Top Ways to Motivate Your Personal Training Clients

The difference between a personal trainer with a high client retention rate and one with a low one is not just how effective that personal trainer is in training the clients, although that is quite vital. The key difference though is how successful that personal trainer is in keeping the client motivated. Knowing the top ways to keep your personal training clients motivated will help your business a great deal.

In the world of fitness training, the greatest challenged most of your clients would face will be discouragement; especially when they have really high expectations and sometimes unrealistic goals for themselves. They start to lose their motivation when they do not meet their expectations. Most clients need that extrinsic motivation and will most likely remain with the trainer that provides it.

There are several ways to motivate your personal training clients and each personal trainer probably has a different list of best practices. Yet there are some basic ways you need to employ if you intend to get it right.

1. Listen to Your Client: this is really very important. A lot of personal trainers are in the habit of constantly talking and giving instructions when they are with their clients, they do not take the time to hear what their clients have to say. If you want to be successful in motivating your client, you need to actually listen to that client to know where they need a boost. The very act of listening without offering any advice can do a whole lot for the psyche of a person.


2. Be Accessible: You need to be accessible to your clients. If you are a personal trainer, your client should be able to reach you when they need to contact you. This does not always have to be through a phone call; it is understandable if you do not want to place your personal life on ransom to your clients. Nevertheless, your personal training clients should be able to reach you even if it is through emails.


3. Show that You Care: Put the personal in personal training. Let your clients know that they are important to you and that you care about them. This is not about what you say per se, but mostly in the things you do. Return phone calls and emails promptly; don’t forget to follow up with your clients to make sure that the workout routine is working for them; know your clients specific needs and be sympathetic to them.


4. Do Frequent Weigh-ins: Nothing encourages a client more than visible progress and this can be achieved through weekly weigh-ins. When you can show your clients how much progress they are making, it keeps them motivated.


5. Stay Up-to-Date: This is the best form of motivation you can give your clients. Read industry magazines, medical journals and up-to-date information. Attend continuing education courses and interact with other personal trainers. Keep growing so that you can always offer your clients the best.