Prepare to Sell: The Personal Trainer's Checklist

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the importance of being prepared for a first session with a prospective client.
2. Become comfortable with the steps it takes to prepare a prospective client to invest in your services.
3. Learn why you should never have to ask a prospective client “so, do you want to work with me?”

This is the time of year when we are all working hard to help clients and potential new clients make a commitment to their health and fitness and invest in our services. Do you have a way to ensure 80% of the potential new clients walking through your door will stay your clients? Taking a systemized approach toward selling can get you there! We have a tried and true method to running the first session with a prospective new client that works for all personality types and all trainers! It is true.

Having a systemized approach to selling is extremely important. If you and your team know exactly what needs to be done there will be less anxiety and more confidence when working with a potential new client. Remember, what you do with a prospective client during the first session can really make or break that session!

Prepare. Prepare. Prepare! Have each prospective new client fill out a client questionnaire –

• This questionnaire should be very detailed. It should include questions like: what are they doing now? What they are not doing? What is their health history? What are their goals? Why did they choose those goals?
• The reason for the client questionnaire is to ensure you really understand who this prospective new client is so you can customize the first session based on his or her needs.
• It is easy to fall out of the habit of taking the time to thoroughly read through these questionnaires before your potential new client walks through your doors, but don’t let that happen to you. Be diligent about getting these forms filled out and taking the time to review them before your complimentary session with a potential new client. If you don’t…the trainer down the street will and you will not be the one getting a new client!

Do Preliminary Planning – fill out some paperwork to show the client that you have been planning on their visit and are customizing their experience.

• Taking the time to do preliminary planning will show off your business skills, show that you are organized and that you have really planned for this session.

Have EVERYTHING ready that you will need for the first session with a prospective client!

• One of the best ways to show a potential new client how you can help them improve is by doing a fitness assessment and then discussing how you can help with some of their week points. Make sure you have everything you need for this fitness assessment.
• Have your sales presentation ready. Be comfortable and confident in this sales presentation. Doing role playing with peers will help!
• Have all resource materials ready. You always look better if you have written resource materials that you can provide to the potential new client. Whether that be articles that you have printed out that pertain to their specific needs or a results manual that walks them through how you will be working together and the expectations for both you and them.
• Have your training schedule with you! That way you can see what times work for both of you right off the bat.
• Make sure the place you will be meeting is clean and organized.

Now that you have everything prepared for your first session with a prospective new client we need to go through what you should actually be doing during that session to ensure the client sees the need to invest in your services.

Here is your checklist:

1. Give a friendly welcome by introducing your potential new client to staff and clients.
2. ​Give your potential new client documentation that explains who you are as a business. Make sure to highlight your strengths and what makes you stand out from other facilities/trainers.
3. ​Go through a proposed weekly workout structure. Talk to your potential new client about the exercise they should be doing each day of the week. Try to be a specific as possible so the client can really see the plan toward their health and fitness really come to life. Especially since it is customized to them!
4. Conduct an initial fitness assessment – conducting the initial fitness assessment is important to understand who this potential new client really is. How they move, what imbalances they may have, what weaknesses and strengths they have and where they might have tight muscles.
5. ​EXPLAIN WHAT YOU SAW DURING THE ASSESSEMENT! You have taken a lot of time assessing your client’s body and what they really want and NEED to hear is what you saw with regards to their body and HOW you will customize their workout specifically for them!
6. ​Do about 10 minutes of activity. This helps your potential new client experience what personal training will feel like.
7. ​Finally, reserve the last 10 minutes of this first session to explain the options they have to work with you! Now is the time to really hone in on this specific client and their needs and make a suggestion on what you think will work best for them. For example: Working with a trainer X times per week and attending X amount of group classes per week.

If you have followed these simple rules you should never have to ask the potential new client “do you want to work with me?” They will see why they need to work with you and then it will just be a matter of figuring out what works for the client as far as packages etc. that you offer.

I know from experience that this systemized approach works! Our trainers use this same checklist and are able to enroll 80% of prospective new clients after the first session. Implement this checklist today and start 2015 off on the right foot!