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It’s a special moment in the journey of every personal trainer: the moment you get your first client. Every inch of training leads up to your first client, but it can be daunting! So much focus is placed on trying to find your first client that it can often overshadow the very logistics of working with them – but this is a trap. The very first person who engages with your service is not completely yours until you’ve converted them into a returning client. After all, the secret to a successful personal training business is the rapport between trainer and client: without that, your services fall flat.
The very first session works a little like a job interview: you and your client are testing the waters to see if you’re a good fit. Your role is to figure out how to wow them. Here are some great tips to help you nail the very first session with your very first client:
Make a plan – beforehand
Before your prospective client walks through the door, it’s important you do the background work. You might want to send them a questionnaire to fill out beforehand or you could create dialogue via email or phone – whatever works for you. The aim of this exercise is to flesh out their reasons for wanting to embark on a personal training journey. You’ll gather information on their movement habits, their goals, their lifestyle choices, their fitness levels, and their diet before they even walk in the door. As soon as your prospective client walks in the door, you already have a great deal of information to work with. This benefits the session by making you look professional, building the client/trainer relationship and being able to jump right into kick starting their journey.
Nail the meeting
When the time comes to meet your client, it’s important you break the ice immediately. If your pre-session questionnaire was effective, your client is probably feeling at least partly comfortable with you already, which is a great sign of a successful conversion. When they arrive at their session, take them to an open area for a quick meeting and introduction. Don’t jump straight into work chat – break the ice by asking them how their day has been, what they do, what kind of things they do for fun and any other conversation pointer that flows naturally. Remember your goal is to build rapport, and the only way to build rapport is to build a relationship.
Nail the sale
After you’ve completed the assessment or trial workouts, it’s time to get into the nitty gritty of the sale. If you’ve impressed them throughout your session, this part will be easy. Go over their achievements and goals in relation to the assessment you completed, and present personal training package options that they can’t resist. Put the power in their hands and let them know that their goals are attainable through one of your package deals. If they’re hesitant to jump in and say yes right away, remember there’s many different reasons why a client can’t commit straight away. You can always keep the rapport going and follow up after a week to see where their head is at.