WNiF Magazine - Spring 2015 Edition | Page 26

By Sarah-Beth Cleaves I spent some time analysing and reviewing his business in detail. He made solid training and nutrition plans with clients, he held them accountable, he had a good relationship with them… so what was going wrong? they still need some level of support, guidance or motivation then it’s your job to offer a plan where you can provide that support. I could see why Rob was so confused… I was confused too! 1. POSITIONING It wasn’t until I sitting down with Rob to plan his next business quarter that I realised the mistake that was costing him thousands of dollars. Rob’s clients were leaving him because they achieved their goals. This was a hard one for me to initially take on board, but if you are running a business then releasing your ego is critical for longevity with your clients. THE $22,800 When I told Rob this was why, he laughed at me. He said, “Sarah, are you saying I have to stop letting clients hit their goals?” MISTAKE Of course I wasn’t suggesting that. The reason they were leaving was because he hadn’t redefined what the next phase of their health and fitness looked like. Rob’s clients lost motivation because they no longer had a goal and as such, they decided to stop training with him. THAT MOST PTS ARE MAKING RIGHT NOW S arah-Beth Cleaves reveals the costly mistake that many personal trainers are making right now. 26 Get this wrong and it will cost you thousands. As a fitness industry professional or business owner you cannot afford to be making this mistake. I met Rob (not his real name) a few years ago. He was passionate about changing people’s lives and had built a reputation as a trainer who got results. He had three personal trainers working for him and lots of photos and stories of clients who he’d helped lose significant amounts of weight. Rob walked the walk and talked the talk. From the outside Rob’s business looked WHAT’S NEW IN FITNESS - SPRING 2015 Complacency is pretty common. Being too comfortable is a common reason for some overweight or unfit people being in that boat in the first place. pretty good. There was one big problem though: his clients didn’t stay with him. His longest client had stayed for eight months. It didn’t make sense. Rob got results, his clients hit their goals and he had a great relationship with them. Personal trainers hold a lot of power; they have a certain level of responsibility to their clients. Whilst achieving initial goals can be satisfying and worth celebrating it is important, as a trainer that you also look ahead for your clients. I am not suggesting that you should never let a client go. But it is your responsibility to sit down and work out what the best option is for your client’s future health. If they are okay to go it alone then great. But if you believe WHAT’S NEW IN FITNESS - SPRING 2015 Here are my top three tips for increasing the lifetime value of your clients: This is critical and usually overlooked by most personal trainers. Clients will go through an emotional rollercoaster while working with you so it’s your job to be a few steps ahead of their journey. I recommend a positioning session before you start training your clients, just to let them know about the peaks and troughs they’ll experience. This is also a good time for you to talk through what they may feel when they reach their target weight or goal, and what they can expect to happen after this accomplishment. 2. QUANTIFY RESULTS A very common mistake among trainers is that they do not always apply the clients’ results to real life. So, you have a client who successfully lost 15kg. That’s tangible and it’s great. But the real result is in what that actually means to them. For example, this could be confidence in their body shape and ability, which can lead them to having the confidence to apply for a job promotion. Successful PTs will keep notes and regularly check in with their clients about what the real result is for them. 3. LET YOUR EGO GO This was a hard one for me to initially take on board, but if you are running a business then releasing your ego is critical for longevity with your clients. After working with one client for a long period of time, it’s not uncommon for accountability or standards to slip a little; that complacency we mentioned earlier can rear its head. If you have a few trainers who work with you, then one strategy if a client is thinking of leaving, is to offer them a new trainer. A fresh set of eyes can be the kickstart they need for your long terms clients t o start training hard again. It can be a tough pill to swallow but if you let your ego go and put the needs of the clients’ first, then sometimes giving that client to another trainer in your network is the best thing for that client and, therefore, the business. SPECIAL OFFER Sarah is offering What’s New In Fitness readers a complimentary business valuation or assessment. To find out more visit designandconstructcoaching.com.au 27