Are you a Fat Trainer?
Hey there, Bedros Keuilian here 
You’re about to read a funny guest post from my good friend and mastermind client Josh Carter. When he told me the story you’re about to read I knew it was a blog post waiting to happen…
So without any further ado… here’s Josh!
We have all seen it happen. A prospective client walks up to the hot trainer with the 6 pack abs and instantly wants to train with them. Writes them a check on the spot.
I hate those guys.
For most of us it is not that easy (if it is that easy for you, stop reading now, jerk.)
You see, trainers come in all shapes, sizes and intelligence levels.
I have seen hot trainers (both male & female) who are moron trainers yet seem to have a full roster of clients.
I have seen brilliant trainers who are less than fit (some fat) and have next to no clients.
And then there is most of the rest of us, lying somewhere in the “hot to homely” / “genius to dumb ass” spectrum with varying levels of clients.
The trick is to be able to be a fat trainer and have a full roster. Ah yes, the holy grail of trainerdom. (Well, maybe not)
But that is where our story begins….
There was one fat trainer I once knew who always seemed to have clients-, I’ll call him Joe. Joe was a minimum 50 pounds over weight, yet most of the time he had no trouble getting clients (retaining them was another issue and that’s another story.)
A few years back I owned a gym in North Hollywood, and Joe was a trainer that worked there. Joe was also a fearless salesmen. I mean NO fear. This guy could sell ice to Eskimos. He always seemed to have no problems filling up his schedule, mostly with hot young women, even though he was fat and 20 years older than most of them.
Joe was not afraid to approach anyone on the gym floor, or even walking by, and talk to them about training. Although I never asked, I assume he never read anything on sales or marketing (I don’t even know if he could read), but the guy just seemed to have a gift.
One day Joe and I and a few others were hanging out at the front desk when a hot young thing started to pass by outside. Like someone had just stabbed him with a cattle prod Joe sprang into action as he sprinted for the door.
I just sat back and watched the show, which I had seen before but it was always entertaining. I heard Joe say something flattering to the young lady like “Hey you look great, would you like me to tell you how I can help you look better?”
She turned and shot him a look, and quite emphatically told him “ F&^K YOU, MOTHERF^$CKER!!!”
Joe simply shrugged, apologized for disturbing her and turned back and headed into the gym- completely unphased.
A few moments later, after I recovered from my cramp inducing laughing fit I asked him how he could do it. How could he go out there and talk to a woman he didn’t know when THAT was a potential outcome?
He simply stated “You can’t get a hit if you don’t take a swing.”
Ah, profound words from an otherwise un-profound man.
Whether he knew it or not, those words were the secret to his client attraction success. I took those words to heart, and repeat them to myself when I am feeling unsure about my current marketing course. Successful marketing requires you to be fearless, relentless and at times ruthless.
Like the great Babe Ruth once said, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”
There is one other guy I know who is even better than Joe at marketing and sales (plus the other shiz that comes after that.) His name is Bedros Keuilian.
His marketing and sales strategies follow the “You can’t get a hit if you don’t take a swing” methodology.
Bedros has said to me on several occasions “Throw it against the wall and see what sticks.” Sometimes something will work, sometimes it won’t. But you will never know until you try.
If you need successful sales & marketing strategies with a low potential for hot women telling you to “F off”, this is your guy.
Now, I’m not saying you should be a fat trainer. I think we have a responsibility to inspire our clients on multiple levels, including but not limited to practicing what we preach.
What I am saying is that YOU CAN be a fat successful trainer if you adopt the “You can’t get a hit if you don’t take a swing” mentality in your marketing and sales.
Now go out there and fearlessly kill it. And if you need some guidance, check out CloseClients.com and get the skills to close 9 out of 10 clients. And if you want some killer done-for-you marketing material and proven client getting ads, postcards, letters then check out TheArtOfSellingFitness.com.
A-N-D if you have a funny story about a trainer you once worked with be sure to leave it in the comment box below so we can all get a good laugh
Until Next Time,
Joshua Carter
Calabasas Personal Trainer & Rock Star
Comments on Are you a Fat Trainer? »
Shoot, when I was 320 and powerlifting I always had a full schedule of people looking to be fit and healthy and lean. All the things I wasn’t. But they knew I knew my stuff and CARED about their results. I still have half those clients to this day.
Didn’t hurt I had a wall full of pictures and testimonials of clients
Randy
http://randywoody.com
DRFitness @ 11:17 am
Perfect!!
I know a trainer just like this and he rocks! I’ve definitely learned a few things from him…it’s all attitude with the confidence to match.
Keep ‘em coming back…because of you!
There are a million trainers…why you?
Take care,
DR Fitness
Anthony Ellis @ 11:33 am
At some point we all have to acknowledge in the fitness industry that how fit you look doesn’t always = how knowledgeable or sharp you are as a trainer or fitness professional.
There are some stupid people that are ripped and huge, and on the otherside there are some “seemingly” unfit people who know their shite.
A strong part of fitness marketing is visual, so that’s one for the fit/ripped guys.
As a consumer, being trained by someone super-fit and with the body you want or envy can help keep you motivated because they are an inspiration and you really take what they say as “the word” because you assume it worked for them.
Problem is, maybe it did or maybe it didn’t. In most cases what they did to get their body will be different than what you need to do.
Some people are just gifted and can eat crap and overtrain, but still they lose fat and build muscle. Then some people are gifted in the sense that they can help others do what they could not (or did not want to) do.
I like to use the Michael Jordan analogy. There is no coach that has or ever had the skill that MJ has on the court. BUT a good coach (regardless of their ball skills) can (and did) help MJ improve his game.
Now if MJ required that any person wanting to coach him be as good or better than him on the court, well…
Personal trainers should be thought of the same way. You should judge them by their effectiveness as a coach, teacher and motivator — not just by how they look.
My 2 cents…
AE
sensei ronald panlilio @ 11:36 am
Yes, I was at 24% body fat at one time…because I got lazy and stopped caring for my health and myself…and about 5 years prior to that I was at my strongest at about 10% body fat. When life brings us difficulties some of us turn lemons into lemonade, and some of us turn it into gallons of sugar or alcohol or both mixed with lemons…and we end up wearing it in our stomach, butt, face, and AB, as in singular AB…:)
But life picked up, I started to believe in hope and faith and god’s plan for my life. And slowly but surely I was helping others in service. So I started to desire a stronger body, and a more athletic frame to do the work I needed to do for him. As my heart was cleaned of my past sins and failures he slowly but surely started to change the exterior of my body, to match the renewal and cleansing of my heart, my prayer life, and my soul.
Personal Trainers are like Farmers…we plant the seeds and teach the work needed to change the body, then we tend the fields with nutrition and supplements (fertilizer) guidance…but we cannot force clients to give effort, and we cannot watch them the other 23 hours of the day when they are not with us. So we cannot force their bodies to change..only God can give them the desire to believe in a dream, to commit to the work and discipline necessary, and to achieve the success and goals they dreamed of… But the beautiful part of the job, is we get to help them design the dream, and guide them towards it, and keep them motivated and laughing all the way up that big mountain in their minds….When they thank me, I just thank god for giving me the tools to help his work be done on their bodies, minds and spirit….I am not the reason for their transformation, but I am part of the process… And I am thankful to be able to pass on the lessons taught to me, by the best teacher and great physician. The doctor who doctors ask for help when they do not know how to heal a patient….
http://www.awesomearchangel.com
http://www.visiblegoalsfitness.com
Sensei Ronald Panlilio
god bless you, on your road to glory…..
Brett A. Riesenhuber @ 11:42 am
AH, that was great! Love it..Take the swing baby!
Brett
Tommy j Lundy @ 11:57 am
Great post Josh!
I take the 5th…..
JJ
Jeff Gordon Parker @ 12:00 pm
It’s been awhile since I read some of your articles Bedros. I still Love You Though!
I read this one all the way through. A very good idea to use a guest poster, and one I will implement as well.
I always recommend you to every trainer that ask about sales training… You are the man to go to and I say that with great confidence. (I bought most, if not all your stuff… Including some DVD’s from Fit Biz Summit.)
Anywho… I’m glad to see your doing great and I really LOVED this article!
Jeff Gordon Parker
Not That Six Pack Trainer Guy
A great post Josh love the World gym Trainer pic !!
Jason Muir @ 12:35 pm
Same here at 309lbs doing strongman ,never have a problem getting clients. Attitude!
Ruby Durant @ 12:39 pm
Any Fat Female Trainers Out there? What do you think?
Robin Lopez @ 1:52 pm
Classic!
Jacob Mcluskie @ 2:39 pm
Great point Ruby, perhaps female tainers might not get the same graces bigger male trainers get?
Great post Josh, i’ll be sure to take plenty of swings today!
Angie @ 2:42 pm
I consider myself a fat trainer. I am only 5’2″ and I weigh about 179. BUT, I used to weigh over 300. So, at first glance, I can usually tell that people are skeptical. If they take the time to work with me, they will get my story, see my before photos, realize my level of education and experience, and hopefully be successful themselves. It’s not always about where people are, you have to know where they came from.
Margarite @ 4:28 pm
This is by far one of the funniest ones
Can’t stop laughing… That guy Joe had a personality plus… yes, attitude; but, PERSONALITY is what it takes to have the attitude and this can go either way… Anyway, it’s better than the cardboard ones we all know of… Gosh, I would only imagine what he could really do if he DID have the body to go with it!!! Wow… Anyway, it’s like this ~ I go to trainings and conventions and stuff and see all kinds of trainers, all sizes and shapes. Very successful ones ~ some GIVING OUT LOTS OF ADVICE so apparently know what they are talking about… but it makes me wonder, still… In all honesty, shouldn’t we be the greatest example of what we preach? I understand some exceptions where it may be impossible (illness, genetics, etc..); but, most of the time ~ we better be a live example of what we teach otherwise it really doesn’t seem genuine to tell people what to do, eat, live like when we, ourselves, don’t have much clue about it…
Take care ~ God bless us all
A. Nonomus @ 4:33 pm
Compared to all of the other trainers, I was the fat girl trainer at my “ladies only” gym. I’m 5’4″ and my highest weight was 165#, but now down to 140#. I still weigh more than any other trainer, but I am the go to trainer at my gym. Personality, knowledge and motivational skills (not necessarily in that order) are what keep me busier than all of the trainers with single digit bodyfat. Getting and retaining clients has never been a problem.
That first pic is too funny! What a kick.
I knew a person like that as well and he did well for himself. Its hard to motivate others when the gym staff has pizza lying out on the front counter…
Kat Millar @ 5:13 pm
Good on you Angie!
Great post and I love everyone’s comments.
I’ve worked with fat trainers. Some are shocking and I’d overhear them sharing with their clients things like “It’s ok, I eat like that too” or “you deserve chocolate you’ve worked out so hard”
Still, some have great success because they may seem to be less intimidating than some skinny trainers.
But I think it mostly comes down to how good a trainer is at motivating their clients and producing results.
I get more clients when I’m preparing myself for a competition… (and this is the time I don’t want so many clients!) They just seem to come my way when I’m training super hard and looking ripped.
So this can help keep me working hard on my goals, knowing I’m inspiring others.
Cheers, great post
Kat
Andrew Schmarje @ 6:56 pm
I agree Tony E. many coaches aren’t nearly as good as the athletes they train.
In addition to this there’s always going to be someone out there who’s bigger, stronger or faster than you even if you are a very fit ripped trainer.
I’m in good shape and have gotten plenty of compliments on my physique. I’m not a bodybuilder or powerlifter but what someone sees as an ideal shape is totally subjective. Someone might like my physique or they might like a bodybuilder’s physique better. With that said I can’t count the number of times I got leads or sold someone on training while I was working out, and I’ve seen it happen with other trainers I’ve worked with too. What I’ve never seen however is a fat trainer eating a big mac have a potential client approach them about training and make a sale.
Taking a swing. Good words of wisdom. Very entertaining post. It reminds me of a sales manager I worked with a who actually was in good shape, and made a lot of sales he swung at everything and sometimes hard too. He wasn’t the brightest bulb, I think it was this that helped him to be impervious to rejection. he pissed off plenty of people. It was fun to watch and listen to.
Andrew Schmarje @ 7:09 pm
Just wanted to add something else I just thought of. I also worked with a trainer who was a model / bodybuilder juiced and jacked out of his mind got laid all the time. He didn’t swing at anything as far as training clients and barely sold a thing while I worked with him. He was gone after about 3 months. He was a decent kid and I hung out with him even after he left, but this reinforces the point you can’t get a hit if you don’t take a swing even if you are the big ripped hot trainer.
James @ 6:46 am
awesome post. I will definitely remember to stay fearless in every aspect of my business. Thanks again for the post.
Joshua Carter @ 9:17 am
I’m glad you guys liked this one. Obviously the point was not if you can or even should be a “fat” trainer. I myself am a fat guy, much like an alcoholic is always an alcoholic. I’m not fat right now, but there’s always tomorrow…
The point was to be fearless in your approach to marketing and sales and be aware the from time to time you WILL fall on your (possibly fat) ass. But that’s ok, just take another swing.
JC
too funny…yet amazing that people are so lost that in the absence of true leadership..they will follow anyone!!
That was sooooooo funny Josh. I have a little different story.
I had a real skinny trainer who worked 3 days in a row from 4am-10pm nonstop and sold packages all day long. Only not to show for the next two days. Then he repeated the cycle all over until….
George @ 6:27 am
Another way of saying it would be…
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!” -Wayne Gretzky
George
Temecula Personal Trainer @ 10:57 pm
Your right Josh. You never know unless you ask.