How to super charge personal training client referrals!

Feb 2
When we ask coaches about how they organically get clients, usually referrals comes up in the answer to some degree.

But personally, I think there is a huge opportunity missed by a lot of fitness businesses by not having an actual referral campaign/plan.

It’s one of the most powerful tools we can use to fast-track clients (and the right clients) into the business.

In fact, people trust their friends and family referring them to services and product 92% more than traditional marketing.

So why don’t we have this apart of our consistent “marketing plan”?

Because putting it simply we don’t like asking for them!

So here are some simple things to consider when putting together your referral campaign.

1. Have a simple process for clients to refer their friends/family/colleagues …
(Simple link to a sign-up form they can send to their friends, or via the app you use for your business or referrals software.

2. Ask early in the client’s journey!

Ask your new client within the first 2–4-week of them working with you.
Why? it’s the most exciting and motivated time for them typically and the results are usually accelerated at the start.

3. Incentivise your clients!

Make it worth their while, yes they will naturally refer you when the circumstance presents itself. But if you want to super charge your clients referral efforts … incentivise them to do so. A prize, a decent one (spa breaks, stay in a hotel, vouchers for. Nice restaurant etc. 10 quid amazon vouchers isn’t going to do shit, so invest to get the return. I.E. If I budgeted £300 every quarter into a referral incentive and my average return is 300% on that investment … it hands down beats any investment strategy you’re going to get.

4. Market it internally to your clients like you would be when you market externally.

People have busy lives, so we need to create awareness and market our incentive. We should not and cannot expect one message into your client WhatsApp group as “you’ve told them” Go big, make a song and dance about it.

5. Want people to take it seriously, and actually take action … Use marketing principles of;

- Creating URGENCY – Giving timescales for clients to refer people in, so it’s not just an ongoing “thing” that they forget about.

- Create CURIOSITY – build up and tease the prize (even getting them to vote on a number of prizes so you can ensure it's something they are going to love).

- Increase PERCEIVED value (I.E make them work for it) Put terms and conditions behind it) For example, the person who is referred must sign up for your minimum term and they have to have paid and completed their first month as an example for you them to receive the prize).

- Create EXCITEMENT do a leader board, or regular updates to help drive the excitement and sometime competitiveness.


Obviously, this isn’t something I would recommend doing every month as it might lose its “potency” but a campaign which is well invested in I would suggest running every quarter or so.


Any questions or ideas you’d like to float past us, please give us a shout on admin@ptmentoracademy.com