One of the most important qualities a personal trainer should have is a passion for changing someone’s life in a positive manner. Look for this quality when deciding on hiring a personal trainer, and generally you will not be disappointed.
How do you determine if a personal trainer has this? Ask the following questions:
- How did you start yourself working out?
- Do you have a personal story on how exercise helped improved your life?
- Describe how you performed in a competitive sports environment?
- What is your style for your personal workout? Why did you choose this?
- What motivates you when you workout?
Generally, anyone who makes fitness a passion has answers for all of these questions. If not, find out why. Clients can relate to someone who has made significant changes in themselves and trainers that have made those changes have more empathy for clients. A personal experience goes a long way in building rapport with clients and retaining them.
Personal trainers that have made recent gains can also help motivate members as well. If a trainer has accomplished an achievement like competing in a sport (marathon, obstacle course race, martial arts, body building, cycling, etc.), make sure they advertise it so other members can aspire to be like the personal trainer. They may even inquire as to how the trainer got ready for that event (this also leads to new training clients).
Vic Spatola is the director of personal training for Greenwood Athletic and Tennis Club in Greenwood Village, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. Spatola offers consulting on personal training business development. For more information, contact him at vics@greenwoodatc.com.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
