So you’re a Personal Trainer?
By Haydn Ellis

What business do you think you’re in? Ray Kroc, the founder of MacDonald’s was very astute when he defined the business he was in as not the fast food business, but rather, the real estate business. It was all about where he put his business that counted.

Most PT’s think they’re in the personal training business. Well I’ve got news for you. You’re not in the personal training business at all. You’re in the entertainment business. People come to you to be entertained. So what’s entertainment then? Entertainment is ultimately escapism from our fears and self-loathing. That’s why the PT’s with the most dynamic, inspiring personalities have the best businesses.

When you inject excitement and enthusiasm into your training people are entertained, i.e. they forget their worries about being fat or unhealthy or unattractive. And this is how you gain leverage over your clients’ lethargy. You see they don’t want to lose weight; they just want to be able to say they are. They don’t want to train hard; they just want to think they are.

When you’ve captured their attention by entertaining them you can actually make them train hard or lose weight without them realising they had to apply any force of will or discipline. It’s at this point that they will suddenly realise they have had success and performed beyond what they thought possible. You see that’s your purpose as a trainer of punters. Surreptitiously lead them into success by keeping them entertained.

Then turn around and say to them ‘look what you’ve done all on your own!’ When they realise what they’ve achieved all of a sudden they will filled with self-confidence and have the internal resources to push themselves to achieve great things. Most clients that come to you aren’t seeking knowledge they’re seeking confidence. Entertain them and secretly inject them with the self-perpetuating momentum of confidence.

And when I say they don’t come to you for knowledge, I mean it. Not only don’t you have any knowledge, you have no idea what you’re doing. So simplify things by entertaining them and leading them down the path to confidence ‘cause it’s never going to be you that creates success in any of your clients. It’s always up to them, totally. Just give them the confidence. And the sooner you realise you have no idea what you’re doing the better a trainer you’ll be.

So smile, laugh, have fun and draw the best out of your clients.