The PT Roadmap

A weekly newsletter for personal trainers that'll guide you in your career to become a better coach and build a better business.

Hey!

Thanks for opening up today's PT Roadmap.

Let's get into things.

One Coaching Cue

Put a band around the J hooks in a squat rack at hip height. Get your client to walk into the band so it's pushing into their hips. Use the tension it creates to guide them back into a hinge position.

Credit to @joshtaylorcoaching for reminding me of this excellent constraint focussed coaching cue.

It works really well for helping clients who aren't grasping the hinge using your go-to cues (bum to wall, close the car door etc.)

One Business Tip

Paid marketing (e.g. Ig or Fb ads) is a popular way to bring clients in.

But, the leads it brings are often lower quality and more challenging to convert.

Here are a few more things to consider if you're already using or thinking of using ads:

• It must be good.

  • Gone are the days when you could throw a tenner on a boosted post and end up with many leads. We compete with some of the world's biggest brands, meaning our ads MUST be good quality. If you're going to stick money on an ad, get some good images, and take the time to write out ad copy that knows who it is for and clearly paints a positive picture of what you're offering.

• Test.

  • At the start of an ads campaign, you'll want to test widely with smaller budgets to see what's working. Videos, images, short copy and long copy. Test it all and then double down on what's getting results.

• Use ads library to see what's working.

  • A few months back, I had no idea this existed. You can search through every ad currently running and get some inspiration. Try searching for some gyms, trainers or coaches you respect and see what they are doing. If something has been running for longer than a month, there's a high chance it's performing well. For example, this link will take you to the ads New York City gym, Mark Fisher Fitness, is running.

• Know your numbers.

  • If you're running ads with the hope of bringing in new clients, you must know your numbers. How much can you afford to spend to bring someone in and still be in profit down the line? For example, if I know my average retention is 6 months and my average monthly per-client income is £150, I know I can afford to spend £150 on my ads to bring in one client and I'll be in profit by month 2.

• Don't be afraid.

  • This feeds into the last point. I talk to lots of PTs who have tried ads, spent £40-100 and turned them off because nothing happened. They often get scared of losing more money. Totally understandable, but you will have to spend invest money to bring new clients when using ads. Don't be afraid of putting a bit more money down to figure what ad formula works for you.

• Follow up.

  • The leads that ads brings in will be of a lower quality as they may just have learnt about you. You should have a solid follow up process in place to ensure people don't just fill in a form, get one text and nothing else happens. Sometimes, it takes upwards of 5-10 contacts to get someone onto the next step. Simply because people lead busy lives and you're not the only business trying to get their attention. Use whatever means you have available - text, call, email, social media contact, and do it consistently.

  • Added onto this point: the quicker you can contact someone who has shown interest, the better.

• Get some extra help.

  • Ads are confusing. But, they are simply another tool in your marketing toolbox. And like any tool, you need to know how to use it effectively to get the most out of it. We've got some great ad resources on our Lift the Bar members site (get started for free here), but hundreds of great resources are available on Google. This is an excellent blog from Social Media Examiner.

One Coaching Tip

What you can learn from how stand-up comedians approach their craft.

1. Starting from the bottom.

It's rare to find a comedian who got a lucky break and landed as a star on day one. They have to build up from the bottom by doing lots of free/low-paid gigs, rubbish time slots and spending years refining their craft.

You're no different.

You will have to start with no clients, you will (probably) train people for free and you'll take years to get to an accomplished place.

This is normal.

2. Practice.

Practice is the only way to get good at stand-up and delivering personal training sessions.

Comedians do countless gigs and work to make their sets better - you should be the same way.

Every session (or gig) is another step towards mastery.

3. Feedback

If a comedian practices a joke and thinks it's going to land perfectly but it falls flat, they use that feedback to refine the joke (or scrap it altogether).

It would help if you approached PT like this.

Have you used a coaching cue that didn't land? Try a new one.

Ran a marketing campaign that delivered peanuts? Use that feedback to make it better for the next iteration.

Tried a new exercise you thought would work great but didn't? Remove it and find a new one.

Launched a new service that hasn't quite worked out? No biggie. Get some feedback, consider finding someone who has successfully done when you're trying to do and make it better next time.

4. Different styles.

There is a wide range of stand-up comedian and no one style is necessarily better - it's down to your preference. Some do one-liners (Jimmy Carr), some tell stories (Billy Connolly) and some were incredible at improv (Robin Williams).

There are also a wide range of coaching styles.

Some trainers are more extroverted, some are softer spoken, some love the technical side of training and some love psychology.

There is a place for all.

5. Failure.

Do you know what happens if a stand-up bombs on stage? They look for any lessons, move on and get to the next gig.

This should be precisely how you approach losing a client or making a mistake in your business. Move on as quickly as you can.

One Social Media Post Worth Your Time

I liked and saved this post from Range of Strength on ab flexion exercises.

I tried the anchored cross-bench sit-up on Monday (seen above) and my abs are still killing me.

Perfect for the client who likes that kinda stuff (which always seems to be like 90% of PT clients lol.)

Thanks so much for reading.

Until next Friday, Stuart.

Whenever you're ready, here are two ways I can help you:

1) If you’re looking for a place to help you gain knowledge & develop your skills as a personal trainer, I’d recommend joining Lift the Bar on our trial for free for 14-days. You'll get access to courses, actionable webinars and time-saving downloads, and a community of PTs who have achieved what you're struggling to achieve.

2) Listen to the LTB Podcast. Latest episode #386 w/ Stuart MacDonald: How to Programme for Small Groups.