Being aware of clients expectations in the fitness industry…….and meeting them!!
So, you have a dream of running your own PT company? Congratulations, you will be entering one of the most vibrant, dynamic and rapidly evolving industries in the world!
It’s vital, that along with the necessary steps of business planning, goal setting and budgeting, that anyone entering this industry is also aware of the potential expectations placed upon them by their clients, and how to effectively work with and educate your clients to ensure long-standing, repeat business.
In this day and age, especially in the Western world, people have an enormous range of information, goods and services available at their fingertips, thanks to the internet and search engines such as Google and Yahoo.
This ability, and inherent ‘convenience of access’ to these things, has also lead to a shift in the expectations of clients, both potential and existing.
People want answers, solutions and most of all, RESULTS. And they want them yesterday.
Within the fitness and health industries, people are constantly bombarded with promises of “extreme fat loss”, “2 minute abs”, “gain 15 pounds of muscle in 7 days” and so on.
Companies promoting these products spend millions of dollars on marketing and advertising, significantly more than they would put into making the products themselves.
This often leaves clients confused along with unrealistic expectations of themselves, and their trainer.
When you first meet a potential client to discuss their goals and how you can help them, it is vital to ascertain the following
- What are they wanting to achieve, and what has motivated them to want this?
- Have they had a Trainer before?
- Were they happy with him/her?
- What expectations do they have of a Trainer?
Having these answers will assist you in deciding if you will meet their expectations?
Do clients believe you can assist them in reaching their goals? (getting a verbal confirmation of this from the client is a great way to really build that trust between you, which is essential)
Once you have covered these bases, and they are still on the same page, then it’s time to take some time to educate them on what they can expect once they start training.
- Give them an overview of what their training will entail.
- Run them through the benefits that they will experience and an idea of when this will happen.
- Spend time getting them excited about the decision they have made to change their lives!
Remember, they will feed off your energy, so if you are not excited about creating change in their lives, then you can’t expect them to be!!
And finally, you need to be clear that for all of those exciting things to happen, the client must commit 100% to the actions, decisions and guidance outlined in the exercise programs and nutritional advice that you will be giving them.
I would recommend drafting a basic written agreement that you get each new client to sign, stating that they commit to following your instructions and advice, and working within the guidelines you set, to give themselves every possible chance of achieving their goals.
Having something like this in place then allows you to be confident in offering a ‘money back guarantees ‘ and the like.
Followng these simple procedures will give you a reputation in the industry for being honest, thorough and genuine about achieving results for your clients – and these things will ensure a long term, growing client base that deliver clients to you!
