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