I am a personal trainer. I am a studio owner. I am a studio manager. I am a sales representative. I am a personal training director. I therefore wear five hats. When do I wear them and can studio management software help me?

The second part of this question is an easy yes of course studio management software can help with each position in your business.

Studio management software and the personal trainer hat:

My day is busy I could have five or six clients in row then a short 30min break followed by another round of training. I do not have time or even the energy to switch from personal trainer to manager, sales or owner hats.

Studio management software allows me to quickly confirm my clients next session and it has auto reminders and billing so I do not need to do sales. It means I can focus on why they came to see me and not whether they own me money or if they are coming in next week. Add to this my studio management software has a member area where my clients can log on and book additional appointments or even change existing ones or even make purchases of other services and products I sell. No phone messages, no email or texts to deal with.

photo by Dave-F

No switching of hats needed.

I know that running your own fitness business can be very busy and occasionally exhausting.

Five things you can do when wearing your trainer hat to make wearing all your hats easier:

1. Design your workout program before each training session. Avoid cookie cutter training make each program specific to the needs of each client. There are lots of distractions when you are on the gym floor so give great service to keep your clients coming back.
2. Look at your studio management software to see the clients next three sessions and write them down in the file so you can remind them during the session or right after. By avoiding schedule confusion you will maximize your time and avoid scheduling errors and billing errors.
3. Focus on the client you are with not at what is going on at the front desk or with the other clients. You need to be a trainer and your client needs you to be a trainer. Look at the schedule ahead of time and make arrangements to handle all potential situations.
4. Avoid talking about or asking your clients about business issues when wearing the trainer hat. If you want to talk with a client about these things schedule a time or wait until you are not on the trainer time card.
5. Do not try and sell during your session with the client instead evaluate and assess them then make recommendations after the session. These recommendations may include product purchases or additional sessions but it will be better in a report after then during the session.

What are your biggest challenges that you have faced trying to ear all the different hats in your business?