Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 9

TOP-NOTCH TRAINING
Michelle Blakely | www.blakelyfit.com

Tough love in small
group training
Group training is everywhere. In theory, it's a
clear win-win-win scenario: Clients pay less,
trainers earn more and everyone still gets
great results. However, theory is different
from application. I'm concerned that we're
enticed by the dollars (as in most industries)
and missing the follow-through required
for effective small group training. Consider
these three questions to avoid disappointing
clients and your bottom line.
1. Is it worth it for your clients?
It's easy for trainers to embrace how lucrative and efficient small groups
can be. However, limiting class enrollment to 10 people isn't enough to
justify the higher price point. Extra work must be happening outside the
studio to deliver value and justify the price to your small group clients.
The class should offer as much of the one-on-one personal training experience as possible. Bring the tailored, attentive elements of training
to the small group experience. Do you assess and reassess? Do clients
have clearly stated goals? Are you available for follow-up and questions?
These are all important considerations. Even if clients can't articulate it,
they might feel that there is an imbalance in what they are getting for
their money, and that is bad news for your bottom line and reputation.
2. Did you think it through?
Is your specialty class the right size and environment? Are you a
seasoned trainer? Are the details of the class clearly laid out and
adhered to? Be clear about what you are offering and why. Small
group training, specialty group classes, traditional group class instruction and semi-private training are all different offerings. Think
about which scenarios are best for different clients and goals, market it and stick to it. This thoughtfulness and clarity will appeal to
clients and significantly improve retention.
3. Are you standing in your clients' shoes?
Understandably, many consumers are confused. They approach your
facility (or website) with an idea of what they want to accomplish or
enroll in, but they probably don't understand the kind of training
best for their goals and experience levels. Now that you are clear
on what you offer and why, you need to explain and illustrate this
to your clients. Ensure they understand the details of the training,
including, but not limited to, class size, instructor qualifications, program design, general class demographic and expectations outside
of the gym - both yours and theirs.

Michelle Blakely is the owner of Blakely FIT, Inc., Strength Training Exclusively for Women, a public speaker and the author of the Friday Quickie blog.
She is a two-time winner of the Chicago Reader's Best of Chicago Personal
Trainer award. Join Michelle at train@blakelyfit.com, twitter.com/BlakelyFit
and facebook.com/blakelyfit.

MARCH-APRIL 2015 | WWW.FIT-PRO.COM | 9



Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015

Contents
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - Cover1
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - Cover2
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 3
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - Contents
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 5
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 6
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 7
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 8
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 9
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 10
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 11
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 12
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 13
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 14
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 15
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 16
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 17
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 18
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 19
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 20
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 21
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 22
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 23
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 24
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 25
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 26
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 27
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 28
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 29
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - 30
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - Cover3
Personal Fitness Professional - March/April 2015 - Cover4
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