Do you want to achieve the best results possible with your clients? Well, we hope so if you’re here reading this. This exact conversation is exactly why we created Carroll Performance!
Do you want to know the simple reason why so many coaches out there struggle to make a name for themselves through results?
Because they do not keep their clients long enough!
The name of the game of being a personal trainer is to help people, that is why the majority of us entered into the fitness industry. We are passionate about what we do and passionate about helping people, but how do we help the people who don’t help us?
Coaches do a great job with a client for the first 4-6 weeks. They help them generate some nice momentum, the client builds confidence in the gym, they learn more about nutrition and the power of great sleep – things are going well!
Then, the client finishes their initial 4-6 week period they signed up for and it’s “cya later!”. The client moves on to fend for themselves.
You have now lost a potential great client. All that hard work creating the momentum now results in the potential to really do awesome things with them being lost.
Great results come from working with clients long term. Both Glen and myself have a 12-week absolute minimum term of signing up a new client and ideally, most will sign up for 24 weeks. This may sound rather intimidating for coaches to think about offering to clients. Especially when you are often just happy to have a one off paying client that day.
But we need to get away from that small mindset.
You need to think in terms of “how can I have the most impact with a client?”. I can assure you, the power of positivity you can bring to a client only compounds over time.
Currently, I have not taken on a new online client in almost 2 years! However, all of my clients I am working with have now been with me for well over 2 years, some up to 3-4 years as regular online clients! Imagine how much you can achieve with a client over a 3-4 year period! It can be insane.
So, here are 3 key tips to re-signing clients and keeping them on long term:
1. Sit down with your client at each signing period to set new goals – The initial 12-week period should be focused on a few specific goals but the job is not done after these initial goals are achieved. Once you have done that, get into the mindset of thinking “what is next?”.
Every time you are about to enter into a new sign up period for a client, discuss the new goals and show your client you have a plan of attack. Demonstrate to your client WHY it is important to continue working with you even if they have created some nice momentum. Then, verbally explain the next 12-week journey.
Allowing a client an understanding of what is next is important. Showing your client you also have a plan of attack to achieve those goals is crucial.
2. Remind your client of how much progress they have made during these previous 12-week periods with you, continuously – In the final weeks of a 12-week period with a client, sit down and discuss how far the client has come in that time. So often, people don’t realise how much progress they have made. They will reach the end of the initial period and think “Yeh, that was ok” but we want our clients to sit down and think “ Wow! I absolutely killed it. What’s next coach?”.
To do this, show them their progress. If it’s a fat loss client, use photos progress photos, side by side to show a comparison between starting with you and where they are now. Have them visually recognise their progress.
You can also test their strength. At the end of the 12 weeks, have them redo the first weight they used to see their progress. For instance, a client who started with a 40kg trap bar deadlift week 1 for a hard 8 reps, have them do 40kg again and show them they can now do 16 reps. Doubling their strength in that time period with you!
Show them what their diet once looked like before learning from you. Go over your notes from your initial consultation when they would tell you they would eat burgers and chips every lunch and then uber eats for dinner each night. Now, they track their macros and fuel their body with most healthy food balanced out with the occasional treat.
All of these are progress! Show your client just how much you have helped them. Clients can be busy people so the more they are able to see the value you bring, the more likely they will see value in staying.
3. Talk to your client as if they are 100% staying with you during their initial 12 week package – A mistake coaches commonly make is in their communication to their clients as it often is so heavily centred around a short term goal. People often think that once that’s achieved you, the trainer, don’t want them anymore and that your job is done with them. I know this because I have done this many times myself. It is great to communicate about achieving those initial 12-week goals but if that’s all that is targeted then when finished, the client won’t really think it’s a long term partnership.
During the 12 weeks, communicate that what you are working on initially is the first goal – it is base building and laying the foundation for what you will be working on the rest of the year.
All my communication is done with the expectation my client will be working with me long term. I put it into their mind, over and over that this 12-week period is just the start of a bright future for them. We are going to crush some short term goals now which is laying the foundation of our bigger goals coming the following months.
Communication matters. The more you can communicate with your client that you are not just a quick fix for them, but rather a huge positive asset in their life ongoing, the more your client will truly begin to see not just your value short term.
Amazing results can come in many forms. Whatever your focus is as a coach, the best chance to really make an impact on someone’s life is by not focusing on short term fixes but building long term habits. Re-signing your client is a key to your coaching being one of those positive long term habits for your client!
You’ve got this!
Yours in success,
Mark Carroll