Landing a client without a PT certificate may seem unrealistic as the certificate is proof that you’re trained as a PT. You probably already know that being a certified PT puts the mind of prospective clients at ease because they believe you know what you’re doing.
However, there’s no need to fret if you don’t have a PT certificate just yet and are seeking to build your client base. With the following tips, you can land clients even without a certificate.
Side note
Before we get started, it’s important to mention that a certificate is critical to your career as a PT.
Besides protecting you from liability and helping your PT liability waiver kick into full effect, a certificate can also give you access to opportunities. Basically, more people will take you seriously if you have a certificate, which is what you want when aiming to become a successful personal trainer.
Finally, a certificate will teach you a lot of crucial lessons about being a PT. What do you add to your PT starter kit? What are the things most people won’t tell you about being a PT? How do you handle lazy clients?
It’s much harder to learn about these things without the education that comes with earning a certificate.
1. Volunteer
Volunteering is one way to get clients as a non-certified PT. It grants you visibility, helps you gather more experiences that can build your portfolio, and expands your network. You can begin by offering your services for free at a local gym. Although some gyms might prefer a certified trainer, you can convince them by showing your skills.
You can also volunteer by rendering your services to friends, families, and strangers. As you help them achieve their fitness goals, they’ll undoubtedly talk about you to people they know, giving you the recognition you deserve.
2. Leverage Your Training Experience
To do this, you’ve got to be proactive and well-positioned. While volunteering and gathering experiences, build your portfolio of clients you’ve helped, and be more active on social media.
First, you need to know the category of clients you would like to work with: teenagers, young adults, older adults, men, women, or both. Knowing your preferred clients will determine the second step, which is knowing what social media platform they’re active on.
So if you’re focusing on training older clients, you need to be focusing on Facebook because they likely spend a lot of time there. Lastly, understand how they prefer to communicate and consume information.
After doing all these, become visible to them, construct a good profile and post valuable content to get their attention. One sure way to bring them running to you is by organizing a Free Fitness challenge that will attract them while you kick off from there.
3. Develop Sales Skills
Having a personal trainer certification isn’t a guarantee that you’ll get clients, just like being a shredded PT isn’t completely necessary. Your ability to sell yourself is what gets you clients. As a PT interested in landing more clients (even in a recession), it’s crucial that you invest in this aspect.
Sales skills and marketing ability determine how quickly you’ll rise in the fitness industry. Thankfully, there are many resources and online courses you can utilize to learn about marketing your services.
4. Share Your Fitness Journey
Another method of landing clients without a PT certificate is by being fit and being expressive about your journey. Carry your audience along by being visible both online and offline. For instance, you can share a typical day in your life as a PT on your social media pages.
Show your audience what you eat, the workout regimen you follow and maybe some transformation photos. People are more likely to trust you to be their physical trainer if you’re open and realistic.
Wrapping Up
Not having a physical trainer certificate doesn’t mean you’re not good enough to train clients. Although it’s often a prerequisite to landing your first job as a PT at most gyms, your skills, portfolio and achievements can set you apart from other PTs.
When you’re ready to get your personal training certification, check out NASM; their programs are incredibly detailed.
