How Are New Year's Resolutions Affecting Business For Trainers?

Going well. I am moving to Scotland from Washington State and am surprised that a lot of my clients want to continue training with me via Skype/G-mail.

I guess it helps to move to another continent in January when people have New Years Resolutions!

For me it has had little impact. I actually screen the "Resolution" client with more scrutiny during an assessment than a client during off peak time. Most NYR clients are bringing last years excuses to why they did not accomplish or even make attempts to reach goals. As a trainer, my training time is valuable, so I want to make sure the client is prepared to make a commitment for a set amount of time and to keep the goals for success realistic.

It always spikes during the new year but many clients do not stay

I'm on the same page as Hope. Our gym memberships are absolutely booming while our clientele is seeing a moderate increase. Unfortunately, an adequate portion of NYR clients stick to just that: a NYR and nothing more. A lot of these people are the ones who won't maintain their program after a month or so because they aren't noticing results. Our job is to show them the difference in a NYR and a program constructed of a professional. We also need to make sure we're available a few weeks down the road to help our members see the results they've always wanted.

For me, the New Year is a great opportunity to grow my business and retain new clients. I find that many of the people initiating contact around the New Year become regular clients while some wind up burning out because they were not mentally prepared to start a new, healthy lifestyle. I try to address these issues from our very first meeting, emphasizing that real results come over time and trying to encourage my 'fragile eggs' with positive reinforcements. By giving each client this one-on-one attention, I find that even those that inevitably burn out will either a) refer me to their friends, or b) return as a client at a later date when they feel more resolute in their fitness priorities.

True with above questions.
Maxing prices for short times over the new year usually helps because those clients usually dont stick out more than a few weeks.