The Personal Trainer’s Guide to 6-Figure Online Coaching Business

As a personal trainer or fitness professional, you have the knowledge and passion to help people transform their lives through health and fitness. But turning that expertise into a thriving online coaching business can be challenging. Many trainers struggle to make the leap from in-person training to building a profitable online business. However, with the right mindset, strategies, and systems in place, it's possible to create a predictable and profitable six-figure online coaching business. Let's explore key principles and tactics to help you achieve success in the online fitness space.

Start with the Right Mindset

Before diving into business tactics, it's crucial to develop the proper mindset for success. As Eric Martinez, co-founder of Dynamic Fit Pros explains, "If your mind isn't right, your business isn't right." Many aspiring online coaches struggle with limiting beliefs that hold them back, such as:

• Fear of getting started

• Fear of failure

• Scarcity mindset around money

• Comparison syndrome

• Imposter syndrome

Overcoming these mental barriers is essential. As Chris Martinez, the other co-founder of Dynamic Fit Pros notes, "We can teach business tactics, but if you don't break down these self-limiting beliefs, it will hold you back from your true greatness." To shift your mindset, focus on building what the Martinez brothers call your "confidence, certainty, and belief muscles." Remind yourself: "If not me, then who?" You have valuable expertise to offer, so hold yourself and your worth in high regard.

Develop Your Marketing and Sales Skills

While your fitness knowledge is important, success as an online coach requires becoming skilled at marketing and sales. As Chris explains: "You have to be a health and fitness marketer first. That doesn't mean you're a crappy coach, but you need that lens where you're a marketer because you're so good at what you do that you're getting the word out there and grabbing attention."

Some key areas to focus on:

• Social media marketing

• Lead generation

• Sales skills

Many coaches shy away from selling, seeing it as pushy or "salesy." But as Chris notes, "Selling is serving at the highest level." Reframe your mindset to see selling as a way to help more people transform their lives.

Create Systems and Automation

To scale your online coaching business, you need efficient systems and processes in place. As you attract and sign up more clients, having streamlined, automated systems allows you to deliver a great experience without getting overwhelmed.

Focus on creating systems for:

• Client onboarding

• Program delivery

• Check-ins and accountability

• Billing and payments

Leveraging technology and automation tools can help you serve more clients while maintaining quality.

TRAINERS TALKING TRUTHS PODCAST: How to Build a Predictable and Profitable Six-Figure Online Coaching Business

Build Your Expertise and Confidence

The Martinez brothers emphasize the importance of what they call "E + C + D": Expertise + Confidence + Drive. Developing deep expertise in your niche is crucial. But you also need the confidence to put yourself out there and drive your business forward. As you gain more knowledge and experience, your confidence will naturally increase. Eric explains: "If you're good at nutrition coaching, you're competent at it, you're good at exercise programming, and you've got a bunch of case studies and results, you know you're really good. So of course, that's going to carry over into high confidence." That expertise and confidence then fuel the drive to keep growing and scaling your business.

Lead with Conviction and Care

Another key principle the Martinez brothers teach is: Conviction + Care = Conversions.

To attract and convert clients, you need:

1. Strong conviction in your ability to help people get results

2. Genuine care for your clients' success

Eric explains: "You have to have such a high level of conviction in your product, in your skillset to help people. If you don't, then people are going to see that." Equally important is demonstrating that you truly care about your clients. Eric notes, "You have to care, you have to have integrity, and you have to have a genuine heart to care for these people to get them to pay hard-earned money to trust you." When you combine conviction in your offerings with authentic care for your clients, you'll naturally convert more prospects into paying clients.

Play the Long Game

Building a six-figure online coaching business doesn't happen overnight. Eric cautions: "We live in a world where it's like these phones, you see all these flashy ads by great marketers like, 'Hey, I can help you build a six, seven-figure business in three months.' Come on." Instead, commit to playing the long game. Be patient and focus on consistently taking action to grow your skills and your business. Chris advises: "It's all about skill sets and adding different assets to your business to have choices and options."

Take Action with Urgency

While building a successful online coaching business takes time, it's crucial to act with urgency. Chris Martinez emphasizes, "Have more urgency. For me, I have a lens with urgency because I lost my father. I just know life's super short, and I don't know if tomorrow's guaranteed. So I'm going to live my life with a lot of urgency." He challenges coaches to have urgency to acquire the skill sets to move up and to build an online business. By combining patience with consistent, urgent action, you can steadily grow your expertise, confidence, and business results.

Invest in Yourself

One of the fastest ways to accelerate your growth is to invest in coaching and mentorship. Chris Martinez explains: "Invest in yourself. It is true what the whole cliche says that you are your greatest investment. You really are. Because if anything were to happen, you still keep that knowledge that you have, you still keep the skillsets you have." 

Working with experienced mentors allows you to "time collapse" your learning and avoid common pitfalls. While it requires an upfront investment, the right mentorship can dramatically speed up your path to building a thriving online coaching business. By applying these principles and continuously developing your skills, you can create a predictable, profitable six-figure online coaching business. And remember what Eric Martinez says, "You don't get what you deserve in life. You get what you decide."

Decide to take action, invest in yourself, and build the online coaching business of your dreams.