The primary purpose of personal trainers is to assist and instruct people toward reaching their personal health and fitness goals. However, their responsibilities don’t end there — particularly if they’re employed by a health club or fitness center. In fact, personal trainers can play an important role in helping your business thrive in a variety of different ways.
Wondering just how much you should expect from your personal trainers? Here’s a closer look at four results your personal training team should be contributing to the overall success of your gym.
Positive training experiences = positive gym experiences for members.
1. They should be ambassadors of your brand.
According to the International Health and Racquet Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), 68 percent of clients leave personal trainers due to negative experiences. Unfortunately, the odds are high that if members are parting their trainers, they’re also leaving your gym. Conversely, gym members who are positively engaged by their trainers are not only likely to stick around, but may also spread the word.
The takeaway? Personal trainers should conduct themselves both professionally and positively at all times. Because ultimately, they’re not merely personal trainers, they’re also customer service representatives. (The same goes for all of your employees — regardless of whether they’re fitness professionals.)
2. They should make your gym a safer place.
Personal training is about results, but these results shouldn’t come at the cost of member health and wellness. One Women’s Health Magazine article highlights the industry-wide issue of “Dangerous Personal Trainers.” Trainers who lack proper training and experience; are uneducated about fitness and anatomy; and/or don’t listen to their clients represent a threat — both to your members and to your membership in general.
The onus, of course, doesn’t just rest on personal trainers. Fitness business owners should also prioritize hiring the most qualified candidates. As Atlanta lawyer Mark B. Bullman told the magazine, “Safety, not money, should be the driving force.”
3. They should understand their role in generating business growth.
Club Industry recommends that fitness businesses have separate business plans just for their training departments. The rationale?
“Although personal training is a department within your club, it needs to operate as if it is its own business. This will instill a sense of entrepreneurship among your trainers and help them understand how they have control over their income and can drive their own business. Your trainers need to be career-minded and fully committed to their profession.”
Personal trainers are competitive, to begin with. Use that to your advantage by challenging them with sales goals.
Club Industry further recommends developing a sales-focused training program; coaching trainers to develop their own personal action plans, including the establishment of minimum monthly sales goals; encouraging trainers to take on small group training to broaden their reach and connect with more members; and implementing “friendly” competition with incentives for top performers.
Effectively enlisting trainers as salespeople hinges on one thing above all else: Communication. Continues Club Industry, “Make sure you set up regular meetings to communicate and motivate. It helps everyone stay focused on the goal. They need to know when they are achieving and when they are falling behind.
4. They should prioritize personal development.
The fitness industry is constantly changing. Not only will pursuing continuing education opportunities help personal trainers keep up their certifications, but it can also position them as experts in their field — a boon for membership and for your fitness center business at large.
While it’s easy to think of personal trainers existing in their own unique sphere, the reality is that their attitudes, behaviors, and outlooks can and do have a direct impact on the success of fitness businesses. By incorporating this fitness center advice into your expectations for your personal training team, you empower them to maximize their potential. Another critical tool for driving membership growth? The latest fitness tracking technology. Learn more about Accurofit today.
