Pete Gleeson is the National Personal Training Manager for Fitness & Lifestyle Group, overseeing the Personal Training program Australia-wide for Goodlife and Fitness First.

In this post, Pete highlights the numbers that any Trainer should consider before starting in a new facility...

Numbers don’t lie!

It’s important to ask key questions prior to joining a fitness facility, whether you’re beginning your Personal Training career or moving into the next stage of your fitness career.

We all share a passion for health and fitness, and an enthusiasm to become an evangelist for healthy living. Beyond this, however, we still need to make a living.

You’ve got to get to the right number of clients, the right number of sessions, and the right take-home pay!

Those are the critical numbers, and they need to be looked after to ensure you can continue to drive your primary purpose for decades to come.

Ask the following questions to better understand the opportunity available in any new role;

Q. How many members does this gym have?

Put simply, the greater the database, the greater your chances of having a full book of clients.

With a large database you’ll also have many avenues to connect with the members to discuss your offerings. For example, with 1000 members, there are close to 3 birthdays a day (as one example).

Q. How many new members typically join each month?

New members have a much higher engagement in PT services.

This in part is attributed to new member services (like program write-ups and PT-Packs), as well as visitation frequency being the highest among this group. If your gym joins over 100 members each month, you’ll have plenty of excited members to work with using your PT prowess!

Q. What percentage of new members will start with a PT Pack?

And, more specifically, what are the conversion rates of these leads?

New members are great leads, but new members with a PT Pack are brilliant leads!

On this topic, always provide shining service to everyone and you’ll quickly be on the end of every salesperson's recommendations.

Q. How long have your successful PT’s been here?

If this matches your intentions, then you’re onto a winner! If it shows that Trainers in this club thrive long-term, then even better.

Q. How many PT’s work here?

It’s a known fact that Business Reaps Business! A heightened awareness of Personal Training in your gym will dramatically increase the likeness of members wanting to embark on PT with you.

Check out your club during the peak hours to make sure there’s a lot of members using a Trainer.

Q. How soon can I start?

Sooner is always better. Strike while the iron’s hot! The success of your PT career will be directly proportional to your personal enthusiasm and relentless motivation!

Beginning or furthering your career with a new club can be a challenging time. 

As much as a Trainer aims for a long and successful career, club owners too, want to see their Trainers thrive. By familiarising yourself with these key metrics at the very beginning, and then comparing these with any other options, you’ll be in a better position to get your career off to the right start.

Goodlife and Fitness First are always on the hunt for great Trainers. You can view their currently advertised opportunities here.