One of the most important parts of being successful as a personal trainer is finding a great gym; however, just as important is becoming an indispensable personal trainer for your gym… so they’ll never fire you and so they work with you to build your business!
This post will explain the three most important ways you can become an indispensable personal trainer and make yourself extremely valuable to whomever you want.
1. An Indispensable Personal Trainer is Consistent
Consistency means showing up every time, on time.
You would be so surprised at how many trainers consistently miss appointments, show up late, or even just “disappear” for a few weeks.
There’s nothing worse for a gym (and your clients) than you showing up late. Your clients make the effort to be on time, and if you’re late it’s one of the fastest ways to lose clients and get fired from a gym.
Missing sessions is even worse. I understand we all have a goof-up here and there. I have missed a few sessions in my career, but it’s the exception.
I also make sure to offer a sincere apology and to give my client a free session in return. After all, you would charge a client if they didn’t show up, so it’s only fair that they get an extra session if you goof.
2. Indispensable Personal Trainers are Team Players
I worked at many gyms with a dozen trainers. There were a few occasions when the trainers all got along. There were more occasions where the trainers all worked against one another.
I get it. You’re all competing for business. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be a team player.
I always went out of my way to be friendly, cordial and authentic with the other trainers. Many of them liked me. Some didn’t because they were jealous that I outperformed all of them combined, but I was still nice.
The worst thing you can do is be “that trainer” that alienates yourself from all the others. If a gym needs to cut jobs, and you’re the only trainer that everyone dislikes… you’ll be packing your bags faster than you can imagine.
Having a team mentality means you want to build authentic work relationships with everyone in the gym: The staff, the other trainers and the members.
If you’re the trainer that everyone likes and that creates a real positive environment, you’ll be indispensable.
3. Indispensable Personal Trainers are Proactive
There are always problems at a gym.
It gets dirty, members complain about something, a machine breaks, etc…
Becoming a proactive trainer means you help identify and solve problems without being asked… even if they’re not your problem.
Consider this scenario: the gym is often messy and many members complain about how dirty it is. You think, “hey, it’s not my job.” In the next several weeks you lose three clients because they switch gyms to a cleaner facility.
On the other hand, if you help keep everything clean, the members are happy and you have a better chance of getting (and keeping) more clients.
Likewise, if you share member complaints with the gym staff and offer to help solve the problem, you position yourself as an extremely valuable commodity at that gym.
My Experience
I’ve been at many gyms in my career, and I was always the trainer that had the staying power. The owners like me because I communicated with them and found ways to help them and their gym. Members liked me because I made it a point to learn their names and get to know them – even if they weren’t clients.
Most other trainers liked me because I was fair, honest, and authentic.
The bottom line is to be a great trainer at a great gym. If you do so, you’ll always have a steady stream of potential clients coming through the doors. And that’s the best way to give yourself a chance to grow your business!