Before I answer this question, let me ask you one:
Q: How many clients do you think you need to make $72,000 per year as an online personal trainer?
A: 30, paying you $200 per month.
That’s not a lot of people. And because you don’t need a ton of clients to be successful, you don’t need to spend every minute on the phone or be crazy-good at sales.
So back to your question: Will I be able to have an online business if I'm not good at sales?
Relax. YOU CAN have an online training business without being a master salesperson.
To get started, all you really need are five clients. You’ll have to hustle to get them, but once they sign on, and assuming you do a halfway-decent job of training them, they will usually generate three to five referrals.
So your client base will grow systematically on its own.
(And if you enroll in the Online Trainer Academy, you WILL get clients, guaranteed. We promise you'll earn an extra $1,000 in your first 90 days—or your money back.)
Sure, some people will drop off, but referrals will continue to grow your business even if you’re not that good at marketing it.
That being said, someone who’s been referred by a friend isn’t just going to sign up on a recommendation. They’re going to want to connect with you first and ask some questions.
So to close the deal, you’re going to need some sales skill.
Improving your sales skill is worth the time and investment because it’s one of, if not the top, transferable skill.
The odds that you’re going to be an online trainer for the rest of your life are pretty slim, but knowing how to sell is something that’ll help you succeed anywhere.
I’d be doing you a disservice if I were just teaching you how to become a good online trainer.
My goal is to ultimately help you have more freedom in your life. And the way to do that is to acquire transferable skills that you can take with you wherever you go.
So when you tell me: “I don’t like sales because I’m no good at it” …
I’ll tell you, “Well, the reality is that anything you do in life involves selling something.”
It could be a product, a service, an idea, or yourself. In particular, if you can write good sales copy, you’re going to be very valuable to any company you work for or to any business venture you ever get involved in.
It’s a skill that amplifies everything else you have to offer.
No one is a born salesperson. No one instinctively knows how to write effective sales copy. It takes practice.
And I absolutely recommend that you commit to practicing. (Start with the five steps to sell personal training.)
Even if you insist, “I really don’t want to do sales or write sales copy,” understand that although you’ll still be able to make it as an online trainer, you will have to work harder and do a better job than other trainers with this skill.
There are really just two rules an online personal trainer needs to follow to be successful.
- Do a good job.
- Make sure everybody knows about it.
“Doing a good job” means becoming really good at your craft and helping clients get really good results. “Making sure everybody knows about it” is the marketing and sales component, which generates the referrals and grows the business.
So even if you’re really good at online training, if nobody knows how good you are, you won’t be as successful. You need both Golden Rules to excel.
There are a lot of trainers who are really good at marketing and sales but who aren’t that great at the craft or fitness part.
Being effective at marketing and sales is actually so important it can enable you to succeed in the fitness industry on its own. You may not like that, but it’s the reality.
On the other hand, there are people who are so good at the craft that they can still build a good business based solely on word of mouth. But both of these scenarios are the exceptions. You really do need the two components to succeed.
I’m not saying you have to excel at each one. It’s a balance.
For example, if you’re really not good at the craft, you have to be much better at marketing and sales. And vice-versa. The goal is to be pretty good at both.
Last point: If you really, really, really don’t want to do marketing and sales, find someone who does and partner with them.
It’s as simple as that. You focus on being the technician and hire someone to build the business.
Believe me, there’s no shortage of really good marketers who are interested in the fitness industry and who are looking for smart, enthusiastic, and skilled people to build a business around.
You can be that centerpiece.
There’s nothing wrong with that approach, although it will add to your expenses. But it’s another great option for running and growing a business.
Learn more: Get answers to more online trainer questions.
