Posted by: jlozano4 in Untagged on
Mar 16, 2010
A great trainer and good friend of mine, Terry from Canada sent me this email. He has successfully built his own studio and is well recognized in his home town. I know these statement below will benefit us all.
Jessica
Once you have your first client, keep these tips in mind to maximize referrals:
"We" can work it out
Clients look up to their trainer as an "expert" and when they feel like you are working in partnership toward their fitness goal, they feel more supported, more confident, and more obligated to not let you down. The easiest way to build this partnership is to use "we" in sentences where you might ordinarily use the term "you". "We will get you into that dress in time for your reunion", "We ought to be able to do 12 reps next week with how fast we're progressing", etc.
Use your gift of gab
If you establish a relationship with your client where you talk about life with them, you'll know more about the mental barriers they're struggling with in their quest to become more fit. This will help you develop routines that better fit into their daily lives so that they think of you daily--not just during your training sessions at the gym. If you've overcome some of the obstacles they're stressed about, this will develop a closer bond between the two of you and give them confidence that you really can help them get to where they'd like to go.
Demonstrate the wrong way to exercise
It's been shown that clients who see both the right and the wrong way to perform an exercise are more apt to perform it correctly. Point out other people in the gym performing exercises incorrectly and give them the "inside scoop" on what's wrong with the way the exercise is being performed and how it may have lost its effectiveness. This not only creates more trust between you and the client, but also re-establishes your role as an expert.
Be a control freak during sessions
Don't be afraid to take control of the session. You must control the exercise selection, the pace, conversation length, and rest periods. While rapport is important, so is making sure that your client gets the most out of each and every session. Don't let long breaks, cell phone calls, or other distractions limit the amount you're able to accomplish during your sessions together. Remember, the faster they achieve their results, the faster they'll send you referrals!
Treat your client like you would a friend outside of your training sessions
...and we don't mean just inside the gym. If you see them in public, say "hello" and give them some kind of compliment on the gains they've made since you started training together. Like, "Your arms are really getting cut!" or "Wow! Your clothes are really fitting better."
Phone: (561)-620-9556
Email: info@ihpfit.com
