Share

Stronger Sundays

Dominate your fitness business with this weekly collection of strategies, tips, and tricks.
By trainers, for trainers.

03/29/2024

Quote of the week:

"The U.S. has tried to get rid of COVID the way I try to get abs: I try really hard for a couple months, then I get annoyed that it’s taking so long and decide abs aren’t real."
                                                                                    - Comedian Taylor Tomlinson on Twitter
Watch for this newsletter from the Personal Trainer Development Center each Sunday.

In this issue:

  1. Embrace the magic of the mundane
  2. Four things I should have done earlier in my career
  3. How to create content that works for you (Online Trainer Show recap)
1. Embrace the magic of the mundane – Jonathan Goodman

Think back to the last time you spent a lot of money on something. Chances are, you thought that new TV, or that expensive dinner, or those front-row tickets would make you happy.

And they may have. For a while.

But to your surprise, the pleasure was short-lived. If it weren’t for the pictures you posted on Instagram, you’d barely remember it at all.

The pleasure from your next major purchase will be even more fleeting. We spend a disproportionate amount of time focusing on that future acquisition because we overestimate how happy it will make us.

Meanwhile, we underestimate how much the most mundane aspects of our lives affect our happiness. We forget how much we enjoy a good burger until we bite into one. We forget how much we hate getting stuck in traffic until it happens unexpectedly.

It’s nearly impossible to predict how much anything will affect our lives, in either direction. A doctor’s visit you’ve been dreading may result in unexpected good news, while a vacation you’ve meticulously planned could be a major disappointment.

You just never know.

The best defense against unhappiness is to open yourself up to joy, to allow yourself to be blown away by the beauty of a garden or stand in awe of a natural landmark.

You’ll never regret the time you don’t spend chasing those shiny, pretty, expensive things.

2. Four things I should have done earlier in my career – Andrew Coates

Andrew is a fitness writer, cohost of the Fitness Devil Podcast, and a personal trainer in Edmonton, Alberta.

1. Study and practice writing

I didn’t get serious about writing until seven years into my career. By then my skills were seven years behind where they should’ve been, which means my articles, posts, emails, and sales copy weren’t as effective as I needed them to be.

2. Build a website

A personal site serves multiple goals. It helps potential clients find you, gives you a platform to generate income from your products and services, and provides a place to practice and archive your writing.

3. Create and build an email list

It’s never too early to start building an email list, even if you don’t yet know what you’ll do with it. You may think your social media platforms give you all the access you need to your followers, but don’t kid yourself. Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube accounts can be taken from you. They could become obsolete, or make it impossible to reach your audience without paying extra. Your email list is yours.

4. Produce engaging content on social media

The best way to build an audience is to create content that’s worth their time and attention. You also want to do it consistently enough that they don’t forget about you between posts. You not only gain new followers, you develop your writing skills and open up new opportunities to publish your work on larger platforms.

Don’t wait to do any or all of these things. Trust me, if you don’t do it now, you’ll regret it later.

Go deeper: Want to improve your content? Check out the PTDC’s choices for the best books for fitness writers:

--> The Best Books for Personal Trainers in 2020
3. How to create content that works for you

Here’s what podcast cohosts Jonathan Goodman, Carolina Belmares, and Ren Jones talked about this week on the Online Trainer Show:

In Episode 9, How to Produce Content to Get Clients (and Not Take Forever), Ren and Jon share negative and positive reviews and reveal how to tell if someone is a tighty whitie guy.

Then Jon expands Ren’s vocabulary by explaining the heuristic of the PTDC’s marketing plan: "If this is you, then this is for you."

When you know exactly who your audience is, you can target them directly, with content that addresses their unique goals and challenges. You can then sell products and services to that audience.

Don’t expect to be good right off the bat. You have to put in your reps. It takes time to develop the skills you need to communicate effectively. As Ren says, "You have to be patient in the macro, and urgent in the micro."  

In Episode 10, Why Memberships Are a Horrible Idea for Just About Every Online Trainer, Jon explains why customers who pay the least will give you the most trouble. Conversely, those who pay the most for your products or services will be your best and most respectful customers.

Membership sites mostly work for celebrities with a massive platform that grows organically. If you have to pay a lot of money to acquire customers, the model quickly becomes untenable. For the same cost per customer, you could acquire clients willing to make a longer commitment at a higher price.

And once you have those clients, you can do a better job training them, which works out for everyone. The clients are happy and satisfied, and you enjoy working with them.

You’ll find every episode here:

--> The Online Trainer Show

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways we can help you:

1. Grab a free copy of The Wealthy Fit Pro’s Guide to Online Training
It’s your blueprint to building a fitness or nutrition business online. -- > Click here

2. Join the Online Trainers Unite Group and connect with other online trainers  
It’s our Facebook community where fitness and nutrition pros like you can share insights and advice about starting or running a successful coaching business online.
--> Click here

3. Join the Online Trainer Academy
Our world-class certification course is everything you need to responsibly and profitably coach fitness or nutrition online.
-- > Click here

**Thanks for reading. What to do next**



Want to improve your fitness business? Buy a book or two from the PTDC book store.

If you like this newsletter,
please forward it to a friend or colleague.
Can you really become a certified online trainer for just $87/mo? 

YOU CAN! Because the Online Trainer Academy—the first and ONLY serious educational model for online coaches—is now available in an all-digital format for $87/mo for 12 months.  

--> Click here to enroll in OTA now! (Get started for just $87/mo)
------

Please share freely but always provide attribution
.


Affiliate Disclosure

 

Email Marketing by ActiveCampaign