ARE YOU ORGANISED?

There is nothing worse than being put on the spot, or finding yourself in a situation that you know you would’ve handled better had you been organised and prepared. While working your way towards a career as a Personal Trainer, being organised and prepared can be very advantageous not only for yourself, but also for your clients. Setting yourself up from the outset with a routine that will cultivate healthy habits and shape you as the Personal Trainer that you aspire to be is a great start. Acquiring tools and skills to enhance your profession is also a step in the right direction to success. I am going to touch on a couple of key attributes that make a great and successful Personal Trainer, but none more so than being organised.

Before I get started, this is not the be all and end all of how to be and perform your duties as a Personal Trainer - far from it! Rather, it is a guideline of processes that can be used to enhance yourself as a Personal Trainer and create amazing habitual practices.

Keep a diary, calendar, or notebook to keep on top of your appointments. It is awesome to have an excellent memory, but don’t rely on it... the brain matter will let you down at some stage in your life! Missing and forgetting an appointment for a prospective client puts you and your business in a bad light. Negative comments are more widespread, and we are prone to express our opinions and views negatively when it comes to reviewing a business. By writing your tasks, activities, and appointments down you have something tangible to revert to. It gives you a solid platform to work from. You can set up automatic text reminders to clients of their next appointment with you, block out times for personal development, adjust or adapt client’s programmes, get your paperwork done, file your taxes, the list is endless.

Build a library of templated exercise programmes. You can chop and change exercises according to your clients’ needs and goals. This will save you a lot of time! You can even categorise the programmes into specific training modules, for example exercise programmes based on weight loss. However, be careful you do not fall into the trap of prescribing the same exercise programmes to several of your clients, especially if they are in the gym at the same time. This oozes laziness, limited exercise and prescription knowledge, and no regard for your clients’ individual goals.

In this day and age technology is the way forward. Technology trends change so quickly in the fitness industry that deciding which option is best for your PT business will be your biggest problem! There is no denying it, the latest technology for your clients is going to complement your business, but also keep your clients on-track and motivated.

There are many apps developed specifically for Personal Trainers ranging from heart rate monitors, wellness, food diaries and work out apps. These are very accessible to your client via their devices; with a quick swipe on their screen they can see how they are tracking with their goals and can also see their progress, which in turn keeps them motivated. You can view and be updated on their activities when they are not with you. Additionally, fitness apps replace paper, thus being kind to the environment.

Appearance and personal grooming are everything!

Making a first impression to a new client is so important. Research shows they will sum you up and evaluate you in less than 10 seconds by your body language, appearance, demeanour, mannerisms, and how you dress. As the saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words. So for your first meeting, look the part by dressing appropriately, and ensure hair and beards are well-groomed. A smile and small talk will alleviate first meeting jitters, and keeping upbeat and positive will help you to be successful with not only your clients but also your personal life and business.

Remove any items or habits that are going to impede your performance as a Personal Trainer. As mentioned before, devices are advantageous, however overusing them and in situations where you should not be is just bad practice and can reverse a client’s perception of you. Use a stopwatch instead of your mobile device when keeping time, this will eliminate any concerns about whether you are more interested in what is on your device, than your client.

As you embark into a life of Personal Training, you will find practices that will work for you and ones which you may need to adapt to suit your personality. One thing is certain: in order to succeed you will need to be organised, on time and prepared.