Fitness News

Kickstart The Conversation: Break The Ice for Better Training Sessions

By 1st April 2015 No Comments

Nervous pacing. Sweaty palms. Anxious looks. This may sound like the start of a first date, but this is just a little of what your clients will experience before their first personal training session.

Although some people embrace any new activity with gusto, for many others the thought of stepping foot in a gym is incredibly intimidating. To get clients to come back time-and-time again, it is important to remove that fear-factor, welcome them with open arms and make them feel truly comfortable – not only in this new environment, but in your company too.

The benefits of breaking the ice early on with your clients are numerous. You not only put the wheels in motion for a great trainer-trainee relationship, you also open up the lines of communication. Because of this, if your client is perhaps having an issue with their training or struggling with their diet, they’ll feel relaxed enough to tell you exactly what’s going on.

Being known as the approachable trainer that isn’t afraid to start the conversation is never a bad thing for gaining new clients too – whether it is current clients giving rave recommendations to others about your friendly outlook, or simply being the person in the gym that anyone can chat to, you’ll reap the rewards of breaking the ice within just a matter of weeks.

Take a look at our top tips for getting the ball rolling and get ready to apply a few of them to your next batch of new recruits.

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Be Helpful (But Not Too Helpful!)
If you notice someone in the gym that looks like they could do with the help of a personal trainer, you may want to give them some advice. Make sure that you’re constructive with any feedback and don’t use this opportunity as a hard-sell for your services. Instead, show yourself to be knowledgeable and professional, and they’ll naturally want to find out more.

It’s All About Them
Although you may want to talk about what makes you a great personal trainer, asking questions about your client will allow you to better initiate conversation. Ask about their favourite sports, their goals, their family, their favourite foods – this will not only create a strong trainer-client relationship, it will also give you great insight into the training techniques that will work best for them.

Speak Through Your Site
For many, it is the fear of the unknown that makes going to a personal training session nerve-wracking. Use your website to explain the experience, show some photos of the facilities they’ll use, or display a short video of one of your training sessions in action. Take a look at some of our recently built sites for some great examples of how to remove the mystery and reassure your potential clients.

It’s Good To Talk
Some people find face-to-face conversations daunting, so when you’re first setting up training sessions with a new client, let them know that they can contact you via phone, email or Skype, if they prefer. By being accommodating with your communication, you give yourself a unique selling point separate from other trainers.

Train Together
Consider training alongside your new clients. Not only will this allow them to see how an exercise should be done, it also helps dissipate the feeling of ‘being on display’. It also gives you a mutual experience to connect over – nothing says ‘bonding’ quite like matching muscle soreness!

Sharing is Caring
Don’t be afraid to share a little of your fitness story with new clients. If you’ve overcome weight issues or you’ve worked hard to achieve a fitness goal, sharing this with your client proves that they can achieve their objectives too and they’ll be more likely to connect with you.

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Headphones Off, Hoodie Down
Many personal trainers make the mistake of giving off a very intense vibe in the gym. Of course, when you’re training, it is important to get your game-face on. However, if you’re working the front desk or waiting for your next client, make sure that your body language is open and friendly. Remember – breaking the ice starts before you even open your mouth.

Common People
Establishing common ground may sound obvious, but it can be one of the hardest things to do in the gym. Maybe try talking about your favourite workout music, your favourite muscle group to train, or your favourite fitness brand. Finding out those common interests means that you can quickly establish your fitness rapport and always have something to talk about between sets!

Take It Outside

Gyms tend to be loud! Whether it is music on the stereo or the clank of machines – trying to talk over the din of the gym can be difficult. Don’t be afraid to start the conversation in the reception area or even in the car park. Not only will you actually be able to hear each other, but this also means you can avoid being distracted by friends or other gym-goers which can seem unprofessional.

Everyone Started Somewhere
Remember your first troublesome yoga session? Remember falling over at CrossFit? Remember that time you dropped a dumbbell on your foot? We all started somewhere and by reminiscing about a few of your gym mishaps, you can quickly break the ice using humour and let your clients know that you can really help – from beginning to end.

Being the one to kick-off the conversation and establish good relationships with your clients will really make you stand out from the coaching crowd. Remember – you are a specialist in your field, and for those without the same level of knowledge and experience, the gym and personal training can be overwhelming. If you can break the ice early on, not only will you remove the formidable gym fear that many people hold but you’ll also establish yourself as one of the friendliest in the fitness business – and that will do wonders from your client list.

 

Do you have any other ways that help to break the ice? Let us know in the comments below!