If you know of start-up active, I already know you are trying to improve what you do and how you do it as a coach. You are into self-improvement, and that is a good thing. One thing we know about the world of fitness is that it evolves fast, theories change, and we must be aware of these changes to ensure we keep evolving and are doing the best things by our clients, to give them the best results possible.
But, when it comes to self-development, for me, there is a black hole in where and how coaches develop themselves. Most coaches will look to learn and develop by studying exercises and fitness concepts, movement and mobility hacks, nutrition theory and new diet concepts, business and marketing to get more clients (this is only a newer area of study for many coaches as for too long most coaches have struggled to get their business off the ground), and that’s kind of it, personal development ends there.
What about actual ‘personal’ development, looking at you, the coach. Not just the skills you have, fitness, nutrition, business knowledge, but how you operate. When was the last time you sat down and looked at your customer service, or your customer sales cycle with your clients, or looked to critically analyse your communication with your clients, and your use of language and environment?
Please don’t think this is the fluffy area of personal development, and that, heck, what does it really matter. This is the most important area of your self-development, this is about the service you are offering your clients. It’s important because this is what creates the environment and experience your clients have when they are around you. Client’s aren’t just training with you to get a diet and training plan, you might think they are, but they are there largely to get inspired, be motivated, and get on the straight and narrow with their health and fitness. Many coaches are fine at the straight and narrow bit, but not so much on the other areas. Let’s raise some questions on your service…
If you don’t communicate with your client effectively, not just in the sessions, but around them, will they feel valued and have a compulsion to stay with you as a client?
If you don’t make them feel special as a client, will they want or feel compelled to stay?
Do you miss opportunities to up-sell more expensive or more regular session with you if you do not have a good customer service sales cycle and communication process?
Perhaps you struggle even asking your clients for money and getting adequately paid for what you do?
Perhaps you simply struggle getting clients in the door full stop?
These skills are ESSENTIAL to be a successful coach. It’s not just about training and a diet plan, it’s SO much more than that. You are a facilitator of great change, when a potential client comes to you, you have the opportunity to change their life, literally, and when that even starts to happen and they are feeling incredible as a result of working with you, they will be telling all their friends about it.
If you are struggling with word of mouth referrals in your PT business, you must look at yourself, you are the one providing the service to the client, and if they are not willing or wanting to tell all their friends how awesome you are as a coach, then that is your failing, not the client. Humans naturally want to tell others about good things that are happening to them in their lives, they like to brag, they like to be proud, so if you are not a good thing in their lives right now, you need to be, in fact, you need to be that AWESOME thing in their life. That’s when they tell all their friends about you.
Service delivery is key, please don’t skip out this area of your business. Be critical, stand back, ask yourself “How could I be better at delivering my service to my clients, how can I WOW them”. Once you become critical, you can see where you can make improvements.
Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot to think about when you are a developing coach, but I can help. In fact, I can help with a lot more than that, all for the cost of a book. I hope I have already made you think extensively about how you can improve as a coach, but if you would like tips, tricks, techniques, and a plethora of ‘ah ha’ moments, grab a copy of my 5-star amazon reviewed book ‘How to be an AWESOME Personal Trainer’, covering business, marketing, customer service, communication, and more, all from a practical, hands on angle from my 11 years working in the fitness industry.
Ben Coomber is a performance nutritionist (BSc, ISSN), educator, speaker and writer. Ben run’s Body Type Nutrition, an online nutrition coaching company that also runs a multi-level, online nutrition coaching (and now business) course, the BTN Academy. Ben has the UK’s #1 rated health and fitness podcast on iTunes ‘Ben Coomber Radio’ with regular Q&A’s and expert interviews. Ben also owns Awesome Supplements, a brand offering clarity in the confusing world of supplements. Ben is a sought-after speaker selling out his own public seminars on nutrition, health and personal development alongside speaking at all major UK fitness events and some international events also.
Connect with Ben over on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram. For everything else visit: www.bencoomber.com
