The last few days have been really amazing for me.
It seems that the 'I believe' post phenomenon has really caught on with many, many trainers posting their own beliefs to their own blogs as a demonstration of transparency and honesty.
I've been receiving email after email about this as well as the Creed video I posted yesterday. Seems like trainers are looking for something a little more than listbuilding and client attraction strategies at the moment...
All these 'I believe' posts reminded me of the report I wrote last year and so I thought I'd revive it for you all.
Check out The Losers Doctrine which is a little tongue in cheek though definitely in keeping with these recent conversations.
I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts on if or how this applies to you, your business and your success.
Get on over to http://www.personaltrainersuccessacademy.com/losersdoctrine.pdf and check it out.
Truth, joy and love
Dax
P.S - There's a ton more great stuff over at my free community site at www.personaltrainersuccess.ning.com so go check it out!
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It's all about building relationships...
What Makes a Great Personal Fitness Trainer?
By Greg Justice, MA
Whenever I read an article, the first thing I do is to ask “why is this person qualified to write this piece?” Before reading, I always look at the brief bio at the end of the article to see if I want to continue reading. If you do that same thing, I’m going to answer the question right now.
It’s about building relationships.
I opened Kansas City’s original personal fitness training center in 1986, and have personally trained over 40,000 one-hour private sessions during the past 22years. It’s about building relationships.
I stopped taking new clients in 1994 so I could focus on my core 20clients, yet my business continued to grow. Why? Simply because I have an incredible staff who schedule new clients regularly. It’s about building relationships.
My mission was, and still is, about building relationships with clients who are committed to a healthy lifestyle including regular exercise. I have 17 clients that have had the same weekly time slots, with me, for 20 or more years, and another three that have done so for over 15 years.
Building relationships translates to client retention and a growing, successful business. Have you ever wondered what makes a great personal fitness trainer? What separates a mediocre personal trainer from an incredible personal trainer? Sort of an important question, right?
Here are the four “P’s” that I believe make for a great personal trainer.
PASSION
PERSUASION
PERSEVERANCE
PATIENCE
PASSION …do you have it? An enthusiastic trainer is motivational and clients respond to that. If you don’t have passion for this industry, you might as well save yourself the time and stop reading now, because that’s where it all begins. I believe it’s the single most important component to being a great trainer. It’s more important than the alphabet soup after your name (your formal education and certifications), more important than the years of experience you’ve accumulated and certainly more important than being able to lift 300 lbs. or having six-pack abs. Now, don’t misunderstand me, I not saying that education and experience aren’t important, I have a master’s degree myself, and you should be a walking role model for your clients. What I’m saying is that those are secondary to the infectious power of passion.
Passion is any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, and it can manifest itself in many different ways. Here’s where you get a bonus “P”…Personality. It is about building relationships and connecting emotionally with your client. Understanding, compassion and confidentiality…no one respects a blabber-mouth. Clients need to be able to trust you. I’m the “high energy” kind of trainer, and sure,
AYC Health & Fitness – Kansas City’s Original Personal Training Center, Est. 1986
7501 Mission Rd. N-2 Prairie Village, KS 66208 913-642-4437 www.aycfit.com
that comes from a lot of passion, but some of the best trainers I’ve known have a more subtle kind of passion to which their clients respond. There’s no right or wrong way when it come to passion, it’s just critical that you walk it, talk it, and live it. You can’t fake passion, and you can’t learn it either. You either have it or you don’t. Do you wake up in the morning looking forward to going to work? Do you greet every client with a smile and a positive comment? After each appointment, do you send your client away with a comment of affirmation? If not, you need to rethink your strategy. Now, I’m not going to lie, and tell you that I’ve awakened every morning during the past 8,030 days with 100% Zeal or Fervor. But, I can honestly say that at least 7,227 of those mornings I have. If you’re doing the math, that’s 90%. I use the 90% rule with my clients and tell them that if you follow your plan at least 90% of the time, you’ll see amazing results. Even when you’re not at 100%, your innate passion for what you do will kick in and your clients will never know the difference.
PERSUASION…do your clients listen to you? Are you convincing? The analogy I like to use is a teacher in a classroom. The trainer is a teacher. You must be persuasive to get your message across. You’re going to hear every excuse in the book as to why your client can’t or won’t do something you ask. This is where your formal education and the powers of persuasion will come in handy, because you must make a good argument to counter their excuses. The act of persuading is the act of influencing the mind by arguments or reasons offered. If a client tells you they don’t have time for a workout, you should have a scripted comeback ready to deliver. You must have conviction while making your argument. You’ve got to believe what you’re telling them is true. And, you must present a factual and compelling case. Part of persuasion is your presentation. You can’t be caught off guard. If you’ve been training for any length of time, you’ve heard all the excuses. Be prepared. Be ready to strike back with confidence, reason and facts. Finally, if you can’t persuade a client to be motivated, say “You’re fired.” Don’t let frustration overtake you or your client. When you have a genuine passion for training and the ability to persuade, you have to give it your all. You are the teacher…it is your responsibility to motivate. Be mindful that not every trainer is right for every client. It must be a win/win situation.
PERSEVERANCE - Is a steady persistence in a course of action or purpose in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. We’ve all had clients that have gone through tough times, or have been discouraged by one thing or another. Maybe your client only lost one pound over the course of a week, and thought they should have lost three. Or perhaps they’re going through personal problems in their lives, and feel the need to share those issues with you. Are you a good listener? If not, you need to remember that you have two ears and only one mouth so learn to listen twice as much as you talk.
When a client gets discouraged, or gets off track because of personal reasons, it’s easy to give up on them and go looking for new clients. Are you a quitter? Or, do you confront issues head on and preserver? We’re in this business to help people. Remember, it’s all about building relationships. It is not about you. Constancy, dedication, determination and endurance are all synonyms for perseverance. Are you dedicated to your clients? Are you determined, and do you have the endurance to see them through tough times? If so, you shouldn’t have any difficulty with the last “P” Patience.
PATIENCE – We’ve all heard the saying that “patience is a virtue”. As a personal trainer it is a good and admirable quality to have. It really goes hand in hand with perseverance. If you think about it, patience really implies qualities of calmness, stability and persistent courage in trying circumstances. Have you ever had a client that just couldn’t “get it” when you tried to explain how to do something? We’ve all been there, and it can be frustrating. Just because it comes natural to you doesn’t mean it’s easy for your clients. A true measure of patience is when you can suppress restlessness or annoyance when you are confronted with a slow learner. You can never show frustration with them, even if you are. Always remain calm and relaxed when explaining something to them for the 4th, 5th, 10th time. Remember, the client has paid for your time and undivided attention. A slow learner who may not possess the perfect athletic skills, that individual will get even more satisfaction when they “get it.” Your patience will pay big dividends.
Are you building relationships? Ask yourself these four questions, and be honest when you answer. Are you passionate about what you do? Do you have the power of persuasion? How persistent are you when it comes to what you desire? Are you patient with your clients? The first “P” PASSION is innate, but I believe the other three “P’s” can be developed. Some trainers will have an easier time than others, but they can be developed. Start building relationships today!
was that a comment or an article Greg? : )
Dax,
That was an article (my original content), and it summed up what I believe.
Ultimately, it's about the relationships we develop throughout our journey, in business and life, that defines who we are, and the impact we've had in others lives.
I've posted it before and thought it was appropriate for this subject.
I liked it Dax. I'm definitely not a loser and on my way to being a solid winner. "See" you Tuesday.
Salut,
Kaisa Tuominen
www.fitnessintegral.com
Thanks Guys and by the way Greg, I agree with you. It was a great comment that sums up many of the conversations we've had lately.
It's ALL about relationships and relationships are ALL about being transparent, honest and supportive.
Keep the great responses coming : )
haha, i particularly liked the 'god forbid they changed their minds about something' part haha
A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will.
my dad says that all the time :-)
according to the questionnaire im going to be a hit!
Thanks Dax!
Bryan
You see people following the losers doctrine in all areas of life.
It gives them an excuse to stay exactly where they are.
Like sheep in a herd not knowing or caring where they are going.
I have chosen not to associate with these people; whether they are coworkers or clients.
As the saying goes: "You are what you hang out with."
Thanks for your inspiration Dax.
Peace. :)
Yesterday's exercise of course got me thinking. I wrote down two topics I wanted to blog about - they were:
1.Blaming
2.Choices
I used to be a victim of sorts. More so of what I perceived to be circumstances rather than the result of someone's actions. OK well, maybe I blame the ex a little still lol.
Come to find out my circumstances are a direct result of my choices.
WHODA THUNK IT?? ;)
I'd much rather take responsibility for my own choices - at least then I have some control over my life!
Blaming = giving control of ME over to someone/something. I'm a control freak, so that doesn't work to well for me these days!
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