One-on-one personal training has its place. But the current trend, and one that I predict will be around for a long, long time, is to allow the member cost sharing and to coach them in groups.
These groups can be as small as two to four people and as large as 10 to 15 people. The key is to understand the difference, trust that it is what your members and clients desire and set your prices to maximize both participation and profits.
These training memberships should be the same whether you are a big box, small key card or training-only gym. The only difference will be predicated on how much space you have.
Before I get into the options and the pricing, I want to mention that the best way to sell these memberships is to first put the member through the experience. In a one-on-one setting, have them do the following exercises: Kettlebell swing, push/press, goblet squat, pull/row, lunge, deadlift, Dan John carry. For a document with more detail on this experience, email jason@jasonlinse.com with “strength” in the subject line and I will shoot it back to you.
This magic hour spent with a coach is designed to let the member “test drive” the product. A lot of folks will have never done many of those seven exercises. Put them through an intense session, make sure they get sweaty and then sit down and present your training membership options.
“Would you like to work one-on-one with a coach or share the cost with other people?”
Also, these are not packages. These are memberships. Packages are ineffective because they plant the idea in the member’s head that fitness is temporary. Fitness is motion, and motion is life. You train everybody upright, like an athlete, year round.
Simple-access membership: This is your rent-a-treadmill membership. This is the first step before the member meets with a coach to go through a workout. It is either long-term or a 30-day paid trial.
Template workout: This is a “back pocket” membership that you always present to people who say no to the options below. This membership includes simple access, plus one session per month with a coach and workouts in writing to be performed the rest of the month. Next month, new session, new workout. Cost: $79 per month. (Costs vary across the country and globe — contact me to discuss recommended rates).
Team training: This is done in groups of 10 to 15 people, in a private room where you can pump in loud music. This is led by a trainer/coach. It is not a class. It is a session. It does include a strength component, but no complex movements, mainly body weight exercises. It is about the experience and the energy. The workouts change weekly. Cost: $89.
Small group personal training: This is going to be your most popular membership. This is the ultimate combination of affordability, with a very similar experience to one-on-one training. No more than four members/clients per session. These workouts change daily and include complex movements. This, unlike team training, is considered intensive coaching. All members/clients will have a card/chart and you will meet regularly to discuss their progress. Cost: $159 per month.
One-on-one: This hasn’t completely died off. Some people prefer one-on-one, although many, after experiencing small group, will prefer the cost savings. All of these memberships are “waterfall” memberships, meaning that folks who pay for one-on-one are allowed to participate in small group and team training. (Template is not part of waterfall). My recommendation is to sell five sessions per month for around $259 in most markets. If a member/client wants only one-on-one and more than five, double the price and give them 10.
The future of selling fitness is to provide group options to folks to make working with a coach affordable.
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Jason Linse is president and founder of The Business of Fitness, a consulting company. He also owns a personality assessment company called People Plus+ Fitness. Contact him at jason@jasonlinse.com or 612-310-1319 for resources on scheduling more tours and personality assessments, or visit www.jasonlinse.com.
