The first week of January is coming, and that means two things:
- Your clients are making New Year’s resolutions.
- Their plans probably don’t include training with you the first week in January.
Yes, it’s entirely possible—perhaps even likely—for the client who just resolved to get ripped, jacked, and tanned to blow off the workouts that would help him achieve those goals. Where does that leave you? Frantically chasing after clients, trying to get those slots filled so you can maintain a glamorous lifestyle of paying rent and eating food.
There’s a simple way to avoid that New Year’s scramble: Book two sessions for each client in the first week of January. And do it now, before the holidays kick in and it becomes hard to reach them, much less get them to commit to training sessions three weeks from now.
I used this strategy when I trained clients, and routinely picked up 20 to 30 sessions that would otherwise have been empty spaces on my calendar. At close to $100 an hour (my rate back then), that meant $2,000 to $3,000.
But it’s not just for your benefit. Getting clients to commit to workouts the first week of January puts them right back into their fitness routines after the distractions and temptations of the holiday season. It also means they don’t have to deal with their trainer calling, texting, emailing, or maybe even showing up at their door.
Another reason to book at least two sessions now, in early December, is to give yourself an insurance policy in case the client forgets or cancels one of them. When it happens, just send a quick note saying something like this:
“No problem with you missing this one. We’re still booked for ____. See you then.”
Finally, if the client balks at scheduling so far in advance, you can explain that it’s a coveted spot on your training schedule, and you want to make sure he keeps it for as long as he wants. You’re just looking out for his best interests, as well as your own.
This article was adapted from an earlier one called “Five Unconventional Ways Trainers Can Generate More Wealth.”
