5 Reasons Why You’re Losing Clients
Have you ever asked yourself why clients have left you?
“Was there something I did wrong?”
“Could I have done something different?”
“Was it really all about the money?”
Well, I hope you have asked yourself these questions, because your success and career as a Fitness professional depends on it!
Minimizing loss is an essential focus of every successful business.
So, is it one of yours?
As independent business owners, we have to take a personal inventory to control the losses we have. It is, in a sense, quality control. Without taking an honest look at how we interact with our clients, how we write our programs, and how we market ourselves, we will never progress.
If we want to survive, we have to be honest, fearless and
willing to be uncomfortable. We have to grow, evolve, and progress even as
professionals. This means going outside of our comfort zone.
Strong words, right? Yes!
So, why such dire words about this self-searching and why is it so critical?
Well, the reality is, clients will never tell you the real reason as to why they discontinue training with you, or as to why they stopped showing up all together. The fear of confrontation is too great for most, and a simple “I can’t afford training anymore” is a common reason you will get from your clients when they just want 'out'.
Now, I know some of you are thinking that money really was the reason why your clients stopped training. Maybe? Maybe not.
Either way, if the long-term success of our business is our primary goal, then we owe it to ourselves to question it.
Don’t let your ego hold you back and stop you from assessing yourself. Our ego and pride may actually be the hole that’s sinking our ship, not the economy or whatever reason you choose to hold on to.
Okay, with all of that said, it’s gut check time. Here are 5 critical reasons why your clients will stop training with you. Keep an open mind and be your harshest critic.
1. They Did Not Know What To Do On Their Own
You are the expert. You have the solution to whatever their fitness goal is. They came to you. So, it’s up to you to make sure that they know what to do.
Your clients should not be saying things to you like, “I wasn’t quite sure what to, so I just did some cardio,” or “I saw someone foam rolling, should I be doing that?,” or “there are these new workout videos, do you think I should do them too?”.
Never leave your clients out there wondering what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. They should know. Now, if they don’t remember, that’s another thing…
Also, they may not care about the firing efficiency of their glute medius, but they at least need to be told what the exercise plan is and how it’s helping them get to their goal. They will be more likely to follow it.
Keep them informed.
2. You Did Not Make A Clear Plan Of Action
A workout is just a workout and one workout can only raise your metabolism for a short period of time.
Real, sustainable changes come from a continuous progression, or safe-overload . That is why the workouts they have outside of the personal training sessions with you are just as important.
If you are not writing them workouts, how do expect them to:
1.
A) know what to do
B) not do exercises that will compromise the workout you have planned
C) reinforce the movement patterns that you are trying to create
Write the workouts for them and show them how to do it.
One more thing about this, I have
heard personal trainers in the past say to me, “I want my clients to need me, that way they won’t leave.”
Don’t fall into this trap. This is destructive thinking. I personally would be more concerned with the client leaving because their body is not changing than empowering them too much.
3. You Did Not Tailor Your Approach To Them
Everyone responds differently.
Some do well with positive reinforcement. Some clients need constant emails and check-ins. Some people need strategies for change.
Whatever it is, it’s your job to figure out what works best for each client. Only a small percentage will take the workouts that you give them, and with little guidance, make major transformations. It does happen, but unfortunately, the majority of people that come to us need major behavioral changes and it’s our job to help them.
To be successful, you must pay attention to what they do and do not respond to. If a client is not responding, try a different approach.
No matter how many different approaches you take, do not get frustrated. It’s not about you. It is about them. Help them. They need it.
4. You Talked About Yourself Too Much
I’m going to be very short and clear with this one. Your clients do not care about your workout, what you ate or your home remodeling project. AND…They will never tell you that they don’t care, they will just be silently annoyed.
The session should ALWAYS be about THEM.
Ask open-ended questions that get them to describe how they are thinking, feeling and acting.
Ask them questions like… Tell me about your workout yesterday? What was your nutrition like? How is everything at work going lately?
When clients ask about you, give short answers and subtly turn the focus back on them. (Remember, they’re the ones paying you…)
I promise you, this one is big!
5. You Are Not Progressing Along With The Rest Of The Industry
As I’ve mentioned before, so-called fitness experts are everywhere and you have to create a competitive advantage to stick out. You simply will not survive giving out cookie-cutter fitness tips.
The days when we could just explain “how interval training will stimulate more fat-loss and a higher post-workout metabolic effect than just doing steady-state cardio” are over. They are getting this online now. We have to go deeper. We have to be their source for everything if we want life-long clients.
Study. Research. Go to workshops. Get another certification. Specialize in something. Be an expert in anything, but pick something.
Look up topics like, how hormone levels affect weight loss in obese individuals, how sleep affects recovery, how proper post-workout nutrition can increase testosterone levels, advanced myofascial release and trigger point therapy techniques, periodization, and so on, and so on…
These are things that will help them dramatically, make you more valuable, and differentiate you from trainers that aren’t willing to go the extra mile.
Yours in Fitness Business Success,
Ben Dulhunty
