Wanted: Personal Trainer Who Isn't An Idiot
Dear Personal Trainer -
As much as you may not like it, being able to do a good sales pitch is part of your profession. As someone who used to be in sales, I can tell you that a large part of a good pitch is figuring out the potential client's motivation and tailoring your approach to address those needs.
Here's the tricky part, though - you also need to take into account the personality of your client. Because if you choose the wrong approach, it doesn't matter how well your pitch addresses her needs...she'll have made up her mind against you after the first few sentences.
For example, let's say you're dealing with a person who has had issues with weight and food for most of her life but who has been developing some good habits and is working on improvement. She has made some modest strides though certainly has farther to go to reach her goals. Talking to her as though she is doing everything wrong and her modest accomplishments mean nothing and making it sound like OMG she's going to DIE if she doesn't sign on as your personal training client? Not going to get you the sale.
I understand that it's also a part of your job to push your clients further and to be honest with them about what they need to do to achieve their goals. However, that's no excuse for being rude and demoralizing.
Making this person feel bad about herself? Reprehensible, if you ask me. She's already had far too many opportunities to feel plenty bad about herself thanks to our fat-phobic society. A personal trainer who is supposed to HELP her should not be subjecting her to further negativity. There's a difference between motivation and humiliation and you should learn it.
In conclusion, you suck. I'd never, ever (ever!)let you be my personal trainer, even if you were paying me.
As much as you may not like it, being able to do a good sales pitch is part of your profession. As someone who used to be in sales, I can tell you that a large part of a good pitch is figuring out the potential client's motivation and tailoring your approach to address those needs.
Here's the tricky part, though - you also need to take into account the personality of your client. Because if you choose the wrong approach, it doesn't matter how well your pitch addresses her needs...she'll have made up her mind against you after the first few sentences.
For example, let's say you're dealing with a person who has had issues with weight and food for most of her life but who has been developing some good habits and is working on improvement. She has made some modest strides though certainly has farther to go to reach her goals. Talking to her as though she is doing everything wrong and her modest accomplishments mean nothing and making it sound like OMG she's going to DIE if she doesn't sign on as your personal training client? Not going to get you the sale.
I understand that it's also a part of your job to push your clients further and to be honest with them about what they need to do to achieve their goals. However, that's no excuse for being rude and demoralizing.
Making this person feel bad about herself? Reprehensible, if you ask me. She's already had far too many opportunities to feel plenty bad about herself thanks to our fat-phobic society. A personal trainer who is supposed to HELP her should not be subjecting her to further negativity. There's a difference between motivation and humiliation and you should learn it.
In conclusion, you suck. I'd never, ever (ever!)let you be my personal trainer, even if you were paying me.