If you think people really care about their health, you’re quite mistaken…

Yes there’s a solid chunk of the world that lives and breathes health & fitness.

There’s more however that don’t and couldn’t really care less if theirs takes a nosedive.

It’s easy after all to fall back on modern medicines to pick up the slack for poor health.

Take type-2 diabetes for example…

Commonly something that happens as a result of poor lifestyle choice, unlike type 1 which most are born with and have to adapt their lives for beginning at childhood.

Our wonders created by various medical pioneers has given people ways to keep diabetes in check.

With this power you’ll find a lot of abuse linked to it.

So many will not change their lifestyles, habits or choices (detrimental as they are) because they don’t need to.

The drugs allow this.

It benefits them because they can continue to live as they do, and it benefits the companies that sell them their pills/injectables because of all the profit they make as a result.

As someone that’s witnessed people continually make poor choices while complaining of the results of them…

I feel so very tired of it all.

Too many have no desire to save themselves and are happy to feed the machine and physically decline.

All while brandishing the excuse that there’s nothing they can do it’s their ‘poor genetics’.

The developed countries are ironically some of the most unhealthy because they can be.

It makes you wonder the real reason as to why people of this ilk don’t value their health.

Is it purely due to them knowing someone will pick up their slack, or is there something else afoot?

I’d very much appreciate your thoughts and experience on this matter.

Maybe you’re one of the reformed that has turned poor health around.
Maybe you’re one of the enticed that feels their health isn’t their responsibility?

Either way your perspective would be great to hear.

Enjoy,
Ross

If you’re a PT looking to nail your pricing then these tips will help you in 2023.

TLDR – skip to the very bottom

Good Morning,

The common struggle is awakes price.

A fear of charging too much…

A fear of charging too little…

A fear of daring to increase whatever prices being in some clients…

Being a PT tends to be a minefield when it comes to business.

We’ve covered the topic of how much to charge several times, and while I’m happy to give more guidance I’ve got a question first. 

Why do you always resist the advice given?

Honestly…

I appreciate people reaching out and asking for help.

Yet it seems whatever is suggested as a viable avenue to take in boosting revenue it’s rejected.

There’s always an excuse as to why more can’t be charged.

Why even increasing by £1 would send people running.

Barriers are at every turn and yet still so many PT’s ask about pricing.

I understand the fear behind being seen to be too expensive. 

There’s one thing to remember with PT though – It’s a LUXURY, not a commodity.

Basically PT isn’t for everyone.

Now not a lot of people will agree with this statement.

Some will say PT shouldn’t be a super exclusive club only for those that can afford it. 

I’d counter that and say – why can’t it be a super exclusive club?

Despite the fact a lot of people in fitness deeply want to help others, merely the want to be a good/useful person doesn’t pay bills and is a disaster for being self employed in business. 

Might not be nice to hear.

It’s the truth though. 

You’ll have read in previous posts that if truly helping people is what drives you.

Then you’ve got an easy answer for your fitness career.

Run it as a CHARITY and do it all for free. 

As you can imagine that doesn’t go down well, although this is where we reach the the crux of it all.

How much do you charge that not only keeps your head above water but also is affordable to all. 

From a basic standpoint you’ll need to know how much you NEED to earn to survive.

And from this it’s worth planning out how much you WANT to earn.

With this info you can establish what your average unit price (package) will need to be based on your available working hour. 

Just to throw out some random numbers…

Need 20k per year

Want 35k per year 

Hours available to work per week 30 – 6 hours a day based on 5 working days per week (average – may vary due to holidays etc).

Using a 4 weeks holiday for yourself that leaves you with 48 weeks, so 1440 hours per year.

For 20k per year the per hour price would be £14 per session (£13.80)

The 35k per year works out at £25 per session (£24.30)

Now you’re aware I’m not a fan of selling individual sessions because it’s just not worth the effort.

However since some people still like that approach I thought I’d share the numbers.

Keeping the above numbers in mind though you’ll be able to work out how much your minimum unit price per package will be and how many you’ll need to sell per year. 

Selling packages or ‘offers’ that have the following stipulation – entitled to X-amount of sessions per week –will help you keep people from taking the Michael.

You’ll also be able to add in extras to sweeten your offers and give more value to people.

What those are is up to you though. 

To earn 20k per year selling packages at £300 you’d have to shift 70 across the year (7 a month).

For the £35k you’ll want to shift 117 of your offers (12 a month). 

Now that’s not a great amount of units to sell and even at £300 per month reoccurring it’s viable.

This is where having a few different options can be useful to appeal to a slightly wider audience.

These might be as follows:

BUDGET offer £200

STANDARD offer – £300

PREMIUM offer – £600

Or however you want to label them – silver/gold/platinum, charmander/charmeleon/charizard etc

Such prices are affordable to the larger audience.

Personally I like only having two options, however that’s not for everyone.

Additionally having three can trigger the ‘decoy effect’ which is a neuro-marketing tactic. 

Here’s some ideas for making PT within the above budget ranges that won’t have you losing revenue.

PT without the price tag:

• PT – Standard pricing per person
• Semi Private PT – 2-4 people split the cost of the premium package 
• Group Training – 6-10 people all paying the budget rice 
• Online Coaching – Priced at the budget offer 
• Challenges – Priced at the premium per person however the winner of the challenge gets a cash price (say double or triple what they paid)

From here you can set out how much of what you want to sell to your potential clients by setting out specific amount of each that you’ll have up for grabs.

This triggers the scarcity principle.

In addition to this you can also have an application form and waiting list to give more exclusivity to your service. 

Now to grab random numbers from the above regarding hitting £35k with the above offers.

PT – 5 consistent clients is £1500 per month

Semi Private PT – 2 groups of 4 people is £1200 per month 

Online Coaching – 10 consistent clients is £2000 per month 

All of these together comes in at £47,000 for the year and that’s be fore the challenges too…

The challenge could be 12 weeks for £600 with a £1800 price and you want 20 people before you run it and you’ll do this only TWICE per year and people have to pay a 50% upfront fee that isn’t refundable to secure a spot. 

You’d also do well you have a couple of extra bits in the challenge for people that do well.

Such as hoodies for hitting certain levels of leanness, dress/jean size or weight loss etc because it all helps. 

Even with a 50% drop off of if people didn’t stay for the full year you’re still likely to clear £20k.

Yes it all seems easy on paper.

In practice you’ll need to be consistently speaking to people.

Showing your audience the results you get for your clients. 

Sharing their stories, struggles and how together you’ve overcome them.

Plus asking for the business because it won’t just magically come to you. 

That’s where PT’s fall down – they’re terrible at sales…

However that’s a topic for another day.

In fact if Iw as to run a sales ZOOM who’d come along to it? – comment below.

So what does all the above have to do with nailing your prices?

First you NEED to know what you’re looking to earn, then you can work backwards

Second, have an option or two (most like three, I like two however that’s my bias)

Finally… ASK FOR THE BUSINESS 

Pop your questions in the comments below regarding the above. 

Enjoy, 

Ross 

Bonus Tip – Ask your target market what their problems they have or pain they’re experiencing.

With this info you can offer the RIGHT solutions and pain relief based on their needs/wants.

I can’t believe PT’s still do this….

Logical would have dictated this habit went the want of the dinosaur years ago.

It seems that on this occasion the logic was wrong.

Very wrong…

How can some many working in fitness STILL be undercharging?

It really baffles me.

Although it doesn’t really surprise me as many are in the ’employed mindset’ governed by the monster called…

Minimum Wage.

I suppose it doesn’t help that a lot of people will often ask – “How much do you charge for a PT session?”

It’s a subtle thing although it keeps a lot of fitness professionals frozen in time price wise.

Plus there is also a thought that links to this.

This being that their worth is inexorably linked to being paid by the hour.

Holding onto this thought process sends many a PT to the job centre.

When you’re someone working in the fantasy land of fitness there’s 3 things you want to keep in mind as of today.

They’ll change your life and improve your business instantly.

1 – DON’T offer single sessions that are paid by the HOUR anymore

Instead try this approach when someone asks how much you charge for a single session:

Offer 1 – 2 sessions per week at £250 for the month – contains standard PT service you offer
Or….
Offer 2 – Custom Program Creation at £250 one off fee – contains 1 face to face session for Q&A/form checking

Truth be told doing 1 session here and there is a waste of a clients time, yours too.

They’ll get no results and it’s just a pain in the ass when you charge by the hour as it’s not worth the effort that goes into it.

Offering one of the two above is far more beneficial for you and the client.

Ideally they will see the value in getting your for 2 sessions per week for a month as opposed to just getting a program with a 1 off session.

That’s your opportunity to make them aware of the epic benefits and value regular PT will add to their life.

2 – Give people a REWARD (or incentive) for taking up your premier offer

Taking the above example of the £250 price point for 2 sessions a week or a custom program.

Rolling month to month agreements are fine and dandy, however they allow people to bounce when buyers remorse kicks in.

Here’s what you can call either a reward or incentive for their efforts.

Reward – upon sign up they get branded merch because everyone loves merch.

Plus this is good for you marketing/brand awareness wise as they will we are it proudly, provided it look slick.

As for an incentive this is my suggestion – 6 month agreement paid up front for £1350 (£225 per month) or a years training for £2400 (£200 per month).

Essentially you’re showing them that because they’re willing to go all in and you know it’s a hefty cost then you’re willing to help them out with a reduction in total cost.

The benefit here is they’re in it for a year, plus you can set a ‘no refund policy’ so you don’t lose out if they flake 2 months in.

Oh and if someone says that’s ‘too expensive’ then don’t be afraid to ask how much money they spend (waste) across a year on what they WANT.

Then delve into WHY they spend as they do because the money they waste is usually for emotional reasons.

Once you know what drives them emotionally you’ll be able to address their ‘too expensive’ objection with how PT will benefit them in the emotional way they need.

3 – Be ballsy and put a 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE on your training offers

Now this one has people’s little brown starfish recoil.

Rightfully so because it’s scary.

All the ‘what if’ questions come to mind because of that deep fear people will train, then want their cash back.

Worry not because you simply need some solid T&C’s to prevent this.

Set out elements of the coaching (training, nutrition, habit change, life adaptations) that are MUST DO’s.

If these aren’t recorded and proven to have been done then they client invalidates the MBG because they didn’t uphold their end of the agreement.

For added peace of mind you can get a professional to look over your agreement.

Yes it may cost a few pennies however it’ll be worth it.

Alternatively you’ll probably be able to find a document that has the above and is pretty air/water tight.

Although I’d still get someone that knows about these things deeply to look over them just to be sure.

Finally.

If any of this resonates with you and you see yourself failing due to charging by the hour then I implore you…

Don’t just ignore the above and do as you’ve always done.

You’ve got nothing to lose refining your business and being more savvy or having a higher standard for yourself in this regard.

Too many times have I seen newer PT’s with amazing potential fall at the first hurdle because of charging by the hour.

Please don’t be one of them.
Please be better.

Enjoy,
Ross

People like to talk about themselves and letting them can open the door to more PT conversions

 

A short one today.

It’s not uncommon for a lot of trainers to try (and fail) selling PT.

Often missing the emotional fairway ending up in the rough

Something you can do is to let people talk themselves into PT.

Or at least the sales element of it.

This works very well with others who are business owners, or have products to sell.

We shall say you’ve already ticked these boxes:

 built rapport

 provides useful/helpful tips

 recognised indicators of interest

 are in conversation about them becoming a client

Sadly the ‘price’ once again becomes the issue.

Given most people struggle to see value in paying for PT how can letting them do all the talking help 

Have them tell you about something they sell.

Why is it worth the price?

How does it ALWAYS benefit their clients when they purchase?

What other positive feelings do their clients receive?

Let your potential client speak with passion 

Don’t interject at any point, stay quiet and listen.

People like being listened too as it makes them feel good.

When they’ve finished you may say the following –

“That sounds great.

What you’ve described you/your product &/or Service does for your clients is what I’m trying (poorly – chuckle) to say PT will do for you.”

 It’s a narrative flip.

Have the potential client understand what you’re offering by asking them to explain how they do the same with something similar in their life/business.

Suddenly the price objection becomes quite fragile.

After all, you can ask them if they’d sell their product for any less based on how GREAT it is and all the benefits that come with it.

Try the above the next time you get the chance.

You’ll be amazed how often it shifts someones perspective 

Enjoy,
Ross

Conventional wisdom always provides conventional results, is that really what you want for yourself?

Has a body building mindset trapped you?

Last night I was having a discussion with a fellow lifter. 

Upon reflecting before answering a question I began to realise how trapped we become in out training 

A lot of people think they have to train a specific way…

Just becuase.

They MUST do bench press
They MUST do squats
They MUST do deadlift 
They MUST do bilaterally training 
They MUST do what is seen as acceptable without deviation 

Most of the training programs around are very restrictive.

Despite my preferred angle of doing less better, even I’ve noticed there’s still a lot of ties to ‘traditional’ lifting.

When it comes to training there isn’t anything we MUST do.

Not really 

If there is a specific goal that needs specific training.

Then of course you’ll need to do specific things (traditional etc).

However if there’s no specific goal there’s not specific need.

There’s no lifting gestapo that will come for you if you stray from the trodden path of conventional lifting practice/theory.

Although there is social pressure and also self imposed pressure.

We put ourselves in a box that we can’t deviate from.

Usually due to a random fear of judgement or ending up viral 

Even thinking about it myself I started to wonder what exactly stops me doing odd lifts or training in a totally different way. 

I came to the conclusion my lifts are comfort blankets.

They have me feel safe because it’s not just that I like them…

It’s also the case I’m good at them and they don’t take long.

Routine if fimrly set in.

A classic for me is 10 sets of 5 for front squats & chins

OTM work has also become a similar constraint 

It’s funny how we chain ourselves firmly in place emotionally attached to what we’re doing and then use logic and rational to justify it after the fact 

What makes it worse is getting little to no training ROI.

There’s also the fear that if we change we will lose what we have.

Our gains will dry up and we will step on a snake  sliding all the way back to square one 

This isn’t likely to happen and we know it.

Yet we’re still scared of true change, true challenge…

I’d be curious to know if you would be able to shift gears. 

Can hit a sharp left with your training and change it completely?

Or is that thought something that gives you the sweats 

Do share your thoughts below.

Enjoy,
Ross