5 Actions Coaches and Personal Trainer should be doing with their clients EVERY time they coach/train them.

Movement is just one aspect in your career as a Personal Trainer (PT) and/or a Coach. You have to pay attention to the “feel good” stuff too (even if that means getting out of your comfort zone). There are a zillion PT/Coaches out there. Your client/athlete/victim chose YOU! You SHOULD stand a little taller! For most PT/Coaches, instructing movement pattern is the “easy” part. There are point of performance and if the client/athlete/victim isn’t following those, you offer cues to help fix the pattern. Its the feel good, touchy feely stuff where many struggle. Below are 5 actions PT/Coaches should ace to help out that that.

  • Name. Call your client/athlete/victim by their actual name AT LEAST one time during class. I get it. Sometimes it is hard to memorize a name off a single initial handshake, but quickly learn/recall/memorize their name then do all in your power to never forget it, especially if they are going to be a repeat client or class member. I read somewhere that a person’s favorite thing to hear is their name. According to THIS article in Forbes, the top ways to memorize someones name is:
    • Meet, greet and repeat. One way to get a person’s name to stick is to use is in the first words of your conversation.
    • Spell it out. Add it to your contacts (or to a whiteboard in a Coach’s environment)
    • Associate. Many experts suggest that you conjure a verbal game or image when you first hear a name.
    • Make Connections. Make a connection between the person you’re talking to, and someone else you know with the same name, i.e. Carrie, like my sister.
    • Choose To Care. “If you make a conscious decision that you are going to remember names,” he explains, “because you care about the people you meet, you will immediately become much better at doing it!”
  • Touch. Make physical contact with your client (not in a creepy way). The power of touch is HUGE. This means all the, high five, fist bump, pat on the back. elbow bump, etc (go HERE and fast forward to the 0:50 sec mark for more ideas and a good laugh). According to THIS article on Psychology Today, they discuss 8 different reason why we need human touch more than ever.
    • Decreased violence.
    • Greater trust between individuals.
    • Economic gain.
    • Decreased disease and stronger immune system.
    • Stronger team dynamics.
    • More non-sexual emotional intimacy.
    • Greater learning engagement.
    • Overall wellbeing.
  • Feedback. Coach your client/athlete/victim. I know sounds silly, but don’t just assume they are okay and/or will figure it out (bad habits develop this way). This is very easy to do in a one on one setting or even a two on one setting. Its when you start adding clients/athletes/victims to the session/group/class does it get more complicated, not unnecessary, but more complicated. This means you are just going to have to go the extra mile and be smart with your class time. Yes, feedback is good for movement correction, injury prevention and all that, but it also allows for a chance of connection between you and that athlete. Clients/Athletes/Victims enjoy feedback, good our bad because it means you are acknowledging them.
  • Compliment. Who doesn’t like to hear great things, especially when it is about you. There are so many opportunities to compliment your client/athlete/victim during your time with them. Tell them you like their “insert article of clothing”, applaud them when they go below parallel on their squat or execute a movement correctly. Thank them for taking time from THEIR day to come to YOUR class.
  • Non-Fitness. Connect with them on a non-fitness level. Ask about their kids. Ask about their parents. Their Work. Ask about something OUTSIDE of fitness. Let them know that you care about more than just the hour they are paying you for. That you care about them as a person not just membership fees. Acknowledge their birthday, anniversary with you/class, engagements…special dates in general. If you use a whiteboard in class, write Happy Birthday on the board (birthdays are my favorite to recognize).

The best part about these five things is they cost you NOTHING! People never forget how you make them feel. This can go for both ends of the spectrum. If you, the coach/trainer makes your client feel amazing, guess who they are going to recommend when their friend/co-worker/family member/etc is looking for a personal trainer/coach. Guess who is going to be a long term client. Remember, you are in the PEOPLE business, not the fitness business.