personal training
REALITY CHECK
The reality of being a personal trainer often fails to live up to the dreams. Kath Hudson looks at why so many drop out, and how to stem the tide
T
op personal trainers can earn £40,000 or £50,000 a year, with hourly sessions commanding a high price tag. It’s no wonder that many
hopefuls sign up for courses excited about their future earning potential. Almost half of the 28,500 industry
professionals registered with REPs are personal trainers (PTs), with growing numbers achieving Level 3. But unfortunately the drop-out rate following qualifi cation is high, with many personal trainers leaving after just a few months. Wages for in-house PTs aren’t always high enough for those with fi nancial commitments like a mortgage or children – which many PTs do, as it often appeals to older candidates and those who’ve decided on career changes – while those who take the self- employed route can fi nd they don’t have enough clients to make a viable living. Nic Jarvis, founder of New Wave
Training, says many candidates aren’t suffi ciently rounded when they enter the industry. “Many small businesses fail because they are run by a technician,” he explains. “Someone who likes dressmaking opens a boutique, for example, or someone who likes fi tness becomes a personal trainer. But being a technician isn’t enough. To be in business, you need that entrepreneurial element which gives you the fl air, vision and energy to promote yourself. You also
need the management expertise to make sure everything is structured properly.”
business savvy Many training providers we spoke to agree that PTs often fail to understand that they are setting themselves up in business; some even report inadequate understanding of the PT product to be able to sell it effectively. “Many PTs think they’re just selling an hour of their time, when actually what they’re trying to sell is a different way of life,” says Vicky Mahony, a manager at FitPro and herself an experienced personal trainer. FitPro runs an online course, Steps
to Success, aimed at helping personal trainers survive the fi rst 90 days, covering aspects such as understanding the role of a personal trainer in the gym environment, communication skills, interacting with members, business planning and personal goal setting. Future Fit has also introduced a marketing course as part of its Personal Training diploma, which covers skills such as targeting and retaining clients. And in response to employer
feedback, many courses – including those run by Lifetime and Premier Training International – are now putting more emphasis on the softer skills: teaching PTs how to develop a rapport with clients, communication skills and ways of affecting behaviour change. Lifetime’s course includes role-play
“To be in business, you need that
entrepreneurial element which gives you the flair, vision and energy to promote yourself”
50 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
and getting candidates to script how to approach potential clients. Nigel Wallace, director of training
at Lifetime, says: “The technical side is essential, but this only gets you through the gate. We build PTs’ confi dence in their product, so they see their service as positive and desirable. We teach them who to approach, how to approach them and how to guide the conversation in a positive way so they’re confi dent they are doing the right thing.” Jarvis agrees that approaching clients
in the correct way, and developing confi dence in doing so, is crucial to the success of a PT: “If PTs are taught to have a conversation that helps people understand how they can achieve their goals, then they’ll be able to sell personal training, because the majority of gym members are not achieving their goals. “The personal trainer should be seen
as the solution to customers’ issues, but many aren’t able to have the conversation that communicates their understanding of those issues. This is, however, an easy conversational model to teach.”
march 2011 © cybertrek 2011
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