The one thing every business needs to survive is clients — preferably the kind that work with you again and again. After all, it’s five times more cost effective to retain current customers than to attract new ones.
The key to nurturing repeat business is to keep your personal training clients happy. Here are four ways to do it:
Keep in touch.
Nothing says “transactional relationship” like only reaching out when you’re trying to sell. Once someone becomes an online personal training client, you want to build that relationship for life.
Send out high-value weekly or monthly emails with unique, insightful content that will improve their wellness or performance. Call clients periodically as well, just to say hi and learn what’s going on in their worlds. Understanding what’s going on for them outside your training sessions will help you assess their triggers and challenges and build a plan that helps them thrive no matter what else is going on. Showing an interest in them beyond training also nurtures trust, which is crucial to a successful personal training relationship.
Let them know what’s going on in your world, too. If you complete a new personal trainer certification course, share that news with your clients. Not only will they celebrate your accomplishment, they’ll feel more confident in your ability to help them reach their weight loss and fitness goals.
Shower them with gifts (and deals).
Everyone likes to be appreciated, so thank clients for their business with special gifts or deals throughout the year. Consider giving clients free 15- or 30-minute calls to chat about their progress and learn what they need from you going forward. Send them a little something during the holidays or for their birthdays as well — a coupon to download an ebook or weight training video for free or a steep discount on your best gear or wellness products. Thank you gifts and giveaways are a great way to stay top of mind.
See how building a strong customer relationship helps your business
Engage with them on social media.
Platforms such as Facebook and Instagram can be great for building your brand if you’re active and engaged with your audience. Rather than solely posting business updates or promoting your products, share fun and insightful information and invite people to comment. When they do, be sure to respond thoughtfully to let them know you’re listening.
If clients tag you in their social videos and stories about their training successes or wellness journeys, share those to your own account. Not only do people love to be mentioned by their favorite accounts, user posts are great for unique content and social proof. Being featured will also make people feel that they’re part of your company’s narrative, which is key to generating loyalty and engagement long-term.
See how trainers use social media to showcase their expertise
Always provide value.
Whether you’re chatting on social or crafting a holiday promotion, always be thinking about how what you’re doing helps your clients. Ask yourself, what do my clients need from me right now? That might be five days of free yoga videos to help them get through Thanksgiving weekend with the family, or an at-home exercise program they can follow even during their busiest work seasons. Whatever it is, speak to your clients’ needs at any given time so they know that you have their backs.
Learn more how to get more personal training clients
Growing a small business starts with a focus on your early clients. They are your most powerful marketing tool and way to drive referrals, get useful feedback and motivate you to keep doing the hard work of being a business owner.
Try ClickEasy today to stand up a quick, well designed website to drive inquiries, schedule new sessions and accept payments.
