So I am trying to get a client base started. How did you get your book of business going initially?
Well Heidi,
I hate to say this. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. For the longest time I hated hearing that. The thought of someone not getting a job that he or she is qualified for based on the fact that the hiring managers chose to hire someone who they’ve know for months or years is still as distasteful as ever. The cold hard reality is that you have to know someone. You can be the best trainer and be the most “deserving” person ever, but unless you take the time to get to know someone who might know someone who needs a trainer, you probably won’t get far just starting out.
Of course, I wouldn’t know any better. I got my first client because I let everyone know that I needed business. Your social network is probably your best bet in landing a client. From then on, treat that client like a diamond because he or she will be your biggest marketeer! You also need to make sure your gym doesn’t have a non-competitor clause in your contract that might prevent you from getting clients outside the gym.