28 Jan Four Proven Ways To Get The High Paying Personal Training Clients You Deserve By Unleashing Your Expert Status
By Eric Bach
As a fitness professional, you must convey your expert status. If you don’t? You’ll be left in the dust, working long hours and failing to attract the dedicated, high-paying clients you’re after.
Let me explain, beginning with a car shopping story.
I’ve been considering the Audi S5 and A5. The first dealership I visited yesterday made my skin crawl. You could smell the commission breath from across the room.
I knew more about the car than the sales guy did, which wasn’t saying much. As soon as he turned his back, I slunk away and drove to another dealer
The second dealer was another story. The salesman proved he was the expert. He focused not on the features of the car, but the driving experience I wanted to have.
He popped the hood and showed me the supercharged engine of the Audi S5 versus the Audi A5. Then we took the S5 for a spin. I punched the throttle to the floor, felt the rumble of the engine and heard the roar through the exhaust. My excitement climbed faster as the numbers on speedometer raced forward. I damn near pulled out my checkbook on the spot.
This got me thinking: why did the first experience make my skin crawl while the second one had me panting like a dog in a butcher shop?
After all, the two models have essentially the same warranty, handling, and dimensions. The only difference was the supercharger. Then, it hit me. It wasn’t the features of the car. It was the experience it provided: the roar, torque, power, and speed of the supercharged engine.
Here’s the bottom line:
I couldn’t care less about the features; I wanted to feel like a BOSS!
Now, I will say I haven’t bought anything yet. But when I move forward, I’ll be going to the second dealer instead of the first.
The reason? The salesman clearly showed his expertise with his knowledge of the product. He customized his pitch to my wants and gave me hands-on experience of what owning the S5 would be.
In other words, he did what 99% of trainers fail to do in their marketing and sales.
This leads to the question: How can you convey expert status and customize your offer to provide the solution? Start by conveying authority and becoming the expert, like the second salesmen I talked to.
Here are four methods to show your authority
Tackle The Age Issue Head on
Admittedly, I’m a baby-faced guy and still get ID’d whenever I try to order a drink. Older clients have asked: “You’re young, what do you know about training older guys?”
I respond by telling stories of past clients who were just like them. I add stories about my experience working with dozens of pro athletes and organizations, often with a client story or testimonial. It’s a bit like what the second car salesman did.
First he showed his knowledge, then he customized the pitch.
What to do: Tell your clients stories of others who came in with the same problem to reinforce your expertise.
Harness The Power of Social Proof
Dramatic social proof, backed up by before and after pictures, is the most powerful marketing tool at your disposal. Why? No one cares how great you say you are; they want to see the results of other people just like them. For examples of well done social proof, look at Precision Nutrition or
What to do: Gather client case studies of your ideal client and write them up so you can share with before or during sales presentations.
When it comes to your sales presentation or call, you can say, “I know I can help you just like I helped____. Check this out.”
Here’s an example from my client Rob, a mid-30’s attorney in Colorado. Read about him here.
Use “As Seen In” Logos
Back in the day (like, seven years ago) blogging was king and the primary medium most people consumed fitness content. It was a popular practice to collect as many “as seen in” logos as possible. The reasoning was simple: writing for popular publications shows credibility and expertise. Being able to say, “my work has been published in bodybuilding .com, ThePTDC, CNN” and more opened up a lot of doors. People associate expert status to written content, especially on credible websites. Though Instagram and videos have displaced websites to some extent as an information source, logos still matter.
What to do: What are some websites, channels, or influencers your audience already follows? Build an audience with these places, become part of the community. Create content, collaborate, and provide value on their platform to give yourself credibility AND expand your audience.
Pay Attention To Your Appearance
Like it or not, vanity plays a significant role in fitness, especially online. While you don’t need to be carved out of granite or take half-naked selfies every day, you must convey expertise in the solution you provide your clients.
If you sell fat loss, show you’re lean or have a dramatic transformation story to tell.
If you sell muscle building, again, you need a transformation story or plenty of muscle.
What to do: Look the part. Like it or not, one of the best ways to boost your business is to get in incredible shape and take your clients on the journey. Book a photo shoot and get photos once to show you’re walking the walk.
The Takeaway
Remember, people respect expertise. They want to know they’re buying the best advice they can afford and are getting incredible value.
When harnessed correctly through your marketing and sales efforts, authority status gives people unshakeable confidence to invest in your coaching, take action, and, more importantly, commit to doing the work.
If you want help creating expert authority and becoming the go-to in-person or online trainer in your niche, we’ll show you how. With hands-on coaching, we’ll take you
We’ll hop on a call, and if you’re a good fit, teach you the step-by-step plan to become an authority and regain your freedom through your online training business.