As a personal trainer, networking is crucial for developing meaningful connections, growing your client base, and boosting sales. However, for newly qualified PT’s, networking can be tricky.
In this article, we will cover:
- What is the Purpose of Networking As A Personal Trainer?
- 13 Personal Trainer Networking Tips
- What Are The Barriers To Effective Networking?
- FAQs
Before we get started, why not expand the PT services you offer with our Sports Nutrition Course? You can begin networking with both personal trainers and nutritionists, allowing you to grow your client base.
Discover the range of specialisms you can pursue by downloading our free prospectus.
What is the Purpose of Networking As A Personal Trainer?
Networking is the process of interacting with others to swap information. This helps to develop both professional and social contacts.
Such information includes names, phone numbers, email addresses, social media, and website links. This can help you find clients, investors and staff to enhance your business and help you make money as a personal trainer.
If you’re a newly qualified personal trainer, likely, you likely won’t have many contacts. Networking events can provide the opportunity to get valuable information and your name known within your local area.
This can be obtained quickly and cost-effectively which is great for those starting up their business and perhaps are on a budget.
Now, your networking goals are likely to be gaining clients, identifying referral partners, and being the go-to person for your fitness niche.
So, without further ado, let’s get stuck into it!
13 Personal Trainer Networking Tips
#1 – Build Valuable Connections With Your Target Demographic
First up on our list of personal trainer networking tips is to focus on building valuable connections.
This could be turning a stranger into an acquaintance or a long-term connection into an investor. Each conversation with these types of people is important for forming long-term relationships.
Before attending your first personal training networking event, consider taking some time to clearly outline who your target demographic is. Doing so will help you quickly establish whether someone you’re talking with will be worth dedicating extra time to.
Additionally, you could aim to speak to various people and obtain lots of new contacts but may not know who to get in touch with after.
Establishing who your target audience is makes it easier to recognise who is likely to have a long-lasting relationship.
There are 4 different types of people at networking events: bystanders, acquaintances, supporters, and producers.
- Bystanders: People you haven’t met before.
- Acquaintances: Those you have met a few times.
- Supporters: Those who are actively engaged in your network, including existing or previous clients.
- Producers: Integral parts of your business such as long-term clients, investors, staff.
At a networking event, you’re going to need to spend time with each type of person.
You should aim to spend approximately 2/3 of your time with strangers and acquaintances. As neither type are active member of your business, you’re going to want to know whether your services are relevant to them and transition them into leads or clients.
The initial conversations you have with these people are imperative for them to establish whether your services are of interest and for you to boost sales.
The final 1/3 of your time should be spent with current supporters and producers to strengthen those existing relationships and remind them of why they’re supporting you and your business.
Just because these people are already actively engaged in your business doesn’t mean you should forget about them.
Consider checking in with them by updating them on any changes to the business or of any upcoming events they might benefit from. Keeping them in the loop is vital.
If you’re new to networking, these time-split suggestions may differ if the majority of people at the event are strangers or acquaintances. However, once you acquire all 4 types, consider using these splits as a general rule of thumb.
Ultimately, networking is all about focusing on building long-lasting and useful connections.
Yet since you only have a limited amount of time to interact with others at such events, you’re going to need to split your time wisely to make the most of each second.
#2 – Actively Listen
Another personal training networking tip is to actively listen. This is also an important personal trainer communication skill to have in general!
Active listening is a crucial communication skill that involves both verbal and non-verbal messages. Conversations containing active listeners convey a mutual understanding between all parties.
You’re going to want to show professionalism when chatting with others to create solid connections. These connections can be obtained by honing active listening skills.
Here are some key tips on how you become better at active listening.
Pay Attention
You must provide undivided attention to those you’re talking to. Look directly at the speaker, nod your head throughout, and try not to get distracted by your environment.
Tuning into neighbouring conversations can result in you appearing distracted and uninterested in the main conversation, hindering your chance of responding appropriately.
Use Non-Verbal Feedback
Conversational cues like “uh huh”, “mm-hmm” and “ahh” signal that you’re listening, paying attention, and reporting back without hijacking the conversation. You can also nod your head to show agreement.
Provide Feedback
A key aspect of active listening is to provide appropriate and relevant feedback. This shows that you’re engaged in the conversation, have taken what the speaker has said on board and are interested in furthering the conversation.
Whether you focus on a particular aspect of the speaker’s comments and further them, ask questions or even request clarification on something, each indicates to the speaker that your attention is on the conversation.
Don’t Interrupt
Interrupting wastes both yours and the speaker’s time. People become frustrated when they’re constantly cut off and this could potentially reduce you in their estimations.
Simply let the speaker finish what they’re saying and respond with any comments or questions after.
#3 – Always Carry Business Cards
A great way to expand a personal trainer’s network easily and efficiently is through distributing business cards.
Despite living in an ever-growing digital world, they have retained their significance. Personal trainer business cards can be a powerful tool for promoting your service.
Business cards can offer the following information in a compact and easy-to-digest way:
- Your name
- Your business name
- Contact information
- Social media links
- Website
Business cards are also super convenient for inserting into a wallet, cardholder or pocket, making them a must-have for every networking event.
It’s a lot easier to hand out a business card than to manually insert someone’s details into your phone. With phones, you run the risk of forgetting the recipient’s name or accidentally missing a character from their phone number or email address.
Business cards also allow you to inject some personality into the design. Maybe you have a personal trainer website or logo? If so, it’s good to incorporate a similar colour scheme, font type, and any relevant graphics into the design to make your business more memorable.
For example, as this is the homepage of our website here at OriGym, it would be ideal to keep this theme constant and apply it to business cards too:
Now, if you haven’t already got business cards, several websites offer printing services. The following business card websites also have a range of templates to help inspire you.
- Vistaprint – Starting price £15.80 for 250 business cards
- Banana Print – Starting price £4.95 for 50 business cards
- Instant Print – Starting price £13.17 for 200 business cards
Head on over to the above sites to find a design template that you like to prepare for your next personal trainer networking event.
#4 – Leverage Social Media
Leveraging social media is a fantastic way of expanding a personal trainer’s network. This simply means harnessing the power of various social media platforms to enhance the success of your business.
Social media has become an invaluable tool for businesses and one of the best marketing strategies for personal trainers. As evidenced by a 2018 study, a strong social media presence is known to seriously boost sales.
The study found 60% of millennials, 67% of Gen X and 51% of Baby Boomers are more likely to purchase from a brand they follow across various social media platforms.
Social media allows us to form deeper connections to people and brands since followers are fed small pockets of information daily.
Posts can convey insights into brand values, services, testimonials, success stories, and motivational messages, just to name a few.
The more followers learn about the various aspects of your business, the more likely they will be to part with their money and recruit you as their personal trainer.
It’s important to prioritise constructing a strong and trustworthy online presence in the earliest stages of starting your business to truly utilise platforms for marketing and networking purposes.
Now, it’s all well and good for us to tell you to leverage social media without teaching you how. Check out the next point detailing tips on creating engaging content as a means of expanding your network and building trust from followers.
#5 – Create Engaging Content
As a personal trainer, networking with others at events is important. However, keeping connected with them via social media helps solidify these relationships.
There are only so many times you can physically meet with leads, so utilising social media increases the chances of sales.
When posting content, it’s important to not push on the sales too hard. Your following will likely be put off from learning more about your brand and services if each post is promoting sales, discussing prices, and aggressively selling your service.
Instead, what you want to do is feed your followers with pockets of information in a way that tells a story.
An example of this is an Instagram post by Gymshark, global fitness apparel and accessory brand. This post shows Gymshark as an inclusive brand that wants to encourage its following to learn more about people in fitness with disabilities.
They note that many disabilities are invisible which may make some followers feel like people understand them. The post also tells Zoe’s story which may also be the story of many more of Gymshark’s followers.
Rather than solely focussing on promoting sales, marketing new launches, or showing celebrities, they instead appear to want to build a trusting relationship with their 5.5 million followers.
As a personal trainer, you’re going to want to use your social media platform similarly. Here are some examples of posts you could include on your Instagram to establish deeper connections with your followers while subtly promoting your brand:
- Inspiring stories
- Motivational quotes
- Client testimonials
- Relatable PT/fitness memes
- Fitness holidays
- Meal ideas
Each of these post ideas can offer an insight into your business and also you as a personal trainer. This helps your audience trust your brand rather than viewing it as purely profit-oriented.
#6 – Attend Other Fitness Events
As well as personal training networking events, attending other types of fitness events will help make more secure connections. This is important for making more people integral parts of your business.
There are various other types of fitness events such as seminars, conferences, webinars and open days. Each has different topics from women in fitness talks to health and safety in the gym conferences, and even WordPress training to help PTs develop their own websites.
Being present at such events both in and outside of your local area provides the opportunity to get your name, face and brand recognised more so than just at networking events while expanding your knowledge of various fitness topics.
The more time you spend with like-minded people in the industry, the more likely you are to form authentic connections rather than appearing as though your primary purpose is to sell. Even running events or obstacle course races can be a great way to gain these connections.
A great way to find fitness events is through MeetUp, a website designed for people to discover events, gatherings, conferences, seminars and groups around the world.
You search for the type of event you’re looking for such as ‘sports seminar’ or ‘personal training group’, and are presented with a range of in-person and online events.
Some events and groups can be joined free of charge while others require a small fee. Remember, when attending these events, make sure you take your business cards with you!
Offer a business card to those you feel you’ve connected well with, and reciprocate the exchange with those who offer their card to you. That way, you can boost your personal training network at events that aren’t solely designed for networking.
#7 – Create an Elevator Pitch
The key to personal trainer networking is preparation. The last thing you’re going to want to happen is fumble over your words when trying to justify why you’re the best PT in the area.
To help you prepare for networking events, consider creating an elevator pitch. This is a statement that provides insight into an idea, business, or product. It explains the key concepts involved in a concise way that recipients will immediately understand.
You’re going to want to create a statement that summarises exactly what you’re offering in an easy-to-digest way. You must also communicate your niche or USP as a personal trainer business.
The last thing you’re going to want to do is begin a conversation with:
“Hi, I’m Claire and I’m a personal trainer.’
Every other personal trainer is going to say just that! Specificity will help you stand out in a sea of personal trainers battling for the same clients.
Here are some examples of PT elevator pitches that communicate a niche in a succinct and easy-to-understand way:
- “I’m a personal trainer who creates personalised programmes for triathletes.”
- “I’m a personal trainer who specialises in functional training to rehabilitate those with injuries.”
- “I’m a personal trainer who helps members of the LGBTQ+ community to achieve their fitness goals.”
- “I’m a personal trainer who helps women to stay fit and strong before, during and after pregnancy.”
- “I’m a personal trainer who helps long-distance runners improve their athletic performance.”
The above examples convey the level of specificity that is needed to stand out when offering an elevator pitch. Being too general about what your services involve runs the risk of you being forgotten.
Spend some time nailing down your elevator pitch and practice it before networking events. This will help you feel more prepared for when you’re to relay the most crucial information about yourself and your business to prospective clients.
If you approached this article wanting to learn some tips on networking for personal trainers, you’ll know preparation is key. So while we’re on the topic of crafting an elevator pitch, you should consider accompanying it with a success story.
#8 – Use Success Stories
When preparing for personal trainer networking events, thinking of an engaging success story is a great way to build more meaningful connections and get prospective clients to trust your services work.
People are going to want to know more than just your name and a bit about your business. So, preparing both an elevator pitch and a success story will prove beneficial for gaining people’s trust.
Here’s an example of some elevator pitches and success stories:.
Example 1:
Pitch: I’m a personal trainer who helps long-distance runners improve their performance.
Success story: I have recently trained 3 long-distance runners to compete in The Great Manchester Run’s half marathon, each of which achieved a personal best.
Example 2:
Pitch: I’m a personal trainer who specialises in functional training to rehabilitate those with injuries.
Success story: A client of mine is a semi-professional football player who needed rehabilitation training after tearing a hamstring. My tailored programme saw him back on the pitch after just 10 weeks, despite the average time taken to recover from a torn hamstring being 12 weeks.
Using success stories will make potential clients have confidence in what you’re offering and view you as the best person to help facilitate their own goals.
Additionally, if potential clients are meeting with other PTs during the networking event, you’re going to want to stand out from the crowd.
Show you want to go the extra mile for your clients by impressing them with your success stories.
#9 – Partner Up with Other Personal Trainers
Now, this personal training networking tip may sound a little confusing. However, we believe that shifting your mentality away from viewing all PTs as competition, and instead using some as referral links, could help you to boost sales.
Say you were speaking to someone at a networking event who was looking to recruit a PT, but your area of expertise doesn’t align with their goals. It can be difficult to let them down.
Instead, if you were able to recommend that person to a PT who could assist them, this will benefit your partner.
The idea here is that your partner could do the same for you when they speak with potential clients whose needs align with your business niche. Instead of battling with PTs, teaming up may be beneficial for all parties.
A 2012 study evaluated the effectiveness of word of mouth against various other forms of advertising.
The study found that buyers were 7 times more likely to purchase a product based on word of mouth compared with printed adverts in newspapers and magazines.
Additionally, word of mouth referrals were 4 times more successful than personal selling and 2 times more effective than radio advertising.
The reason for this is because a buyer who is conversing with someone whom they know or consider to be an educated figure in the industry are more likely to trust their suggestions and referrals.
This suggests that partnering up with other PTs whose target audiences are different from your own could be beneficial for both of your businesses.
This also provides the opportunity for you to build stronger relations with other PTs in your local area. You never know when you might have a PT-related question or need to seek advice from someone who can understand.
#10 – Follow Up Connections
Another tip for personal trainers at networking events is to always follow up your connections.
Did you know that only 2% actually follow up with people they’ve met at an event? This means that a vast number of personal trainers are missing opportunities to turn strangers into leads, and acquaintances into integral parts of their business.
A follow up can be in the form of an email or a phone call. However, when conducting these calls or emails, it’s super important to not be pushy with your approach.
Instead, re-introduce yourself and where you last spoke with the connection to remind them of who they’re speaking with. If it’s a call, enquire as to how their day is going and whether it’s a suitable time to talk. If not, offer to call them back at a time that’s convenient for them.
For the remainder of the conversion, revisit what you discussed at the networking event and enquire as to whether it’s something they’re interested in learning more about. Invite them to ask further questions to make them feel at ease.
Another example is if someone recruits you as their personal trainer, consider following up this process with a thank you card. This demonstrates your enthusiasm to be working with the new client.
Ultimately, feeding your connections with small reminders of you and your services through following up with them is a great way of showing that you care.
If you want to know how to increase your clientele, check out our article on how to get personal training clients.
#11 – Make a Spreadsheet for Connections
With the previous point in mind, another personal trainer networking tip is to create a spreadsheet containing all the relevant information about your connections. This will help keep you organised since all the necessary information is in one place.
You should consider having several columns detailing the following information about each connection:
- Their name
- Personal training business name (if relevant)
- Their niche, or the services they provide
- Contact information
- Additional notes
- ‘Made contact’ section for each time you speak to the connection and what was discussed
You may also benefit from colour-coding each connection as per their relevance to your business. For example, whether they are:
- A prospective client
- Existing client
- PT partner
- Staff member
- Investor
You should also upload the spreadsheet to an online filing service such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. If something happens to your computer and you cannot access the spreadsheet file, your contact list will remain safe.
Furthermore, having one place reserved solely for contacts will prove beneficial when you need easy access to phone numbers and email addresses. So you should most certainly consider crafting a spreadsheet to make your PT life more organised.
#12 – Practice Memory Techniques to Remember Names
You’re going to meet a lot of people at networking events and this comes with remembering a lot of names. As you’re only human, it’s likely going to forget the occasional name here and there.
However, getting into the habit of constantly forgetting the names of those you’ve spoken to can often look unprofessional and ignorant.
Practising memory techniques is a great way to reduce the risk of you forgetting someone’s name.
There are a few ways that you can do this:
- Link their name with a distinctive feature (Danielle with the dimples).
- If they look similar to a family member, friend, or celebrity, associate their name with a familiar face.
- Repeat the name back to the speaker for clarity.
- Simply ask them to repeat it if you’re unsure – limit the number of times you do this.
Whenever you have a bit of spare time at a networking event, scan the room and put names to the faces of those you’ve already conversed with. Once you return home, make sure that you insert all the connection details into your spreadsheet.
That way, when you follow up connections, you know exactly who you’re talking to.
#13 – Schedule Time for Networking
Last but certainly not least on the list for personal trainer networking is to get in the habit of scheduling.
Allocating time in your schedule specifically for networking events ensures you prioritise it. If it’s not in your calendar, you’ll likely forget about the events or double book.
Try to commit at least one hour per week to networking in whatever form works best for your schedule such as a virtual networking event, a seminar, or a local fitness conference.
If you’re struggling to find spare time to attend a networking event during one week, try to make up the time in a future week so you don’t miss out on opportunities.
Moreover, the more frequently you schedule time for networking, the more of a habit it becomes. You’ll find you don’t need to attend many events for it to become a regular practice in your life.
The main ways you can go about scheduling is with a weekly planner or using a spreadsheet. Here’s an example spreadsheet schedule that you could refer to when making your own:
There we have our top personal trainer networking tips! Networking events can be daunting if you’re new to it all, yet following these tips will help you promote your business.
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Enjoying our article so far? Here’s some more we think you’ll like:
- How To Make Money As A Personal Trainer
- How to Conduct Personal Trainer Market Research
- 7 Effective Strategies For Personal Trainer Lead Generation
What Are The Barriers To Effective Networking?
Now that we’ve covered tips for networking as a personal trainer, you may also want to familiarise yourself with the barriers to effective networking.
#1 – Lack of Confidence
While confidence and communication are skills required to become a personal trainer, networking events can still be daunting, especially if you haven’t been to one before.
However, no matter how nervous you might be before attending an event, recognising that many others will be in the exact same situation may help reduce any nerves.
Lacking confidence when speaking with people runs the risk of them thinking you’re not qualified or knowledgeable in what you’re discussing.
To reduce this, go over your elevator pitch and success stories before attending the event to prepare yourself. Greet people with a smile, hold your head high, and keep eye contact with those you’re chatting with.
Most importantly, to appear confident at networking events you must believe in yourself! While nerves are normal in the beginning, the more you go to networking events, the more natural it will feel.
#2 – Failing to Ask Questions
Another major barrier to effective networking is failing to ask questions.
You’re going to need to know the people you’re talking to from their name to their goals, prior experience with PTs to the knowledge of the gym. Asking relevant questions to obtain these fundamental aspects of a person will help you evaluate how you’re going to sell yourself.
Try to avoid yes/no questions as much as possible. Asking these questions limits how far the conversation can go should the recipient not expand their answers.
Lulls in conversations are normal at networking events, and are something you’re going to have to be prepared for.
To avoid the conversation going stale, consider having some open-ended personal trainer questions prepared to use whenever there is silence.
- “What do you hope to accomplish by hiring a PT?”
- “What motivates you/do you struggle with motivation?”
- “Where do you want to see yourself 6 months into your fitness journey?”
If you’re talking with other PTs to partner up, you could ask:
- “What’s your favourite part of being a PT?”
- “What made you want to join the industry?”
- “What’s the next step for you in your career?”
Questions help you obtain the most vital pieces of information from those you converse with. The more you know about the people you’re talking to, the better prepared you’ll be when conversing with them in the future.
#3 – Fear of Not Being Able to Return Favours
Hopefully, you now know that networking involves exchanging information with people so that both parties can experience the benefits.
However, there are instances where favours may not be reciprocated. This isn’t necessarily because people take advantage but because the ability to return a favour can be limited.
Consider giving the person your phone number, email address or business card so they have the necessary tools to get in touch should they ever need assistance in the future.
In short, don’t feel guilty because you’re unable to return a favour right that minute. Appreciate the help you’ve been given and take the necessary steps to show you will one day reciprocate the gesture.
#4 – Expect to Get a Job Straight Away
Another barrier to networking is expecting to get a job straight away.
The purpose of networking is to develop the relationships you have with others. After attending networking events frequently, you will experience being recruited more often.
There may be instances after meeting with someone a couple of times you have the opportunity to be interviewed at an event. If you feel prepared enough, absolutely go for it as you’ve met that person a handful of times and should know enough about their goals.
It’s simply encouraged to recognise that getting to this point takes time so try not to expect job offers straight away.
#5 – Not Following Up
If you’ve gotten this far into this article, you should hopefully know that not following up with your connections is a big mistake.
Not following up runs the risk of:
- Connections forgetting who you are and what services you have to offer
- Missing opportunities to grow your client base and sales
- Not being referred to by your connections
- Appearing as though you don’t care
As a business owner, you have a reputation to uphold. Make sure you follow up on your connections whenever you can and make a log of the times you’ve spoken with people.
The last thing you want to do is miss out on the opportunity to expand your client base and business because you failed to check in with your connections.
FAQs
How Can I Generate More Referrals as a Personal Trainer?
As discussed in our tip of partnering up with personal trainers, a study found buyers are 7 times more likely to purchase a product through referrals than newspaper and magazine adverts.
They’re 4 times more effective than personal selling techniques, and 2 times more effective compared with radio advertising.
Here are 2 ways to generate more referrals as a personal trainer.
Client testimonials: Follow up on a client’s completion of their program with an email requesting them to answer a few questions about your services. This could include:
- What did you want to achieve from recruiting a personal trainer?
- How did the program help you?
- How is your life different now?
From this, you can request to use the feedback on your website and in social media posts to market your services. Here is an example testimonial posted on Trustpilot, with a client personally thanking their PT ‘Lee Henson’.
If you want to find out more about this topic, check out our complete guide to personal trainer testimonials.
Create a client loyalty scheme: Clients who are loyal to your business are more likely to refer others to your business. You can go about this by offering clients a 20% discount on future services if they refer someone else to your business.
This functions as an incentive to clients to receive a discount by helping out a friend and getting you another client.
How Do I Find Personal Trainer Networking Events?
Hopefully, you now know that networking for personal trainers is crucial for developing valuable connections, growing your client base, and boosting sales. But, how can you find networking events to attend?
Networking Websites
findnetworkingevents.com is a fantastic networking website designed to connect you with events in your area. You can filter your search by location and date to discover events that will be most beneficial.
Internet Search Engines
If you search ‘personal trainer networking events’ followed by your local area, some upcoming events will be presented to you.
An example of this is if you searched ‘personal trainer networking events London’. This is the list of events that would come up:
You should consider searching your immediate area and other surrounding areas to boost your chances of finding an event that is most relevant to you.
MeetUp
MeetUp is a website designed for people to discover events, gatherings, conferences, seminars, and groups around the world.
Simply search what type of event you’re looking for and you’ll be presented with upcoming events near you. Some of these will be in-person events and others are virtual. Moreover, some will be free to attend while others may require a small fee.
MeetUp is also a great website to use for those wanting to network while on a budget.
Ask Colleagues
If there’s one thing that we hope you take away from this article is that referrals can be incredibly beneficial.
Asking your colleagues, fitness friends, gym buddies and family members whether they know of any upcoming personal training networking events could certainly help you out.
Alternatively, you can enquire at your gym’s reception desk to check out upcoming events.
How Do Online Personal Trainers Network?
Perhaps you want to become an online personal trainer and would prefer to conduct your programmes virtually.
Fortunately, virtual networking is very common with websites like findnetworkingevents.com and MeetUp offering online networking events. The tips in this article will apply but you’ll be conversing through a screen as opposed to in-person.
The only aspect that will differ is the distribution of business cards. Instead, you may have to manually type phone numbers, email addresses, websites and social media links into a chat.
Alternatively, you may be an online personal trainer who is still up for attending in-person networking events. If that’s the case, be sure to specify in your elevator pitch that you work online so recipients can evaluate whether that’s something they’re interested in learning more about.
However, it is that you would like to take part in networking events, following-up connections, using success stories, having a connection spreadsheet etc. are all still incredibly valuable tips that you ought to know to enhance your business.
Before You Go!
So there we have our top personal trainer networking tips. Networking is a great way to get your name and business known within your local area. The more exposure you have, the more likely people will come to you for personal training services.
Now you’re ready to start networking, and make yourself more desirable with our Sports Nutrition Course. By developing both a nutrition and fitness service, you can reach more clients and network with a range of health & fitness professionals.
Check out our range of specialist courses by contacting us today and download our course prospectus.
References
- Houshang, T., Taghipourian, J.M. and Khazaei, A., ‘The Effect of Customer Satisfaction on Word of Mouth Communication’ in Research Journal of Applied Sciences (March 2013, Vol.5, Issue 8), 2569-2575. doi: 10.19026/rjaset.5.4698.