Six Things to do After Closing the Personal Training Sale
By Jim Labadie

Most personal trainers want to do one thing as soon as someone hands them money for personal training: Run! They’re so afraid of their new client changing their mind that they’d do just about anything to get the heck out of there. But as you’ll discover in this brief article, there is much left to do once the sale has been closed and money has exchanged hands.

Here are the six things every personal trainer should do as soon as their prospect has become a paying client:

1) Ask the client if they are on your e-newsletter list, if you haven’t already.

Just because they have become a client does not mean it’s time to stop marketing to them. And an e-newsletter is an easy way to stay in touch with clients about other services and products you offer.

It’s also a terrific way to show them other client testimonials. These are an extremely powerful way to not only motivate your client, but to retain them as well.

2) Explain to the client what to expect in their first training session.

Get them excited. Let them know if they will need to warm-up on their own. Go over what they are expected to wear. Never assume your client knows what is expected of them. Explaining everything beforehand will do wonders for starting this business relationship on the right foot.

3) Discuss face-to-face how your cancellation policy works.

Don’t just give them a piece of paper that explains it because you’re too afraid to explain it to them. Your new client needs to be educated on how your entire business works. And that includes how you handle cancellations. Doing it face-to-face leaves nothing to chance. Nothing can upset a client more than being charged for missing a session and not understanding why.

4) Educate your new client on referrals.

Let them know yours is a word-of-mouth business and you thrive on referrals. Briefly let them know your referral reward policy. And explain the type of clients your business works with. The more they know what to look for in a referral, the more likely they are to deliver some.

5) Give them one last chance to back out.

If your client is going to have buyer’s remorse, it is going to ruin your sale. There is the chance they have not had all of their questions answered and were only being polite by agreeing to sign on. If they call back and decide they have changed their mind, it is too late for you to do anything. Right before they leave, ask them if they are 100% certain they are committed to this decision. It gives you the very best chance of saving your sale.

6) Send a thank you card as soon as they leave.

It seems so obvious, but so few businesses do it. Thank you cards go a million miles in the eyes of clients. Be sure not to skip this step.

Jim Labadie is a fitness entrepreneur, personal training sales expert and speaker. You can download a FREE copy of his e-book "63 Must-Have Sales Tips for Personal Trainers" at: http://www.ptsalestips.com