According to Scott Lewandowski, the vice president of fitness for Fitness Formula Clubs in Chicago, top-tier personal trainers share similar qualities. Here, Lewandowski shares these qualities, and why he thinks they’re important.
1. “A successful trainer must be personal. He or she must be able to step outside of their comfort zone and build relationships on the fitness floor by discussing the fitness goals of members.”
2. “A successful trainer must be visible when training. Members seek trainers who are busy. The trainer must have something that all members want, so I want to find out what that is.”
3. “A successful trainer needs to listen to the wants of the member and build a program to meet those needs. Programs need to be individualized.”
4. “A successful trainer seeks additional knowledge. He or she continues to learn new ways to train his or her clients and are knowledgeable of current trends.” “A successful trainer must be confident in the service he or she offers and deliver on their product. He or she must be comfortable with hearing, ‘No.’ Not all members are ready to become training clients. Trainers can’t take it personal or it will affect their daily routine.”
5. “A successful trainer must understand and be comfortable selling. He or she must also be comfortable selling a plan that is realistic to reach the clients’ goals — not just be focused on selling any package. Once goals are established, the trainer must know what it will take to get the client there as it relates to sessions and length of time.”
6. “A successful trainer must be okay with referring a client to another trainer if they don’t match up well. For example, maybe the trainer doesn’t have the skills the client is looking for that another trainer possesses. Also, when a trainer goes on vacation, a quality trainer will set his or her client up with another trainer to keep the client moving forward. A quality trainer is not afraid that the client will leave them while he or she is away.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
