Credibility is vital as a personal trainer. When you’re credible, people will seek you out. So it makes sense to know how to gain credibility as a personal trainer.
Listen.
When I started as a trainer, I didn’t have a degree, I didn’t have any experience, and I didn’t have any specialty training skill.
I was your normal, run of the mill, trainer.
What I did have was determination, passion and drive.
I learned how to create INSTANT credibility, and that’s what this article is about. I’m going to share three ways you can become credible no matter what your background or level of experience is.
Personal Trainer Credibility Tip 1 – Before & After Pictures
If you’ve read some of my other articles (like this one about marketing), you know how much I believe in before and after pictures.
And for good reason…
Consider this: before and after pictures work for you 24/7. No matter what you’re doing, if you put up before and after pictures where gym members can see them, then you’re marketing yourself day and night.
And you know what else?
You can’t dispute before and after pictures. They are real results, and that’s power.
Trainers can tell clients how amazing they are, and show them fancy certifications, but none of that can come close to before and after pictures!
So, no matter if you’re a brand new trainer or you’ve been training for years… take pictures with every single client.
In fact, if you’re just starting out as a trainer, or you’re not yet certified, it’s a great idea to work with a few people for free to get some starting before and after pictures.
Personal Trainer Credibility Tip 2 – Get on the News
Have you ever seen a doctor, author, or fitness professional on the news?
It’s incredible.
They become an instant expert!
When you get on the news, you instantly position yourself as an expert. You instantly escalate yourself to a higher level than the “typical trainer.”
So, you’re probably thinking, “Is it hard to get on the news? How can I get on the news?”
Great question.
The answer is that it’s somewhat difficult to get on the news… otherwise everyone would be on the news.
You need to know the right contact, craft a newsworthy story, and understand how to pitch the media in a way that makes them want you on their show.
There are a few different ways of doing this. While it’s out of the scope of this article, getting on the news is a topic that I will definitely teach in my online academy.
For now, what you can do is develop an expertise so that you would be consider a “Go-to trainer” on a couple of topics.
Personal Trainer Credibility Tip 3 – Write a Book
When I say write a book, I’m not talking about an e-book or a rinky-dink book that looks like a child wrote it.
I’m talking about a genuine book. A few hundred pages, professional edited and typeset, with a professional cover and legitimate information inside.
Look… when I was training, I wrote a book called Lifetime Physique.
The book alone gave me instant credibility and awe-factor with potential clients. I displayed the book in my office so any new client would see it and ask me about it.
Now, there were a few other trainers that TRIED to write a book, but the books were 30 pages with pictures. Or the books were just put together at Office Max.
They didn’t create any advantage with clients.
Your book has to be legit. That’s why most people don’t ever do it. It’s hard to articulate and write 60,000 words on a topic with research to back up your theories and opinions.
However, when you write a book, you will be the trainer at any gym that gets all of the clients because you have a level of fame and expert status that the other trainers just won’t have.
Leave me a comment or question about credibility and let’s talk! Comment below…