Any tips people can offer for marketing strategies, scripts, resources etc… for independent personal training? I’m not interested in working under a commercial gym because of the amount of money that’s skimmed off the top. I’m not a firm believer of certification either due the inaccurate information they peddle. I’d prefer to learn from more reliable sources like what T-mag offers, and other intelligent exercise and nutrition theorists. So if anybody has some good ideas to build clientele, charge more money, keeping clients, etc… I’d be more than willing to hear your input. Thanks
Unfortunately, and especially going independent, you’re going to have a VERY difficult time selling yourself without certification. Doesn’t mean you have to do what the organization spews forth.
Brian: After a year or so on this Forum, it’s become apparent that personal training is a “Catch-22”. In other words, your market (or “where the money is”) are #1) Middle aged women #2)College Aged Women and 3)Professional Men. (Ain’t no money in “know-it-all” muscle heads and College Aged Men). Regrettably, the “money” market is “sold” on soy, Body-for-Life (…folks…some of these “support groups” are almost CULTS…), bunny weights, and aerobics. And they read “Fitness”, "Body-for-Life, “Prevention”, “Cosmo and Glamour” and “Men’s Fitness” for their nutrition and workout advice; not “T-Mag”. Now…all that info ain’t all bad…but a lot is…and if you start spewing off Hardcore, state-of-the-art information, that Real Estate agent with big, highlighted hair is going to leave you in the dust of her Jag,that Soccer Mom will run screaming for her mini-van and that young investment Banker will flip you off quicker than his Cell Phone. Just something to think about…Marketing?..YOU are the biggest marketing tool…you need to be a “beautiful person”…you need to look like an “Undergear” or “International Male” model for the big bucks, Brian. No sting tops, baggy pants and hair out of some 80’s rock band nightmare…That exec and the Real Estate agent wants the “Men’s Fitness” look, not the “Flex” one. The former because he wants to “look like that” and he wants the look NOW; the latter because you’re WAY cute and not intimidating.(Remember; she wants to work out; but not sweat; and she DEFINITELY only wants to do machines and MAYBE some light dumbbells “in order to tone”, because she doesn’t want to “look like a man”). It’s a mind field of high carb/“seed and feed” diets, Caltrate with Soy, “Lite” cookies, peanut butter on Rice Cakes and Myoplex Lite Shakes…its a land of butt kicks,circuit training, 2 1/2 pound Dumbbells, Pec Decs (without use of the stack, of course), and Step Areobics to the sound of the “Madonna Vogue Mix”…Brian…this is NOT meant to discourage…but if you don’t know your market…you’ve failed before you even get started…“tough love”, 'Bro…hope this helps…
I see your point, especially from a gym’s perspective in wanting to know if you have a certain proficiency gained from completing a test. But I doubt the public can be as discerning. Since the certification industry is unregulated I could say I have my own certification program or just say I’m certified. I doubt they would check my credentials or a very small percentage would, and even if I was certified would they know which organizations are reputable? I doubt it. As long as I get insurance I think I would be ok.
Be careful of treading the fraud line.
AMEN!!! …You just HIT that one OUT OF THE PARK!!!
Brian, I really would suggest working at least part-time at a gym or under a successful trainer. The experience is well worth it. I myself worked for New York Sports Club here in New York and it really showed me a ton of stuff I could’nt have learned on my own. It only lasted about seven months until I told my manager to go f$*& himself and get another slave to salivate at the scraps those gyms throw at you but I took about a dozen clients to another gym where I only had to pay for their workouts for the day. It provide enough of a start for me that six months later I’m making about twice what I made at the gym working half the time. What I found to be most helpful is to be almost confrontational with those trainers that don’t know jack and challenge whatever worthless advice prospective clients have been given. As far as resources, anything Phil Kaplan has put out is invaluable and getting certified isn’t that hard and not only gives you some credibility , but it also has some perks (liability discounts, seminar breaks, etc.). I’m actually forming a plan to open a studio within a year and I don’t think I would have really gotten this far along without that horrible, Godforsaken NYSC. Good Luck!
Fraud? How would that be so? Personal training is unregulated, meaning no government overseer unlike for engineering, MD’s etc… I’d rather feed crappy information to housewives for $50 an hour than work my present job, taking care of retards. 
Now that’s something that’s not extremely rewarding. I appreciate your guy’s feedback but does anyone have anything more positive to say?
Thanks Tap… that was very helpful. I had heard about Phil Kaplan and checked out his website earlier today. Someone else had mentioned Tom Purvis. He has a website Focus on Fitness that is down right now. They mentioned it was a great resource for securing higher paying clients. I was considering getting a certification and working for a gym first. They are still not out of the question, but from all the flack I’ve heard about both of them I was thinking about just putting a smart business plan together and going it alone.