Whether you are a newly minted fitness coach or you have been a fitness instructor for several years, you definitely want to establish a thriving fitness business.
However, there are certain mistakes that you can make along the way, which can prevent you from achieving this goal.
In this article, we will take a closer look at some of the common mistakes that fitness instructors make as well as how to avoid them.
1. Failing to Assess the Clients
One of the most common mistakes that fitness instructors make, especially those new in the industry, is the failure to conduct fitness assessments for clients. However, conducting fitness assessments before you start training clients is extremely important. In fact, failure to do it can cost you your career.
For instance, a potential client may visit your gym, and you may decide to start training them straight away, to impress them. The problem is that such an individual may be having some underlying health issues such as old injuries, cardiovascular issues or diabetes.
By undertaking an initial health assessment, you will be able to identify these issues, document them and have the client fill out the right forms. Doing so will help to protect you against liabilities, in case the client claims that their injuries or health issues have been caused by your workout programs.
Furthermore, conducting a health assessment before you begin your training sessions with such a client, will help you to come up with a specialized workout program. Such a specialized workout program will help them to achieve their fitness goals without aggravating their health issues.
2. Using a One-Size-Fits-All Program
Another common mistake that some fitness instructors make is training every client using the same approaches. As much as you may have a particular workout program that may have worked with some of your clients, it doesn’t mean it’s ideal for everyone.
Every individual’s body is different. Also, people will come to your gym at different fitness levels. So, by using a cookie-cutter training method, a client with low fitness levels may end up with injuries. And once this happens, the chances are high they will cancel their memberships.
Furthermore, using a generic training approach may take longer to deliver results, as opposed to a tailored training program. Eventually, this may lead to a lack of progress and loss of motivation. And, such a client may stop coming to your gym.
To this end, you need to ensure that you create tailored workout programs for each of your clients. While it may require a considerable investment in time and effort, tailoring workout programs for each client will help to minimize injuries and deliver faster results, leading to higher satisfaction levels and better retention rates.
3. Unprofessionalism
You may have probably heard that fitness instructors should maintain close relationships with their clients and make them feel comfortable. However, you need to remain professional at all times.
Regardless of whether you are training a new client or a member who has been a member of your facility for several months, you should avoid asking them about their personal lives. Also, you have no business either, telling them about your personal life, unless they have asked you.
Asking such questions is highly inappropriate. And, it can make the client feel uncomfortable training with you. As a result, they may decide to discontinue their membership at your gym and look for services elsewhere.
And even after discontinuing their membership, they may also post negative reviews online about your inappropriate behavior. As a result, you may find it hard to attract new members in the future.
While there’s nothing, wrong with sending birthday cards to your clients or checking up on them occasionally, make sure you do it professionally. Also, avoid any type of behavior that may make your clients feel uncomfortable.
4. Not Focusing on the Client
Your clients are paying you to guide and help them achieve their individual health and fitness goals. To this end, you need to ensure that your attention is 100% focused on them, whenever they come for their training sessions.
So, avoid things like playing on your phone, chatting with other gym staff or idling around in the middle of a workout session.
Failure to focus on the client fully can lead to serious issues like the client suffering injuries due to improper workouts or improper use of equipment. And when this happens, you may end up being sued for negligence.
Also, the client may feel neglected or unimportant, leading to frustration, since they are not getting value for their money. Again, the likelihood of such a client dropping out and leaving a negative review are high. And your fitness brand’s reputation will take a hit.
So, whether the clients are warming up, doing the actual workouts or cooling down, you should be with them throughout the session. After all, they are paying for your time and you should make sure they get maximum value for their money.
5. Underselling Your Services
When you have just launched your career as a fitness coach, you may be tempted to offer the lowest prices on the market – in an attempt to lure clients. While you may manage to attract some clients using this approach, you will be forced to work for extremely long hours, to earn enough money to pay your bills.
As a result, you will be forced to sacrifice spending time with your family or friends. Also, you may even end up sleeping for lesser hours than you should, in an attempt to squeeze in as many working hours as possible. Eventually, burnout may catch up with you, among various other health challenges, caused by overworking yourself.
Instead, of trying to undersell your services, you should believe in your value and charge competitive prices. You would rather end up with five, high-quality clients as opposed to 10 low-paying and low-quality clients.
6. Failure to Keep Learning
Every year, discoveries are being made in the field of exercise science. For example, some training methods that have been used for many years, are being proven ineffective or unsafe. At the same time, new, safer or more effective workout methods and programs are emerging.
Hence, if you fail to invest in continuous learning, you will come across as less knowledgeable, whenever a client asks you questions related to some of these emerging trends.
Furthermore, you struggle to keep up with the competition. And consequently, your target clients will end up choosing your competitors, making it hard to grow your fitness business.
Therefore, make sure you create time to update your knowledge, skills and expertise. And the good news is, there are plenty of opportunities that can help you with this. They include fitness trade shows, online courses, webinars, workshops, fitness blogs, podcasts, conferences and expositions, just to name a few.
7. Not Creating Time for Marketing
Some fitness coaches never create the time to market their services. Instead, they solely rely on word-of-mouth marketing. And, you should avoid making the same mistake.
Failing to market your services aggressively will make it hard to reach and sign new clients. And without enough clients, you will struggle to earn enough money to cover all your bills.
So, as much as offering training services is your main job, you also need to create time to market yourself. The good news is, that there are numerous fitness coach marketing strategies that you can use to land more clients and grow your revenues. Some of the most effective methods that you can use include:
- Social media marketing
- Email marketing
- Content marketing
- Influencer marketing
- Video marketing
- Paid ads
- Referral marketing
8. Pushing the Client Too Hard
While you may want to give your clients an intense workout session, you shouldn’t push them too hard. If a client says they are feeling tired, don’t dismiss them and try to convince them to add more reps.
Once fatigue sets in, the form will deteriorate. As a result, the client’s body will be forced to over-rely on other parts, in an attempt to complete the set. And, this may lead to serious injuries. Furthermore, the client will not benefit in any way when performing an exercise using improper form.
So, pay attention and always listen to your clients. At the end of the day, the client is paying you to help them get fit and healthy, not trying to teach them how to train through pain.
By using this approach, your clients will be leaving your fitness center feeling happy and looking for the next practice session, as opposed to leaving with injuries or feeling as if fitness is a punishment.
9. Being Impatient With Clients
As a personal trainer, you will come across clients with different fitness levels. Some may have a fitness background, and you will find it easy to teach them how to execute various workouts, without any issues. Also, you may find that such clients will achieve their fitness goals fast.
You will also come across a second group of clients. This group may not have a fitness background. And training this group may be challenging. For instance, you may find it hard to teach them how to execute a particular movement, meaning you will be spending more time with them.
And at some point, frustration may set in, and you may find yourself berating them or making demeaning statements to them. But, you should avoid doing it. Berating your clients may lower their self-esteem and confidence. Also, they may no longer feel motivated to come for your workout sessions. Eventually, they will drop out or seek services elsewhere.
Instead, you should be patient, keep encouraging them, praise them even when they make small milestones and show them you care. By doing so, you will not only help them to achieve their fitness goals but you will forge stronger relationships. And, such clients may end up becoming your most loyal members, who will keep referring others to your fitness facility.
10. Wrapping It Up
By avoiding the above common mistakes that fitness instructors make, you will find it easier to establish a successful health and wellness business.