10 Steps to Make You the `Hottest’ Newly Certified PT in Town
The greatest challenge is neither studying for the exam nor the examination itself but when the certificate reaches your home. I do share the joy & excitement of you being certified but a certification does not prove success in career or expertise in the field. It is when the journey begins!
Many newly certified faces one common challenge – how to get started. They have so much information from the book on their mind, numerous organisations offering them `career opportunities’ and many fail to enjoy job satisfaction. I am saddened to learn that the demand of personal trainers is incessant while personal trainers are not getting enough jobs. What an irony!
Being a successful personal trainer requires the `B.I.T’ skills – BUSINESS, INTERPERSONAL & TECHNICAL. If you are a newly certified personal trainer, you may consider these 10 `tips’ (which I have gathered from books and mentors throughout my years of experience) to help you get started and how it will all lead to greater demand of your services.
Know your unique selling point (USP). My friend, Jason who runs a bootcamp here, once mentioned, `Personal Trainers, you are the product!’ Perform self-discovery and learn about your strengths and weaknesses. Upsell your strengths and work on your weaknesses. Once you discover your talents, you will be able to know who and where is your target market. If you are a marathon runner and not a muscle head, you might not consider working with aspiring bodybuilders but you can work with clients who are planning their first 10k. You can learn more about proper running techniques and periodization programme to build endurance and speed for your clients. Performing continuous education can certainly provide you that edge.
Expose yourself – Many personal trainers are too concerned about latest exercise trends and techniques but neglect the marketing aspect of their business. Hence, most struggle to get clients. Personal Training is a business; you need to at least get a client for you to become a personal trainer and clients to make this your career. If you have great knowledge and experiences to share, you must let others know it. Use social networking internet sites to promote yourself, write fitness blogs, and volunteer yourself in community work through talks and workshops. The more people know your value, the bigger your chances in converting them to become your clients. I am not a big fan of hard-selling because I believe that when they see the value in your service and if it benefits them, they will invest, as long as you market it to them!
Provide happy ending. Sessions should be fun, engaging, challenging yet manageable. My mentor while I was a junior personal trainer, Wes, once told me that clients should finish their sessions feeling a sense of accomplishment, revitalised, tired but not worn-out and they must look forward to the next session. Unfortunately, many personal trainers still believe the principle of `Train Hard or Go Home’. Research has proven high intensity training results in high injury rates and drop-out cases. Also, there are numerous occasions where we are required to train new exercisers of whom have higher risk of exercising. Hence, structuring personal training sessions requires high level of creativity and flexibility. Ensure that programmes are client-centred and always assume the role of a thermostat of intensity during the session as you are in control over when to push it harder or scale it down.
As personal trainers, you should understand your client’s personality and learn how to work with them. However, I agree that there may be clients whom you may have challenge working with due to a clash of personality. Then, you may be better off recommending them to someone whom you think they can work with. If you don’t, it may affect your professional relationship with your client. Fitness Managers in particular should understand every trainer’s personality and match them accordingly to the right client.
Go that extra mile – One of the major differences between a fitness instructor and a personal trainer is that a personal trainer coaches and a fitness instructor normally just instructs on exercise. As coaches, personal trainers should empower their clients to become successful exercisers. Educate clients on exercise techniques, programmes and basic nutrition without sounding like an expert. This can definitely help to improve client’s self-efficacy & their ability to self-monitor which will eventually lead to long-term exercise adherence. Personal trainers can make occasional cold calls to clients to foster better relationship. Some personal trainers even organise weekend runs for their clients which can build great support system for clients intending to make lifestyle changes.
Discovering meaning– Dave, one of the most influential person that has helped me to become a better personal trainer, once told me that personal trainers who are capable of understanding their client’s deep underlying motivation and `pain’, are better off to get clients to start exercising. Since they understand their client, they can build a better rapport and relationship with their clients. I also find these personal trainers can design very effective client centred exercise programmes (in terms of adherence). Consider this > plan to achieve their goal when you live in their world.
dig deep into their underlying motivation
Make them the leader for the programme – When client starts to take ownership of their programme, they will feel sense of responsibility towards their fitness goals and will have better sense of direction towards it. However, many personal trainers like to take full control on the exercise programme which makes it little room for clients to take ownership of it. Remember that it is your client’s mission and you are hired to become the best navigator. They too, should know this! Be the navigator, facilitator or butler…never the driver. So ask for opinions, feedback and provide alternative without sounding like an expert.
- encourage clients to take ownership of programme
Set SMART goals (and be really sure about it) – Goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound. Remember it is your client’s goal not yours. Goals should be written and expectations should be well understood by both client and trainer. Set both short term and long term goal to help in motivation. ACE recommends setting both physical and behaviour goals. Many times personal trainers rush through this process as they hurry their way to the gym floor and later find their clients not motivated. It is common to hear clients complaining their trainers do not understand what they want. Is this personal training?
Client-centred programmes – my buddy/exercise physiologist Fabio, once asked if anybody who swears by the belief of `treat others how you want to be treated’. Many answered `yes’ but reminded us that `not many want to be treated like how you want to be treated’. There could 101 approaches to weight loss but none may suit your client. It is your skills of combining science, common sense and creativity to design a client-centred programme. Unfortunately, many personal trainers rely too much on experience and advice from incompetent personal trainers or resources when (if) the learn. So, get your basics right from credible bodies and spice it up through continuous education and experience. That combination is the value of PERSONAL training.
Think Like a Businessman – Get yourself an accountant to help you manage your PT business’ finances. You need to have monthly income and expenditure account as well as assets and liabilities accounts. Since personal training revenue is not consistent, it is wise not to mix them with your take home pay. Ensure that you only recognise revenue when sessions are conducted not when clients pay during sign-ups. You might also want allocate funds for continuous education and capital expenditure. Treat marketing as an expense. Remember at the end of the day, this is a business; it should grow while you satisfy your financial needs.
Good luck in your PT career!
Shared by Jerrican Tan CSCS, ACSM PT, ACE PT-GFI-LWMC-AHFS
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