If you’re a personal trainer (or a provider of any other type of personal service) in these so called “hard” economic times, then today is your lucky day. Post after post on fitness forms are filled with run of the mill trainers whining and shaking in their boots about how their clients are leaving their asses behind. When asked how much they are charging for the type of service they offer, it all becomes very clear. It’s like “DUH! You deserved to be dumped dude.”

They over-charge and under deliver, and to top it off have nothing special about what they offer. The times of just delivering results is over. Delivering results is like getting a CD player when you buy a car… standard equipment. You gotta go above and beyond that. I’ll be revealing how I do things and maybe, just maybe, a few of you will be able to increase your bottom line and stop the insanity that is client loss.

1. Unique Skill-Set

Sure, just like everyone else I could have chosen the traditional personal training course in college… but I’m not like everyone else. Instead I did something that a) love and b) that which separated me from the competition. I studied sport physiology with a specialization in gymnastics. So now I have a level 2 nationally recognized certification which also includes an extra side certification for trampoline… and I attended all the same courses as the personal training students. It’s just that my “labs” took place inside a gymnastics gym with elite athletes and not a weight room.

What does this mean? This means I don’t train clients in a traditional gym (I’ll get to how I manage that in a second). I train them in a gymnastics gym where I’m the director of my own program. I charge what I want, when I want and pay the gym a minor fee. To top it off, my “stick ratio” is through the roof because not many people have had their abs blasted on an Olympic size trampoline for 15 minutes straight. It’s an experience no trainer in the traditional gym next-door can deliver. Oh, and you can bet your ass they’d be pissed if they knew I could suck clients from them this easily. If you’re angry right now then you should be. It’s a competitive world… if you don’t feel like competing then this is the wrong career for you. Go vegetate yourself inside a cubicle and get outta my way.

And it doesn’t stop there. Not only am I certified to coach this shit but I was a competitive power tumbler myself. This means I can put on a 1 min demo for the client to show what they can actually accomplish. Want to learn how to do a backflip after you lose those 5lbs? No problem, here’s what it looks like and here’s how were gona do it.

Then I have my Black Belt in Karate, which means I can now compile a kick ass (literally) cardio routine together instead of throwing them on a treadmill and making them run on the same spot like a lil hamster. There are so many options… even I haven’t exploited them all.

Now think about this for a second: after going through this crazy-fun experience, do you think that this particular client will return for seconds? You bet your ass they will!

2. I Embrace Technology

Let me be straight… if you aren’t using social media to expand your business, make connections and find great partners then you’re a complete fool. Quit now because you’ve already lost. Let me give you an example, I run my own blog which you can see here: http://www.fitjerk.com

This blog has allowed me to tap a market that I couldn’t previously. You see, I can’t train you in a traditional weight lifting gym in-person because I don’t have that piece of paper. It would be legally “wrong”. Now you might be thinking… “FJ, why don’t you just go get it?”. Well I could, but right now I have so much shit going on that I don’t need to. While I can’t technically train you, I CAN consult you… because the body I have is a result of proper resistance training. And to top it off, you can’t be a gymnastics coach with a seriously in-depth knowledge of body weighted training and conditioning. Go look at the body of an elite level gymnast… us coaches, we know what the fuck were doing, thank you very much.

So getting back to my point, how do I deal with clients who want to lift weights? Simple, I E-Train them. Here is my simple E-Training web page: http://flawlessfitnessbook.com/e-training-sales.html

I have plenty of clients that pay me monthly to come up with a workout, meal and supplement plan for them… and all of them see results. Through technology (video, audio, text) I am able to correct their technique, recommend proper training guidelines and have constant contact with my clients. If they ever have a question, I’m just an email away. If they aren’t doing what they are supposed to, then THEY’RE only an email away. Failure isn’t an option… if you’re paying me to deliver then I’ll be on your ass to get it done. It’s a 2 way street, and it works.

Now a lot of people say “but E-Training can’t substitute real training because you aren’t THERE with them so it cant work!”.

First of all… it CAN and DOES work because I have results to prove it, but the problem is that most people would most likely be too greedy to SCREEN potential clients. I don’t just let anyone E-Train with me. Just because they have some disposable income doesn’t mean I’ll train them. They need to meet certain requirements. For example: I won’t take on complete newbies or people with serious medical and/or health conditions because they really DO need the personal one-on-one attention.

But those intermediate souls who just can’t seem to get to the next level? They can train with me and see seriously effective results for a price that just cannot be beat. The value I offer for the price I ask is almost ridiculous… but there is a method to my madness. The bottom line is that you need to embrace technology. There is no reason why it can’t be one of your alternate revenue streams.

3. Value For Money

This one is simple… I offer value through the roof. I educate, motivate, yell and shove people into results. Whatever it takes, I do that plus more. It’s a simple philosophy – offer more than you are actually charging and oddly enough… you can increase your rate as time passes. I’m ALWAYS trying to find ways to add value into my programs, and when I feel that I’ve added a lot, I’ll up the price and the process will start all over again.

This way the client never feels cheated (its all justified) and you aren’t living on scraps.

4. Social Proof

Another simple concept. My friend circle knows what I’m about and what the hell it is I do. If they have fitness questions, they come to me. If they need advice, they come to me. And if someone else needs advice, they send them to me. Do WHATEVER it takes to build up your reputation. If it means giving away free sessions, do it. If it means bending over once or twice, do it… it’s an investment, not a sacrifice. The benefits of a solid reputation far outweighs the initial price you have to pay. Get that shit done, no excuses.

P.S – On a side note, do WHATEVER it takes to protect your reputation once it’s built. There are sore-losers out there that will try and throw rocks at the castle you poured a massive amount of sweat into building… don’t let these jerk-offs chip away at your accomplishment. Be bold and defend what’s rightfully yours.

5. I Stay Up To Date

I am constantly educating myself on new methods and techniques. Hell, I’m even trying to innovate every now and then just to see what type of results I’ll get. I plan on taking further courses such as PICP and Biosignature Modulation created by the ledged Charles Poliquin. I plan on taking courses from this crazy dude named Paul Chek who believes that if you’re a personal trainer, you should be in great shape and be able to coach in your undies. Truth be told, I actually agree with this. I’ve read so many fitness books from so many killer authors that your eyes would bleed… and I plan on reading hundreds more.

And you know why? Because it’s all worth it.

A Clarification: Now when I say “I stay upto date” I don’t mean I put every one of my clients on stupid bosu balls, recommend the newest diet pill and have them spewing out the latest diet jargon. Screw that shit. I’m talking about quality info. Forget “fads”. They are called “fads” because they come and pass… and while you can make some extra cash if you spice up your normal routines with them, I wouldn’t recommend making them your bread and butter system which real people rely on to deliver results for a healthier lifestyle. Know what I’m sayin? Good.

So there you have it… 5 ways I differentiate myself from the huge crowd of personal trainers. I’m not out to make a million and one FJ’s here, so don’t do exactly what I do. Chances are you’ll fail miserably. But DO take inspiration and start becoming creative. Recession doesn’t mean the world is getting poor… get real. It means money is shifting, you just need to be awesome enough to shift the tide in your favor.

Cheers.

- FitJerk

Originally Written By FitJerk for www.fitjerk.com – © 2010 All Rights Reserved – Content not to be republished without author consent.

This article was re-published on PTFitnessMarketing with permission: HERE