Personal Training: Help New Members Fulfill Their New Year’s Goals

With the New Year upon us, we normally see new members in our facility that hope to finally fulfill their New Year’s goals to get in better shape. As trainers we are in the prime position to assist and facilitate those dreams into becoming reality. Here are three basic steps trainers can take to help members get there:

1. Begin with realistic goals

As trainers we need to encourage and support our clients and new members, but we have to also be realistic with them about what is actually achievable. This can be done by setting short-term goals that are feasible and able to be met quickly. Nothing breeds success better than seeing small success. By setting short term goals (three to five weeks long), members can stay focused on a task and its reward. By setting small attainable goals (i.e. come to the gym three times a week for three weeks, drink eight glasses of water, or attend two group fitness classes a week for three weeks) members will be encouraged to continue their pursuit of fitness.

2. Welcome all new members

Even though trainers get paid by their clients, they need to recognize that all of the club’s members are their clients. So it is in their own best interest if they send a message (electronic is good, paper is better) welcoming all new members, or better yet, a letter from the entire personal training department welcoming them and giving some helpful tips on how to get integrated into the club. This goes a long way with bridging the gap when trying to sell personal training services.

3. Have a program to get the new members training together

Noting is more motivating than working with people that are like minded or have the same goal. If you offer a group training program for new members only, this will build relationships with members and trainers that will pay dividends in the long term. Create a new member body transformation that runs four weeks long and guarantees results. This is great marketing for the personal trainer and for the club.

Vic Spatola is the director of personal training for Greenwood Athletic and Tennis Club in Greenwood Village, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. Contact him at vics@greenwoodatc.com.