A personal trainer told lied to me today. He told me that ‘another’ course will save his struggling business.
Look, I get it… You need to have GREAT technical knowledge to join the top 5% and make a big impact.
But there comes a time when enough is enough. I hear this almost every day… “Just one more course on BLAH BLAH, and I’ll be able to get more clients.”
STOP.
It’s ridiculous.
If you believe that your 12th course this year on biomechanics, macronutrients or gut transfer time will equate to more clients, you’re wrong.
I am NOT claiming to ‘fake it till you make it’, or to sell a sub-par service or to rip clients off.
(You can’t polish a turd.)
Nor am I saying you don’t need more education on technical skills.
But there comes a time when enough is enough.
The struggling Fit Pro believes he needs more credentials and technical qualifications.
The successful Fit Pro? Well he knows better.
The successful Fit Pro understands that the only question prospects want an answer to is: Can you HELP me?
It’s time to chasing “another” certification. When you know how to get results for your clients, you need to develop your coaching skills and your marketing skills.
This is as much a skill as it is an art.
Let me share 7 tips to help you become a more well-rounded personal trainer:
1. Are you coaching or giving unsolicited advice?
There is a big difference between coaching and giving advice that nobody asked for. Sometimes it’s about saying less. Ask yourself: am I information dumping on my client?
The answer is probably a YES.
I used to do this, a LOT. It came from a lack of belief in my own self worth, so I overcompensated by dumping a tonne of information on my poor client.
2. The magic is in building great relationships
You need to become more than a rep counter. You need to go deep, and build great relationships with your clients.
3. What’s the why?
Your goal here is to find the goal behind the goal (behind the goal)…
What do I mean?
Take a fitness client, who wishes to lose 5kg’s. You need to understand WHY this is important to her.
To do this you will need to ask ‘why’ several times.
Let’s say she wants to lose the five kilograms. You ask her why.
“Because I want to be thin!”
“OK, why?”
“Because I feel yuck.”
“OK, why?”
“Because my kids see me, I don’t feel like a good role model.”
“OK, why?”
“Because I want to bring them up I a healthy house with no eating issues or weight issues.”
“OK, why?”
“Well… I guess because I never had that. I want my kids to be raised better than I was.”
See!? The “weight loss” goal had nothing to do with the weight loss, and everything to do with love and family.
If you can do this, we are more connected than ever.
4. Be happy to sit in conflict
Taki Moore shared this one with me recently. When enrolling a client, or when dealing with some emotional topics, we need to be happy to sit in conflict.
What does this mean?
It means when the conversation gets deep, be happy to stay there. Don’t try to rush out of it.
5. Ask better questions
Be like Sherlock Holmes. Ask, ask, ask. Listen to the client better than anyone has.
6. Astonish
When did you last do this? It doesn’t happen when you get another certification.. it happens when you truly care.
When you serve your current clients so powerfully that they never shut up about you.
How? Call a client the day after their first session. Remember kids and pets names. Send random gifts. Write some handwritten thank you cards and expect nothing in return.
7. Don’t just be good… be great.
If you really want to serve for many years to come, be great. Aim for greatness daily and make it a daily practice. Aim to improve every day.
