Types of Personal Trainers (Which One are You?)
There are many types of personal trainers. To be a successful fitness professional, I suggest you start off by focusing on one particular niche. Being in a category with many potential clients and very few other trainers will put you in a great position to dominate your area of expertise. Keep in mind, however, that it's not enough to be original. You also have to be passionate about the type of training you offer. Being driven will ensure that you deliver incredible service.
You can alternatively be like the millions of other types of personal trainers who want to know everything about every category in fitness; I just think it's a very competitive path. Also, you will spend too much time trying to learn different techniques instead of actually training people and gaining experience. And the worst part about it is that you may never be considered an expert in a particular field. Focus on one niche, and after having mastered it, move on to another that's equally as stimulating.
I'll give you some tips on refining your niche. Once you know what kind of training you're interested in (which will preferably be one you'd use for yourself), create a profile of your ideal client. Determine whether you'll provide services to men and/or women. Determine the age group of your potential customers as well as their level of experience. You may not be patient enough to train beginners. On the flip-side, you may not yet be confident enough to train more experienced clients. These are things you have to consider. Zeroing in on a specific niche also increases advertising efficiency, enabling you to target & attract desired individuals only. And because you will be training those whom you're comfortable training, you'll be more content... thus providing a much better service.
Give yourself a title that clearly defines what you specialize in, with your personal spin on it. Don't be cheesy or overly modest. 'Professional' is the key word. As an example, I sometimes refer to myself as a Natural Hypertrophy Consultant. "Natural Hypertrophy" is what I specialize in and "Consultant" refers to what I do (consulting). With good marketing, you can target the clients that you want. And they will respond because you are offering what THEY want.
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