Hello to all of you!
As the title says I am a personal trainer in a local gym that evidently knows nothing about sales. I started PT'ing a little over a year ago thinking that the minute I hung a flyer up that people would approach me. Nope, doesnt work that way.
So I have struggled mightily, almost quit a few times, and right now am languishing with only 2 clients. I have the training ability, but no chance to show it since my sales skills suck.
Obviously I need serious help, lol. Much of the problem is lack of self confidence and lack of much sucess to draw on, but it is also total lack of support from the gym management (while the other trainers get full support) and its a seriously hard situation.
For instance there were 2 established trainers there ahead of me when I started. Ok, I accept that they will have a much easier time than me. But now this other guy just got out of jail this year, came to town from many states away, swept the gym owners daughter off her feet and now they are married. Dude didnt waste any time. Of course he is now a trainer and already has a book full of clients while my talents are being totally wasted. Obviously he has the inside track and my name will never be mentioned from the front desk to people asking about trainers.
So thats sort of my current situation. Its actually pretty bleak and I will be asking for specific guidance and advice about it. I am not sure wether to simply walk away from a difficult situation or stay and try to learn my sales skills in this IMPOSSIBLE environment.
At first I was trying "passive marketing"...putting up flyers. A few ads in local papers. I never received even one call from either effort.
Then I got pissed at watching the other trainers prosper while I languised so I started approaching people with my nonexistent sales knowledge. Maybe 1 or 2 people approached me. The most I ever had at once was 5, maybe 6 clients. Then most of them sort of faded away. When it got to its lowest point I had approached these 2 college aged girls...I was in a great positive mood, gave them the biz card, blah blah, offered em a free first week to see if they liked it. Of course I am no closer yet so I didnt get an appointment or number or anything.
I came in about a week later and I see one of the established trainers training one of the girls. BOOM, I lost it. I went and took my biz cards off the front desk and threw them in the trash. I took my flyers off the wall etc. I went to the owner and told her I might continue on one more month or so but that I didnt see any point in carrying on if everyone was going to go to one of two guys. Besides which I kept hearing that the one guy was not looking for new clients yet everytime a new (female) member joined there he was with his smoozy flirty self approaching them.
I was trying to imply to the owner that I would appreciate if my name got mentioned a little more to new members etc but obviously no one got the point. That was like 4-5 months ago. It was bleak THEN and that was before the jail guy showed up on the scene. So its worse now, lol. In the meantime I had to take a "real job" on first shift so my time in the gym is limited to nights from like 5-9. I dont see the owner at all so im totally out of the loop.
So like I said, its a pretty hopeless situation but my ego wont let me walk away defeated. If anything I look forward to getting about 10 clients and THEN walking away to a better situation perhaps in the more affluent town 50 miles away.
For about the last 3-4 months I have studied "the secret" and "science of getting rich" and I clearly see that I have ATTRACTED negative things and failure into my life but I am now trying hard to turn that around. The situation in the gym makes it really hard though because its hard to NOT feel like a loser when u see others promoted ahead of yourself.
I am not trying to be overly negative even in this first intro post, lol...but I just wanted to let people know where I am coming from and what I am facing.
I have been studying basic sales ideas also and I see that I have made every mistake in the book and I can feel myself making the same mistakes as I talk to people in the gym now. The main issue being that its hard to overcome the "oppressive" atmosphere there where it feels like im playing against a stacked deck. Like today I approached a new member..in the midst of me talking to her she said her husband worked with "joe" (not real name). Well "Joe" is the name of the owners husband AND the new, just out of jail son in law. So obviously that one fact deflated anything I had to say to her, lol. I mean, who do u think SHE'LL go to?? lol
So I am hopeful that I can get some serious help and guidance on this forum. Obviously I am fighting an uphill battle but I figure if I can "win" in this impossible situation that I can win in most any situation.
Thanks to all for reading this far, lol.
A struggling but hopeful, Fitness Trainer
, if you catch my drift). 