Something called variable reinforcement, which many personal trainers suffer from, will wreck your chances of having a successful PT business.
But there's a simple way to stop that happening. Let me explain.
Most personal trainers want more clients.
But many spend hours doing things that don’t grow their business.
Rearranging files? Done.
Clearing your desk? Done.
Deleting 47 emails you’ll never read? Productivity level: Legendary.
There’s just one tiny problem. None of these tasks is likely to bring you another paying client.
So why do you keep doing these things?
The Psychology Behind Your Productivity Trap
BF Skinner's finding can help Personal trainers succeed
The answer lies in something called variable reinforcement.
I know, it sounds fancy. But it’s a simple idea.
B.F. Skinner (the guy above) was a famous psychologist. He studied how rewards can change the way we act. And he found pigeons would consistently press a lever to get food when food was always available.
Here’s exactly what happened. And why it's important for you to know.
When a pigeon pressed a lever and got food every time, it learned what to expect. When the food stopped, the pigeon eventually gave up.
Here’s the bit that will make many PT’s choke on their protein shake
When food arrived occasionally, something strange happened:
The pigeons kept pressing the lever. Even when no more food came, they kept trying. They pressed and pressed until they were EXHAUSTED.
Sound familiar?
It’s the same principle that keeps people glued to gambling machines. You never know when the next reward will arrive, so you keep trying.
And many personal trainers do exactly the same thing with their PT business:
Do you do any of these?
And when out of the blue, someone signs up.
You feel great. You think, “Yes, what I'm doing is working”
But then the leads dry up again.
So you go back to checking emails, chasing people, and hoping for another win.
Meanwhile, your bigger business goals sit there, waiting for you to work on them.
And all the while, you tell yourself that wealthy clients will eventually appear. Perhaps tomorrow. Perhaps next week. Perhaps when the Dallas Cowboys next win the Super Bowl.
But that's not a business growing strategy because (cue the dramatic music rising in the background)...
The occasional win you get. Keeps you hooked on manual effort instead of building a reliable system.
Manual Hustle vs. A System That Works
There’s another way to attract clients, rather than constantly manually chasing them.
A properly optimised Google Business Profile (GBP) and location pages, helps potential clients discover your PT business when they search locally.
Instead of relying entirely on your next burst of motivation. You build a system that can work for you every day. Even while you're sleeping.
Here’s the difference:
Of course, a Google Business Profile isn’t a magic money machine. It won’t bring new clients in overnight.
Your results depend on what you offer, where you work, who your rivals are, and how well you set up your profile.
Set it up properly and you're on the right path. Don't set it up the right way and you're just wasting your time.
I wish I could emphasis how useful a GBP is. Because your GBP gives you something far more useful than another tidy desk:
You get a system designed to get you more clients.
Some personal trainers are raking it in with their GBP…
So why not you?
You became a personal trainer to help people get fit.
You probably didn’t dream of spending your evenings checking emails and chasing leads.
So stop letting unpredictable little wins dictate your working day.
My Client-Attracting Google Business Profile Checklist Template for Personal Trainers shows you how to set up your profile properly and improve your chances of attracting more local clients.
So click below to discover how to get started. Then you can build your profile. Strengthen your visibility. Give potential clients another way to find you.
There’s no need to keep wasting time on tasks that don’t help your business grow.
Build a system that helps you get more clients. Earn more money. And get your free time back.
Your files can look after themselves.