What should you charge for sessions and classes? It’s a crucial decision that will impact your income for years. Let’s talk about how to think about pricing up PAYG, classes, and package options.
How to decide what to charge
There are so many benefits to being self-employed or freelance. You can theoretically earn a lot more than if you were working for someone else. But one thing stands in your way – and that’s your own pricing structure.
You should charge more for drop-ins because the client is accessing your services with zero commitment.
It’s difficult to know what to charge for your services, because there’s no industry standard. You need to take into account the demographic you’re selling to, the value they place on your service, average earnings (if you work in-person) and your reputation.
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Is it worth finding out what other people charge?
Before you start setting out your own pricing structure, it’s worth doing a bit of competitor research. If you’re an in-person PT, go on the websites of local trainers to see if they advertise their fees. If you work online, it should be easier to see what people similar to you charge.
Don’t get too hung up on what other people are charging. Remember, they’re not you. You have your own expertise, coaching style, specialisms and unique personality which makes you different to any other trainer out there.
5 reasons you must get your pricing right
- It’s very difficult to drastically increase your prices from where you started out, so start out with no regrets!
- Comfortable income allows you to live life on your terms with minimal stress and physical exhaustion.
- Charging enough gives you the freedom to be a little choosy about who you work with.
- You need to charge enough that you have money to spare for growing your business.
- Charging what you're worth is a confidence boost and contributes to your reputation.
Setting the right pricing is essential but so is staying on top of your finances internally, if there's room for improvement on your finance management then check our our blog 9 Steps To Organising Your Finances.
Pricing tips for PAYG
PAYG or drop-ins are challenging. You need to charge enough to make these worthwhile, and you also need to provide enough value that people keep coming back (and recommend you to others).
Don’t make the mistake of charging a really low price “just because” it’s PAYG. In fact, from a financial point of view you should charge more for drop-ins because the client is accessing your services with zero commitment.
Aim to upsell PAYG clients to blocks of sessions/classes or to a package that includes other services that will help them reach their goal. This will protect your income, reduce the amount of admin, and make the cost-per-session better for you. Help clients see that buying a block will lead to them getting better results (because they’ll be training more consistently).
How to structure pricing for PT packages
Selling packages is a great way to make more money per client, and reduce the amount of onboarding and admin per client. Clients on packages have the opportunity to get to know you better, which can lead to increased loyalty and better retention.
Reward their commitment (and up-front payment) with added value. This could look like increased level of service, extra access to you if hybrid or online, or sweet extras like merch or discount codes.
If you offer extras like webinars, eBooks, recipe books or a Facebook/WhatsApp group, these could be included as extras for clients on packages.
How to structure pricing for class clients
Are you a group ex instructor? You might be wondering how to move beyond PAYG to packages or different layers of buy-in.
Think about the pros and cons of offering separate packages for your different classes, vs bundles of class options that work well together. Could you offer a HIIT and yoga bundle? Are your indoor cycling clients unlikely to ever attend any other classes? Find a balance between offering combinations that will sell, without overloading yourself with too many options.
You should also think about exactly how to structure class packages. Conduct client research to understand how many classes people want (5, 10, more?) and then you can work out how to price these packages vs single PAYG classes.
Be sure to think about the details of class packages – how quickly do they need to use the passes, will you offer any benefits for subsequent package purchases, how will you reward long-term loyalty?
If you teach a niche class like hot yoga or bootcamp, consider the option of selling intro packages and gift voucher packages to increase the entry points for brand new clients.
What about the idea of unlimited packages for classes? This is commonly seen in CrossFit boxes and boutique studios. If you choose to include this option, be clear about exactly what you mean. Is it really unlimited classes or is there a cap? Can people also use the gym or studio between timetabled classes? What is the penalty for no-shows or cancellations?
One more useful thing to consider for clients on packages is their payment date. Would it help you if all Direct Debits came out on the same day of the month, or would you prefer to set people up to pay on the date they started?
We hope these questions have helped you think about how to structure and price up your PT and classes services.
There’s a lot to think about when you’re running a fitness business. Striive is packed with features to make things faster, easier, and more streamlined.
