trainer to ask courteously what the hesitation to start is and politely try to overcome the objection by reinforcing the value already demonstrated. This is not a hard press to sell; it is just so the trainer can ensure that all questions or issues are answered.

Finally, a trainer should provide the prospect with some resources (sample exercises, basic workout templates, etc.) and schedule a follow-up to check in. This demonstrates to the prospect that the trainer is invested in their success and is here to help when ready. By continuing to support and nurture the relationship with the prospect, the trainer dramatically increases the chance of the prospect signing up when the time is right. Trainers need to be aware that sometimes personal training has a longer sales cycle.

Provide your trainers with these tools to aid them in conducting an optimal introductory session. A great initial session is crucial for your personnel to convert more leads into clients and generate more revenue for your business. By following these five steps — introduction, intake, session, conversion and follow-up — trainers can showcase their skills, build trust, and leave each potential client feeling motivated and excited about working with them into the future.