Social Skills And Client Retention

Tap to Read ➤ Eric Leader

When it comes to building a personal training clientele, or any other clientele for that matter, social skills and communication will be just as important if not more important than education. How can that be? How can it be that social skills are just as important if not more important than one's education? Let's take a look.

What Experience Has Shown

As the owner of Every Body's Personal Trainer, I have worked with hundreds of personal trainers over the course of my 17 years in business. One thing that I have noticed is that certain personal trainers can maintain their clientele whereas others tend to have clients drop off significantly. What exactly causes this drop-off?

Communication Is Most Important

Many fitness trainers mistakenly think that their education or certification is the most crucial aspect of obtaining and keeping clientele. However, in my experience, social skills and the ability to empathize and reach your clients through communication tends to be more important.

Show The Client You Care

Personal training can be an interesting phenomenon. During a one-hour session with a client, it is almost like you become a therapist in a way. Clients will verbally throw up on you and let you know all about their problems and issues that they are having. If you do not have sharpened communication skills then this may become a problem.

Engage The Client

Being able to communicate and show how important each client is can be the deal-breaker. Don't stare at your watch the whole time waiting for the session to be over. Those who can engage with a client and show them just how much they care about what is on their mind and problems that they are facing are always going to be the most successful.

Go Above And Beyond

Social skills and communication skills don't just end at the session. Follow up with your client. Send them a text message asking how they are doing. Show them that they are more than just that person that you were with for one hour or two hours a week. Wish them a happy birthday on their birthday, ask them how their family is doing.

Remember Non-Verbal Communication

Remember your social skills extend to more than just your verbal communication. Your nonverbal communication also says a lot about how much you care about your client. Make sure you are engaging them with your eyes and not looking away. Make sure that you aren't staring down at your watch while they're talking.