Have you trained a client over a long period of time at no charge or set up a scholarship?
I am a relatively new trainer and am wondering how to handle the odd case where I meet with a potential client who really needs personal training and is 100% ready to commit, but absolutely cannot afford my services.
Hear me out- today I met with a young woman who is obese and having severe knee pain. Her doctor has told her that she must lose weight through diet and exercise to treat the pain. Without going into detail, she is severely economically challenged. After meeting her and conducting an assessment, I’ve determined that it is a good match. However, she cannot afford personal training at all. I would hate to deny her help just because she can’t pay. Have any of you set up a type of scholarship or trained someone for free for a long period of time? I was thinking of doing an exchange- if she would let me post monthly before and after photos and write about her experience, I could offer her my services at low or no cost.
What’s your take? I tend to be a big softie, and it doesn’t work out to well for me financially but I’m trying to find a silver lining or solution here…
Thank you everyone for your wonderful replies. This particular client was unable to commit to a plan, so we parted ways. I now have another client who has asked for a reduced rate due to financial hardship and I’m going to work something out with her because she puts in an incredible amount of effort. That said, I’ve concluded that I am not yet established enough to be able to afford to offer very low cost or free training to anyone. Thanks for the clarity!