Now I need to build a client base........help!

H

honeybunch

Guest
Oh, beloved educated crowd, help me again, please!

I want to build a client base and want to be smart about it. To begin with, I want to get experience teaching a group class and plan to do it with Deb H's company, with pre-choreographed programs. I sign 'em up, collect their money, learn the routines and teach them.

Also, I plan to put out business cards in Weight Watchers meeting rooms, if this is allowed. In the fall, I want to take a workshop about working with older adults, since I really am one, too, I figure this MAY be the group most comfortable working with me. I think to begin with, I would be good at steering beginners in the right direction. What do y'all think?

Your suggestions, please, on what else I can do. You guys are TOP NOTCH!! I'd bake a big cake for all of you if I could.
 
Hi, Honeybunch! Hitting the ground running!

If you haven't already done so, may I suggest you become a member of IDEA, which although not a certifying entity, is a professional organization for fitness professionals, and it has a wealth of information for personal trainers on building and maintaining a thriving business. (www.ideafit.com)

Also, may I suggest you log onto the Turnstep website (www.turnstep.com), and to onto the Personal Trainer bulletin board and pose your questions there - I'm a regular "habitue" of that forum, and people are extremely generous about sharing their experience and advice. There are a couple of regular participants in particular, "Maribeth" and "Stef", who I believe could give you some excellent practical advice.

There is another website, "Fitpro" (www.fit-pro.com) that also has a great deal of professional information, and a discussion forum, for personal trainers that you might find interesting.

I think your initial instincts are quite sound already. If you're not already thinking about this, you may want to include establishing a webpage of your own as part of your personal training services, as well as e-training and e-coaching through e-mail. That is a growing element of personal training, from what I've read.

Congratulations again!!!

Annette
:):):):):)
 
I forgot to thank you for answering my plea, Miz Annette.

I've been busy, needless to say, trying to learn routines to start teaching aerobics classes in 3 weeks, plus finding local trainers to help me with stuff like getting the technique of doing body fat composition analysis down pat.

I'm going to leave fliers and cards in the Weight Watchers rooms, check out my local Y for how they hire their part time trainers, and watch what happens. They do their own certification, and I have no idea what that involves, but I have an idea that my certificatin is nothing to sneeze in comparison.

I'm very excited about all this! I'll check out those web sites you suggested.
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jun-03-02 AT 08:09PM (Est)[/font][p]If you're in a larger city, maybe you should consider pitching a group of classes to employees at large firms (accounting, law firms, big companies). These companies are always trying to do "wellness" things to get their lumpy employees off their cans . . . and some would even pitch it as a perk. I was at law firms and a surprising number of them had fitness equipment in the office. Maybe a "lunchtime fitness" thing? I would have joined that if it had been offered when I was there. Instead, I went to a gym a few blocks away.

P.S. I hit a new low on weight today. 105 pounds at 5'6". The lowest I've been since early junior high school and I'm not even trying any more.
 
Great idea! I used to for Smuckers, which is getting larger all the time - a big company in a small town. I always thought they would benefit from a fitness program. They always got a lot of mileage out the idea that they were so employee friendly, although I did not really find that to be the case.
 
Have you thought about offering your services over the web? I live in a place that will never attract trainers but could use personal input...just a thought

Joanna
 
Another idea: contact local cycling, hiking, walking & running groups. Cyclists & runners are notorious for ignoring their upper half (as Trevor keeps pointing out)& core work. Many would love a time efficient, basic home routine. It seems these groups tend to be past 30 & would presumably be more comfortable with a mature trainer instead of a 24 year old. You could advertise in newsletters - I'm sure the rate would be nominal if anything.

Let me know if you need more details as training cycles but you probably have a good idea from race walking. Winter: base training & heavy weights vs event season: maintenance.
 
Honeybunch, I have nothing valuable to add to the above recommendations, but will look forward with great interest to your website someday!

I just wanted to say we're all behind you 100% (as I'm sure you already know!), and would love to hear your experiences & stories as you go along.
Best of luck!
Ruth
:)
 
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