The personal training industry is at its best when it revolves around creating strong and long-term client trainer relationships. As personal trainers, we want to help our clients tackle goals, see improvement, create good habits and form an overall healthier lifestyle. But what happens if clients aren’t seeing results as quickly as they would like to? How do we support them in their journey and retain them as clients?
Focusing on your existing clients should be at the top of your priority list – not only is it cost-effective, but it also aligns with maintaining successful client trainer rapport. It’s important to remember that fitness journeys are never linear, and there will always be little wins and little setbacks.
If a client’s progress slows down, it’s important you spend time and make an effort to keep them motivated in order to retain them as a client. Ultimately, clients need to feel supported and like their slow progression is not the end of their fitness journey with you. Here are some great ways to show them your support when they slow down with their progression:
Remind them of their wins
It’s easy to look back on what we have achieved and just see our failures, but switch the narrative around, and help clients focus on their wins instead. Motivation ebbs and flows, and that’s normal – what makes the difference is the way we deal with a lack of motivation. Remind your clients of their previous successes, and use those wins to power up their motivation levels again!
Set smaller goals
Sometimes when we’re chugging along slowly, it can be more beneficial to set smaller, more achievable goals. Working towards kicking longer-term and more intense goals can sometimes be unmotivating if clients lose their steam, so putting their fitness journey back into perspective can help with that. Set small, achievable goals, and they’ll be right back to feeling motivated.
Over-communicate
Communication is key, especially when clients have hit a wall. At this point, you should have a strong and open rapport with your client, so encourage them to go the extra mile and be completely transparent with you if they’ve lost their steam. Maybe something outside of their fitness journey has slowed them down, or maybe they’re drowning at the thought of kicking a long-term goal. Keep the communication flowing and you’re bound to see them bounce back.
Read more at: https://www.trainerize.com/blog/how-to-retain-clients-even-if-their-progress-slows/