Every personal trainer wants to increase their client base, and charge more for their services. Here are three fundamental traits that no fitness instructor or personal trainer will be successful without.
People skills
Doctors call it bedside manner, but it’s the same for personal trainers. The best ones have great people skills. And unlike doctors, this isn’t really about how much you know. It’s important to know your stuff, but too much technical talk can be off-putting.
Communication is all about critical thinking and effective listening. A personal trainer is a guide on someone’s personal journey to better health and wellness. That means you have to be genuinely curious about where a client has been and where they want to go. Make sure you listen as much as you talk.
Reliability
This might sound like an obvious one, but it’s often overlooked. People hate waiting. Even if there’s a perfectly good reason, it gives them a negative experience associated with their personal trainer. That’s all easily avoided by developing good time management habits. Value your clients’ time, and get to your appointments early.
You should also be flexible when dealing with your clients’ schedules. Athletes and celebrities have all kinds of obligations that sometimes require last minute changes. If you have those types of clients, or are trying to get them, you may have to accommodate them. And an added benefit is that they may give valuable recommendations that allow you to grow your client base.
Be an expert -- and stay that way
While people skills are important, you can’t neglect research. Knowing your stuff is crucial, and it doesn’t stop when you have a certificate or degree. But with the mountains of new research coming out, how do you decide what to pay attention to? Let someone else do it for you.
Read industry magazines. They will be an invaluable resource as you sift through the latest fitness trends and research. If you see something that you think will be particularly valuable to your clients, dig a little deeper.
That will give you ammunition when clients come to you with questions, and you’ll be able to demonstrate that you know exactly what you’re talking about.
