How To Get Personal Training Clients 10 Proven Ways

Knowing how to get personal training clients is essential to your PT business. Customers are the lifeblood of your operations so it’s vital to know how to find and sell to them. From marketing and promotions to referrals and sales techniques, let’s look at how you can land clients (including quick methods that’ll get results immediately).

In this article – we outline the 10 most effective ways to get more personal training clients so you’re never short of customers and income.

1. Ask friends and family
2. Offer taster sessions
3. Promote client testimonials
4. Ask existing clients for referrals
5. Run fitness challenges
6. Use Google Ads
7. Promote yourself in local businesses
8. Get clients using social media
9. Run limited-time promotions
10. Host health and fitness workshops

We’re a specialist fitness marketing agency with 15+ years of industry experience, so we know first-hand what works (and what doesn’t!). We’ve helped personal trainers and fitness coaches to successfully land more clients, so our strategies are tested and proven.

Let’s dive into each of these client-generating tactics in more detail…

Personal Training Sales Success [Online Course]

Ask Friends & Family

Asking friends and family is an easy way to get personal training clients quickly. They’ll want to help you succeed so even if they don’t need training themselves, they’ll recommend your services to their extended circle of friends and connections.

Some personal trainers feel uncomfortable asking those close to them, but the truth is – this is how most people get started. If you’re not keen on charging them full price, then give them a special offer or mates rates in return for a testimonial. This creates a win/win situation where you get something valuable in return for discounting your services.

Take action today – call or message 10 of your friends and family to ask whether they know anyone who’d be interested in PT.

Offer Taster Training Sessions

Entice potential PT clients by offering taster training sessions. This provides people with a firsthand experience of your expertise and training style. Taster sessions serve as a sneak peek into the transformative journey they can embark on with your guidance.

Tailor these sessions to showcase your unique approach, focusing on their fitness goals and addressing any concerns they might have. This hands-on approach allows clients to test the waters and also establishes a personal connection, making it more likely they’ll commit to a longer-term training program.

Take action today – map out what kind of taster session you could offer, what it’ll include and how long it’ll run for.

Share Client Testimonials

Harness the power of social proof by sharing compelling client testimonials. Let the success stories of those you’ve trained speak volumes about your effectiveness as a personal trainer. Post them to social media and your website so everyone who visits your online profiles will see them.

Highlight diverse achievements in your testimonials, whether it’s weight loss, increased strength, or enhanced overall well-being. Potential clients are more likely to trust the words of those who’ve experienced positive outcomes under your guidance. Consider using before-and-after photos and detailed narratives to showcase the tangible impact of your training programs.

Take action today – call or message 10 of your friends and family to ask whether they know anyone who’d be interested in PT.

Ask Existing Clients for Referrals

If you have existing clients, then ask if they’d recommend you to friends. Because they have firsthand experience of your services, current clients are your best and most effective adverts.

You can incentivise them to do this by offering bonus sessions or gift vouchers for every referral who signs up. Encourage them to share their training sessions on social media and tag friends who might be interested. This approach can get you several new clients within a few days.

Take action today – ask every client you train today if they’d be willing to refer you to their friends or colleagues.

Run Fitness Challenges

Attract new fitness clients by running challenges. You can host online challenges shared on social media or local events that bring people together.

Craft challenges that align with your training philosophy and cater to different fitness levels. This will sparks interest in your services and demonstrate your commitment to helping people achieve their goals. You might find these weight loss challenge ideas useful.

The collaborative and competitive nature of challenges can create a sense of camaraderie among participants, making them more likely to consider your personal training services for their ongoing fitness journey. Encourage people to share their progress on social media to create a buzz around your PT brand.

Take action today – design a fitness challenge that you can run to attract new clients into your training programs.

Use Google Ads

Google Ads is a fantastic tool for generating personal training leads and clients quickly. You can set it up in less than 30 minutes and start getting inquiries in less than 24 hours.

Begin by signing up for a free account and creating a campaign. Then write your advert and choose the keywords that you want to target (e.g. ‘personal trainer Manchester’). We have a simple guide to Google Ads for personal trainers that walks you through the process.

There is a cost to run these ads but you’ll only be charged when someone actually clicks them. This makes it a cost-effective way to get new personal training clients quickly.

Take action today – create a free account and set up an ad campaign to promote your personal training services. 

Fitness Business Templates

Promote Your Training In Local Businesses

Don’t underestimate the power of local outreach. Promote your personal training service in community hubs like local shops, cafes, and community centres.

Create visually appealing flyers or business cards that succinctly convey your personal training services and the benefits clients can gain. Collaborate with local businesses to display your promotional material or offer exclusive discounts to their patrons. This grassroots approach fosters a sense of community and positions you as a local fitness resource, making it more likely for people to consider your personal training services when seeking fitness solutions.

Take action today – make a list of local businesses where you ideal client is likely to hang out and ask if you can leave flyers or posters with them.

Get Clients Using Social Media

Social media is a free way to attract personal training clients, both online and in real life. While it can take time to build a following and generate leads, consistency will pay off long-term.

• Regularly share engaging content that showcases your expertise, including workout tips, nutritional advice, and snippets of your training sessions.
• Use platforms like Instagram and Facebook to create a community around your brand.
• Encourage clients to share their fitness journey on social media, fostering a supportive online environment.
• Leverage targeted advertising to reach potential clients in your local area.

Social media not only enhances your visibility but also allows you to establish a personal brand that resonates with your target audience.

Take action today – read our comprehensive article on getting PT clients using social media. 

Social Media Content Bundle – 400+ Fitness Posts

Running a limited-time promotion or special offer encourages people to sign up for personal training immediately instead of hesitating. It adds an element of urgency and incentivises them with either lower prices or more value. Think price discounts or extra bonuses that aren’t usually included.

Email all of your subscribers about your promotional offer and post about it several times on social media. It’s also worth contacting anyone who’s previously enquired but didn’t sign up to let them know about the offer. It’s a good excuse to reconnect and can often be enough to convert the sale.

Take action today – create a compelling promotion and spread the word via email and social. 

Host Health & Fitness Workshops

Hosting health and fitness workshops is a fantastic way to find new PT clients. Organising local talks and seminars enables you to connect with 20-50 new prospective customers. And by hosting the event, you’ll position yourself as an expert in the field so people see you as the go-to authority on fitness.

Hosting just one workshop is likely to result in several new training clients. Networking with other freelancers and local business people can also open up speaking opportunities down the line. Independent businesses like to support each other and many companies are paying more attention to workplace wellness, so you can tap into this interest.

Take action today – brainstorm workshop ideas that your ideal client would be interested in and also makes a logical first step towards training with you.

Personal Training Sales Success [Online Course]

Get Personal Training Clients Today

So, now you know exactly how to get personal training clients, fast methods with immediate results to longer term strategies. These approaches will increase leads and conversions into paying clients so that you can grow your personal training business as quickly as possible.

To learn more about getting clients, selling personal training, and increasing your revenue, check out our online course…

Personal Training Sales Success [Online Course]

Want to learn a step by step process for getting personal training clients? Then join our online course or download the PDF ebook version to get practical strategies, templates, and scripts.

We’ll show you how to get your first personal training clients and quickly grow your client base. Learn a practical process that’ll help you generate more leads, perfect your pricing, and deal with objections (without any sleazy sales tactics).

You can choose from a PDF ebook or 30+ bite-sized video lessons that address a key aspect of getting more clients. There are also homework tasks and practical materials to help you implement what you learn.

So if you’re keen to boost your existing client list, or a newly certified PT who’s starting from zero, then these resources will help. The ebook covers the essential elements for getting more clients, including…

• Why You ARE Cut Out For Selling (Even If You Think You Aren’t)
• Essential Selling Skills For The Ethical Fitness Pro
• Identifying Your Ideal Client
• Establishing A Client Base
• Networking & How To Approach People In The Gym
• Creating Effective Testimonials
• Closing The Sale & Handling Objections

Personal Training Sales Success [Online Course]

For more detailed guidance check out our online video course. It teaches you all the fundamentals we cover in the ebook, PLUS more in-depth training to develop your sales mindset, pitching skills, pricing strategies, and closing techniques. It also includes a bonus module on pricing to help you maximise your revenue even further. Learn more about the course content and view the curriculum.