Review of the Online Trainers Academy

The Online Trainers Academy (OTA), is an offering from the Personal Trainer Development Center (PTDC, american spelling for 'centre').


There are many, many ads for companies and individuals that will teach you how to build your online Personal Training business. One thing they all have in common is that they will make you 'loads of money' usually for 'very little effort'. Just pay the person to teach you how to do it the way they have supposedly done it - they made millions and so will you. 

Easy. 

All your problems solved.


The way most of these methods work seems fairly simple, the first part is all about marketing. Build a list (subscribers), then constantly bombard people via as many social media channels as you can.  


In all fairness  everyone needs to advertise in one way or another - the question is do you want to spend all your time advertising on social media or do you actually want to work on your business? 


The next part varies,  there seems to be a difference of opinion, some will tell you to price really low - because "you'll be selling to hundreds of thousands of people so you don't need to charge too much". Or, it goes the other way "seriously overcharge for your service - lots of people do so it will be fine. Offer things like a spreadheet a 10year old could put together in 5 minutes and tell them normal price £197 for this amazing 'thing', but it's free today!"  ...as long as they buy your product, within the next 10 minutes. 


Just an observation but unless you work in marketing then there is a lot more to your business than just marketing!


If you want to skip my review and get your own idea of what the Online Trainer Academy is all about then click here. 



A little bit about me

 

 

Hi, I'm Chris Childs,

 

I like to research things to make sure I get a good deal. N.B. That is not the same as looking for the cheapest deal!

 

I want to know I am getting value for money, or that the thing I want justifies the cost.

 

I used to be a Training Manager for a Test House in Telecoms, working to ISO 17025 - so things had to be right.

 

As of three years ago I am now a Personal Trainer,  I was happy enough building my business in my own way with in-person (real world) PT clients, Yoga classes, Fitness classes and Nutrition Coaching. I just recently qualifed for Sports Massage too - my thinking being if any of my clients had an injury, they could still get a session with me, just in a different capacity.

 

Business was growing steadily. Then the corona virus came along. Leading to lockdown here in the UK.

 

I needed some way to bring money in. Fast! (But I also saw that this a pivot point, an opportunity to really change my business going forward). 

 

Online classes seemed the easiest way to get started.I

 

Coming from a tech background. it was easy for me to quickly set up to do some online classes (to be honest it would have been easy for anyone the tech background wasn't really needed but I like to think it helped)

 

 

 

Lockdown -working at home


Whilst doing that I realised that developers have planned for integration of many of the products available (who would have thought?) - the booking systems, payment systems, online forms, notifications, automated responses, etc. Suddenly 'online' bookings seemed a good way to proceed even if just as a way of booking in-person clients for my classes, not just for during the lockdown.


I started doing research.


OTA seemed the right way for me. It just beat all other services hands-down.


It doesn't promise instant riches or tell you there is hardly anything to do.

You have to put the work in. That is part of how the course got its certification.


I don't plan to stop in-person PT, but also offer online training as a service.


​​​​​​​


What makes the Online Trainer Academy different to any of the other offerings that are going to help you as an online Personal Trainer?

 

Take your pick. A few points would be:

 

  • It has a guarantee. You wouldn't believe me if I told you how long, remember to check though!
  • It is accredited - with many leading industry CPD/CEC providers
  • It does not tell you exactly what you must do with no deviation - we are not all clones looking for the same business - it guides you and allows you to grow the business you want. Use your free will, decide what works best for you.
  • It does not force you to only be online - blend both systems if you want
  • It is put together by someone that has been an 'in-person' PT, moved his business to online, made the mistakes and now can act as your mentor.
  • It really will help you build 'your business' - the business as you want it bo be and it will do this in small, simple steps, so nothing is too overwhelming.
  • There is support if and when you need it.
  • There is also students and previous students willing to help each other out on the Facebook page
  • It is a system and it is about systems, get them working for you.
  • It gives you a great foundation to your business
  • It clarifies how to price your services

 

I mentioned a previous role being that of Training Manager. Different people learn in different ways. On this course you can listen as you watch the videos, you can read the text that goes with the video, you also have your own textbook and workbook to work through and write your own notes.

 

 

How long will it take to complete the OTA?

 

That depends on several things that are specific to you. 

 

  • How much time do you have?
  • How much effort are you willing to put in to growing your business?
  • How much you procrastinate? Many companies will get a product out as soon as possible then work on perfecting it later. Sometimes you need to accept this may be the best option.
  • How many services do you want to offer and to what level? (there are things you need to put in place/set up)
  • You may already have some things in place 
  • What else is going on in your life

 

Normally I rattle through things fairly quickly, but I am making sure I do this right. What is right for me and right for my business.

 

That's part of the beauty of the OTA, you can work through it completely at your own pace and take as long as you like.

 

To be honest for the last few years I have been against online coaching just 'in principle'.

 

I believed clients would always receive a much better service in person.

 

One of the things that has happened to me whilst studying the OTA is how it has changed my mindset around online coaching 'in principle'.

 

It hasn't made me stop believing that in-person can offer a better service, but it has helped shift my mindset to see how I can adapt, offer different levels of service and still help more people whilst growing my business at the same time.

 

 

Conclusion: Would I recommend the Online Training Academy (OTA)?


I have years of experience teaching, on-the-job training, classrooms, internet - both in the miltary and as a civilian. I would say that this training package is the best total package I have seen and I would recommend it just for that.


If you are a Personal Trainer, or someone in the fitness industry that either wants to move online in whole or in part, then the wealth of information and the clear, easy to follow steps make it a definite recommendation that will save you a lot of time trying to figure it all out for yourself.

If you have any doubts if the Online Trainer Academy could work for you, remember the guarantee. You can't lose. You either build your online business - the business you want and are more successful, or, you don't, but you haven't lost anything.


I was brought up with the phrase "If you don't try you'll never know". 


I recommend the Online Trainer Academy (OTA) to everyone. Even if everyone signed up to it we will not all be in direct competition, you are not going to 'steal' my customers so I have no concerns about that.

Get doing something.

Get yourself the only certifed course of it's type.

Get yourself online.


It's a definite 'thumbs up' from me! 👍🏻