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Personal Trainer / Fitness Studio: Best Referral Sources

Who should be sending you clients, and the rooms they are already sitting in.

Get the networking events worth showing up to

Tell us where you are. We will send you the best rooms for trainers and fitness studios and the next meeting dates. Add a ZIP and this page will also show your local chapters and which seats are open.

Most business owners network where their competitors are, not where their referral partners are.

Your own trade group is for learning. Your partners' groups are where the work comes from. Everything below starts with one question. When something happens that makes people need trainers and fitness studios, who else gets a call that same week?

Trainers and fitness studios sell to individuals and households, and most of the work starts when a family plans a wedding or milestone event. People take their time deciding, so a recommendation carries most of the weight. Clients come back, which makes one good introduction worth years.

What starts the work
  • Wedding or major eventwhen a family plans a wedding or milestone event
  • Job changewhen somebody changes jobs or gets relocated
  • Injurywhen somebody gets hurt
  • New babywhen a couple has a child
  • Retirementwhen somebody retires
Block one

Who should be sending you clients

Ranked by what starts the job, not by who sounds close to your trade.

  1. 01

    Florist

    They send you work
    67

    Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event

    Florists hear about it when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  2. 02

    Primary Care Physician

    They send you work
    66

    Trigger: somebody gets hurt

    Primary care practices hear about it when somebody gets hurt, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  3. 03

    Home Health Care

    They send you work
    65

    Trigger: somebody gets hurt

    Home care agencies hear about it when somebody gets hurt, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  4. 04

    Financial Advisor

    They send you work
    64

    Trigger: somebody retires

    Financial advisors hear about it when somebody retires, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  5. 05

    Photographer

    They send you work
    64

    Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event

    Photographers hear about it when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  6. 06

    Mental Health Therapist

    They send you work
    63

    Trigger: somebody changes jobs or gets relocated

    Therapists and counselors hear about it when somebody changes jobs or gets relocated, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  7. 07

    Dentist

    They send you work
    61

    Trigger: somebody changes jobs or gets relocated

    Dentists hear about it when somebody changes jobs or gets relocated, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  8. 08

    Medical Spa / Aesthetics

    Two-way
    60

    Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event

    You and med spas both get the call when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.

  9. 09

    Senior Living Placement Advisor

    They send you work
    59

    Trigger: somebody gets hurt

    Senior placement advisors hear about it when somebody gets hurt, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  10. 10

    Acupuncturist

    They send you work
    59

    Trigger: somebody gets hurt

    Acupuncturists hear about it when somebody gets hurt, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

Block two

Where those people actually are

Ranked by how many of your best partners are in the room, and how much work each one can send you.

Start here

Your city or county chamber of commerce

Your partners are in this room: florists, primary care practices, and home care agencies.

Too big and too broad on its own. The value is in one committee. Pick one and go every time. The same fifteen people show up, and they get to know you.

Chamber of commerce Monthly Under $500/yr ~4 hrs/month
Find your local chapter →

Give someone nine choices and they pick none. If you do one thing from this page, do this.

  1. 01

    Your city or county chamber of commerce

    Chamber of commerce

    Your partners are in this room: florists, primary care practices, and home care agencies.

    Too big and too broad on its own. The value is in one committee. Pick one and go every time. The same fifteen people show up, and they get to know you.

    Monthly Under $500/yr ~4 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  2. 02

    Aging Life Care / senior care provider network

    Your partners' association

    Your partners are in this room: home care agencies, therapists and counselors, and senior placement advisors.

    People who help older adults and their families move, get care, and sort out the house. They are there when the family decides everything at once.

    Monthly Under $500/yr ~3 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  3. 03

    Local Facebook & community groups

    Online community

    Your partners are in this room: florists, photographers, and therapists and counselors.

    City groups, condo and HOA groups, and parent groups. For home services this is often the biggest free source on this list. Most competitors post ads instead of answers.

    Always on Free ~3 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  4. 04

    Your county medical society

    Your partners' association

    Your partner is in this room: primary care practices.

    Doctors in one room, and almost nobody there is selling to them. You can usually go as a sponsor.

    Monthly Under $500/yr ~3 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  5. 05

    State CPA society

    Your partners' association

    Your partner is in this room: financial advisors.

    A CPA is the person most business owners trust most. Sponsors can go to chapter meetings and classes.

    Monthly Under $500/yr ~3 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  6. 06

    BNI

    Structured referral group

    One seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.

    The biggest referral group in the world. You meet every week. Only one person per job. They expect you to show up.

    Weekly $500–$2,000/yr ~8 hrs/month One seat per category
    Chapter finder →
  7. 07

    LeTip International

    Structured referral group

    One seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.

    Weekly referral chapters. One person per job. Strong with trades and home services.

    Weekly $500–$2,000/yr ~7 hrs/month One seat per category
    Chapter finder →
  8. 08

    Network In Action

    Structured referral group

    One seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.

    Referral groups that meet once a month. Good if you cannot give up a morning every week.

    Monthly $500–$2,000/yr ~3 hrs/month One seat per category
    Chapter finder →

Let us be straight with you. For trainers and fitness studios, a weekly referral group is not the best pick. Your partners gather in professional groups instead, so spend your time there. We would rather say that than sell you a seat you do not need.

Block three

Is your seat open?

Prime Time takes one personal trainer / fitness studio per chapter. Put in a South Florida ZIP above and we will show you which seats are open.

Add a ZIP code at the top of the page to see which seats are open.

Get the dates

Have the next meetings sent to you

The rooms above are the answer. This is when they meet. Tell us where to send it and we will email you the next dates for trainers and fitness studios, with the one page plan.

We already know your trade and your area from this page, so there is nothing else to fill in. We do not ask for a phone number. Every email we send has an unsubscribe link.

Take this with you

Your one-page action plan

Five partners, five things to say, three rooms. Print it and keep it in the car.

Networking plan: Personal Trainer / Fitness Studio

The five people who should be sending you clients

  1. Florist (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event
  2. Primary Care Physician (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: somebody gets hurt
  3. Home Health Care (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: somebody gets hurt
  4. Financial Advisor (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: somebody retires
  5. Photographer (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event

The three rooms to be in

  1. Your city or county chamber of commerce: Your partners are in this room: florists, primary care practices, and home care agencies.
  2. Aging Life Care / senior care provider network: Your partners are in this room: home care agencies, therapists and counselors, and senior placement advisors.
  3. Local Facebook & community groups: Your partners are in this room: florists, photographers, and therapists and counselors.