Becoming a personal trainer can look like a cool job at first glance, and it certainly can be a fulfilling career if you know how to do it right.
And that’s a big if because it’s often easier said than done. New PTs tend to consistently make the same mistakes, and it makes their journey much longer than it needs to be. That’s why I wrote this article.
Whether you’re considering starting a career as a personal trainer, or you’ve begun your journey, here are four mistakes you should never make.
Skipping Consultation with Clients
Before creating a workout plan for your new client, it’s very important to have a bit of knowledge about them. You want to know what they do and what their fitness goals are. One of the first questions you should ask is their medical history so you can plan an appropriate program for them.
Also, the consultation stage is the best time to build rapport with your clients making them comfortable enough to open up to you. Without good rapport, clients may feel uneasy around you; thus, hindering their effectiveness during workouts.
You also want your clients to sign personal trainer liability waivers to protect you both in the event of an accident.
While we’re on client management, you also don’t want to under-appreciate your clients, which is why it’s a good idea to get them great fitness gifts.
Overburdening yourself with work
In a bid to increase their client base and drive in more sales, many PTs take on more work than they can handle. Doing this can lead to not just physical but mental exhaustion. Remember, you need to be in top mental and physical shape to execute your best work as a personal trainer.
Only take on the number of clients that you can work with and give them your best. The progress you make with them will determine whether they will refer you to others.
Setting very low prices
One of the ways personal trainers attract new clients is by charging ridiculously low prices for their services. Although offering your services at discounted prices isn’t entirely bad, it can limit your career and profitability, causing you to operate on losses. Eventually, you will be doing too much and getting too little much.
A better way to set prices will be to provide quality service and set competitive prices for your work. People will always pay for value, and when they see that your work is valuable to them, they will gladly pay for it. Having a good price will also guarantee that you enjoy the work you do because it compensates you well.
Giving Up Too Early
This point is very important for budding personal trainers. When you’re beginning your personal training career, it might seem as though you aren’t making any progress, but you are.
The first few months can be tough with getting new clients, establishing yourself as a great trainer, and even possibly landing your first PT job. Don’t give up too early. If you persevere past the first year of your career, then you would have gotten a good head start.
Final Words
Mistakes are a part of your growth as a personal trainer and one of the ways to advance in it. The idea is to learn from past mistakes and use them to your advantage.
However, you should avoid some mistakes like skipping consultations with clients; it may halt your growth as a personal trainer. With this article, you’re more knowledgeable about mistakes to avoid if you want to be a successful PT.
Next, you can check out our article on landing clients on the competitive gym floor.
