Is Our Proffession too Cut-throat? - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[kettlebell king]

I was speaking to another P.t today- who is a close friend- he told me he was interested in attending a local circuit training based class as it involved some unusual exercises adapted from the fire fighters tests here in the u.k. After speaking to the instructor of the class my friend booked in and was ready to attend the following week until he recieved a very strange call from the instructor. He was ranting down the phone saying he could see now why he was attending his class- to steal his ideas and students to take to my friends newly opened kettlebell class the other side of the city! Of course my friend had not the slightest intention at all of doing this and was interested in learning something new and progressing his own fitness in a new way.
I found it sad as it seems that many fitness pro's in my city are increasingly adopting this attitude of segregation and striving to put the others out of business. There's a big enough market for everyone to have a piece of the pie so to speak so it saddens me that this is the way it is going. I myself had to stop using google pay per click advertising as my budget was being expended by the same i.p zone address again and again- which I managed to block recieving the ad- but not after many pounds down the drain.
I just feel if we all in the city could learn from each other and work with not against each other we would all be far better off

[megfit]

I don't think this is as much an issue with personal training/fitness as it is just with business. And, above it all, it totally comes down to the self-confidence of the particular person.

You can't change the beliefs/fears/actions of others. You can only set an example by attempting to work with colleagues. I have found that most people I propose collaborative work with are very open to the idea. However, I've also had a few who make it VERY evident that we are competitors. I feel we both lose when they have that attitude. However, that also means I'm not going to refer people to them, either.

What those 'fearful' people don't realize, as this instructor also misses, is what it is about THEM that attracts business. This is such a shame, because this also means they don't know how to TELL their ideal clients what they get by coming to them! But this also means they must be aware of who they do NOT want to work with. Hard to do when you're just afraid of staying in business, or afraid you really don't have what it takes..

I am very good friends with two colleagues who you could virtually (I use that term on purpose) say were my two top competitors in my area. However, although we do overlap in our services, what we most like to do is very different. So, when one of us gets a call from someone we don't care to work with, we refer to the other who is better suited for that person. It hasn't been uncommon when one of us can't make a requested presentation, we refer the other. Does that mean that that organization may contact THEM next time? Maybe. But if that's the case, it's because they were a better fit for them. And, in MY book, that's better for all of us in the end.

There's no solution to the actions/fears/beliefs of others, I say again. However, it's how WE act/react that matters. As long as WE are very clear, ourselves, in who we most enjoy working with/what we most enjoy doing, what it is about ourselves that draws those ideal clients to us, and what OUR ultimate goals are, then we're on the right track. Then, when the scammers and others who are out to sabotage our efforts play their tricks on us, we can grumble for awhile, but continue on, knowing we're on the right track.

One last story: Years ago, when I started my training and nutrition practice, there was a woman up here on the mountain I live on that called herself a 'holistic health practitioner'. Ok; only exposure and experience and discussion with her told me this woman was a quack. However, all it really meant was that eventually her clients came to me (to resolve their CONSISTENT diarrhea from her treatments). I even had a training client who saw her for massage therapy. However, I felt it was totally inappropriate for me to speak negatively of this woman.
HOWEVER, she had no problems talking about me! Why? Apparently I was a threat! She would tell people about the clients I'd lost because of this reason or that. Totally untrue. How did I know she told people this? The people she'd tell would tell me. (Problem with a small mountain.)
So, who's still around and who is out of business???? I'm still here!

Margie

[muscletrainerdh-NSCA CPT]

I agree with Margie, 100%.

The guy ranting either 1) Stole the routine himself or 2) Didn't have the confidence in his abilities that HE was the ONLY one who could teach said routine. That's why he perceived your friend as a threat.

I don't know about the UK, but times are tough here in the good old USA. Where I live unemployment is high, gas prices are high and more people are thinking twice before they purchase a service that they feel is a luxury. So the pool of clients is getting smaller and competition is more feirce. But still no reason to over react like the instructor in your story.

[kaiserS]

Yup, got to rep Margie big time on this one too -

Training is not competitive - it is the individual trainer who is the product, not the training itself - and it only takes about 12-15 clients to have a big-time, thriving and lucrative training practice - for that reason, there's no need to be so cut-throat with other people -

When I first started as a trainer I was a little competitive with other independents - as I matured I realized that what they do has nothing to do with me, and that as long as I paid attention to my own activities my success was guaranteed -

Now when I see a trainer that's competitive, I know that they're either green or not too successful - I've talked to some of the top trainers in the world on my blog and have come to one conclusion - that Personal Trainers are among the most friendly and giving professionals and we have one of the best professional "brotherhoods" -

(although I've only ever really been a trainer!)

[kettlebell king]

definatley- it just makes me sad as i've had people try to poach clients by making up various untruths - none of which have jumped ship so to speak. I'm always happy to refer clients to different trainers who would be more suitable for there needs - it just seems that every one is scrabbling around trying to eat and get a piece of pie that is big enough to feed all.