How to win in the DMs
Every personal trainer is stressed about the same thing: Getting new clients.
Want more online clients than you know what to do with?
Here’s the formula for success in the DMs.
Imagine being able to:
Attract clients you want
Close 95% of the time
Have people ASK to work with you
Never have to pick up the phone to call prospects again
Open and fill intakes whenever you feel like it
For most, this sounds like a pipe dream, but if you have been following our blogs, everything you’ve done so far will have prepared you to create this kind of business:
Your mindset is sorted
You know exactly where you’re going through your goal-setting
Your business model is in place to be efficient
You know exactly who your client is, what their daily struggles are, and have your signature method ready to solve them
You’ve designed a service around all of the above, that’s so good you’d buy it yourself
Now it’s time to show your potential clients how you can serve them.
One of the most cost-effective ways to do this is through the power of social media.
Here’s a guide to winning clients without too much effort, and building a presence that will have your prospects chasing you, instead of things being the other way around.
Start with Instagram
If your target client is 20-40 years old, they are most likely on Instagram - which means that’s where you need to show up. (If your market is outside this age range, consider researching where they might be instead).
Instagram is a visual platform that allows you to communicate directly with your target market. It has millions of users and plenty to tap into in your local area. You can also use it to build a global online following.
The magic numbers
We’ve found there are some magic numbers when it comes to winning clients on Instagram.
1 = number of direct messages (DMs) sent per week
2 = number of posts per week
3 = number of spoken stories per week
4 = number of calls to action per week
The Silver approach typically returns 0.5-1 client per week, on average.
The Gold approach typically returns 2-3 clients per week, on average.
Playing ‘Tindergram’ in the DMs
The world of online dating has made it pretty clear - never lead with a d*ck pic!
When it comes to reaching out to potential clients on Instagram, the same rules apply.
Starting with your sales pitch is as off-putting as an image covered with “sensitive content warning.”
The intent of sending a DM is to reduce the friction for the prospect, in communicating with you.
It shows you’re a person, that you care about who’s engaging with your page, and that you’re genuinely here to help people.
Who should you DM?
If you’re using Instagram, send a message to:
New followers
People who like, comment or share your posts
People who react to your stories
People who have shared stories you find relatable
People who engage with you / your polls and quizzes on your Stories
Anyone else you can find common ground with
Follow for follow
If you’re having trouble finding your 40 people to DM (because you’re aiming high, right?) a tried and true method is to follow an account that reflects your target market.
One way to do this is to find an account similar to yours and scroll through their list of followers.
Try to cap this to around 10 people followed per week, and unfollow those who didn’t follow back every four weeks, or you’ll look tacky.
How often should you touch base?
After making initial contact on Instagram, you should be touching base once every two weeks.
If the person is engaging in conversation, asking questions and appears receptive, continue to make contact based on this timeframe.
Alternatively, if the conversation is slow, aim to touch base once every four weeks.
Communication can include direct outreach, liking/commenting on posts and responding to stories.
The goal outcome of this process is to build a relationship with your potential client so that they feel comfortable enough to buy from you.
Although the process can be a slow way for personal trainers to get clients, direct outreach allows trust and confidence to be built between you and your potential client. It encourages them to see value in your service. Plus, if you use a series of scripts, you can spend less time trying to figure out what to say.
And what’s more, you may find that nurturing your relationship with one lead may not end up in them becoming your client but that they refer a friend or family member instead. This person will be ‘pre-warmed’ and more receptive to your offer.
The keys to success
Reach out to new followers and accounts who regularly like, view and comment on your posts and stories
Use an appropriate script to begin communication
Touch base and remain in regular contact
If they are a hot lead (responding well / frequently), reach out every two weeks and if they are a cold lead every four weeks
Use Stories and posts to gauge who are your hot leads, and remain in regular contact with these people
Main mistakes on Instagram / social media
Refrain from launching into a sales pitch too soon when you’re working on getting clients. Instead, spend time developing a relationship and understanding where their pain points and struggles are, before you make an offer.
Opportunities for engagement can often be missed. Be conscious of who is viewing and connecting with your content and aim to spend your time engaging with hot leads as opposed to cold leads.
Be clear about the direction you are trying to take the conversation in.
Ask direct questions to determine whether the potential client is worth investing more time in or whether they are not ready to commit to your offer. You can find a polite way to move on if you feel like the lead isn’t going to work out. Not every lead will become a personal trainer client for you and that’s ok.
DM script examples
In response to a like or follow
"Hey, thanks for the [like/follow], hope you find something useful on my page. Are you training in the gym and following a program at the moment?”
In response to someone who has answered a question
"OK cool, is there anything you’re struggling with, or want to learn more about specifically?"
"That's one of the most common responses! Here's a [podcast/article/resource] on the topic. Check it out, it should provide some answers"
Follow up 1
Generic follow up -
"Hey, just thought I'd follow up and see how you went with that resource?"
"Oh great! I'm glad you liked it, it's actually one of the steps we cover in our coaching service. I'll shoot through the link, it sounds like it might be of value to you."
If you are hosting a seminar soon
"Glad to hear it. If you are interested, we have a seminar coming up on [date]. Here's the link with all the details, let me know what you think!"
Follow up 2
“Hey, I just wanted to touch base on how you went with that link. I'm catching up with a few people to answer some questions, would you be free Monday or Wednesday night for a chat?”
Follow up 3
“Hey legend! Just an FYI that tickets are on sale / sign ups are open - I'm free Tuesday and Thursday this week if you're around for a chat?”
Continue to follow up. You don’t have to use these scripts if they don’t reflect your personality, but you can use them as a guide to create your own and get clients as a personal trainer.
This has hopefully helped you understand how personal trainers get clients on social media and develop a following which has new customers coming to you.
Commit to following the steps above for three months and see what happens - you might be surprised by the results.
On how to produce valuable content, check out Ep 138 and 139 of the STCfit Learning Podcast.
