FitSync Forums: Does Online training work?

Hi Steve-
Good question. I can give you some insight from the business side and what we see our professional and club clients doing successfully.

So far the most successful online PT businesses are those that combine face to face PT sessions and online. This way you develop a personal, face to face relationship with the client and over time you can help them progress into a "maintenance" mode where they may not need to see you twice a week but could definitely benefit from you regularly monitoring their activity. Over time you will build up a larger and larger base of online clients to supplement the income you get from your "regular" PT clients.

We've found the most important component in online training is personalization. Don't think you can sign up for so and so's online millionaire maker PT program where you are basically reselling some canned workouts or diets. Quite often the program you are paying for as a trainer to resell to your clients is also available in an individual version to your clients. Imagine how clients react when the "personalized" plan you're selling them for $40 a month is the same as what they can get for $10. Clients today are more educated and with all the free content available the big distinction is personalization. Countless posts from clients complaining that the online training deal they signed up for is just the same workouts over and over and not specific to their needs. The other complaints are against the automatic workout generators - fill in a profile and "the computer" will generate a fitness plan. Great, with that system there's no need for a trainer so those will only work you out of your profession.

You need to establish a bond of trust and understanding with your client and then provide something specific to fit their needs. We have many trainers and therapists using FitSync in exactly that manner. They first start working with the client to kick off a fitness plan or rehab an injury. Eventually the client reaches the point where they don't need three $90 an hour sessions a week. What then? Now's the time to offer something in between - online monitoring and program design for maybe $50 a month? Set your pricing as your market tolerates and commensurate with the value you are providing. Plus you maintain contact with the client for future face to face sessions.

I hope you find this useful. You can contact us directly for more information and a private response.

Thanks for checking in.

Yours In Health,

John