What should your first message be to someone who asks "how much?"
Sending only a number in the first message to someone who writes "how much?" invites them to compare you with other trainers' numbers. A better reply has three steps: first ask about their goal and background, then describe what will happen in the first 4 weeks, and only then show the packages with their prices. You are not hiding the price, you are giving it together with its context.
Why doesn't answering with just a number work?
Before writing to you, the person has most likely written to two or three other trainers. They asked all of them the same question, and a number came back from each. Now they have a table, and only one column is left in it: price.
When you write "12 lessons, 9,000 TL", the person doesn't know how you work, what you will do for them, or why that number. All they know is that someone else said 7,500 TL. In that comparison the cheapest wins, or nobody wins and the person says "let me look around" and disappears.
The shared observation of trainer educators in different countries: price is the outcome of a conversation, not its start. If a person hears the number without understanding what they are paying for, the number carries meaning on its own, and that meaning is usually "expensive".
How do you answer a price question in three steps?
1. Ask about the goal and background
Short, friendly, two questions. Out of curiosity, not like an interrogation.
"Hi, thanks for writing. I'll share the prices right away, but first let me ask two things so I can tell you which one suits you: what do you want to achieve, and have you trained regularly before?"
The sentence "I'll share the prices right away" matters. The person doesn't feel their question was dodged, they just see you taking one step back.
2. Describe the first 4 weeks
Based on the answer, write a short description specific to them. Describe not how many lessons the package has, but what will happen in those lessons.
"Got it, you're wary of weights because of your lower back pain. In the first week we do an assessment and look at your movement limits. The goal for the first month is moving without pain and settling the basic patterns, and the weight comes after the second month. We log every workout, and at the end of the month we look together at where you started and where you are now."
3. Show the packages
Now the number carries meaning. Show the packages clearly, briefly and side by side. At most three options.
"The best fit for you would be the 8-lesson package at 2 days a week, 6,400 TL. If you want to come more often, the 12-lesson package is 9,000 TL. For a trial lesson I have Thursday 18:00 or Saturday 11:00 free this week, which suits you?"
End the message with a next step: a day and an hour. Don't end with "what do you think?".
| Step | The question in their mind | Your answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Goal and background | "Will they understand me?" | Two short questions |
| 2. First 4 weeks | "What will we do, is it right for me?" | A short description of the process specific to them |
| 3. Packages | "How much, how do I start?" | At most three options and a concrete day/time |
We won't repeat here how to decide the content and price of the packages, that is covered in detail in the PT package pricing article. This article is about how to present that price in a message.
Should the message differ between Instagram DM and WhatsApp?
Yes. In DMs, the person has usually found you through a post or a reel, and the relationship is colder. The person who arrives on WhatsApp usually comes through a recommendation or a button on your page, and is a bit warmer.
For Instagram DM
In DMs the aim is to move the conversation to WhatsApp or a short call. Don't give the long description of the process in the DM.
"Hi, thanks for your interest. My packages are 8 and 12 lessons, and which one fits depends on your goal. Could you write your goal briefly so I can tell you which suits you? We can also continue on WhatsApp if you like, my number is: ..."
For WhatsApp
On WhatsApp you can spread the three steps over two or three messages. If the person has started typing, the chat is already open.
"Hi Can, I'm [your name]. Thanks for your message. I'll share the prices, but first a quick question: what is your goal, and how many days a week do you train right now?"
If the person came through a button on your page and their message already says which package they picked, you can shorten step one and talk directly about that package. On the landing page in FitBrand, packages reach you this way, as a WhatsApp message pre-filled with the name of the package the person selected, so the chat starts with context.
What if the person says "just tell me the price"?
Tell them. Insisting gives the impression that you're hiding something. But add one sentence next to the number:
"Sure, 8 lessons is 6,400 TL, 12 lessons is 9,000 TL. In both, the first lesson is an assessment, every workout is logged, and at the end of the month we look at your progress together. If you're curious which suits you, write your goal and I'll tell you."
This is steps one and three swapped. The number comes first but it doesn't come alone.
What should you write if the reply is "expensive"?
The word "expensive" usually means "I don't believe it's worth it" or "I can't set that money aside right now". The two need different answers. First find out which it is:
"I understand. I'm curious, expensive compared to what: your budget, or compared to somewhere else?"
If they're comparing: Don't defend your price, explain the difference. Don't run down the other trainer.
"Prices vary from trainer to trainer, that's normal. My lessons include an assessment, a log of every workout and a monthly progress check. Whichever package you pick, it's important that you know what you are paying for."
If the budget is tight: Offer a smaller start, not a discount.
"Then we can start with 1 day a week. I'll also write you an extra workout to do at home, let's go like that for the first month and then look together."
Don't offer a quick discount. The person you give 20% off today expects the same discount when renewing the package.
Checklist: before you send the price message
- I used the person's name
- I asked about their goal and background (or I already know)
- I described the first 4 weeks briefly and specifically for them
- I showed at most three packages
- The message ends with a suggested day and time
- No message on WhatsApp runs longer than three or four lines
- I didn't speak negatively about another trainer
If the person came to a trial lesson but said "let me think about it", see the post-trial follow-up article for what comes next. If DMs aren't coming at all, the problem is most likely not the message but the profile: the article on followers growing but clients not starts from there.
What should you do this week?
- Look at your replies to the last 10 price questions. How many were only a number?
- Rewrite the three steps above for your own packages and save them as ready text on your phone.
- Prepare a separate opening message each for DM and WhatsApp.
- Write two separate messages for the "expensive" reply: one for the person comparing and one for the person with a tight budget.
- Reply with the new system for one week and note how many people come to a trial lesson.
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