Perhaps you’ve started to identify an increasingly prevalent attitude within your own PT circles, and noted that this attitude may not be the best way forward when it comes to client retention.
The Fitness Lord Attitude Problem
Personal Trainers with this exact attitude sigh at the prospect of being a sought-after PT, complaining that their clients are demanding and that they would rather spend time doing things they truly love, like chest and tris; spending hours on Instagram; and standing around with their mates comparing shoes.
Unfortunately for these fitness lords, clients continue lining up to be in their presence.
Tell them not to fret! There are ways PTs can free up their calendar and we’ve identified just the tricks on preventing existing clients from renewing their sessions.
10 simple steps to ruin any PT’s reputation:
- Pretend to listen to a client – throw in some head nodding whilst listening out for an opportunity to jump in and explain how you know so much about training, nutrition supplements
- Train clients exactly the way you train yourself – hey, it works for you and it will work for your clients too, you got some great stuff out of Muscle and Fitness for your upper abs AND Mrs Smith must want to feel the burn on her 80th Birthday
- Make lots of assumptions about your client – You’ve seen one… you’ve seen them all right!? No need to ask for feedback, after all, you’re telepathic and can safely assume they love the workout: they think you’re great and of course they want to get shredded!
- Convince future clients they will be broken and miserable unless they work with you – hey, you are gifted and they are well, just plain miserable without your guidance and new techniques you learned from your insta-famous fitness guru
- Give everyone the same program no matter what their goal or ability is – Let’s face it, being a busy trainer takes it out of you, why waste your time creating unique programs for everyone when you can give them the old squat, lunge, bench lat pull down special!
- Spend the entire session asking your client for advice about a property, accounting, & investments – Milk the professional skills of your clients during the session, heck with stock and property tips you’ll be ready to open up your own gym chain in no time!
- Spend time checking Facebook in between sets – ensure your last post is getting the likes you need. You also don’t want to miss out on that cute cat video!
- Judge your clients – Hey, they came to you for a reason! You are a god of discipline and self-control, they need you because let’s face it, they’re lazy if they knew what was good for them, they’d do an hour of cardio each day and batch cook enough chicken and broccoli to get them through the month! Without you, they wouldn’t have the motivation to get out of bed!
- Adopt the no pain, no gain approach – They hire you to SMASH them. Don’t worry about planning recovery or regeneration, ignore how much stress they’ve had at work and how much they’ve slept. Get some extra points for making them throw up!
- Complain every day about how difficult it is to be a PT – your life sucks, you have to show up and help people achieve their goals when really you just want to sleep in, work out and get to the next dance party
You’ll start to notice that PTs in your own circles with this attitude will consequently, have a drop in clients and they will need to reflect on the sheer importance of their interactions with clients.
The Fitness Lord Attitude Adjustment
It’s important to note that as a qualified PT you’re not merely training the human body, you’re training the human being and after the novelty of being self-centered has worn off, you may miss that connection and want to reevaluate your approach when training clients.
Look no further than PTA’s Global Behaviour Change in Exercise; learn the 4 systems of personal training that empower you to train the human being. Motivation, moment, screening and programming, created by the top minds and pioneers of the fitness industry.
Yours in fitness,
Mel dos Remedios
