TWEAK YOUR
PRE-SCREENING
TO MEET YOUR CLIENT ’ S NEEDS
1 OF 5 ARTICLES
By digging deeper than a basic pre-screening , you can not only uncover health concerns before they become big problems , but also supercharge your business by positioning yourself as a highly professional trainer , writes trainer and educator Clare Hozack .
is limited to working with relatively fit , healthy , and averageaged adults .
To establish whether your client fits that definition , you ’ ll need to dig a little deeper than a basic pre-screening permits . While conducting an in-depth pre-screening may sound daunting , and potentially off-putting for some clients , it actually has the power to supercharge your business .
Reasons to delve deeper
Initially , it feels counterintuitive : do you really need to take a deep dive into every client ’ s history in order to find something ‘ special ’ about them that may result in having to refer them away from your business ? Yes – and what ’ s more , it will be good for your business because it will enable you to :
1 . Uncover health problems
A thorough screening process that searches for issues that can be affected by your client ’ s age , gender and lifestyle can uncover health concerns before they become big problems . Whether you ’ re looking for pelvic floor dysfunctions or prostate problems by screening for symptoms , if you catch them in the early phase of their disease or dysfunction , you ’ ve already changed your client ’ s life .
2 . Give yourself a point of difference
The screening process is when you make your first impression on a client . An in-depth pre-screen establishes your thoroughness from the outset and is a powerful tool for building trust , rapport and reputation as a professional . Before you ’ ve even guided your client through their first kettlebell lift , you ’ ve already differentiated yourself and your business from the masses .
3 . Build a solid referral network
A thorough screening process and a referral network will build trust and recognition among your community . By consistently sending clients to one physiotherapist or doctor , and then incorporating their advice into the exercise programs you deliver , you will develop solid lead generation for your business . Initially it will feel like the traffic is only going one way , but give it a year , and prove your methods with their patients , and the flow of referrals will go both ways .
4 . Increase your knowledge
Discovering underlying health issues in an apparently ‘ healthy ’ client is also a fantastic learning opportunity for you . Every time an issue is uncovered , you add to your wealth of experience and this shines through in the training you deliver .
Taking your pre-screening deeper
So how do you tweak your pre-screen ?
• If you don ’ t already , make sure you ’ ve got all the compulsory bases covered , as specified by your
Duty of Care . These are general health questions that will automatically qualify someone for a GP visit before commencing training with you . You can
click here to get a copy of these policies . The current pre-screening form for multiple regulatory bodies ( including Fitness Australia , ESSA and ASCA ) can be
downloaded here .
• Next , run a census on your client base . Key questions to answer include : - are they men or women ? - do they identify as male or female ? - how old are they ? - what is their lifestyle like in terms of activity , eating drinking , and stress ?
• Identify key health issues in that population . For example , if 70 % of your client base is sedentary men who regularly wine and dine as part of their job , obesity and alcoholism would be two fundamental issues to screen for . If 85 % of your client base is mums , then pelvic
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