Key Personal Training Business Goals & How To Achieve Them

As a fitness professional, you’re constantly setting, monitoring, and reviewing the goals of your clients. However, it’s just as important to set your own personal training business goals!

To help you do this, we’ll explore: 

• Understanding The Importance Of Personal Trainer Career Goals
• Using The SMART System For Your Personal Trainer Goals
• Short Term Goals For A Personal Trainer
• Long Term Goals For A Personal Trainer To Strive For

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Understanding The Importance Of Personal Trainer Career Goals

Whether you’ve just become a personal trainer or are established with plenty of loyal clients, it doesn’t mean you should stop striving for success.

Achieving your personal training business goals will help your business grow as you’ll be able to offer more to clients.

For example, setting training and development goals allows you to gain more qualifications, skills, and knowledge. You can then turn these into services you offer, which we’ll discuss in detail later on in the article.

By setting personal training business goals, you've always got something to aim for, which you can then break down into smaller daily or weekly goals to help you achieve it.

This gives both you and your business direction, ensuring you always know what your next move is going to be and preventing you from getting complacent within your career.

Having something to keep working towards also keeps you motivated as you’ll constantly be looking for new ways of achieving the goal you’ve set.

Recognising you can always make improvements to your services through goal setting will help make you an even better personal trainer in the long run!

Using The SMART System For Your Personal Trainer Goals

If you’re hoping to set personal training business goals, the most effective way of doing this is by using the SMART system.

SMART is an acronym which provides a set of criteria that should be followed when setting goals for yourself or your PT business. This acronym stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Setting SMART fitness goals allows you to clarify your ideas, focus your efforts, and use your resources and time productively. 

This means you’ve got a much higher chance of achieving your personal training career goals.

Let’s break down the meaning of each letter of the SMART acronym and apply it to real life goals for a personal trainer.

Make Your Personal Trainer Business Goals Specific

Having a specific direction to work in means you’re less likely to lose sight of your goal. This gives you the energy to develop ways to motivate your personal training clients, as well as yourself.

To measure whether or not it’s specific enough, you should ensure you’re able to answer these questions when considering your goal:

• What am I hoping to accomplish?
• Why is this goal important to me?
• Who is involved in this goal?
• Where will this goal be located?
• Which resources are involved in this goal?

In terms of specific personal trainer career goals, a good example could be:

I want to gain a qualification by the end of the year which will allow me to offer boxing as part of my personal training services so I can cater for the interests of my clients and help them achieve their own goals.

The Goals Of A Personal Trainer Should Be Measurable

Being able to measure your goals allows you to keep track of how much progress you’ve made.

It also provides you with a realistic timeline of when you can expect to achieve the goal, keeping you focused towards meeting it.

Having a measurable goal will also allow you to make any necessary adjustments to your approach along the way so you’re more likely to achieve your aim.

To be measurable, your goal should include a numerical outcome, such as:

• The number of clients you wish to gain or retain
• How much revenue or profits you’re hoping to make

Here’s an example of one of the best measurable personal trainer goals you may wish to set:

I want to sign up 5 new personal training clients to my programme within the next month.

Personal Trainer Goals Should Be Achievable

In order to ensure you’re able to meet your goals, they should be ambitious but not unrealistic to achieve.

When setting your personal trainer goals, you should consider whether your goal is achievable in terms of:

• Your skills
• Available financial resources 
• Time frame you have to complete the goal

For example, you may have recently completed a Level 5 Advanced Sports Nutrition Course and are looking to recruit a certain number of nutrition clients within the next month.

To ensure your goal is achievable, you should think about the number of clients you’ll be able to realistically recruit in that timeframe as a single personal trainer.

So, achievable goals for a personal trainer would be something similar to this example:

My goal is to recruit 3 new clients onto my personal training and nutrition programme within the next 3 months.

Ensure Your Personal Training Business Goals Are Relevant To You

Your goals will only be achievable if they are relevant to your skills, your current situation, and interests as a personal trainer.

This means they should be specific to you, rather than to compete with others in your gym or local area.

For instance, if you’re a new personal trainer interested in growing your client base, trying to achieve the goal of getting the new gym manager role within the next month is not only unrealistic but also irrelevant to your current situation and interests.

Instead, you should set a more relevant goal, such as:

I want to gain 50 new newsletter sign ups within the next month and, from this, aim to gain at least 5 new clients.

Good Personal Trainer Career Goals Are Time-Bound

Setting a deadline or specific time frame for your goals to be completed will give you the essential drive to ensure you remain motivated to achieve them.

It also allows you to break down your larger aim into smaller, short-term goals you can use as checkpoints to keep you moving in the right direction.

For example:

I want to complete my Level 5 Obesity Control and Weight Management qualification by the end of January.

You can then set smaller goals along the way, such as:

I want to complete my first assignment by the end of next week.

Short Term Goals For A Personal Trainer

When it comes to personal training business goals, setting some short-term goals is a great way of keeping up your motivation to succeed on a weekly and daily basis.

In this section, we’ve come up with some examples of short-term goals you might want to set to benefit your marketing strategy, improve your skills, and offer a better service to your clients!

Good Personal Trainer Goals Include Getting A Certain Number Of Social Media Followers By A Specific Date

Improving your social media presence is a relevant goal for you, especially if you’re new to the industry and trying to establish a great reputation, or are more experienced and looking to get personal training clients using Instagram.

Gaining a certain number of followers is great in terms of setting a specific and measurable goal, as you’ll be able to put specific strategies into place to achieve it. 

You can then track how many followers you’re gaining per week, which shows whether your strategies are working.

For example, you can use the ‘Insights’ feature on Instagram to see levels of engagement with your posts. This includes the impressions made, likes, and follows you got from the post.

This allows you to identify if what you’re posting is reaching and engaging your target audience. If not, you can then make alterations to your social media strategy.

For instance, you can use more relevant hashtags on your posts for your target audience.

To discover relevant hashtags, we’d suggest conducting research on Instagram by:

• Using the ‘Related Hashtags’ feature
• Finding out which hashtags your competitors are using
• Looking at the hashtags your clients are using

As well as relevant hashtags, ensure your content is relevant to your target audience, as they’re much more likely to engage with posts that are useful to them.

For example, if your target audience is beginners looking for help with weightlifting, you could post informative content such as ‘how to’ guides for specific exercises, as PT Alice Liveing does:

This shows you’re knowledgeable in your field and you can help them reach their goals.

You should also be sure to set an achievable follower goal. For example, if you’re a PT who is new to social media, don’t expect to be gaining 100,000 followers by the end of the month.

Instead, aim to build your followers up gradually, ensuring you focus on providing informative, useful content that generates great levels of engagement.

This way, you’re more likely to build a loyal following and be able to turn these followers into paying clients.

Personal Trainer Goals Include Creating A Newsletter and Getting A Number of Sign Ups By A Certain Date

Aiming to get a certain number of newsletter sign ups is one of the best measurable goals of a personal trainer as you can monitor the number of leads you’re getting each month.

This allows you to see if your personal trainer marketing strategies have been successful, as well as if the content of your newsletter is engaging enough for your target audience.

If you fail to meet this target, you can then alter the topics you discuss. For instance, to make them more relevant to your followers who are more likely to be interested in your services as a result.

You should ensure this goal is achievable, in terms of the timeframe you set to gain the number of followers you choose.

For instance, we’d advise against aiming to get 5000 sign ups by the end of the month if you only have 500 Instagram followers.

To make sure this goal is specific and relevant, conduct some market research to find out the type of content your target audience would want from a newsletter. 

We’d suggest asking your current clients, social media followers, and even check out the type of newsletters similar PTs are offering.

For instance, your target audience may want to see:

• The latest health and fitness news or research
• Testimonials and success stories from current clients
• ‘How to’ guides on particular exercises
• Benefits of the type of training you offer

Providing informative and relevant content highlights your expertise and shows newsletter subscribers why they should be paying clients if they’re not already.

It also allows you to keep current clients up to date with the services you’re offering, any updates to your training times, and any special events or challenges you may be running.

This keeps the attention of your subscribers, as the letters arriving in their inbox on a weekly or monthly basis will act as a regular reminder of your services.

Therefore, they’re likely to build a sense of loyalty towards you and keep booking PT sessions.

Newsletters are also a great method of mass communication as they allow you to alert a large group of people about new developments within your business in a timely and cost-effective way.

This means you’ll have more time to dedicate to training clients, improving your business, and generating higher revenues.

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In relation to your personal training business goals, check out these articles below:

• Personal Trainer Marketing Strategies And Tips
• Personal Trainer Social Media: Ideas, Examples & Schedule 
• Personal Trainer Business Cards: Examples & Ideas

One Of The Best Personal Trainer Career Goals Is To Gain A New Qualification By A Specific Date

As a personal trainer, you should be striving to continuously learn more about health and fitness. 

This not only ensures you’re able to keep up with the fast-moving fitness industry but also allows you to expand your skill set.

Keeping your knowledge up to date and gaining new skills allows you to share what you’ve learned and expand your offering as a PT in terms of services.

By diversifying your knowledge and providing clients with services which will be useful to them, you’ll be able to deliver the best experience possible to them.

For instance, if you have clients who are interested in boxing, then being able to offer this as part of your personal training package will appeal to them as a relevant service to their goals and interests.

This keeps them motivated to train, which helps PT client retention rates in the long run.

Advertising boxing as part of your offering will also attract new clients, who may choose you over other trainers for this specific skill.

Gaining a new qualification is one of the most highly achievable personal training business goals, as you can take a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course.

For example, OriGym provides an extensive range of CPD fitness courses which can be completed in just one day, meaning they’re realistic and achievable for all personal trainers.

This means you’ll be able to set a specific date for when you can introduce this service, begin gaining new clients, and generate more revenue.

The courses cover essential areas for both trainers and their clients, such as:

• Kettlebells
• Circuit training
• Suspension training
• Boxing and Pad-work
• Strength and conditioning
• Group training

This is also a great measurable goal, as once completed you’ll receive a certificate and you’ll be able to put the specific qualification you've achieved onto your CV.

You can then use your new area of expertise to introduce specific services for clients.

Taking On A Number of New Clients By A Chosen Date Is A Great Short-Term PT Goal

If you’re hoping to increase your revenues and build up a loyal client base, this is a relevant short-term personal training goal for you.

By choosing a specific number of clients to take on, this will keep you motivated to do everything you can to recruit this number, within a specific timeframe.

However, be sure to choose an achievable, realistic target, otherwise you may be spreading yourself too thinly. You’re then at risk of providing a substandard service to the clients you do have as a result.

This can have the opposite effect of what you’re aiming for, causing you to lose clients rather than gain new ones which can be frustrating.

Depending on the timeframe you’ve set for this goal, you’ll be able to identify some relevant strategies you can implement to help you progress quicker towards your aim.

For instance, if you’re looking to take on new clients relatively quickly, such as in the next couple of weeks, you may want to think about how you follow up on leads you’re getting.

Failing to get back to clients quickly can look unprofessional and in the time you haven’t got back to them, they may have been able to contact another personal trainer and sign up for their services instead.

To prevent this from happening and ensure you’re able to secure clients, you could set an even smaller goal of aiming to follow up on enquiries within 2 hours, for instance.

If your timeframe is slightly longer, such as 2 to 3 months, you may be able to develop your marketing strategy to help your business attract clients from your target audience.

For example, you can create new flyers and business cards detailing your services and contact information, and leave them in spaces in which your target audience will be.

This may include:

• Cafés
• Community centres
• GP surgeries

As we’ve already mentioned, you could also focus on implementing an effective social media strategy allowing you to increase your following and engagement rates.

Another approach which will give you the time and space to take on new clients is by using personal training booking software, such as Calendly or Appointedd:

This software streamlines your booking and administration processes, so you’ll have more time to take on clients and will be able to manage more clients at once.

For instance, the software allows you to provide one place for clients to book sessions with you at the touch of a button on your website. 

This makes it easier for clients to book appointments too, so they’re more likely to sign up to your services than if the process was complex!

It also shows clients when you’re free and when you’re not, so you’ll have to spend less time on the phone or laptop arranging sessions.

Long Term Goals For A Personal Trainer To Strive For

As well as setting short term goals, you should keep some long term personal training business goals in mind too.

Having some bigger aims to work towards will give you a greater sense of purpose, while ensuring your clients are happy and your business is successful in the long run.

Here are some examples you may want to include when coming up with your own goals.

Increasing Client Retention By A Specific Percentage Is One Of The Best Personal Training Business Goals To Aim For

There are various reasons why people fail to continue on their personal training journey, which means PTs often find it difficult to retain clients. These reasons include:

• Poor communication between trainer and client
• Loss of motivation from the client
• The client and PT aren’t a good fit for each other
• Changes in personal situation, including work, home, or personal life
• Clients aren’t getting the results they hoped for

So, though your short-term goal may be to take on a specific number of new clients, your long-term goal should be to retain them!

This is because retaining clients allows you to build up a loyal client base, giving you the chance to help these clients build their own goals. They’ll see results, feel satisfied, and recommend your services to others, helping you gain more clients in the long run.

You’ll also be able to build up testimonials which you can post as proof of your expertise in helping others on your website and social media pages. 

As a result, you’ll begin to build a reputation as a trustworthy PT, which is crucial in a highly competitive industry. 

If you’re only retaining a small number of the clients you work with, you’re going to struggle to maintain any regular income.

This is because you’ll be forced to spend much more money on marketing in order to continuously bring in new leads.

To avoid this, a strategy we’d recommend for increasing client retention rates is to implement a personal training package system, such as this one from Dean Clarke:

Many PTs sell their sessions in blocks. For example, a client can pay for 10 to 15 sessions upfront, at a cheaper price point than if they were to purchase sessions individually.

However, this sets an end date for your relationship, which can create gaps in your retention.

Also, once this special offer has ended, clients are unlikely to want to pay more than the price they paid for.

They’re instead likely to try to negotiate a discount, meaning you’ll be forced to reduce your hourly rate for retention purposes.

To avoid this and increase retention rates, you could introduce a monthly package system, where clients pay a set price per month for a certain number of sessions per week.

For instance, they could pay €120 a month for 1 session per week, which works out at €30 per session.

However, if they were to choose a package that offers 3 sessions per week at €288 each month, this works out cheaper at €24 per session, saving them money in the long term.

By asking clients to pay for their monthly package using a direct debit, their package will automatically renew at the end of the month.

This avoids the awkward ‘re-selling’ conversation when you’re near the end of your block of sessions, meaning you’re more likely to retain them as a client.

It also makes your monthly earnings more predictable and sustainable, as clients are unlikely to cancel direct debits because it creates the illusion they’re paying less for your services.

To make this goal SMART, you should set a specific rate of retention to aim for within a particular time period to ensure you can put specific strategies in place to help.

A study from Bain & Company found a 5 percent increase in member retention rate can boost profits anywhere from 25 to 95 percent, making this an ideal figure to aim for by the end of the year.

Aiming for a specific figure also ensures this goal is measurable. This is because you can compare your retention rate at the start of the period with the figure at the end of the period to see whether you have achieved your goal.

You can also calculate your retention rate frequently throughout the period to see if you’re making progress towards your goal. A good formula to use for this is:

Number of clients currently using your services/Total number of clients at the beginning of the period.

If you’re failing to reach your goal, you’ll know you need to alter your strategies to help retain more of your members.

Set Personal Trainer Goals Such As Helping A Number of Clients Reach Their Goals By A Certain Date 

This is a great goal to set using the SMART system, as aiming to help a specific number of clients allows you to conduct accurate financial forecasting for the time period you’ve chosen.

As well as predicting the costs of helping clients, you can also estimate the revenues you’re likely to generate, meaning you’ll have a good level of control over your cash flow.

This is vital for any PT wanting to maintain a profitable business in the long run.

Increasing the number of clients you’d like to help may mean another of your personal training business goals should involve acquiring new clients. 

A great way of retaining clients and helping them to achieve their aims is to set SMART goals for all of your clients, as well as for yourself.

For example, a client may come to you wanting to improve their strength. 

To give them some direction and motivation, you could set a more specific goal, such as being able to lift a certain amount of weight when performing a deadlift by the end of the month.

You can then set smaller strength goals each week, implementing progressive overload in every session to help them gradually work towards their larger goal.

Breaking this into smaller goals will help the client feel less overwhelmed and also makes the bigger aim seem much more achievable. 

They will have more drive and motivation to keep working, making them more likely to stick with you and achieve their goals.

If you’re looking to help significantly more clients to achieve their goals, you may want to consider bringing on another qualified personal trainer to help you.

This means you can help more clients while also focusing on other areas of the business, such as marketing and administration without becoming burnt out.

For example, by focusing on social media, email, and in-person marketing campaigns, you’re likely to be able to acquire even more clients.

You can also dedicate this extra free time to continuing professional development. For instance, you may want to take a CPD Fitness Course or Level 5 Personal Training Courses.

This allows you to build on your current knowledge and skills, meaning you’re able to offer a better service to clients.

The other trainer you hire may have a different area of expertise to you, allowing you to offer more services to your current clients and attract new clients who are looking for a specialist in their area, such as with building strength. 

For instance, they may be qualified in areas such as:

• Yoga
• Pilates
• Boxing
• Nutrition

Most importantly, hiring another trainer doubles the available hours of your business, meaning you can help more clients reach their goals and increase your revenues at the same time.

This makes it one of the most rewarding long term goals for a personal trainer on our list!

Consider Personal Trainer Goals Such As Generating A Specific Amount Of Revenue Within A Timeframe

Revenue-based goals are some of the best long term goals for a personal trainer to set. 

This is because increasing revenue is a good indication of the fact you’re growing as a personal trainer and are successfully helping clients achieve their own goals.

Tracking a financial indicator such as revenue also allows you to measure the success of your sales and marketing efforts.

You can look at where your sales leads came from, such as social media or word of mouth, and analyse the impact each of these has had on the growth of your business, including on revenues.

To determine an achievable and relevant revenue goal for you, you’ll need to:

1. Establish a price point for training clients, e.g., how much you’ll charge per session
2. Next, think about how much income you’d like to be generating per year
3. You can then work out how many clients you’d need to train to achieve this goal

This can then be broken down into how many hours a month, and then per week, you’d need to work, as well as how much revenue you’d need to generate per week.

Having a specific revenue goal such as this keeps you focused and motivated to work as many hours as possible to meet your goal.

For instance, if you know you need to be generating €2000 revenue per week to meet your goals and you charge €50 per hour, then you’ll know you need to train clients for 40 hours per week.

If you achieve some of the short-term goals we’ve mentioned in this article, it’s likely you’ll increase revenues organically as a result.

For instance, improving your skills by taking a further CPD qualification means you’re able to offer additional services. 

This will allow you to improve your personal training offer, meaning you’ll gain a competitive edge and are likely to attract more clients.

You’ll also be successful in generating more revenue if you achieve your marketing goals, such as increasing your social media following and engagement, as well as getting more newsletter sign ups.

This is because you’ll have more leads, who you can turn into clients through providing engaging content and testimonials of current clients.

You could consider introducing promotional offers for new clients, such as exclusive monthly package deals. 

This may give those who are considering signing up to your services the final push they need and if you impress them with your training skills, they’re likely to stay!

Before You Go!

Whether you’re a new PT or simply looking to expand your business, setting some personal training business goals of your own is the key to success within the competitive health and fitness industry.

Ensure you reach these goals with our Level 5 Personal Trainer Courses, and continue developing your industry knowledge to achieve success with your business.

Find out more by downloading our course prospectus!

Sources

• Rizzo, Nicholas, ‘77 Gym Membership Statistics, Facts, and Trends’, RunRepeat, (October 2021)