Advantage of Having a Trainer on Staff

Question:

I am looking for some information to assist in building a case for the necessity of having a personal trainer. I am approaching a business that has an on-site training facility but does not have a personal trainer on staff. I need some statistics showing the success rate of clients that use a personal trainer as opposed to those that don't and also the list of benefits.

Answer:

I cannot give you specific data to answer your question because I do not have specific information pertaining to your business. Your request for statistical information about the benefits associated with members utilizing a personal trainer will vary depending on the region of your business, the membership base, square footage, etc. However, IDEA is a great resource for this type of information. They put out a text (IDEA Personal Training Industry Benchmarks) that offers a wide variance of statistical information pertaining to personal training in our industry. I believe this text can be purchased for $15 if you are a member of IDEA ($25 for non-members).

My personal opinion is that often the best way to build a case for any business strategy in our industry is to examine trends outside of our industry. According to IHRSA, there are 32.8 million health club members in this country (December 2000). Obviously, the percentage of our non-customers in this country is enormous and therefore deserves some attention. A question to ask in justifying a personal training department is not only “Who is our customer?” but, “Who will our customer be in the next few years?” Some important information to consider about the societal changes in this country:

• Women either buy or effect the buying decision of 80 percent of all products and services purchased in this country. Over 60 percent of all personal training is purchased by a woman.
• The birthrate is declining in this country, making the population over age 50 the fastest growing population in the nation.
• The rate of musculo-skeletal dysfunction is steadily increasing in the US.
• Today customers have more information and purchasing choices than ever before. To stay competitive, companies will have to take their attention off of the customer and refocus it on this customer. Individualized service is a key to staying competitive regardless of what business you’re in. Assumptions that a mass market segment will enjoy a standardized service approach is dangerous.
• Your business must be distinct in one (if not all) of the following areas:
  • Lowest Cost
  • Product Differentiation
  • Customer Intimacy 

All of this information can be taken to mean that in the near future, our customer, their needs and their demands will be dramatically different. There is a strong possibility that their need and/or demand for a distinct, quality, relationship based service, (i.e., Personal Training) will more than justify the advantages of a personal training department that offers uncompromising customer service.