| Would you believe that your ability to provide quality | | | | clients have to say, help out without leaving your |
| customer service to your clients is at least as | | | | professional boundaries, and let your clients know |
| important as your ability to get them results from | | | | that you care about what happens to them, not just |
| their training program? Did you even know that | | | | about what happens during the training |
| customer service was going to be part of your | | | | session.FlexibilityAlthough a trainer's day is usually |
| business model? After all, what does personal training | | | | dictated by a preset schedule, if you paint yourself |
| have to with customer service?The answer: | | | | into a corner with your calendar, you will quickly find |
| everything. Remember that your clients are people | | | | that some of your clients can't stick with their |
| first, and their status as one of your clients comes | | | | program because their schedule is just not that black |
| second. Knowing how to tend to the needs of your | | | | and white. In today's world of the ever-changing |
| customers will literally make the difference between | | | | landscape of professional as well as personal lifestyle |
| a long and prosperous career in the fitness industry, | | | | factors, many people have trouble doing the same |
| or a short-lived stint that leaves you wondering what | | | | thing day after day, and week after week. In order |
| career path you should try next!In order to assist | | | | to keep your clients happy and on track with their |
| you in walking down the success path, here are six | | | | programs, you must "roll with the punches" and |
| methods that you can use to "WOW" your clients on | | | | exhibit some flexibility when it comes to scheduling |
| a regular basis, keeping them happy, loyal to you, and | | | | and training issues.It is a very good idea to have a |
| engaging in long-term prosperous business | | | | running cancellation policy for your business, and it is |
| relationships. In no particular order they are: contact, | | | | an equally good idea to educate your clients on the |
| date and event recognition, listening, flexibility, | | | | need for regularity in their training program. However, |
| forward thinking, and over-delivering.ContactWhen | | | | being so inflexible that you charge a client $50 every |
| you get a new personal training client, many people | | | | time they get a flat tire, have to work late, or have |
| will still second-guess their decision to hire you. After | | | | a family emergency will quickly eliminate any |
| all, a personal trainer can be an expensive asset, and | | | | professional bonding that your clients may have |
| your clients need to believe that they made the right | | | | previously felt was a part of your working |
| decision. One of the easiest ways for you to ease | | | | relationship. Enforce your policies, but be realistic |
| their mind in the beginning as well as during the | | | | about the fact that life is just not as black and white |
| course of their training program is by simply staying in | | | | as it may have been 20 years ago.Forward |
| contact with them.Most clients will see you at most 3 | | | | ThinkingThis is as much of a sales technique as it is a |
| times each week, and some clients even less than | | | | great customer service tool. In a nutshell, it means |
| that. With at least 4 days in each week when your | | | | that you should always be planning for the future |
| clients don't see you, you are influencing them less | | | | when it comes to your clients. Talk to them about |
| than 50% of the time! Many clients hire a personal | | | | how you are going to start running with them once |
| trainer because they need constant guidance and | | | | they get their weight down enough for their knees |
| support, and less than 50% could hardly be | | | | to handle the stress. Explain to them how much fun it |
| considered constant.An easy solution to this is to | | | | will be when you can start taking them through the |
| send your clients a few emails a week, or mail them | | | | new training protocol that you put together. Get |
| an actual snail mail letter once in awhile. Clip an | | | | them excited about how good they are going to look |
| appropriate article from a magazine and make copies | | | | on the beach this summer after several more |
| of it to mail to your clients, or email them the URL of | | | | months of working out with you, or about how their |
| a great motivational story about weight loss that you | | | | cousin Sally is going to be so envious at Christmas |
| found on the Internet. Forward them funny | | | | time this year when she sees how much weight your |
| anecdotes about health and fitness, or drop them a | | | | client has lost.All of these things plant the seed for |
| postcard congratulating them on their latest | | | | your clients that you are thinking about their future, |
| progress.For that matter, pick up the phone! Call | | | | and not just taking them through a workout. Let |
| Suzie Client on Saturday to let her know that you | | | | them know that you have great plans for them in |
| just got done updating her client record and had | | | | the future, and that you can't wait to see their |
| reason to again marvel at how great she is doing | | | | results when they get to a certain point in the |
| with her program. You just can't pay for the type of | | | | program that you have them on. Again, your clients |
| customer feedback you will get from something like | | | | are people, and they want to be made to feel |
| that!Stay in contact with your clients in between | | | | important, needed, and |
| training sessions, and the increased attention will | | | | respected.Over-deliveringOver-delivering value to your |
| remind them on a regular basis that in the beginning | | | | clients is probably the most important technique out |
| you committed to a one on one training program for | | | | of any that have been listed so far. It is last in our |
| them, not just to stand there 3 times a week while | | | | list of customer service secrets so that it is the one |
| they exercise.Date and Event RecognitionRecognizing | | | | that you remember the most!Over-delivering is just |
| special dates in your client's lives is another great | | | | what it sounds like - giving your clients more value |
| way to show them that you are thinking about them | | | | for their money than they originally expected to get. |
| in between training sessions.- Send your clients a | | | | In fact, all of the items listed above are great |
| birthday card, or even a small but thoughtful gift. | | | | examples of over-delivery. Do you think that when |
| - Congratulate them on their wedding anniversary, or | | | | your clients hired you they expected to be getting |
| even send flowers or a card to their house. | | | | gifts on their birthday, expected you to be excited |
| - Ask them how excited they are about the | | | | about the graduation of their children, or that they |
| upcoming graduation of their child from high school or | | | | could vent to you about their mother-in-law during |
| college. | | | | training sessions? These are all examples of the |
| - Have a special token of your appreciation sent to | | | | infinite number of ways that you can over-deliver |
| their home or office after a set amount of time that | | | | value to your clients.In addition to what has already |
| they have been training with you - maybe annually or | | | | been listed, you can get much more specific with |
| semi-annually. | | | | your over-delivery efforts. Each of your clients has a |
| - Give them a special award every time they lose 5 | | | | very well defined fitness goal that they are diligently |
| pounds, or drop a percentage of body fat. | | | | working towards. As a fitness professional, you |
| - Attend the race or other fitness event that you | | | | should be regularly keeping up with the latest news |
| have been training them for.As you can see, the | | | | stories about health and fitness, as well as getting |
| possibilities are limitless. The lesson that you want to | | | | Continuing Education Credits.Put that information |
| take away from this section is that you went above | | | | directly to use for your clients! How impressed do |
| and beyond the call of duty to recognize a date or | | | | you think your client would be if their fitness goal is |
| an event that was important to your client. They | | | | to be a competitive swimmer, and you take a course |
| won't forget that when it comes time to decide | | | | on training competitive swimmers? What about if you |
| whether or not to keep working with | | | | have picked up some clients who are over the age |
| you!ListeningThe fact that you should listen to your | | | | of 55 and you start reading books and clipping articles |
| clients should go without saying. If your title is | | | | on Senior Fitness? How about a bonus training |
| "Personal Trainer", please take a moment at this time | | | | session that you give your client when they reach a |
| to re-read the first word! Too many trainers fall into | | | | goal? What about if you have a client who is on the |
| the familiar trap of just taking their clients through | | | | high school wrestling team, and after working with |
| workouts. Your clients aren't paying you to workout | | | | him for 2 months, you offer to do a free class for |
| with them. They are paying you to give them | | | | his entire team? The teenager becomes a hero |
| dedicated one on one service, and the actual | | | | because his personal trainer gave up some winning |
| workout is only one part of that.In addition to the | | | | tips before the big meet, and you get a boat load of |
| exercise programming, you must again think about | | | | free publicity!ConclusionThe pattern developing here is |
| the fact that your clients are humans before they | | | | clear, and the above examples are only sketches of |
| are clients. As humans, they have as many outside | | | | things that you might consider. Remember that every |
| considerations as you do. If you are only seeing them | | | | successful personal trainer runs a business, he or she |
| 3 hours per week, that leaves 165 hours each week | | | | doesn't just workout with their clients. Get under the |
| when you are not around, and the lifestyle events | | | | hood of your business, tinker around with the wiring, |
| that happen during that time will spill over into the | | | | and find ways to "WOW" your clients |
| training sessions.Your clients will talk about their jobs, | | | | everyday!Aaron Potts is the author and creator of |
| their spouses, their relatives and in-laws, their children | | | | The Ultimate Complete Personal Training Business Kit, |
| and their neighbors, their gardener and their mailman, | | | | a quick-start kit and business guide for new as well |
| etc. Any good personal trainer realizes that although | | | | as seasoned fitness professionals. Aaron's experience |
| we have no business actually dispensing professional | | | | as a Fitness Professional has included management |
| advice on personal or spiritual matters, we are a 3 | | | | positions with local and nationally known fitness |
| time per week sounding board for our clients, and | | | | facilities, as well as in-home and outdoor training with |
| that is just part of the job. Listen to what your | | | | clients from all walks of life. |