Get A New

Client Today
16 STRATEGIES SUCCESSFUL TRAINERS
ARE USING TO GET NEW CLIENTS
By Jonathan Goodman

SO YOU WANT MORE GREAT CLIENTS?

Distilled into its most basic form, growing your fitness business comes down to one thing:

Can you generate business sustainably over a long period of time?

I pulled together the wisdom from several successful trainers and business owners for
their top strategiest for getting more clients proven in the real world. Some of the advice
youll soon read comes from people like Dr. John Berardi, Dan John,
Charlie Weingroff, and Mike Mahler.

Pick up any fitness marketing book and youll see

WHAT SURPRISED
ME THE MOST
WAS HOW LITTLE
CONVENTIONAL
MARKETING ADVICE
THERE WAS

iii

a lot of the same strategies for advertising, putting

out flyers, cold calling, and the like. But, as youll
soon learn, the best tactics are often not the
ones commonly packaged and sold. The best, and
most proven tactics, all hinge in building strong
relationships, treating people well, and getting
people to want to talk about you.

As you grow your dream fitness business,

take not just the strategies below to heart
but the mindset behind them as well.

www.precisionnutrition.com

JOHN B E R AR D I P hD C SC S:

Give, give, give... then ask

If youre asking yourself How do I get one

give away free articles, video courses,

workout snacks, free workout programs,

new client today? youre asking the wrong

newsletters, and even cool gadgets on our

printed newsletters, free grocery tours, or

question.

FB page. Then, a few times per year, we ask

whatever makes the most sense for you

for something... for prospects to join one of

(and your prospects).

The right question is:

How do I nurture relationships so that

our programs.

Whatever you decide to give, get in a

The ratio of give to ask is really high.

regular cadence of doing it. Then, every so

That builds up good will. So when its time

often, because youve earned the right to

to ask for a sale, people are more willing to

ask, go big. Dont be sheepish. Ask for the

The answer: Give, give, give (before ever

say yes.

sale, for a referral, etc.

asking for anything).

In your business, depending on your

Remember: Give, give, give... then ask. Its

This is a principle thats served us well

audience, you could give: free seminars,

a long-term investment that always pays

branded water bottles, home-made post-

dividends.

I have a never-ending stream of new

people wanting to work with me?

at Precision Nutrition. Year round we

www.nickcheadlefitness.com

NICK CHE AD L E :

Dont be afraid to show people

what you know
Far too many trainers live in constant fear of giving too much away, as if there is some sort
of secret to all of their clients success. Were all in this industry to help peopledo so in a
manner that will allow you to simultaneously demonstrate how knowledgeable you are in
your area of expertise and empower those around you. Youll always be at the forefront of
peoples minds when it comes to hiring a trainer.
It will come back to you tenfold.

www.bretcontreras.com

B R E T CONTR E RA S

Do a good job with each

client you get
I DID ZERO
ADVERTISING...
THIS WAS ALL DONE
THROUGH WORD OF
MOUTH.

The single most important strategy for getting clients is doing a good job with each client you
get. When I opened up my personal training studio, Lifts, in Scottsdale, Arizona, I amassed 55
clients in 3 months. I had to hire two trainers to help me keep up. I did zero advertising... this
was all done through word of mouth.
Sometimes my clients would call their daughters or friends in the middle of their sessions
and tell them to come down right away and join. I had one client refer eight different people
to me. My methods were innovative, I had a cozy atmosphere and good equipment, and I
portrayed confidence and knowledge, and these factors combined to entice members to
spread the word. This was all achieved without a referral system to reward my clients; they
did it out of straight up altruism

www.ultimatesandbagtraining.com

JOS H HE NK IN

Ask for referrals, and show clients

how to refer new ones
In business the easiest people to keep selling

answers may not always make you happy,

but they may not be sure of the best means

to are those who are already your clients.

but they will go a long way in helping you

possible.

How does this relate to you getting NEW

reach new people and just as importantly

clients? Talk to the clients you already have

maintain your current ones better.

and ask them to fill out a short survey (with

I remember an older lady I trained told

her friends (of about the same peer age)

Ask the tough questions such as what they

about her flipping tires and doing all this

do and do not like about your service, what

intense training. She LOVED it, but when

they would like to see more and/or less

she communicated it to her friends it scared

What is in the survey? Get an idea of how

of, as well as if they were to refer you to a

the heck out of them. She wanted them to

your clients perceive you and your services.

friend or family member, what would they

come to me so we worked on a better script

We often think we know how people see

say? This also helps in the fact that members

of highlighting how she felt, why she loved

us, but the reality can be quite staggering.

sometimes need a bit of coaching on HOW

training with me, and why her friends should

Pull up your big boy/girl pants because the

to refer you people. They may love to do so,

too. That made the referrals so much better!

hopefully some fun reward for them in doing

so).

www.danjohn.net

DAN JOHN

Learn to communicate better with

potential clients
TALKING WITH
CLIENTS DEMANDS
SOME KNOWLEDGE,
SOME INSIGHTS, SOME
TOOLS.

Personal training is an exploding field and, sadly, few people survive the first year. You may
have the body and the knowledge, but the Body of Knowledge in the fields of health, fitness,
and performance is going to overwhelm you.
Moreover, your clients will seem to go out of their way to sabotage their success. I told
someone recently to have her business card state: Getting you to do what you asked me to
get you to do.
Talking with clients demands some knowledge, some insights, some tools. You need to ask
the right questions, use some simple assessments, focus on the basics, and work your way
forward with steady steps in movement.

www.mikemahler.com

MIK E MAHL E R

Put out great content

The most effective method to not only get new clients, but also high quality clients, is to put
out great content. Write 500-word articles that are to the point with very useful information
that the reader can benefit from. Put up 3 to 5 minute informational clips on YouTube and
social media to establish value and position yourself as an expert.
Approach your business with what you can do for others, rather than what others can do for you
and you will gain respect and customer trust, which is invaluable and essential to both shortterm and long-term success. Develop a reputation for great content in many forms and you
will attract great customers.

Author of The Fat Loss Prescription

D R . S PE NCE R N A DO L SK Y

Listen to your clients and

potential clients
DONT JUST COUNT
REPS. LISTEN TO
YOUR CLIENTS.

You can be the smartest trainer with the coolest and most effective programs in the world, but
if you dont listen to your clients and treat them with empathy, you wont be the best. Listening
is one of the most powerful tools you can use to build a true relationship with your clients.
They will appreciate you more and continue to come back. Dont just count reps.
Listen to your clients.

www.denversteyn.com

D E NVE R S TE Y N

Provide clear and consistent

education via social media and email
The single best way to get clients is to provide clear and consistent education via social
media and email. Educational marketing is a great way to provide value and show that you
arent afraid to give away the secrets that others in your field may hold onto. It also means
your potential clients will understand your methods right from the start, saving you time and
increasing their confidence.

www.theonlinepersonaltrainingresource.com

JOR DAN SYATT

Give away all of your knowledge

THE MORE YOU

GIVE, THE MORE
THEYLL TRUST
YOU.

Give away all of your knowledge. Selflessly teach people everything you know. Give all of your
information to the public. The more you give, the more theyll trust you. And the more they
trust you, the more willing and happy they will be to work with you. It sounds counter intuitive
but its true. And it has worked wonders for my clients and my business.

www.charlieweingroff.com

C HAR L IE W E ING RO F F

Specialize

One of the best ways to gain a new client is to be able to position yourself as a trainer that
provides something noticeably different than other trainers in the market do.
When a trainer can establish a personal niche such as womens training for golf or weight
training for over 55-year-old men, something very specific, clients that fit this demographic
will likely see you as the preeminent expert of that specialty and likely seek you out before
others. Obviously specialized education and training should support what you do when you do
get to these specialized clients.

10

www.grenade-fit.com

JAMIE AL D E RTO N

Have empathy for your clients

As a personal trainer, your passion for

We become so used to talking about

problems that people face when it comes

health and fitness has made you decide to

nutrition, training, and habits on a daily

to getting in shape.

pursue this field as a full-time career.

basis that we sometimes forget just how

Its been said that to succeed you need to

surround yourself with likeminded, positive
people.
Does that sound like your ideal client? It
certainly does to me!
The reality is that most of the people
that youll work with initially will be the
complete opposite.

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hard it is to adhere to a plan of action and

achieve the body and fitness goals we may
already have now.
Having empathy and understanding your
client are your biggest selling points in
getting new business.
Take some time to put yourself in other
peoples shoes and understand the real

You may just find that your current

information and approach are too
advanced and too intimidating for many
people who just want to eat a little less and
move a little more.

www.patrigsby.com

PAT R IG S BY

If you want more business...

you have to ASK for it
The same offer delivered in the same way over and over

been personally invited into your business to experience

wears out, and not everyone needs the same thing. With

why youre different and better? If not ASK. Then do the

the concept of building your ideal business, the goal is to

Bs. You get the idea.

help people in the best way for them, not one size fits all.
Dont wait for business to come to you. If youre not

got an email list too maybe it has 50 people. Maybe it

asking for more business each and every day, youre not

has 5000. ASK. Dont worry about bothering people or

producing to your potential. Try this for starters: Pull out

being salesy. If you want a new client (or several) today,

your phone. How many contacts do you have? [I have

then all you need to do is a lot of asking. Make it happen.

2003geez.] Start scrolling down, one by one. With the

As has everyone listed who could possibly be a client

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Then consider your Facebook contacts. Same deal. Youve

www.deansomerset.com

D E AN S OME R S E T

Know your target clients

KNOWING YOUR
TARGET CLIENTS
WILL GIVE YOU
INFO ON WHO TO
APPROACH FOR
THESE REFERRALS.

Most of my clientele come from referral sources, but more professional referrals than client
referrals. I have a network of physical therapists, chiropractors, and medical doctors who send
patients to me for exercise training, and they consistently produce a couple of new clients
each month. You can develop a referral network of your own by looking for accessory services
or product resellers who work with your target clients.
Into dance? Approach some dance studios and suggest working with their performers. Want
to work with golfers? Hit up golf courses and golf pros and show how strength training can
improve players games. Knowing your target clients will give you info on who to approach for
these referrals, and what their main interests and goal outcomes should be.

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www.markfisherfitness.com, www.businessforunicorns.com

MAR K FIS HE R

Curate the right entry

level experience
One of the most important things you can

Creating an attractive experience means

if theyre unsatisfied. People will rarely, if

do to get a new client is curate the right type

developing something that has true value for

ever, take you up on this. But its important

of entry level experience for your prospects.

them. Ideally its something they genuinely

for them to know they have nothing to lose

This can be anything from a strategy

want to do. This is often some combination of

and that you stand by your service.

session over coffee to an informational

getting information about how to achieve their

seminar about fat loss to a low-priced trial

goals and/or a chance to taste a bit of what its

membership.

like to train with you.

For many people working out seems

Low-barrier means free or deeply

to do this, but make sure that its something

daunting because they dont want to

discounted. Most people want to try before

your ideal client actually wants, is low-

feel silly. Your goal is create an attractive

they buy.

barrier, is risk-free, and leaves them feeling

experience with a low-barrier thats risk free

and feels safe to your potential clients.

14

Risk-free means if there IS a price, you

should offer a 100% money-back guarantee

Ultimately, youre looking to give people a

chance to know you so they can be sure they
like you and trust you. There are many ways

successful!

www.liftthebar.com

C HR IS B U RG E S S

Let your ex-clients know how

you have grown
I find the notion of new clients is often linked way too

Reach out to all ex-clients, all cold leads, and just ask them

closely to the notion of having to meet new people.

how theyre doing. Build conversations with responders

I have lost clients in the past for a variety of reasons, but

I am sure of one thing, every client loss has led me to
improve something in my service. Whether its technical,

sample what youve been learning, improving, and more

importantly, how it relates to their goals.

service, or operational improvements, I think there are very

This works extremely well with clients who stop training to

few trainers reading this who wont be better right now

have children. Just a gentle reminder that youre there, you

than they were a year ago. Ill also bet they are now better

think of them, and that youre better than before will get you a

placed to serve their clients than they were a year ago.

client today if you execute it well.

So why not tell them about it?

15

and invite them in (even if the initial session is free) to

www.jodirumack.com

JOD I RU MAC K

Follow up with potential clients who

may not have been ready before
The scramble is on. You need to get a new

In my experience, when prospects say

people, lets do that, regardless of whether

client today but you havent met anyone

they cant afford it, trainers often take that

they can actually invest in training. You

new lately and your clients have given you

as the final answer and dont follow up

never know when the winds may change

all the referrals that they have.

because they dont believe the client will

in a prospects life, and they can be an

ever be able to afford it.

amazing referral source too if theyve had

You panic. But what you dont realize is

you have a long list of people who want to
get started with you.

Two things to consider here:

a great experience with you, even before

they buy anything. Need a new client?

1) Clients who say they cant afford

Go back to the list of people who didnt

One of the biggest mistakes fitness pros

training are often just not ready. Keep

buy training after their previous consult.

make is that once they finish a consultation

following up and one day they may change

Follow up. Find out how theyre doing.

with a prospect who doesnt buy training,

their mind.

Invite them in for a short PT session and a

they fail to follow up with them.

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2) If we are really in this business to help

review of their goals. Close the sale!

www.graycook.com

G R AY COOK

BONUS #1: Engage Your Community

Early in my career, I moved back to my

there to manage the orthopedic and sports

an educational resourcefrom speaking at

hometown, passionate about what I had to

medicine issues, and keep the EMTs and

the YMCA to working charity races. This

offerboth as a rehabilitation specialist and

paramedics ready for when they were truly

was truly the beginning of the Functional

a strength and conditioning specialist.

needed.

Movement Screen and Functional

Movement Systems.

I wanted to be a community resource, but

This service built relationships that allowed

I just didnt like the confines of traditional

us to encourage our local sports coaches:

We gave away a lot of time, distinguishing

networking.

Dont just call us in-season to deal with

ourselves as a professional group that could

injuries. Lets try to manage some of those

help the community. Its still working for us

in the pre-season. Lets live the ounce-of-

today. Itll work for you.

I decided on a different approach: My staff

and I began covering football games. In our
rural area, we did not have certified athletic
trainers on the sidelines. We wanted to be

17

prevention strategy and not just quote it.

We would accept any opportunity to be

www.rippedbody.jp

ANDY MORGAN

BONUS #2: Caring is not enough

You need to show that you care, and do it

site. These are your online business cards,

and you can read about his philosophy on

publicly.

and the keys to getting trust. Remember,

coaching there and get a feel for him. The

ultimately you are going to ask them to hand

other has nothing. Who are you going to

over hundreds of dollars to you, and ask

choose?

Many customers make their decision about

who they are going to hire before they even
meet us.
What is going to happen when a prospective

them to put their health in your hands why

should they trust you?

The thing is, people are too lazy to do this.

They only see the short game and miss the

Imagine you are a customer and you have

bigger picture. This is your chance to out

two trainers to choose from. One guy has a

work them and position yourself as the most

Facebook page or website where hes clearly

obvious choice for new customers coming

Build yourself a solid Facebook page at

helpful to others in answering questions, in

into your gym. Your sales pitch can be all but

the minimum, or even better, a Wordpress

a timely manner, demonstrating he cares,

done before you even meet them.

customer googles you? Something?

Anything?

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As you can see, theres a lot of different ways to get new clients. Some of the tips above may be perfect for you, others not. We all
bring different skill sets to the table.
The common thread above is to be useful and helpful. Its to operate with abundance and with integrity. Those points are also
common themes in each client getting strategy that I go over in detail in the Professional Trainer Society. I look forward to
continuing to help you build your own dream training business.