Can You Earn More As A Personal Trainer? Know Your Worth!

What if there was a way to create an income stream as a Personal Trainer that allowed you to train your ideal clients, add more value to your service, in the hours that suited you, while also getting paid for it?

There are numerous options for you to be smart about creating other revenue streams that will allow you to still live in your passion but save you the burn out.

Let’s talk about two specific ones that will allow you to add value to your client’s journey, but ensure that you’re valuing your own time and worth. You can implement these with ease – in fact you’re probably already doing them!

When a client hires you as a Personal Trainer they’re most often after a transformation.

They may want something as simple as more movement to create some time for themselves, they may want a complete health overhaul, to reduce pain or just to gain some mental clarity. Whatever it is, you’re there to help them solve a problem they do not want to solve on their own.

Do not underestimate the value you are giving to your clients. Often times you will never know the impact you’ve had on a deeper level.

I was lucky enough to be involved with a deep transformation with a client who has graciously allowed me to share this story.

She started with me when I had just begun in the industry. This client had suffered with debilitating sciatica so we did movement that was appropriate to her needs as she found movement eased the pain, but it was limited. It got to a point where back surgery was booked in her hope to be released from pain for a return to normal life. Recovery would have involved lying on her back for a minimum of six weeks, before even thinking about getting back to everyday activities, let alone sport and exercise.

I had recently attended the OD on Movement Mentorship and learned tools that I could use with clients that I’d gotten the chance to experience myself. I’d felt a transformation both emotionally and physically.  My client with sciatica would benefit immensely from what I’d learned. We had one session and then she went on holidays for a couple of weeks. After not hearing from her for some time  I started to panic.

When she returned and came back for her session, before I even let her speak I launched into what we could try next. She stopped me and said ‘I totally forgot to tell you, since our session, I’ve been applying all of the freeing techniques you asked me to do every day. I’ve been pain free since the day following our session’. I’m not often speechless but this was one time where I was!

The question was asked of me by a business coach one day in relation to that client’s specific transformation ‘what was that life changing session worth to her do you think?’ That’s a hard one to answer but it’s a very valid question, one that you too should think about when setting your prices!

You are not charging time for money, the client is paying for the outcomes of what you are able to help them achieve.

Please do not underestimate your part as a Personal Trainer in helping people transform their bodies and ultimately their lives!

At the end of the day you are charging for YOUR life, so ensure you are charging accordingly. Giving away your coaching, time and support for free after a certain point is sending a message to the client that you are not valuing yourself, so really why would they?

Before you even look at value adding to your services with an extra income stream, ensure you are charging your worth.

Two alternative income streams you could add to your service, that require limited extra resources and outlay are:

1. Online Training – Programs

Clients will often ask for additional programs that they can implement when they are not with you, or on their recovery days. We as trainers seem to think that this is a part of the service that we provide when they pay for their one on one or group sessions. If it is, then great, but charge extra for it.

You could create an online training membership where they have the option of doing (on their own) a personalised program, or choose from a generic session they can do at home in the booking period that they have committed to. This may mean in those times that they are unable to make it to you face to face, due to holidays, work, children, they could move into solely using this way of engaging with you – but you don’t lose an income stream entirely.

Remember, keep it simple! Write up a professional looking program and have it printable. You could use Word, Excel, etc.

You could also engage a graphic designer to help you set up a really great template that ties in with your branding – but this is not essential. You will have someone local around you OR there are options to use someone through a contract agency like 99Designs (https://99designs.com.au), Upwork (https://www.upwork.com/), EnvatoStudio (https://studio.envato.com/). I personally use a local small business in my town Pure Design Co (http://www.puredesignco.com.au) as they are excellent at seeing the vision of what you are trying to achieve and they are very well priced.

Take it to the next level: Why not check out ready-built online personal training platforms to support your client’s next level. Supplement your face to face contact hours, or  reach a wider market of clients who love what you do.

Two of the options I have personally trialled for you to look into to get started are.

GoMotive (https://www.gomotive.com/)

Trainerize (http://www.trainerize.com/)

There are others but I have not trialled them.

What will you need?

• A camera for filming of exercises – an iphone with a tripod will be the cheapest option, then you can edit in iMovie.
• A space with good lighting and equipment that you want to use
• A YouTube account to upload your videos into (you will be able to list them as unlisted so that not everyone is able to access your content for free).

There is the option to use the library of exercises they already have within the platform, which is also a great option if it suits your training style.

Pricing Options: You can set up monthly payments for this extra service – this can be done through setting up a recurring payment through PayPal, direct debits into your account each month, if you are using a website as a platform to host this service you could add a paywall like Tinypass (free but limited), or GoPaywall. Some of these will also integrate with the paid platform options that I suggested above.

2. Online Support Groups – Coaching

Do you ever feel like you could just add that little bit more value to a client, but just don’t have the time? I certainly do so by having a paid Facebook coaching group. It is a great way to add that value and create extra income, for little time invested.

This is a space where questions can be asked, you can do live streams on certain topics to help with their journeys, you can post recipes, motivational quotes and build a community of people who can support each other.

Utilise your time wisely in these groups:

• Schedule the time you will spend answering questions, posting content, doing live feeds, blogs etc.
• Ask questions to generate ideas for content – the easiest way to know what your clients want is to ask.

Adding extra to their sessions or charging a monthly fee using direct debit or whatever payment system you are currently using would be a great way to implement this.

There are SO many options available to you to add to your income as a personal trainer some other great avenues to consider and research are;

Network Marketing – ensure it is a product that aligns with your message, values and your service that is independently clinically researched and is peer reviewed. I personally have found this to be a great addition to my income.

EBooks – maybe something to consider down the track but a great income source.

Programs – that can be purchased as a once off payment and downloaded.

Blogging – being paid to blog about your journey, experiences and learnings is also very rewarding.

Start charging for your worth and look outside of the box to create other avenues of income to avoid burn out and add value to your clients!

 

Kylianne  Farrell