Most advice on getting personal training clients is a list of twenty tactics. Few trainers have time for twenty.
It’s more useful to choose the two or three routes that suit where you work and how you like to work, and do those well. This guide covers each route: your first client, the gym floor, online, Instagram and finding clients without social media, then referrals, the rules on testimonials and photos, and how to tell what’s working. Nutrition coaches face the same question, and almost all of it applies to them too.
01 / The short answer
Where clients come from
Clients come from people who know you, see you or are introduced to you. Getting more of them means widening that group and giving each person an easy next step, such as a consultation, a short call or a free guide.
| Your situation | Start with |
|---|---|
| Working in a gym | The gym floor, referrals and a simple page that says how to book |
| Coaching online | A clear offer on one page, one platform you’ll use consistently, a free guide and prompt replies |
| Avoiding social media | Referrals, local partnerships, talks and workshops, and email to people who asked to hear from you |
02 / Your offer
Start with who you help
Every route works better when people can tell quickly whether you’re for them. Finish this sentence: “I help [who] with [what].” For example, “I help busy parents get strong enough to keep up with their kids” or “I help new runners build up to their first half marathon without getting injured.”
It doesn’t stop you training anyone else. It gives people something to remember and pass on. Our guide to pricing your coaching covers turning that into packages and prices.
03 / Getting started
Your first client
The first few clients usually come from people who already know you, or know someone who does. Make it easy for them:
- Tell people specifically. “I’m a PT now” is easy to forget. “I’m taking on three clients in November who want to start strength training, and the first session is a free consultation” gives people something to act on or pass on.
- Offer a clear first step. A consultation, free or paid, where you agree goals and explain how you work. End it with a clear offer and the price.
- Ask for feedback early. After a few weeks, ask your first clients what’s been useful, and whether you can quote them. Section 9 covers what to get in writing.
When someone says yes, the onboarding guide covers what happens between payment and the first review.
04 / In the gym
Getting clients in a gym
- Be visible and approachable. Learn members’ names, help with equipment when it’s welcome, and make sure people know what you do. Be useful rather than salesy: most members are there to train, not to be pitched to.
- Decide on free sessions in advance. A free session or assessment lowers the barrier, but it costs you time. Decide what it includes, how many you’ll offer a week, and what you’ll suggest at the end. Our pricing guide shows what an hour of your time needs to earn.
- Know your gym’s rules. Whether you’re employed or renting space as a self-employed trainer, check what the gym allows: approaching members, putting up posters, running taster sessions, and whether clients you train there can follow you elsewhere.
- Use classes as a shop window. If you teach classes, they let people see how you coach. Mention, without pressure, that you also train people one-to-one.
05 / Online
Getting online personal training clients
Online clients can’t watch you on a gym floor, so your page and your replies do that job.
- One clear page. Say who you help, what’s included, the price or starting price, and how to start, with an enquiry or booking form. A single page is enough to begin with; it doesn’t need to be a full website.
- A reason to get in touch. A short, useful free guide gives people who aren’t ready to book a next step. Our lead-magnet guide shows how to build one, promote it and follow up.
- Fast, personal replies. Reply to enquiries promptly, refer to what they told you, and suggest a time to talk. A short enquiry form tells you enough to make that first reply useful.
- One platform, used consistently. Choose where your clients already spend time, whether that’s Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, a newsletter or a community, rather than spreading thinly across all of them.
06 / Instagram
Getting clients on Instagram
A bio that says how to start
Your bio should answer three questions: who you help, how, and what to do next. For example:
Helping parents get strong in three 40-minute sessions a week 💪
In person in Leeds · online anywhere
Free 20-minute consultation ↓
Content that answers client questions
The best content ideas come from the questions clients and enquirers already ask. Keep a list, and turn each one into a post:
| Question you hear | Post idea |
|---|---|
| “How do I fit training in around work?” | A 30-minute session you can repeat three times a week |
| “Am I doing this exercise right?” | A short video of one common mistake and the fix |
| “What should I eat before training?” | Three simple pre-training snacks and when to have them |
| “I’ve missed a week. Have I lost everything?” | What actually happens after a short break, and how to restart |
| “Is it too late to start?” | A client story, with their permission, about starting later |
End each post with one clear next step, such as “Send me ‘start’ for the session plan”, rather than several.
Conversations, not just posts
Posts get you noticed; conversations get you clients. Reply to comments and messages, and when someone asks a question, answer it properly before suggesting anything. If you start a conversation, make it about what they shared, not your offer. Follow up once if they go quiet, and then leave it.
07 / Offline
Getting clients without social media
Social media is one route, not a requirement. These work without it:
- Referrals from clients and from other professionals (section 8).
- Local partnerships. Physiotherapists, sports and running clubs, workplaces, community centres and other health businesses see people who could use what you do. Offer something useful first, such as a talk, a free group session or advice on returning to training, and agree how referrals will work in both directions.
- Talks and workshops. A 30-minute talk at a workplace or club lets a room of people see how you explain things. Bring a simple way to book or to get your free guide.
- Local search. People searching for a trainer nearby often see Google’s map results. A Google Business Profile with accurate details, photos and how to book is free to set up. Trainers who visit clients rather than having premises can still list as a service-area business, according to Google’s help pages.
- Email. A short, regular email to people who asked to hear from you keeps you in mind until they’re ready. Section 9 covers the consent rules.
- Exercise referral. Some areas run exercise referral schemes, in which a GP or other health professional refers patients to a physical activity specialist or service, as NICE describes them. CIMSPA lists a qualification such as the Level 3 Diploma in Exercise Referral, on top of a Level 3 personal training qualification, as the route into this work. Ask your local leisure provider or council whether a scheme runs near you.
08 / Referrals
Referrals from happy clients
Clients who are pleased with their progress are often happy to recommend you, but few will think to unless you ask.
- Ask at the right moment. A progress review, when a client has just noticed what’s changed, is a natural point. Our client retention guide covers running those reviews.
- Be specific. “Do you know anyone who’s been wanting to get back into training? I have space for two people in January” is easier to act on than “send anyone my way”.
- Give them something to pass on. A link to your page or a short message they can forward makes it easy.
- Say thank you. If you offer a reward for referrals, keep it simple, and see section 9 for the rules on rewarding reviews.
09 / The rules
Testimonials, photos and reviews: the rules
Client stories, transformation photos and reviews are some of the most persuasive things you can share. In the UK they’re also covered by advertising and consumer law.
- Testimonials must be genuine and used with permission. The CAP Code requires you to hold evidence that a testimonial is genuine, with the person’s contact details (rule 3.47), and not to use one without their permission (rule 3.50). Factual claims in a testimonial mustn’t mislead (rule 3.49).
- Before-and-after photos count as testimonials. The ASA treats them the same way, and its advice on before-and-after photos says to keep signed and dated proof that they’re genuine and haven’t been manipulated. They shouldn’t exaggerate what your training did. The weight-loss rules in our start-a-business guide apply too.
- Get written consent for photos. A photo that identifies someone is personal data. Ask for consent in writing that says where the photo will appear, and stop using it if the client changes their mind.
- Reviews can’t be fake, and incentives must be clear. Since 6 April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has banned fake consumer reviews and reviews that conceal an incentive. Thanking clients for a review isn’t banned in itself, but the CMA’s guidance for businesses says the review must reflect a genuine experience, the incentive must be made clear, and you shouldn’t offer money or gifts for positive reviews. CAP rule 3.45 says the same for advertising.
- Email needs consent. Marketing emails to individuals need their consent, unless the ICO’s soft opt-in covers past clients.
This is general information, not legal advice.
10 / What’s working
Track where clients come from
Ask every enquirer how they heard about you; our enquiry form already includes the question. Then, once a month, count enquiries, consultations and new clients by route.
| Route | Enquiries | Consultations | Clients |
|---|---|---|---|
| Referrals | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Gym floor | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 9 | 2 | 1 | |
| Workplace talk | 4 | 2 | 0 |
In this example, Instagram brings the most enquiries but referrals bring the most clients. After a few months, the numbers show where your time is best spent.
11 / Your first month
A first-month plan
| Week | In a gym | Online or offline |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Write your “I help…” sentence; tell ten people you know, specifically | Write your “I help…” sentence; build your one page with a way to book |
| 2 | Introduce yourself to members on every shift; set your free-session rules | Publish two posts from client questions, or contact two local partners |
| 3 | Offer consultations; ask early clients for feedback | Make a short free guide; reply to every enquiry the same day |
| 4 | Ask for referrals at progress reviews; count enquiries by route | Run one talk or follow up every conversation once; count enquiries by route |
12 / Questions
Questions trainers ask
How long does it take to get personal training clients?
There’s no reliable figure; it depends on your network, your location and how consistently you work at it. Start tracking enquiries from your first week so you can see which routes are moving.
Should I offer free sessions?
They can help people take the first step, but they cost your time. Limit how many you offer, decide what each includes, and always end with a clear offer and price.
Do I need a website?
Not to start. One clear page that says who you help, what it costs and how to book is enough, plus a Google Business Profile if you train people locally.
How many clients do online personal trainers have?
We couldn’t find a reliable published figure. The more useful number is how many you can serve well, which depends on the hours each client takes. Our pricing guide shows how to work it out.
The Social Selling Playbook
Know what to say
when someone’s interested.
A PDF playbook for turning conversations into clients: content that starts conversations, a DM blueprint, follow-ups and objection handling, a daily selling routine with the numbers to track, and a library of scripts and templates to adapt to your own voice.
Explore the Social Selling Playbook