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How and When Do I Raise My Prices?

Here, the PTDC’s Online Trainer Academy Level II program frontman Jason Maxwell is sharing how to determine your personal training session pricing—and when to bump it up to the next level.

So many personal trainers have been there: You start out offering a low-price program, and then you’re not sure how to bump up prices and keep your clients.

  When to raise prices

If you’re thinking that it might be time to raise prices, you’re right.

If you’re spending time researching how much a personal trainer can charge, or when you can bump up prices without losing clients, it’s clear that you’re a good coach who has a solid following, and you deserve to be compensated appropriately for your hard work.

For many of us, confidence stops us from raising personal training prices. You’re worth more than you’re charging—we promise.

We feel like what we do is easy, and that can make it tough to justify raising prices. While we’re comfortable with health and fitness, many people are not. The product you offer is valuable—don’t forget it.

  How to raise prices: Step 1

Do not be a jack of all trades—be a master of one.

We know that it can be scary to appeal to a niche, but it’s key to proving your worth. Many trainers who are successful with a wide variety of in-person clients find that it’s tough to make the mindset change from appealing to the masses to appealing to a smaller group.

When you’re viewed as an expert in your health and fitness specialty area, you’re able to raise your prices, and people who need your services will seek you out. People will want to work with you—and you’ve got to make it clear that you’re there to meet their (very) specific need.

  How to raise prices: Step 2

You want to sell the iPhone—not the phone bill.

When personal trainers sell coaching packages, we often get our feet wet by selling monthly coaching packages. While this is a great way to get started, it doesn’t let you meet your full earning potential.

When you sell monthly coaching packages, you’re selling the phone bill. You want your clients to get excited about the phone—not the bill. This means selling a package that appeals to your ideal client. You want to solve your client’s problem—provide a solution—with a 12- to 16-week personal training package.

Changing to a solution-solving-offer moves your client from thinking about what you offer as a monthly bill to thinking about what you offer as a way to solve a problem.

Some trainers shy away from this idea because it can be confusing to think about what comes after the 12 to 16 weeks are up. It’s smart to transition to offering a yearly program to these clients. They’ve seen your value, they’ve seen the change you’ve created in their lives, and they know that you’re worth what you’re charging.

  How to raise prices: Step 3

Enroll clients over the phone.

Getting on the phone with your clients allows you to have a conversation where you can discuss their self-limiting beliefs, helping them understand that you can provide a solution to their problem. You’re not selling a package anymore—you’re selling a solution. Don’t think of it like a sales call. It’s an enrollment call.

When clients realize you’re providing a solution to their exact problem, they’re willing to pay more. If you’re an introvert, or just hate talking on the phone, we get it. It can be tough to have that real-time conversation. While you might feel uncomfortable at first, it’s well worth it to provide clients with one-on-one attention that allows them to feel heard. If you’re not the best fit for this client, no worries—be honest, and refer them to someone who is a better fit.

When your clients spend more, they’re going to get better results. Their financial investment translates to their emotional investment, and they’ll be more committed to following your program when they’ve paid a higher price for your services.

  Raising prices with existing clients

This can be uncomfortable, but you need to have a conversation.

Let clients know that personal training prices have risen tremendously, but you’re willing to grandfather them in at a lower rate. Offer a per-session or package price that’s higher than what they’re currently paying, but make it a happy medium between their current rate and your new client rate.

You’ll want to think about raising your prices every time you take on three new clients. Continue this until you hit the maximum rate that makes you feel comfortable. At the bare minimum, look at your rates once each year, and increase accordingly.

Bottom line: You’re worth more than you think, and when you see that, your clients will too.

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All episodes are available to subscribe and listen to on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. You can also subscribe and watch it on YouTube.

The post How and When Do I Raise My Prices? appeared first on The PTDC.

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[The Best] How to Break Free from Social Media Fitness Culture, and More

Want to put great fitness content on our radar? Post on Facebook and include #PTDCBestSubmission. 

Best Content of the Week

We’ve reached an interesting point of the internet age where we’re pretty split between trainers who remember a time before social media, and those who’ve never known life without it. As Lee Boyce shares in this week’s best article, social media culture has significant downsides. That’s probably not news to you, but what I love about Boyce’s article is his advice for taking a break: whether by unfollowing people and accounts that trigger you, or using helpful tech like News Feed Eradicator to limit the content you’re exposed to. Give it a read and see how you can experiment with less internet and more real-life happiness.

— Esther Avant

Best Article

Fitness Culture and the Internet: The Absolute Worst Combination for Mental Health — Lee Boyce, leeboyce.com

The internet is one of the best and worst things to happen to our industry. Social media is a double-edged sword that can help you expand your reach but also can fuel anxiety and depression. Take Boyce’s advice to preserve your mental health. 

— Shane McLean

  Best Video

How Long Should Your Training Block Be for Muscle Growth? — Mike Israetel, Renaissance Periodization

There are many schools of thought around programming, and it can feel overwhelming for new and veteran trainers alike. In this week’s video, Mike Israetel breaks down how to choose your mesocycle length. In under 30 minutes, he covers why accumulation and deload phases matter, considerations for lifters of all levels, and how to find the sweet spot to maximize muscle growth.

— Esther Avant

  Best Social Media Post

Posted by Conor Harris on October 17, 2021

Can’t touch your toes? Time to stretch your hamstrings! … Or is it? Conor Harris says that “muscles get blamed too often for lack of range of motion.” Meanwhile, joint position (the main culprit) barely gets recognized. Check out Harris’s post for a drill to implement to see instant progress.

— Christina Abbey

Best Podcast

Jungle Tigers vs. Zoo Tigers — Trevor Ragan, The Learner Lab 

Learning how to learn is the ultimate meta-skill. Whether you want to be a better student or a better teacher, this podcast episode can help. Trevor Ragan—who’s big on the “how” of learning versus the “what”—shares his own inspiration for teaching and outlines the differences between jungle tigers and zoo tigers as a springboard for how to be a better learner. The first in a series of what will be an entire audiobook, this episode provides some excellent groundwork for the process of efficient and effective learning.

— Mike Howard

More Great Fitness Content

[Article] Meet in the Middle – Shane McLean, tonygentilcore.com

[Video] 3 Speed Training Mistakes to Avoid — Erica Suter

[Social Media] 4 Ways to Cultivate a Safe and Compassionate Gym Culture — Girls Gone Strong, @thegirlsgonestrong

[Podcast] What Does “Maintenance Calories” Really Mean? — Martin MacDonald, Not Another Nutrition Podcast

[Podcast] Why Would Anyone Work with Me Vs Another Big-Name Coach? —  Jonathan Goodman and Amber Reynolds, The Online Trainer Show

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How Do I Coach a Demographic That Isn’t Me?

Today, we’re connecting with Ren Jones, a top-notch personal trainer and nutrition coach who specializes in helping women (mostly moms over 30) achieve their fitness goals. As a man, Ren clearly is not a part of his target demographic—yet, he does an amazing job at connecting with his target market.

Here, Ren shares his top tips for connecting with your target market—when you’re not a part of that demographic.

1. Have cultural humility

When Ren got his start as a personal trainer, he struggled to connect with his demographic (like most of us). From mansplaining to taking the wrong tone with personal training clients, Ren had to learn from his mistakes.

Cultural humility is the concept of understanding that you will not understand a culture that you do not belong to. It’s key that you’re a fly on the wall when it comes to learning about your target market. Check out accounts that your potential clients might follow, learn more about organizations that support your target clients—hang out online where they hang out online.

Many of your challenges will come from understanding language, context, and nuance used by your target market. When you connect with accounts and media that your target market consumes, you’ll begin to get a better idea of where your clients are coming from. No matter how good your intuition is, you won’t be able to intuitively understand a group that you’re not a part of.

Be quiet, listen, and learn. Immerse yourself in the community you want to serve. Seek to understand instead of seeking to be understood. When you make a mistake (and you will), be gracious, take it as a learning opportunity, apologize, and thank your client for helping you gain a deeper understanding of where they’re coming from.

  2. Be specific about speaking to your target demographic

If you don’t represent your target market visually or through your life experiences, it’s vital that you speak clearly to your target market. Get specific in your social media messaging so that your audience knows that you’re looking for them.

As you learn more about the needs of your target market, cater your content to your audience. Don’t be general, don’t speak on topics that apply to everyone. You’re meeting the needs of a niche, and you’ll attract more clients who are interested in working with you as an online trainer when you make it clear that you’re speaking directly to them.

It can feel scary to know that you’re alienating people who aren’t in your target demographic, but doing so is necessary to connect to your audience. You don’t have to constantly create original content—sharing information from your audience’s favorite creators can also help to build a sense of community. Your potential clients see that you’re authentically interested in learning more about their community, and they’ll feel more comfortable reaching out to you to talk about online training.

  3. Make your demographic the stars of your social media

Highlight your clients! If you’re not a part of your target demographic, it may not be the smartest idea to feature yourself working out on your social media. Look at your clients, potential clients, and people you’d like to connect with and feature them often in your posts and stories.

Engagement matters—and you get what you give. When potential clients follow you, it’s key that you follow them back and engage with them online. If you want potential clients to engage with your content, it’s that you’re engaging with their content as well. Share other great accounts that offer beneficial content for your target market (and don’t worry—you’re not going to lose clients by sharing other great accounts with them).

When you highlight members of your community, you’re building positivity, helping people understand the niche you’re serving, and making the connections that matter when it comes to growing your online training business.

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Why Would Anyone Work with Me vs. Another Big-Name Coach

Clients have the chance to work with any online trainer, and it can be hard to figure out why anyone would want to work with you. If you’re just getting started as an online fitness trainer, the self-esteem struggles are real.

You find yourself wondering why a client would choose you over someone else who seems more qualified, or is in better shape, or offers effective workout programs.

Bottom line: Because you’re special.

You’re unique. There’s only one of you. You have experiences, perspectives, interests, and an ability to connect with your audience that no one else can offer.

Learn more in today’s episode.

Your personal triumphs: A key to connection

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is tough. When you share how you manage to keep your nutrition and fitness as top priorities in your life, you’ll connect with your audience. We all face struggles with prioritizing our health, and when you share those struggles with your niche audience, they’ll see themselves in you. When you share that you’ve overcome your struggles and are able to keep your health and fitness a top priority despite issues getting in the way, clients will have confidence that you’ll be able to help them do the same.

When your niche audience sees the opportunity to connect with you as a person, they’ll be more likely to reach out to you as a trainer. Clients need to see themselves in you to realize that they can achieve results.

  Trust your success stories

When you have a client who compliments your ability to motivate them and help them get results, it’s easy to brush off their praise. You might feel like they’re the ones who put in all the work, or that they were easy to work with. It’s important that you internalize their praise and realize that they’re telling you the truth: You’re great at what you do, and you’ve contributed to positive changes in their life.

Accepting and internalizing compliments doesn’t make you conceited or ungrateful—rather, quite the opposite. When you accept and internalize compliments, you’re showing that you trust your clients, value their feedback, and want to continue to help more people create positive change.

  Switch up your inner voice

Put a halt to negative self-talk and self-deprecation, and start talking to yourself positively. It’s fine if it feels silly or like you’re joking—the goal is to build your confidence as a personal trainer by providing yourself with consistent positive messaging.

When you feel confident about yourself and your ability to help your clients, you’re more likely to connect with your audience. Don’t be afraid to fake it til you make it. If you stay consistent, you’ll find that these thoughts come automatically.

  Don’t forget—you’re special. Really.

If you cringe when you think of complimenting yourself, or you feel like there’s no way someone would choose you over a bigger-name trainer, you’re not alone. Everyone struggles with insecurity, no matter how confident they may seem on the outside. Homing in on your niche, sharing your struggles with your audience, and figuring out how to switch up your inner voice to that of a caring friend (instead of an enemy) can all go a long way in helping you portray the confidence necessary to attract your ideal clients.

Your homework: Email [email protected] or tag @theptdc on Instagram with the reason(s) why someone should choose to work with you over a bigger-name trainer. We’re excited to celebrate you and hear how you’re serving your audience!

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All episodes are available to subscribe and listen to on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. You can also subscribe and watch it on YouTube.

The post Why Would Anyone Work with Me vs. Another Big-Name Coach appeared first on The PTDC.

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How to Generate Ideas That Your Ideal Clients Care About

If you’re looking to grow your personal training business, you probably understand that digital marketing is important. But how do you get people interested in your ideas? How do you generate ideas that your target market, client, or customer is going to care about?

In reality, this is more about presenting your helpful ideas in a way that your clients will care about them. You might be under a lot of pressure to create great content, but remember that one great idea is better than countless terrible ones. So what do you need to know about content creation? Learn more below!

Dealing with the stress of content creation

Today, people are under more pressure than ever to create good content. You probably feel like you have to generate ideas every day just to stay relevant. After all, if you aren’t relevant, you may have a difficult time generating online traction, which will make it harder for your target market to find you.

“I need to create content now! What do I say?”

If this is a question you’re constantly asking yourself, it is annoying, and you need to stop. The pressure is omnipresent, but if you feel forced to create ideas, they won’t be good. Putting out bad ideas is almost worse than not saying anything at all.

Therefore, you should take the time to figure out how you can create one piece of great content that will convince your target market that you have the answers. How does this process work?

What are your clients worried about?

First, you need to figure out what your clients are worried about. That way, you can figure out what their pain points are and create content to directly address them.

There’s a saying that it’s easier to unite people against a common enemy than it is to unite people in pursuit of a common goal. It’s not wrong—some people build their entire careers around being angry at something new every day. But you don’t want to surround yourself with this type of negativity. It’s stressful and emotionally exhausting, and can burn you out. Fortunately, there’s an easier way.

Do your target market research

The first thing you have to do is your target market research. Figure out what your market is frustrated by. There are plenty of ways you can do this. You can travel to numerous online locations, including:

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Snapchat

Online forums, such as Reddit

Video pages, such as YouTube

News outlets related to your target market

Then, you can see what your target market is saying. What are they most frustrated about? If you can see what their frustrations are, you can generate ideas to address those concerns.

Ask your clients directly: Generate ideas

There’s also a chance that you interact with your target market through email, on your own social media profiles, or even face-to-face. If that’s the case, ask them directly:

“What is the one thing you are most concerned about in your industry?”

This isn’t rocket science. All you have to do is ask them. If people feel like you’re trying to solve their problems, they will share them with you. This can give you content creation ideas you can use to address their concerns.

An example of content creation in action

Generating ideas can be hard, and it may be helpful to take a look at an example of content creation in action. One of the biggest issues related to education in the fitness industry is that a lot of curricula are outdated. Trainers are not receiving the education they need to help their clients.

So we created a caricature of a trainer from the 1980s sharing hilariously awful fitness education ideas. We created videos and shared them with others, communicating the point that fitness education is outdated. This idea generated traction and helped us grow our fitness education platform without being overtly negative. This creativity addressed a significant pain point and resonated with our audience.

If you want to learn more about how to generate ideas and content creation, take a look at our videos and follow us on social media!

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All episodes are available to subscribe and listen to on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. You can also subscribe and watch it on YouTube.

The post How to Generate Ideas That Your Ideal Clients Care About appeared first on The PTDC.

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[The Best] Are You Showing Signs of Professional Burnout? Take the Burnout Test, and More

Want to put great fitness content on our radar? Post on Facebook and include #PTDCBestSubmission. 

Best Content of the Week

A client recently shared with me a NY Times article about languishing versus flourishing. Almost all the clients and coaches in our community could relate to the “languishing” signs. Burnout, the topic of this week’s best article, can greatly contribute to those feelings. If you’ve been feeling “meh” about your job or life lately, take the burnout quiz in this week’s article to see if you’re at risk. If you are, start implementing the tips in that article, reach out for professional help, and take the steps you need to start flourishing.

— Esther Avant

Best Article

Are You Suffering from “Burnout”? Take This Quiz — Krista Scott-Dixon and Julia Malacoff, Precision Nutrition

We trainers are notorious for burning the candle at both ends. We make ourselves available to clients at all hours—because we feel we must to earn a living. But doing this for too long can lead to burnout—do you know the signs? In this week’s best article, the team at Precision Nutrition gives you a quiz to see if you suffer from it, and provides tips for work-life balance.

— Shane McLean

  Best Video

Knee Pain When Running? How to Fix Runner’s Knee, Shin Splints & Achilles Tendinitis — Chris Hitchko, Show Up Fitness 

Too often, pain is handled in one of two extreme ways: pushing through it or avoiding it completely. It’s up to us to help our clients do the things they love—pain-free. In this week’s video, Chris Hitchko addresses how to fix common running-related pains like shin splits and Achilles tendinitis.

— Esther Avant

  Best Social Media Post

Posted by Ben Carpenter on October 12, 2021

Food variety may cause you to eat more, as Ben Carpenter discusses in this week’s best post. In his reel, Carpenter suggests that while individuals who are trying to limit their calories may benefit by limiting food variety, this strategy can also be applied the other way around—by, say, increasing vegetable intake. Check out his post for the full explanation.

— Christina Abbey

Best Podcast

Rigid vs. Flexible Dieting — Adam McDonald with guest Bill Campbell, The Health Mastery Show

Bill Campbell shares some unique and fascinating research from his lab at the University of South Florida. He found no difference in physique outcomes between lifters who followed a strict meal plan versus lifters who took a “flexible” dieting approach. Interestingly, the flexible dieting group actually gained more fat-free mass in the post-dieting period. He says that while body composition wouldn’t likely change much with a highly processed diet versus a “clean” diet, there would be a long-term negative impact on health markers. Campbell also notes that eating more processed foods would make it much more difficult to stay in a calorie deficit. He also shares some thoughts on diet breaks and refeeds.

— Mike Howard

More Great Fitness Content

[Article] The Hybrid Training Model for Personal Trainers — Gavin McHale, tonygentilcore.com

[Video] Improve Your Copywriting Skills by Using This Formula — Lucas Rubix

[Social Media] “Should I Do XYZ?” — John Berardi, @drjohnberardi

[Podcast] Roar Like a Lioness — Rashonda Thornton with guest Sha-Lai Williams, The Dietitian Against Diets

[Podcast] Heated Topics Around Nutrition — Bradley Goldman with guest Mike Doehla, NBS podcast

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The post [The Best] Are You Showing Signs of Professional Burnout? Take the Burnout Test, and More appeared first on The PTDC.

[The Best] Are You Showing Signs of Professional Burnout? Take the Burnout Test, and More published first on https://medium.com/@YummyLooks

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How to Move Your Business into a Hybrid Model

“I actually don’t like this topic at all.”

Jonathan Goodman kicks off Episode 17 of the Online Trainer Show with that surprising sentence.

Why? Well, hybrid training is a made-up name that actually means nothing. (Spoiler: He made it up.)

What exactly is the hybrid model of personal training, anyway?

Back when Jon came up with the original system, the idea that you didn’t have to physically be there in person to train someone was revolutionary. So he needed a name to brand it in a way that, even if it ruffled some of the old dogs’ feathers, people actually understood what he meant.

As we’ve watched the online fitness world evolve, however, every single trainer knows that they have to have something online. You simply cannot move forward as a fitness professional without having an understanding of how the online world works. It’s like learning to read and write for the digital age—many more doors open for those who know how.

All hybrid personal training means is that in order to be competitive, exist, and thrive in this business in the future, you have to know how to leverage technology to do a better job. That’s it.

  The three types of hybrid personal trainer

Just because you’re a hybrid trainer doesn’t mean that you have to live online every day. In fact, you may never consider yourself an online trainer at all. Let’s dive into the three archetypes to learn more.

  Someone who will never be an “online trainer”

We’re talking about someone with no internet presence, who has a fantastic local clientele, and who gets referrals like mad. When the pandemic hit, many of us had to adopt video training. But what about now, when gyms are back open?

Leverage that same technology for clients who can’t make a session due to bad weather or traffic, or being out of town. Even if all of your clients are local, in situations where they can’t make it, do the session over video. The results? No more missed sessions.

  A truly “hybrid” trainer

One of the trainers we worked with at the PTDC doesn’t work with anyone purely online, and yet still brings in over $250,000 in online business. They charge a monthly fee covering things like support, accountability, and check-ins, plus an in-person session price.

As all of their clients live locally, that’s where the work gets done. Plus, since they live close enough to come into the gym, they refer nearby friends.

More referrals, more money, multiple revenue streams. This is just one model, but it’s a great example of using technology to improve your margins.

  The tiered service hybrid model

There’s a great story of one gym owner who also adopted technology during the pandemic and has never looked back. When they put up an online program during COVID, they actually started earning more revenue each month. So they kept it when things opened back up.

Now, this gym offers three different levels of service:

A baseline online program, where you can be anywhere in the world, get programs, and call into the group workouts

In-person/online mix where clients are able to attend a few sessions a week

Small group training

Once again, hybrid personal training means more monthly recurring revenue, fewer missed sessions, and a better business.

  Final thoughts

The hybrid model of personal training is kind of a re-definition of what it means to be a fitness professional.

Technology isn’t there to take humans out of the equation, but rather to optimize the experience for both you and your clients. Let it handle the rote, boring tasks while you master things like being a better communicator, building a brand that works for you, being accountable and empathetic, and meeting people where they’re at so you can get them to where they want to go.

Hybrid training not only creates better schedules for us, but it also helps us be there for our clients how they need, when they need it.

Learn a flexible framework for building your online training business.

The demand for online training has been increasing over the last decade and continues to grow exponentially. As more people adapt to a virtual world, it’s time to take action on the future of your career. The Online Trainer Academy teaches you a flexible framework that adapts to you and your unique needs, so you can have the business and life perfect for YOU.

The post How to Move Your Business into a Hybrid Model appeared first on The PTDC.

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Top 10 Wonder Facts about Immunity to a Disease

What is immunity? Immunity is defined as the ability to resist and to fight the different infections and diseases is called immunity.  The main pillar of immunity is Antigen and Antibodies... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

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[The Best] Becoming a Better Nutrition Coach, and More

Want to put great fitness content on our radar? Post on Facebook and include #PTDCBestSubmission. 

Best Content of the Week

This week’s list will get you to challenge some of your preconceived notions about nutrition coaching. Do calories matter? Are all foods the same when macros are the same? How do you get a client to actually do the things they say they’re going to do—and consistently? Check out this week’s best social media post, then be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page to discover more great nutrition-related content.

— Dani Singer

Best Article

How to Prevent Burning Out as a Fitness Professional — Tony Gentilcore, tonygentilcore.com

This is an article Tony wrote five years ago that he updated and is still relevant today. He explains you need to go into a personal training career with your eye wide open and to focus on the “big rocks” if you want a sustainable career in fitness.

— Shane McLean

  Best Video

How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep … — Xander Connabeer, JLX Coaching

Last week we featured an article about “invisible” stress and this week’s video is covering the other “S” that I think most people overlook when it comes to overall health, quality of life, and physical progress: sleep. This week’s video is an incredibly comprehensive and succinct overview of why sleep is so important and actionable tips to improve yours or suggest to clients.

— Esther Avant

  Best Social Media Post

Posted by Allie Henrie on October 7, 2021

While tracking macros may not work for everyone, macro education isn’t just another diet (we’re looking at you, IIFYM). Understanding the chemical structure of the food we eat is an invaluable tool to have regardless of your goals, or lack thereof. As Allie Henrie says in her post this week, “Being nutrition literate will allow you to make educated decisions for yourself about your health.” Check out her post for more.

— Christina Abbey

Best Podcast

300 Little Things Part 1 — Mark Zarate, Cool, Calm & Chaotic

Mark Zarate shares a third of his “300 little things”—a fun, lighthearted, yet profound list of life lessons that will make your life just that much better. From excellent health advice to relationships to music, from conventional to abstract, Zarate covers a lot of ground in this shareable, bookmark-worthy episode.

— Mike Howard

More Great Fitness Content

[Article] Exercise Timing: Does It Matter? — Eric Curry, Science for Sport

[Video] The One Thing a Female Athlete Needs to Succeed — Erica Suter

[Social Media] Calories Don’t Matter Because Not All Foods Are the Same, Bro — Ben Carpenter @bdccarpenter

[Podcast] Being Consistent — Brad Dieter, MI Take Podcast

[Podcast] The Science of Self-Control — Mike Matthews with Menno Henselmans, Muscle for Life Podcast

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Personal Trainer Salary 2021: Adaptable Personal Trainers Among Highest Paid

We were hoping our 2021 personal trainer salary survey would occur in a post-COVID world, but clearly, the pandemic is still here. We sent out our survey as COVID began to die down, providing us with valuable information on how COVID-19 affected the personal training industry.

Many people do not feel safe going to the gym yet (thanks, delta variant). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s still not safe for unvaccinated people to attend high-intensity exercise classes indoors. Spinning, HIIT classes, hot yoga, and other workouts that leave participants huffing and puffing are on the high-risk list. The fitness world has been forever changed—virtual fitness is here to stay. Here, we’ll explore what that means for personal trainer salary (and more).

  Who took our survey?

Of 837 total survey respondents:

41% owned their own hybrid or online business, 15% owned an in-person gym, 12% worked at a gym and trained clients on the side, and 12% worked in another industry and also trained clients on the side. Others worked for independent and commercial gyms, online coaching companies, and healthcare facilities. 4% of respondents were furloughed or laid off from their personal training position.

39% specialized in fitness, 22% specialized in strength and conditioning, 17% specialized in health and wellness, and 6% specialized in movement and physical therapy. Others specialized in nutrition, life coaching, and habit change coaching.

25% of respondents had at least 15 years of experience in the personal training industry, 22% had seven to nine years of experience, 20% had 10 to 14 years of experience, 19% had four to six years of experience, 11% had one to three years of experience, and just 3% had less than a year of experience.

  The average personal trainer salary has remained steady

In 2020, the average pretax income for personal trainers was $46,132. This is fairly consistent with the average income shown in our surveys over the past two years, with personal trainers reporting an average salary of $47,700 in 2018 and $46,000 in 2019.

Our survey’s findings are in line with other sources—ZipRecruiter says the average is $48,853, while the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the average for fitness trainers and instructors is $41,950.

    Online personal trainers are earning more

Our survey shows that online personal trainers and nutrition coaches are earning more than trainers and coaches who do not offer online services. Training is changing, and personal trainers are adapting to their clients’ new needs.

On average, personal trainers and nutrition coaches who train their clients virtually earn $52,518 per year, compared with an average salary of just $34,585 for personal trainers and nutrition coaches who offer traditional, in-person services only. Some 86% of trainers and nutrition coaches who earn six-figure incomes train their clients online.

Training clients online is a scalable model that allows personal trainers to reach more people in less time. Online trainers with over 100 clients earned more money (an average of $127,613 per year) than online trainers with fewer clients.

  Average personal trainer salary by specialty

In the personal training world, different specialties bring different salaries:

Nutrition coaches earn more than other specialties, with an average income of $76,579 per year.

Physical therapists earn an average income of $61,703 per year.

Personal trainers who specialize in health and wellness earn an average of $56,000 annually.

Strength coaches earn an average of $45,692 per year.

Personal trainers who specialize in general fitness earn an average of $43,090 annually.

Fitness professionals who run a hybrid personal training and life coaching business bring in an average of $39,223 per year.

Average personal trainer salary by education level and experience

Our survey showed that personal trainers who had the greatest number of certifications slightly outearned those with fewer certifications.

Experience had a larger impact on personal trainer salary—trainers who had at least seven years of experience outearned those with less experience.

Trainers certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) had the highest average personal trainer salary at $65,035. Trainers certified by the Online Trainer Academy had the fourth-highest average salary at $52,139.

It’s important to remember that correlation does not necessarily equal causation—with a pass rate of just 63%, the NSCA exam may simply attract personal trainers who are more dedicated to their craft than other trainers.

Education and personal trainer income were correlated. With $0 salaries excluded, personal trainers with a doctorate earned the most, with an average annual salary of $74,945. When $0 salaries were included, however, personal trainers with master’s degrees earned the most, with an average salary of $51,935, trailed closely by personal trainers with bachelor’s degrees, at $51,312. Personal trainers who had less than a high school diploma earned less than all other groups.

  Yes, COVID hit the personal training world hard—but most have bounced back

During COVID, two-thirds of trainers were laid off, furloughed, or took a pay cut, but most seem to have recovered from the pandemic hit. Just 6% of respondents said their business is “much worse” than it was before COVID. Most respondents said that their business is either roughly the same or slightly better than it was before the pandemic.

  Personal training and career satisfaction

When asked “how satisfied are you with coaching as a career path?” on a one to five scale, the average answer was 3.93. When asked the same question regarding job satisfaction, the average answer was 3.7. Online personal trainers are 10% more likely to be satisfied with coaching as a career path than traditional trainers.

Money matters, but for most personal trainers, it isn’t everything. Fulfilling or meaningful work ranked number one (42%) while flexibility/control over my schedule came in second (32%), with salary placing a distant third (9%).

  Diversity and equality in personal training

Around the world, women, on average, earn 68% of what men earn for substantially similar work. In the personal training world, the gap is even larger, with female personal trainers earning 66% of what male personal trainers make. Our male survey respondents reported an annual average income of $54,514, while our female respondents reported an average income of just $35,945.

Ageism is also a major issue in the personal training community. Survey respondents in the 35-to-44-year-old age group earned more than any other group, with an average income of $62,198 per year. Respondents in the 55-to-64-year-old age group earned just $36,836 per year. Many older personal trainers have unique skillsets, including superior communication and motivational skills, that can help them connect with clients their age (and younger).

Made with Visme

The fitness industry is notorious for being overwhelmingly white, and sadly, our survey showed that personal trainers of color are typically paid less. White survey respondents earned the most, at $51,470, followed by Asian trainers ($44,571), Latino trainers ($31,883), and Black trainers ($30,156). This problem may compound on itself—when people of color see few trainers and fitness instructors of color, they may feel less comfortable participating in training or classes, resulting in fewer people of color enjoying fitness and deciding to pursue personal training as a career path.

  How personal trainers can increase their salaries in 2021—and beyond

A few takeaways for trainers who wish to improve their income:

Now is the time to offer online services (if you haven’t started yet). Whether you choose to go all-online or offer your clients a hybrid option, virtual training is here to stay.

Consider getting a nutrition certification or work with a dietitian or nutritionist to offer your services as a package deal.

If you’re a new personal trainer, stick with it. Many trainers see a salary jump at the seven-year mark.

Marketing yourself online isn’t an intuitive skill. Invest in business and marketing education to learn how to craft your online presence.

  The new normal is here—for good

Last year we said, “Welcome to the new normal”—this year shows that we were right. Clients know virtual training is legitimate, and they’re ready to work with highly qualified trainers who can get them the results they want—at home.

      Ready to start building your business online?

Try the Online Personal Trainer Kickstart, the PTDC’s brand-new FREE course teaching you how to get started with your online training business. Get the first lesson today.

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How to Save Refund and Cancellation Requests

In Episode 16 of the Online Trainer Show, we talk about when to issue refunds to personal training clients, why it’s important to set clear expectations from the start, and how to avoid refund and cancellation requests entirely.

Plus, we’ll give you an exact script to use when the unfortunate refund request does come in from a client, so you can not only save money but maintain a good rapport.

Why refund requests happen and how to avoid them

Simply put, someone asking for a refund means an expectation was unmet. While dissatisfaction builds over time, the request itself is a knee-jerk reaction when clients feel they’re not being looked after the way they expected to be. Something has been off, and they haven’t felt like they could communicate it to you until it was the last straw.

By the time a client requests a refund, it’s often too late. Your customer needs to know that you’re there for them from day one. Think about what their expectations are before they start the program, and be very curious about why they were dissatisfied with previous programs. Get ahead of that from the beginning.

Then, set the expectation that they can always communicate with you. Amber jokingly tells her clients, “Even if you call me an evil witch—I don’t care. You’re not going to hurt my feelings. If you are ever less than 100 percent ecstatic about our working relationship, we need to address it.”

Offer multiple channels of communication (like giving them your number in addition to email and in-person). For many, it’s a lot easier to shoot a quick text with an angry emoji than to have a full-blown conversation, so make it as easy for them as possible.

  What to do when refund and cancellation requests happen

If and when this message comes in, don’t panic. Clients tend to speak up within a few hours of an emotional trigger. Take a step back and follow this two-step process.

  Step 1 – Respond to them right away to acknowledge you’ve received it, but that’s it.

Say something like, “Hey, I’m about to jump on calls for the afternoon, and I want to make sure I fully understand what’s going on before getting back to you. In the meantime, I’m curious—what is it you felt was missing from the program?”

It’s the old “count to 10 when you’re angry” trick that allows them time to calm down, and sets the scene for a more rational conversation.

  Step 2 – Appreciate them for delaying, and take accountability with this script:

Thank you so much for your patience. I failed you, and I feel awful about that. From what you’ve said, you weren’t being heard and supported in the way that you needed. I really wish that I had been there for you more in the beginning.

Change like this is hard and sometimes it sucks and takes more than [however long it’s been] to happen. I know this system works, and I also know that it has to be adapted differently to everybody.

And while I would have absolutely loved the chance to work with you to make that happen, I did not do a good enough job at the start. That’s my bad, and I just know that I’m gonna do a better job next time.

Of course, if you want to leave the program, that’s okay with me. Please tell me what you think is fair in terms of a refund.

Most people are rational and willing to work with you. Instead of requesting 100 percent back, they might just ask for a refund on the unused sessions.

Not only do you save money, but this script shows them it will get better if they continue to work with you … without actually saying that. A client in this situation feels they lack control, so they can’t think you’re pushing anything on them. Meet them where they’re at, empower them to make a decision, and you might be surprised where that leads.

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How to Re-Engage Clients Who Ghost

Think about what happens in your mind when a client stops responding to you.

Things seem to be going really well and then, suddenly, they disappear. “Do they hate me?” “Did I say something?” “Did I offend someone?” “Should I even be a fitness professional?” “I don’t think I’m good at this!”

The reality is often that the client went on vacation and forgot to tell you. Our brain is very good at jumping to worst-case scenarios.

There will be times when a client ghosts you. It happens to everyone.

In today’s episode, Jon and Amber talk about why clients ghost you in the first place and how to bring them back to being active clients.

You can be really proactive and get in front of it during the sales process. But, still, it’s going to happen. And, when it does, you may think, “It’s all over. They finally figured me out. I shouldn’t be doing this.” You don’t know what happened and shouldn’t let that impact you.

One of the ways to avoid this is to make it okay for the client to open up and say things that may not feel good to hear.

How do you make this all work? Let’s talk about something that’s in the Online Trainer Academy textbook. In the Academy, we teach you how to navigate situations that are going to come up that you haven’t thought about. The section we’re talking about is called “When Clients Ghost You.”

Here’s the gist of what’s in that section.

When clients ghost you

There are numerous reasons why a client stops checking in with you. Many of them have nothing to do with you. Don’t tell yourself a story that throws you off your coaching game.

This is where motivational interviewing (something we’ve talked about before) comes into play. Here’s what it may look like.

 Follow-up, 2 days after they’ve ghosted you: “Hey, it looks like you might have missed my message. Do you mind if we circle back to that message? I’d love to hear more about your week [or whatever you’re checking in on].” There’s emotion and support here.

 2nd non-response message up to 2 days later: “On a scale of 1 to Liam Neeson, how quickly should I send someone to check up on you?” In this situation, you’re making a bit of a joke out of it and taking the focus off of them not responding. You’re going to the extreme. You’re trying to get them to respond.

 5 days later: “Hey, I noticed you haven’t been responding to my messages. No problem. My job isn’t to tell you what to do. Instead, it’s to help guide you. Can you tell me, on a scale of 1 to 10, how committed you feel toward achieving your goal we set? There’s no right or wrong answer. You don’t need to impress me or make me feel good. I just want to get a handle on how you feel now. Cool?” It’s straightforward and reminds them that they are in charge—which is key.

Quite often, people ghost you because they are afraid to tell you stuff that they think you don’t want to hear. They think there’s going to be confrontation.

Giving them a scaling question gives them the ability to slowly start moving in the right direction. “What’s it going to take to get you to a 6.5 instead of a 6?”

What to do next

If they keep ghosting you, keep checking in with them respectfully. They’ll know you’re there for them if they’re going through something.

And sure: Maybe they do hate you. Most likely, this won’t be the case. But if it is, you’ll want to know that so you can stop spending time on them and have a chance to figure out what you did wrong.

Most of the time, what we tell ourselves is happening with the client is not accurate. They may just be juggling numerous things or focusing on something else. The key is to keep in connection with them so you can bring their focus back to what they should be doing. Reengaging with clients like this enables you to pull them back into your communication when they are ready.

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All episodes are available to subscribe and listen to on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. You can also subscribe and watch it on YouTube.

The post How to Re-Engage Clients Who Ghost appeared first on The PTDC.

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How to Price Your Packages

What should your package prices be? There are two components to making that decision.

The first is philosophy, specifically about money and how you think about money, and how that affects your pricing. The second is in the technicalities of pricing. It’s not just about “charging more” but also about following a process that leads you from where you are to where you should be in pricing.

Thinking about pricing: The philosophy behind pricing

Every person grows up with a certain mindset on money. How your family dealt with money impacts how you approach money today. While there’s a lot of deep-seated philosophy around changing how people think about money, today we want to focus instead on “not shopping out of pocket” when it comes to money. What does that mean?

As trainers, we no longer value fitness training the way we used to. You’ve worked hard to gain the knowledge you have today, and you aren’t going to pay for what you already know.

That doesn’t mean other people aren’t willing to pay for that knowledge. Instead of thinking, “What would I pay for this?” recognize what the value of this knowledge is in what it provides to other people. It’s valuable to them.

What do you pay for now from a professional service? Hairstylists, electricians, plumbers—you pay them a high fee to do the work properly. That hairstylist can do their own hair without spending that money, or that electrician can wire their own electrical box without paying a lot. The same applies here.

As you approach your pricing, keep this in mind. Even if you’re not valuing your knowledge and skills, others are, probably even more so than you realize. You have to get into the mindset that others will pay for what you’re offering.

At first, you may feel more comfortable starting off with a lighter price and building upward. Do that for two clients. Then charge a bit more for the next two, and so on.

Yes, people will say no

You may have people who say no. Some will say you’re too expensive. Remember this, if you raise your price by 50 percent, and lose 25 percent of your clients, you’re working with fewer people but making twice as much.

Raise your prices with confidence. The best people will stay on and they will be more committed, and you’ll also have more time to work with them. If you price yourself too low, you’re not offering the best services to those clients, and that means they aren’t getting the results they should.

Want to offer services to those who cannot afford a higher price? Charge your clients a small percentage more. Then, use your extra time and resources to create free materials or volunteer for the community you want to serve.

Where to start versus where you want to go

First, don’t compare your Chapter 1 to someone else’s Chapter 10. Don’t copy them. You don’t know their background.

Instead, begin with the shortest path to get going. Price your online services in the same way as you have in the past, such as by sessions or services. It’s the shortest learning curve for you.

Sell months of coaching online based on the amount of time it’s going to take you. Factor in your Freedom Number (the amount of money you need to make monthly). This gives you an objective figure of how much your package needs to be.

Don’t think that’s the right price?

Offer less so you can charge less, or …

Get comfortable charging what you need to

Be realistic about what your time is really worth

Once you get to a comfortable place, move away from selling months to selling packages—focus on selling results instead. Sell the transformation. The best trainers are selling the client the person they want to become.

Work your way up, selling packages at increasingly higher price points as you go. Do that until you reach the level you want to be at, knowing you are providing exceptional service. It takes time, but this process works well.

Start with tracking how much time you’re spending. Value that time and build in some buffer time if you’re the type of person to do extra for the client. Then, work through the process of building prices, so you’re delivering a better service to fewer clients.

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All episodes are available to subscribe and listen to on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. You can also subscribe and watch it on YouTube.

The post How to Price Your Packages appeared first on The PTDC.

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How to Create a Package That Sells

Creating a package to market to clients can feel overwhelming. Coaching calls, assessments, and program design can eat up serious chunks of your time.

The answer? Reverse engineering.

Let’s dig in.

Reverse engineering your programs

You aren’t going to be able to design an effective package if you don’t know the problem you’re solving and the group you’re targeting.

Once you know the group you want to target with your program, it’s time to dive into what they need to get results. This isn’t just about understanding your target market’s physical needs. You’ll also want to think about the life issues that may be holding them back from achieving their goals.

For example, if your target market tends not to be handy in the kitchen, tackling a monthly cooking skills workshop can help your clients get where they want to be. Another example: sending small gifts or care packages to clients. Monthly gifts specific to their needs show them you care, and allow you to use your expertise in a way that affects their lives beyond the time they spend working out.

Putting the personal in personal training

Anyone can follow a nutrition or workout plan, and if they stick to it, they’re likely to get a decent result.

We’re the missing link for most people—we understand what they need, and we work with them to figure out what’s been missing in the past. This is the reason it’s so important to find out why previous programs haven’t worked for clients.

Less is more

Communication is also key, but remember—less is more. You don’t need to tell a client every detail of their package. Choose a few key points to stress, and keep it simple.

The more detail you give clients, the more reasons they’ll find not to purchase your program. Clients want to know that you’ll solve their problem, but they don’t need to know every small step that you’re going to take to get them there.

When you’re creating a coaching program for a client, you won’t know exactly what their needs are until you get to know them. They’ll likely need small, incremental changes, and you’ll need time to develop suggestions that are realistic for them.

We’re trainers—we get excited about what we offer, but not everyone feels the same way. We don’t need to overwhelm potential clients with minute details—we just need to talk about how their lives will be changed at the end of the program.

Get specific with your marketing

Remember, it’s okay that your program won’t appeal to everyone. You’re looking for a specific market with a specific need. Your future clients will be more likely to reach out to you if they feel you have something that was designed with them in mind.

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All episodes are available to subscribe and listen to on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. You can also subscribe and watch it on YouTube.

The post How to Create a Package That Sells appeared first on The PTDC.

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[The Best] Hate Sales? Here’s a 5-Step Checklist to Help You Close the Deal, and more

Want to put great fitness content on our radar? Post on Facebook and include #PTDCBestSubmission. 

Best Content of the Week

I’ve been running a personal training company since I was 21 years old. So I’ve been the boss to my peer group for my entire adult life.

Here’s one thing I know about fit pros: You all hate sales.

So you have two choices. You can either learn to sell, or learn to be so freaking good at your job that someone like me (a.k.a. an employer who will provide signed clients) is knocking down your door to hire you.

If you want to get better at sales, check out this week’s top video.

— Dani Singer

Best Article

Unwilling — Jason Leenaarts, jasonleenaarts.com

Your goals and your ability to reach them come down to one key thing: your willingness to change. You should match your goals with your willingness to change things to help reach those goals. Because if you don’t, you will be spinning your wheels.

— Shane McLean

  Best Video

Easy 5-Step Discovery Call Script for New Coaches — Robin Beier

I have distinct memories dating back to 2008 when I was working at a commercial gym and a frequent topic of conversation in the trainer breakroom was how we didn’t want to be salespeople—we just wanted to train people. Over time, those of us who stayed in the industry came to embrace the fact that in most situations, we’d need to be the former in order to do the latter. If you’re just starting out, have recently transitioned online, or just never really felt like you’ve mastered having sales conversations, you’ll find this week’s video really helpful. While you never want to use a script that makes you sound like a robot, having a general framework for the conversation can help you build rapport and make the person on the other end feel seen, heard, understood, and more likely to buy what you’re selling.

— Esther Avant

  Best Social Media Post

Posted by Marie Spano on September 22, 2021

Resistance training to build strength and cardio to lose fat, right? Eh, not quite. It’s not always easy to convince clients to leave the treadmill behind to focus on the dumbbells. This week’s best post is delivered by @mariespano and @mikeormsbee. Check out this post to learn more about the effects of resistance training and fat loss.

— Christina Abbey

Best Podcast

How Science Can Help You Change Your Behavior for the Better — Kim Mills with guest Katy Milkman, Speaking of Psychology

This is an important conversation for trainers and coaches—really anyone interested in how to facilitate positive change. Katy Milkman, Ph.D., is a highly respected researcher and author in the domain of behavior change and host of the Choiceology podcast. In this chat, she talks about how to leverage our tendencies toward laziness, setting the right defaults, and “temptation-bundling”—a strategy where you combine something you want to do with something you should do. Milkman talks about novel strategies such as the “fresh start effect” or “reset”—using milestones/dates/occasions to start/reset healthy habits. Anyone who works with people will benefit from this episode.

— Mike Howard

More Great Fitness Content [Article] 5 Tips for Autopilot Fat Loss — Mike Howard, Burn the Fat Blog

[Video] Are Movement Imbalances Bad? –– Mike Israetel

[Social Media] How Do We Actually Get Better at Performing Exercises? — Eugen Loki

[Social Media] Personal Trainer’s Credo — Tony Gentilcore

[Podcast] Numbers Every Coach Should Know — Carl Hardwick and Georgia Smith, Back Room Talk

  ​

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SDM Yoga and Nature Cure Hospital Treatments, Services, Facilities

SDM Yoga and Nature Cure Hospital was established by the visionary leader Dr. D.Veerendra Heggade, which provides best of the facilities and therapies in Yoga, Mud therapy, Hydrotherapy, Fasting... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

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How to Be the Coach Clients Choose

Want to be the coach clients choose? First step: Figure out who you are—and who you aren’t.

Easier said than done, we know. Let’s dig into why people decide to make a purchase, and how to show your clients who you are—in a way that makes them want to commit.

Why do people buy things?

Today’s market is all about personalization. People buy things because they feel like the product speaks to them, and was made for them, specifically.

When a new client reaches out to you to learn more about your program, it’s likely because they feel a personal connection with you, even if they’ve never met you face to face.

As a trainer, this is where your uniqueness comes into play and can help you grow your business. People don’t just want to work with you because they agree with what you’re about. They also want to work with you because they agree with what you’re against.

Enter: the monster.

Identifying your monster

It’s not enough just to let potential clients know what you’re for—you also need to let them know what you’re not for. We’ll call this factor “the monster.”

You don’t need to be against a person, but it’s important to be against something—an idea, a societal convention, an institution—something that people will be able to rally behind.

Some companies fight against an idea. Wealthsimple, for example, fights against confusion around money. Liquid Death Mountain Water is hard-core anti-plastic—and uses its monster to raise awareness for its environmentalist message. Some Instagrammers fight against editing that shows tough-to-achieve body standards as if they’re reality.

Whatever your monster is, it’s important that you take a stance and that you don’t back down.

When you identify and talk about your monster, you’re making it clear to clients that you stand for something. Whatever you’re doing to promote yourself should scare you a little, and should remind you that not everyone is going to like you (and that’s okay).

Working to spur conversation around controversial ideas—and responding to the backlash that comes with it—is a way to expose yourself to new clients, and to help clients in your warm market make the decision to commit.

When you post something controversial, you can expect an onslaught of comments, both good and bad. Know that when someone makes a negative comment or shares your post with a negative post of their own, they’re drumming up far more publicity for your brand than a positive post ever would.

“You can do this” marketing vs. “Can you do this?” marketing

You’ll also want to consider whether your target market is looking for support or looking for a challenge. “You can do this” marketing is supportive and uplifting, and works to build clients up. “Can you do this?” marketing is about challenging clients on whether they can handle what you’re offering (think Spartan Race, P90X). Both types of marketing can be effective.

Whichever strategy you choose, it’s important to take your marketing strategy and incorporate your monster. We need to be unapologetic, unafraid, and willing to take our monster stance. When we do, potential clients know that we’re confident and strong—and able to give them the conviction they need to get results.

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All episodes are available to subscribe and listen to on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. You can also subscribe and watch it on YouTube.

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