Three ways to keep your fitness clients motivated over the holidays
No matter how focused your clients may be, it is more than likely that good intentions and good eating will be thrown out during the holiday season. While this is fine for the majority who can afford a bit of a blow out, if you still require income during the holidays, you may need to keep your clients motivated enough to want to attend sessions straight after the holiday is over.
Should I let my clients have a blow out over the holidays?
It is impossible to stay motivated year-round, and it’s important to allow your clients to have a break every now and then, but you don’t want that break to be extended beyond the holiday season. Traditionally, the Australia Day weekend marks the return to normal. Schools return and most people are back at work so you can expect to be back to capacity by the time February rolls around and you need to consider keeping your clients keen to get back even earlier if possible. Do not forget you also need a break and so this is one of the better times of year for you to take some time off. Running your own business can be hard, so it’s critical to get a much needed rest when you can. We would highly recommend you take this time to refresh and prepare for the year ahead so you can hit the ground running
Key tips to keep your clients motivated
Here are some key tips to keep your clients keen and motivated during the silly season so you can firm up your client base ready for the start of the new year.
1. Offer pre-holiday bookings with incentives
The Christmas season is one of the most expensive times of the year and so committing to personal training sessions might be hard for clients who have holiday bills arriving during January. One way to offset the potential disruption to your business is through pre-booking and prepayment of post holiday sessions. This will not only keep your clients away from too much bad behaviour over the holidays but will also encourage them to return as soon as the holidays are over. You might also want to include an incentive with the pre-Christmas booking, for example you might add an extra free session if they pay before Christmas for a certain number of sessions. The point is to keep your client motivated to return and also to help you with cash flow over the holidays. Remember though to keep some money aside for the leaner months ahead.
2. Keep in touch over the holidays
While no one wants their personal trainer shaming them over the holidays, keeping in touch might just encourage your client to not let all the hard work go while they take a break. A simple check in with encouragement might make the difference between a client who gives up and one who is looking forward to their next session with you. Taking time out is great, but also keeping focussed on the goal is equally useful so it has to be a balancing act for both you and your client. If your client is not contactable, then you’ll have to use an alternate method, and let’s face it, being disconnected during a holiday can be one of the best ways to recharge the batteries. Of course a simple New Year’s message is pretty non threatening and will also keep you top of mind without the guilt associated.
3. Set a holiday program
You shouldn’t expect your clients to be working out every day during the holidays but there are loads of ways to schedule some exercise during a holiday so they maintain their fitness level. The options are only limited by location and space available, but no matter where they are going, there are plenty of ways to keep exercising.
If they are travelling to the snow then obviously skiing is going to burn off some of the Christmas calories, heading inland might provide some great hiking options, and walks along the beach will be a great way to burn off some of the food and drink indulgences. Importantly, negotiate some options with your client and make sure you keep it realistic. If it cannot be worked into their holiday, it isn’t going to happen and maybe counter productive, i.e. if they feel like they feel like they’ve failed, they might overindulge even more.
Regardless of what you choose, allow them to enjoy their break and allow yourself to enjoy some downtime and you’ll all return feeling better motivated and ready to work hard.
For more information on managing clients or growing your personal training business see the Scheduliser app.
Scheduliser helps you manage your PT clients in an easy-to-use platform with unlimited client capacity, auto appointment reminders and cancellation notices and in-built business insights to help you increase your return, grow your business and save valuable time and money.
