Why Personal Trainers Should Stop Billing by the Hour

Hourly rates are by far the most common billing method used by personal trainers. A solution which is not always profitable and that prevents from improving profitability when the entire time is taken.

This position can block many trainers who are experiencing delicate situations. If you want to stand out and make your profitability skyrocket through a new strategy plan for fixing prices, you will find all you need and even more in this article.

Back to the Definition of Your Services

To adapt your offer and improve your personal trainer income, it is crucial to go back to the roots of your profession. Coaching is a professional expertise which is allowing a client to achieve a health objective. Health is a way of life that requires a 24/7 commitment through quality of life, exercise, and nutrition.

Indeed, your advice will be followed day after day without interruption. By basing your offer on this observation, an hourly rate should already feel like the wrong way to go. Health is not sorted out during a single session with a fitness instructor or a trainer. Nutrition, sleep, and many other factors are to be considered. Therefore, it is necessary to rethink this pricing model.

Understanding How Fitness Apps Work

Applications simulating a personal trainer are proliferating, and the competition is getting bigger every day. It is therefore necessary to instill a new perception of value in your business. This is where an hourly rate is hurting the perceived value by your client. Do not try to hide your hourly rates in monthly session packages and bundled services. You got to take your game to the next level. There are two ways to abandon hourly rates, once and for all.

1

First, there is the fixed price plan which will allow you to bill the client depending on the achievement of an objective. The number of sessions is not considered, the client will consequently not be able to evaluate each session according to the paid price. He will envision results in a global way. A bad day or a bad session will not be the end of the contract.

2

Finally, there is the monthly subscription plan, not for a number of sessions, but for a complete support. You should not be aiming to complete your hours, but to serve your client, regardless of the time invested. This solution may be less profitable for some clients but can also allow you to gain much more on others while restoring the brand of your profession.

Stop selling a program! Instead, sell coaching. This immense nuance in your vision will make all the difference in the world.

Etienne Dubois

Founder, Hexfit

Stabilizing Your Activities with Packages

By using package services, you will be able to stabilize your income in the long term. Instead of being subject to hourly rate fluctuations, you will be able to focus on other development tasks and incidentally make your business grow without the fear of losing everything.

Instead of paying each session, your clients know how much they need to pay each month and consequently, they know that this money is no longer theirs when paying bills. It is also an excellent way to increase the perceived value since you are not accompanying your client for an hour only, but for a whole month to achieve a health goal. A very different perception, which allows you to earn more without working longer hours.

Working on Value Perception

To change the perceived value of your offer, an all-included package is the way to go.

Instead of offering :

2 coaching sessions at 60$/hour

+

a gym membership at 30$/month

=

For a total of 150$ per month

Offer a goal tracking package :

Free gym access

+

2 coaching sessions/month

+

continuous goal tracking

+

personalized training programs

=

For 200$ per month

When the two propositions are compared, the client is perceiving more value in the second offer, even though they are both essentially the same.

Finally, your trainer salary can literally explode if you are able to successfully manage the concept of perceived value. Forget about hourly rates and offer a health coaching service that goes far beyond a simple workout.

Étienne Dubois

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