Personal Training: Staying Connected

Over the next few blogs I will discuss a study that I conducted that lead to identifying the seven “Critical Areas” that all Health and Fitness Professionals (HFPs) and HFP managers should focus on.

Last week, I discussed “Critical Area One,” which detailed how each personal trainer should develop a meaningful personal mission and vision.

This week, I’ll discuss “Critical Area Two,” which is to stay connected.

Stay Connected

Before I go into Critical Area Two, I want to over emphasize the importance of Critical Are One — creating a personal mission and vision! YOU HAVE TO START THERE! This will be understood more after you read the rest of this blog!

On to Critical Area Two — this habit will determine how financially successful your personal trainers and you will become. In order to become and remain successful you have to connect with as many people as possible.

Let’s start with something called “The Primacy Effect (PE).” This is a cognitive bias toward initial observation or information. I think it’s safe to say that all trainers suffer from the PE. Most have a, “My Guru can beat up your Guru,” or “I’m not a salesman,” mentality. This doesn’t allow their minds to become open to new perspectives. The only reality is the one that they have in their head — right or wrong!

According to Malcom Gladwell, the author of “Blink,” the PE is caused by “Thin Slicing.” Thin Slicing occurs when your mind takes a small piece of information and forms an opinion off of it. This is one of the biggest reasons personal trainers are so unwilling to walk the floor and meet people. Most trainers have a cognitive bias towards walking the floor, mainly because they associate it with being a “salesman” or “bothering people.”

Most trainers would agree — they did not become personal trainers to sell. They got into it to “help people.” So, have them go out onto the floor with that mindset that supports their mission and vision, to build trusting relationships with new people. This will allow them to help members, or a friend of theirs in the future!

I understand the reason for these feelings, but want to share with you a quote that a very successful Health and Fitness Professional once told me — “You have to become comfortable with what you are uncomfortable with to be successful!” I love this statement! In it lies the reason I came up with the “Seven Habits of Becoming a Successful Health & Fitness Professional!” We may never like all aspects of what we do, but if the things we dislike are critical to success, we must figure out a way to become comfortable with them!

Here is where we connect the dots between Critical Area One and Two. If you have not created a good personal mission and vision statement, one that you have a STRONG emotional attachment to, it’s likely you will not take action in areas that you are initially uncomfortable with. You will not stand the test of time and do whatever it takes to be successful in life, or as a Health and Fitness Professional.

If personal trainers make it their passion to go out and help people, they are not salesman! All they are doing is taking action towards what they already defined as their personal dream/vision. This allows them to do what they are most passionate about — helping people improve their health and fitness.

Below are a couple of simple suggestions that may help personal trainers connect with people better and use the Primacy Effect in their favor.

Know your outcome.
Make it a point to meet people and build a trusting relationship prior to offering them solutions.
No encounter is insignificant.
You never know when you may meet someone who wants your service, so always be on your game.
No person is insignificant.
Some of the best clients come from those that you least expect!
Never pre-judge.
Be aware of your thoughts, but try not to let them influence your initial thoughts.
First impressions are everything.
Use “Thin Slicing” or the Primacy Effect in your favor by understanding that most people are going to “thin slice” you, based on how you are representing yourself. You are your personal and/or company brand.

5 keys to have the PE work in your favor:

Have the right intentions.

Be confident.

Show enthusiasm.

Have the willingness to listen.

If you are interested in learning new ways to overcome these concerns and figure out alternative ways to have personal trainers meet people, contact me at jasonstella23@yahoo.com.

Jason Stella is the National Brand Developer of Fitness for Life Time Fitness. He is also a certified personal trainer, and specializes in muscle activation techniques. He can be reached at JStella@LifeTimeFitness.com.