RICH TRAINER- POOR TRAINER is a blog site devoted to teaching fitness trainers, coaches, gym owners or any fitness professional how to make not just a living, but build wealth and enjoy a successful fitness career.
The RICH TRAINER - POOR TRAINER Book Series will teach you secrets to Business, Marketing, People Skills, Psychology and Leadership gathered over a thirty year period.
RICH TRAINER-POOR TRAINER is worth millions as far as I'm concern. Purchase this 280 page manual TODAY and I will give you Trainer Dude- 100 Things you will never learn in school and The "X" Factor- #1 SECRET to being a WEALTHY Fitness Trainer FREE!!
Successful Personal Trainers Know about the Million Dollar Hand Shake!
Times have changed, people have not! Marketing tactics have changed, people's needs have not. Remember that!
Personal Trainers always want to figure out the best way to market themselves. At the same time, continue doing the same old things that never get them anymore clients.
Marketing 101
Social Media can be a blessing and a curse all at the same time. On one side you can get the word out about your services, on the other, you lose the personal touch. In the personal training business, its just that, Personal! You lose that, you lose clients.
The question is then, "What is the best way to get clients?" My question to you is, "What's the best way to get long term clients?"
The Million Dollar Hand Shake!
Flyers, ads, groupons, deals in the end will only get you short term clients at best. The truth is they only cheapen the value of your service by sending a message that you are like the rest of the trainers out there. Nothing, and I mean nothing replaces the timeless habit of just connecting with a person.
The Importance of the Handshake
Something about looking someone in the eye and saying hello. Its a deeper connect and has much more important meaning to them. In someway you have hooked them already and not know it. So why do most personal trainers not spend the effort and time to connect more with a handshake? Because they think it does take too much time and effort, and quit frankly, most do not have the confidence in doing so, when its all said and done. Three words for you, " GET OVER IT!"
Make the handshake, make the money! The handshake has made me over a million dollars!
RICH PERSONAL TRAINERS – Balance PHD and OJT!
The fitness industry hosts a wide range of characters. In general the profession does not fully require institutional 
degrees, but does encourage some form of certifications or formal education. The industry has left such requirements up to each organization, company or individual. As a result you have opinions that land on both sides of the debate; PHD or OJT?
More Options More Money
For what its worth, my opinion is you should have some form of organized sponsored education. It helps build a stronger foundation to your business and possible opens up opportunities you may never had otherwise. As you learned with the Oprah approach, the more options you have at your finger tips the more income streams you can create.
Being in business for myself most of my career, I can honestly say in thirty years I might have been asked about my classroom education less than two dozen times. On the other hand, having it, helped me open up at least a dozen doors that I can think of off the top of my head.
Education (PHD)
The college institutional system has yet to, one hundred percent buy into some form of degree fitness training program. Over the past ten years there has however, been a number of sponsored accredited programs rise in popularity. Some hold more weight in the community than others, but in the end it’s up to you to which you chose to acquire.
American College of Sports Medicine
If status and prestige is your thing, then the program of certification you want is from the America College of Sports Medicine or A.C.S.M.
This certification is looked upon by those in the industry as the end all be all of certifications. The thing is, it’s very challenging of a program and most opt for a lower level educational program because of the industries lack of requirements.
ACE
Another program is American College on Exercise. If the A.C.S.M. is not your interest, this one may be your next choice. A very reputable program.
NFPT
The last one I will mention is the National Federation of Personal Trainers. This is another popular certification program worth looking into.
Paper Weights
A word of caution about the rest of the programs marketed out there. Most are not worth the paper they are printed on. While educational programs are worth completing, be sure you do your homework first on which one is best for you.
Motivation (OJT)
I am a big advocate of getting a classroom education to increase your options and knowledge, but there is much more to being successful as a trainer. Like I have stated, this book is worth a million dollars to me, because of what I have learned in the trenches over the past thirty years. There is no better teacher than, OJT or “On the Job Training.”
To be in the RICH TRAINER category one must possess the both education and experience, and this may just take some time.
PERSONAL TRAINERS CERTIFICATIONS- Not All Created Equal!
So you want to be a successful personal fitness trainer. Many fitness enthusiasts who want to start a personal training 
business should really know exactly where to go to get a good personal training certification. That is one of the biggest questions I constantly receive. Fitness trainers always want to know which one of the many fitness training certification agencies should be taken seriously.
The unfortunate news is there are dozens upon dozens of personal training schools so-called selling personal training certifications. Some even sell for as little as $49.00. It is pathetic when a person, wanting to become a personal trainer , fills out a simple 5 question survey, pays $49 dollars, gets a personal training certification, and now considers them selves a true qualified professional. This behavior is bad for the personal training industry.
These are the only 9 you should be considering.
1. ACSM American College of Sports Medicine.
2. NASM - National Academy Of Sports Medicine
3. NSCA - National Strength And Conditioning Association
4. NCSF - National Council On Strength And Fitness
5. NFPT - National Federation Of Personal Trainers
6. ACE - American Council On Exercise
7. CI - Cooper Institute
8. Scirion Institude (SIEP)
9. ISSA - International Sports Science Association
Good luck in your quest to becoming the best personal trainer you possibly can. However also remember that a piece of paper is only the foundation to success. Do not hide behind it!
The Million Dollar Trainer- Go Here!
Rich Personal Trainers- Know Water Does Not Come From Rocks!
Water from rocks? Be careful, close but no cigar. Water comes from around the rocks, through cracks in rocks or above 
and below rocks. But, water passing through rocks not likely? The harsh reality is you can not get water out of a rock and in most gyms the water or money is all dried up from the memberships.
Water and Rocks- Two Things to Look for in Gauging Your Success
If you work for a gym and want to know who much success you will have there, average out the typical age of members. In addition look and see what the membership fees. This will tell you a lot about your future success in that gym.
Average Age- Below Average Income
How you process this may just come down to your present goals and income desires. You may be happy at $7 dollars an hour or $30 dollars an hour training. If you are that's fine. But this advice is for those who have higher aspirations.The average age of the membership will tell you top income potential. Now keep in mind, my personal goal is retention not quantity. I want few clients longer than more at a time. And I want to do that with an above average hourly rate.
If the average age of the membership is 30 or less, don't expect much in the form of training fees or long term clients. It just does not happen. Mentality more than anything, the majority do not need your services. So the market share is small, especially if you have to share space with other trainers. If the membership is closer to 40 and 50's then now its more worth my time. Hey anything may be worth your time, just understand this is the harsh numbers and they don't lie.
Membership Equals Money
The average monthly income tells a lot about members affordability to training services. If the club monthly dues is $45 or higher, then your average training fee will be about the same per hour. If the monthly dues is lower than that, then the gym will be a revolving door for trainers.
The fact is you can not get water from a rock. And in some if not most gyms now, the sponge is all but rung out of water as well. In other words the money has dried up. Hey, what ever you decide just keep these two rules of thumb in mind. Denial costs you money as well, remember that to.
RICH PERSONAL TRAINER – Know the #1 Secret to Happiness and Money in Fitness!
This post saddens me to have to write. There is no reason for such, but in ones heart it has gone. And when lost, it’s a 
hard thing to find once again. Your clients come to you for it, but you don’t have it. They expect it, but you can’t “Will” it. They need it, but you can’t manufacture it. If you don’t have it, then how can you expect your clients to get it, and in the end how can you be happy and make money without it? The real sad thing is you don’t even know you’ve lost it! So what is it?
Years ago I wrote a book on called, "Hope Floats.” It was inspired by my friend Kathy who was dying of bone cancer. One day Kathy talked me into sky diving; a bucket list of hers. If she was willing, heck so was I. When we landed it dawned on me, “Hope really does float.”
With No Vision People Parish!
Today, I see trainer sinking and you don’t even realize it. How do I know? If you are working for someone else, in a dead end trainer job, chances are you’ve lost the hope, the hope for a better career How do I know? Answer these two questions, “Do you have a written mission statement? And do you have a five year written plan of action for your career? If you have one, there’s still a glimmer, if you have none, your light of hope is gone, and you don’t even realize it.
Dream Journals, Goal Pages and Vision Boards
The smiles are gone, the energy has dissipated, the joy of the career has been taken, and the hope of your vision and plan has all but been forgotten. Oh, you think you still have it, but you don’t. It’s easier just to go to work, pacify your clients, maybe workout and then leave. Get up the next day, do it all over again. When’s the last time you cracked the dream journal, the goal pages, the visualization board, or hit your PR in your own workout? Been awhile right?
Flip the Switch
When my feet hit the ground and the parachute drowned out our laughter and the excitement of the freefall, another thing hit me, “Even though it does float, I got it back. I feel it again, I took the leap of faith, and Hope returned to my heart.”
The Secret to Money is HOPE!
If you are at a dead end trainer job, you may need to jump. You may need to find that Hope again. Action does cure all frustration and knowing it or not, you’re not floating. Do you have to quit your job, no? But at the very least, revisit your mission, your plan; create one if one does not exist.
Here’s a quote from RICH TRAINER-POOR TRAINER
“Do not make your profession in the fitness world complicated, it’s not. Don’t think that you have arrived at any point in your career, because that will be the beginning of the end for you. Do however, compete only with yourself, fuel the creativity inside; never fall prey to small minded thinking on the outside and love people for who they are not what you want them to become.”
Find your dream again; desire to be better than you are right now. Follow your heart, jump if you have to. When you do, like me, you will realize once again, "Hope Does Float!”
RICH PERSONAL TRAINERS – Understand “Brand Leveraging,” and the Power of Duplication!
Marketing a product or service has sure changed from yesteryear; advertising and selling personal trainer services is no 
except either. As a personal trainer you are the product and service. It is up to you to establish some form of identity or “Brand,” if you will. A Brand is a symbol of recognition that people will hopefully remember when they decide they want your product or service.
Leveraging
Leveraging is a positional advantage; power to act effectively. The ultimate goal is leverage you the Brand in some shape or fashion. With social media today, attaining that goal has never been easier.
Blogging
This post is an example of how I leverage my Brand and time. I schedule this post usually a few days after I write it. Once it automatically goes on this blog it does not stop there. Each post is automatically linked to multiple social media outs of mine: Linked In, Face Book, Twitter, Google plus etc… So in essence what I am doing is taking my brand and duplicating my time. The goal is to create a tidal wave of sort with information about my Brand; ultimately I want a following of people.
If you want to be a successful personal trainer you have to create an Identity, leverage it with social media and give a good product or service! It’s not complicated, just takes consistency and desire.
RICH PERSONAL TRAINERS – Give Themselves “Money Permission Slips!”
This may be a little deep for most fitness coaches to grasp, maybe that’s why most personal trainers are broke. Just sayin…..! Some criticize me for spending so much time writing on the unseen verses the seen, or the mindset to making money verses the logistics, in other words. Those are the same people who continue to buy my books as well! Just sayin…
So, let’s go deep!
Permission for Wealth
Permission slips! Remember when you took a permission slips to school from home? You would have thought we were getting away with murder or something. You stuck your chest out because you felt privileged or that you had something other kids wanted. You felt good about yourself didn’t you, but for what? You didn’t care for what, all you thought about was, there were no boundaries, rules or laws that would keep you from doing something; a free pass of some sort.
Do you ever feel that way now as an adult; confined, hands are tide, to many laws in your head? Do you feel you need a permission slips to succeed? I bet you have. The truth is, if you have not made a Million Dollars as a personal trainer then you have not given yourself a slip. So here it is!
From this day forward you have permission to be wealthy, prosperous, at peace and rich in your soul beyond measure. You ok with that? Or did that send a shiver up the spine? That’s ok! Changing your thinking won’t happen over night, but it will happen.
Rule #1: It’s ok to be wealthy!
RICH PERSONAL TRAINERS -Plan for Cash, or Cash it in!
I got a plan. You got a plan? Yes I do, say you! Many say same but never go anywhere as a personal trainer. One 
step forward and two steps back maybe, but never gaining any traction wondering aimlessly in the darkness of the fitness profession.
Got a plan? I got a plan. You either have a path or plan on failing, that simple. Why so hard on making one then? Maybe fear of the unknown? Maybe don’t think it’s really necessary to do one? Maybe just living day to day? Maybe sadly don’t believe in thyself.
Made a million? I made a million. You either have a plan to make a million or you don’t. You want the secret, make out a plan. It does not have to be prefect, just put pen to paper. If you own a house, it didn’t get built with out an architects plan, did it? You want a secret to wealth, there is no secret to wealth if its on paper for all to see!
Don’t make making money as a personal trainer more difficult than it is. Make a to do list everyday. At least then you will have enough HOPE to get through the day!!
RICH PERSONAL TRAINERS- Know, “Change or be Changed!”
Look at what you are doing, what your circumstances are, people around you and listen to your thoughts and words. Now answer me this, "How's that working for you?" I have four words for you,
Change or Be Changed!!!!!!
RICH PERSONAL TRAINERS -Understand, “It’s Not About Them!”
The Message- One must ask thy self, “What is Wealth?” Wealth can and will come to you in many shapes, forms and sizes. To 
some, wealth is solely financial gain. To others, it may come to them in a quiet moment, song, deep relationship or even an encouraging word from another out of the blue.
By all means this not in any way shape or form is this a Religious or Spiritually motivated book! The “Law” of a Wealthy Fitness Trainer, is about certain principles one must have to make money in the industry. Most of what you will read will be a play on words, but also may parallel with historical biblical teachings. While it is of my own opinion I write such words, I would be less than honest with you if I do not acknowledge right up front that my faith has played a huge role in my success over the past three decades. Humbly speaking, “By the Grace of God, Go I.”
From day one, I have included my faith in my business, actions, and counseling, not on the outside, but inwardly. And with out a doubt, my career has been blessed more than I could have ever hoped for or imagined. The least I can do is give back something in words in hopes that it too changes a life and inspires a soul. For this I write this book!
Coming August 2012
