The key to becoming a successful personal trainer is having passion for what you do and continuing to work toward setting yourself apart from others in your field. This is often accomplished by the means of your personal level of expertise, professionalism and knowledge of the health and fitness industry. In simpler terms, you must be willing to grow your skills to find success in the industry. To become an ambassador for a healthy and active lifestyle, use these tips below to grow your skill set.
Want to take your clients’ experiences to the next level? Here are three customer-service tips for personal trainers like you.
Invest in yourself first
Just like everything else—from planning out your weekly meals to achieving your annual goals—everything starts with you. In order for you to position yourself as a leader in your field you must lead by example and be willing to grow as a professional. Whether it’s industry experience or obtaining multiple certifications, you must invest in your experience to see your clients’ goals all the way through.
Beyond education, your attire and client engagement should always be professional. Just because you work in the gym doesn’t mean you can’t dress to impress your clients and colleagues. Combining a couple of investment pieces from Lululemon or Nike with other small-name brands will show your clients that even though you’re training them in the gym, you didn’t just roll out of bed in the sweats you wore last night. The same professionalism rings true for client engagement. Be sure that you’re always working to exceed their expectations and their goals. And check in with your clients on a regular basis.
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Communication is paramount
If there is one thing your clients are looking for in a personal trainer, it’s instant motivation. Your clients will turn to you for your expertise and guidance. That being said, it’s important that you stay current with evolving trends and even fads to ensure that your clients are always getting the absolute most out of their training experiences. It’s also important for you to encourage your clients to be vocal. If something isn’t working, or they’re feeling frustrated with their results (or lack thereof), they should be comfortable sharing these feelings with you. As a trainer, you should be more than willing to tweak the plan to make it work for your client’s personal needs.
Don’t let the communication stop after each session. Planning for your clients’ success is often done by going the extra mile, so consider emailing or texting your clients once or twice a week with a healthy recipe or a 30-minute HIIT workout that they can squeeze in to their busy schedules.
Building client accountability
Many trainers hold their clients accountable when it comes to working on their goals outside of each session. And, while this is an effective way to train and achieve results, you need to ensure that your client understands what you are asking of him or her. Whether it’s sticking to a plan of additional workouts or committing to a new diet, it’s important to sit down together to determine a clear path for success. Want to continue to take your clients’ experiences to the next level? Stay tuned to see what other health and fitness tips surface.
