Future Fit Training Tutor, Paul Swainson gives us an insight into a day in his life as a Personal Trainer when he has no training sessions booked.
It’s Thursday – I normally have 3 clients booked in today. However, one is on holiday, another has cancelled due to illness and the third has rescheduled for tomorrow.
So, a day off? Nope, in fact this will be one of the busiest days of my week. As a self-employed Personal Trainer, delivering high quality PT sessions is obviously a fundamental part of day-to-day work. However, a great deal of time needs to be spent working on the business, rather than supplying its end product.
Here’s how my Thursday unfolds:
9am: After breakfast, I head up to my home office and switch on the computer whilst looking over my ‘to do’ list for the day:
- write programmes for Peter and Rachel
- contact Martin to re-book a session for next week
- leaflet distribution.
First I check my emails – a quick scan shows that 4 of them are marketing e-shots promoting everything from online advertising to search engine optimisation. Once your business is online you become visible to thousands of people wanting to sell you their services. Occasionally an interesting offer pops up so I will always skim through them.
9.10am: The first ‘proper’ email is from a client who had their first session yesterday. “I’m aching today but really enjoyed it” he says. I send a quick reply in acknowledgment – regular contact is an important part of customer service and helps with motivation.
The second email is an enquiry which has been directed through my website. I make a note of his phone number and add it to my ‘to do’ list for the day.
9.15am: The next email is just such a task – it seems my website hosting renewal fee is outstanding and my site may soon go offline. I call the company and they explain why I may not have received the reminder email. A few minutes later and everything is resolved – a minor disaster narrowly averted. My website is one of my main sources of business so I need to ensure it’s always up-to-date and running smoothly!
9.30am: The last message is a confirmation that some stability balls I ordered should arrive in the next couple of days. Chances are I’ll be out when they’re delivered so another task is added to my ‘to do’ list – check with my neighbour to see if she’ll be in to sign for the delivery.
As I do a final check of my inbox, another message has arrived while I’ve been reading the others. It’s a newsletter from an online Personal Training directory with various articles and special offers on equipment and courses. I mark it as ‘unread’ – it’s not a priority but if I have time later I can read it more thoroughly.
9.45am: Now I can deal with my ‘to do’ list. I call the potential client who requested a consultation but get his voicemail. I leave a message but can’t cross him off the list. People can be very passive and if I rely on him to call back I might never get the opportunity to book the appointment.
As I go to ask my neighbour if she’ll be in to receive my equipment delivery, I get a phone call. It’s a local magazine asking if I’d be interested in placing an advert. They talk me through the readership and distribution of the magazine and outline some costs. I decide the publication isn’t aimed at my target audience and despite the persistence of the salesperson I decline their offer.
10.15am: Almost immediately I get another phone call. This time it’s my accountant wanting to know a few details about my list of expenses this year. It’s great having someone else to take care of the financial side of things.
11am: After popping next door to see my neighbour, I head back to my computer. I delete a couple more e-shots, email the client that needs to rebook their session for next week and then set about writing the 2 programmes on my ‘to do’ list.
12.15pm: I spend some time on search engine optimisation for my website. I find other websites to link mine to, and sign up to another online networking directory where I can include my domain name. I enjoy the challenge of making my website more visible to potential clients – I’ll check my statistics next month to see if I’ve got more hits. This increases the chances of someone making an enquiry and subsequently making a booking.
1.30pm: Time for a well earned lunch. While I’m eating a client texts to confirm their session time for tomorrow. I go and check my diary and reply straight away so I don’t forget.
2pm: After lunch it’s time for some promotional work. I take a handful of my business leaflets and head down to my local village to give them out. I target the most likely places my potential clients visit – beauty salons, health food shops and a couple of restaurants. I talk to the owners of these places, and generally chat about what I do, before asking if I can leave some of my leaflets.
4pm: Back to my home office to do a final email check. Then I call the businessman who enquired about a consultation – this time he answers. We have a quick chat about his training goals and I book him in for next week. If he decides to invest in a training package I’ll be fully booked – the next enquiry will be on my waiting list which is a great selling point for my services.
4.30pm: I check my diary to make sure I know what appointments I have for tomorrow, then shut the computer down to complete my days’ work.
There you have it – whether you have a diary packed full of sessions or not, as a Personal Trainer your days are always busy. As the fitness industry expands, working on your PT business will become increasingly more important, but this can be as enjoyable as training clients. It provides variety to your working week, and is highly satisfying to see all the hard work you put in ‘behind the scenes’ contribute to your success and growth.