Have you become self-employed as a fitness trainer or nutritionist and are you ready to hit the ground running?
With these 14 tips, you will learn how to fill your appointment calendar.
Completed training as a fitness trainer or nutritionist certification, registered a business, and fully motivated to climb the career ladder.
Sounds like an athletic plan, but in reality, the initial euphoria is often quickly dissipated if the most important thing is missing right from the start, namely the customers.
Customer acquisition causes headaches and sleepless nights for many self-employed people because your existence depends on it.
Expectations are high at first: motivated and well-paying customers who appreciate your work and recommend you, but the associated customer acquisition and strategic marketing are usually not on the curriculum of aspiring fitness trainers or nutritionists.
Although this list does not replace a curriculum, it does show you 14 helpful tips on how to make yourself visible and thus easily win and keep loyal customers in the future.
Self Marketing – Sell Yourself And Go Viral
1. Find Your Unique Selling Proposition
Define your unique selling point, i.e. your unique selling point. What makes you and your work special? What can you do especially well?
Find your personal specialization, a niche that you can communicate to the outside world to differentiate yourself from your competition.
Wouldn’t you much rather see a nutritionist who is an expert in this area if you have diabetes or a fitness trainer who specializes in exercise for expectant mothers during pregnancy?
Give your work individual charm with a recognition value.
2. Never Stop Learning: Educate Yourself Further
Haven’t found your personal niche yet? No problem, because there are plenty of opportunities for further training, further education, and workshops for fitness trainers and nutritionists.
In the area of sports, for example, you can get further training to become a health coach or a completely relaxed Pilates trainer, and there is also a wide range of training opportunities in nutritional advice.
It will now be much easier for your customers to choose you because now you are no longer one of many.
3. The Very Special Card: Hand Out Your Business Card
A little retro never hurts – no, they are not extinct yet, and even if you rarely get them in your hand, business cards are an important part of drawing others’ attention to you.
Become a brand, create your image, your corporate identity with the business card and take the opportunity to be contacted.
Not only do you pass them on personally, but also put them out in places where potential customers gather, like in gyms or at trade shows.
4. Trial Lesson: Convince Them With Your Skills
In a free taster course or a free consultation, you can convince the first interested parties of your skills.
If you prove to them that you can do your job, they will definitely come back or recommend you.
Special marketing campaigns, such as charity group workouts, where the proceeds are donated to a good cause, not only convince potential customers but also the press. And then the multiplier effect starts all by itself.
5. Don't Be Shy: Make Contacts
Jump over your shadow and talk to people. This is particularly important at the beginning of your career.
Offer your services to potential customers in a very targeted manner and convince them of your offer.
You should always keep in mind where the problem of the respective person lies and how you can solve it.
Tell them exactly that, they will be grateful and will definitely accept the offer.
6. Shout Out Loud: Make Yourself Known
Tell everyone about what you do. You will not only gain self-confidence, but you will also have the positive effect of word-of-mouth propaganda.
The right mindset plays a crucial role in this. Become aware: you are recommendable and don’t need to hide.
Spread your charm, appear friendly, personable, and trustworthy.
7. Bring A Friend: Use The Customer-Recruit-Customer Principle
Let your customers know that you’d really appreciate recommendations and give them some of your business cards to take with them. Also, ask them if they know anyone who needs your help as well.
If they recommend you positively, you can offer them discounts or goodies. Who doesn’t enjoy gifts?
8. Win-Win: Cooperate With Colleagues
Network with other self-employed people who have the same target group as you but offer a different service.
For example, fitness trainers and nutritionists can complement each other perfectly and cooperate not only in their work but also with their customer base.
Doctors are considered particularly trustworthy and working with them can bring you, new regular customers, in the long term. Just try it.
9. Regular Guest: Visit Trade Fairs And Events
Your customers also come to events that have something to do with your professional area.
Go there, talk to people, introduce yourself, hand out your business cards – be present.
Ideally, you will even get an appearance as a speaker and can demonstrate your expertise in lectures.
Individual courses or workshops in the fitness area are also very popular and best of all: you will be remembered – guaranteed.
10. Stay In Touch: Stay In Touch With Your Customers
Speaking of being remembered – sending emails is a great way to stay in touch with customers.
Address them personally by name, cater to their special needs, and offer them individual services that tie in with them.
Make them curious and share new ideas and experiences with them.
11. Build Your Own Website
Your own website is the flagship of your work. But don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be immaculately professional.
It is enough to briefly introduce yourself, your services, and references, and do not forget to include a contact form.
There are many providers where you can build your own website without programming knowledge at a low cost using the modular principle.
12. Click Factor: Become A Blogger
A great add-on to your homepage is a blog that entertains users, solves their problems, and answers questions that have been on their minds for a long time.
Be approachable, meet them at eye level and take the opportunity to become visible online and appear as an expert in your field.
13. Be An Influencer: Become A Social Media Star
Show on your social media channels that you exist and what services you offer.
Join thematically appropriate Facebook groups and forums, answer questions there and position yourself – ideally trustworthy, sporty, likable, motivated, and fit.
Become an influencer – you can post workouts, recipes, and all your new ideas on YouTube or Instagram – with the right hashtags, of course.
14. Career Helper: Be A Coach
Coaching is in – on all levels. Offer your specific knowledge and experience to people who also want to work as fitness trainers or nutritionists. Pass on your knowledge in workshops or online courses.
With these tips, nothing stands in the way of you and your work as a successful fitness trainer or nutritionist.
We keep our fingers crossed that you never miss out on customers and if you do, don’t give up and see it as a challenge and an opportunity to grow beyond yourself. Don’t give up!
Which tip has you had the best experience with for customer acquisition or do you even have your own advice as to the key to success? We look forward to your comments!
