Personal Training Packages: Why Three Tiers Sell the Middle One

Oct 26

2 min read

If most of your clients buy one session at a time, you know the feeling: a great week, then a quiet one, then a cancellation that wipes out your Thursday. Monthly packages fix much of that, but only if they're built well.

The simplest structure that works is three tiers. Here's why, and how to build yours.

Why three?

With one package, the client's only choice is yes or no. With five, they freeze. With three, the question changes from "should I train with this coach?" to "which option suits me?", which is a much easier decision.

Three tiers also do something useful with price. The top tier makes the middle one look sensible, and the bottom tier gives budget-conscious clients a way in without you discounting.

Build them from your session price

Start with your 1:1 session price. (If you haven't worked it out properly yet, our article on the price floor method walks you through it.) Sam, our example trainer (a composite, not a real client), charges $80 a session. Their tiers look like this:

Foundation: 4 sessions a month, a programme and a monthly review. $320 a month ($80 a session).
Performance: 8 sessions a month, plus fortnightly programme adjustments and a weekly WhatsApp check-in. $600 a month ($75 a session).
Elite: 12 sessions a month, plus a nutrition plan, daily WhatsApp support and a monthly progress report. $1,100 a month (about $91.67 a session).

Make the middle tier the obvious choice

Performance is the one Sam wants most clients on. It has enough sessions to get results, a small saving per session and support that makes the client feel looked after. When Sam presents the options, they recommend it first and explain the other two in relation to it.

Notice that Elite costs more per session, not less. That's deliberate. Elite clients are buying access and attention, not a bulk discount. It's the premium choice, and a few clients will want exactly that.

Reward commitment, not hesitation

Instead of discounting to win a client, reward clients who commit for longer. Sam offers 5% off for three months paid upfront and 10% off for six. On Performance, that's $1,710 for three months instead of $1,800, or $3,240 for six months instead of $3,600.

The client saves money, and Sam gets cash in hand and a client who's committed to seeing it through.

Check every tier against your floor

Before you publish, check that every tier earns more per hour than your price floor. Sam's floor is $56.25, and all three tiers clear it comfortably. If one of your tiers doesn't, add value or raise the price rather than hoping volume makes up for it.

All figures here are in USD; convert them and adjust for your market.

Build yours in the Toolkit

The Package Builder in our Trainer Business Toolkit does the per-session maths and the upfront savings for you. It's included in the Client Attraction Kit, along with the Pricing & Packages guide that covers semi-private and online pricing too.