How to navigate the
start of a client relationship
When it comes to a new client relationship, first impressions are incredibly important.
If you start off on the wrong foot, it can be extremely hard to rectify this. When meeting your client for the first time, you want to convey your professionalism through the way you dress, speak and present yourself. Wear your uniform if you have one, ensure your hair is tidy, and it should go without saying that you should practice good hygiene and, if you’re a PT, wear a clean pair of trainers!
Be friendly, clear and confident when speaking to your client, and keep in mind that this may be their first ever PT session, massage or consultation, so they might be a little nervous. Try not to baffle them with technical jargon or physiological references that you’ve learnt in your fitness or massage studies -it can sometimes be cause for confusion rather than impression. Over time, you may be able to gradually introduce more detailed terminology, but in the early stages keep to layman’s terms where possible.
Help them to feel comfortable in your presence by telling them a little bit about yourself, as well as asking them about themselves and showing genuine interest; your client wants to feel heard and understood. Then try to remember, or make note of, this information, because asking them the same questions the next week is a surefire way to make them feel unvalued.
Before you begin training a new client, you need to undertake a pre-screening to establish not only their desired outcome from training with you (be it weight loss, increased strength or health and energy-focused objectives), but also their reasons for wanting to achieve this. Why are they here? What do they hope to achieve from working with you? Do they have any barriers that might make this difficult? Behind the desire for physical change there always lies a psychological reason. With good rapport and sensitive questions, you will be able to unearth this ‘why’, understand your client on a deeper level and be able to offer a personalised service that meets their needs.
How to maintain ongoing
relationships with clients
The first impression is critical to your relationship with a new client, but of course it’s just the first step in an ongoing work-in-progress.
Time to build on the foundations you’ve established. Once you’ve made the initial connection, you need to focus on nurturing and managing the relationship and you need to put in the effort if you want it to continue long term.
Trust is vital to the longevity of any relationship, and this certainly applies to those you have with your PT or massage clients. Your clients are putting their wellbeing in your hands (and paying you to do so!) so they need to be able to trust your skills, knowledge and your integrity. To build trust, along with providing a high standard of service, you need to be consistent, honest and communicate effectively.
Some clients may start training with you to solve a specific issue or reach a short term goal. If you are a PT, this might be that they want to lose 5kg ahead of an upcoming wedding, or as a massage therapist this might look like addressing some shoulder pain they are facing. In such instances there’s always a risk that after they’ve reached this immediate goal, they will stop using your services.
One of the many benefits of building a strong relationship with such clients is that they are more likely to stay with you, feeling confident in your ability to help them maintain their success or further increase their fitness and wellbeing.
As they make progress in their training with you, it’s worth regularly checking in on how they are feeling not just physically, but also mentally. By drawing attention to the increased happiness, focus and energy that accompanies enhanced physical fitness, you can help them to truly appreciate the unseen, but strongly felt, benefits of your work.
As the multi-faceted value of your training becomes apparent, and your connection strengthens, you can work with your client on creating a long term plan for their fitness and wellness.
How failing to build client
relationships can affect your business
We’ve discussed the many benefits of positive relationships with your clients, but what happens if you fail to create this connection or your client has a negative relationship or encounter with you?
There’s many reasons why these sorts of relationships may fail; your client may have struggled to connect with you because they didn’t feel like they were being listened to; you perhaps didn’t have the specific knowledge/expertise they were seeking; or you may not have been personable enough. Alternately, they may have their own unique reasons for the connection not developing.
A failure to establish a strong relationship may well result in your client ceasing training with you, or coming to you for massage therapy. That’s bad enough in itself, but the additional downside is that they might also give your poor reviews, either online or via word of mouth. A happy client, meanwhile, will not only remain loyal, but also act as your best source of new business by referring friends and family to you.
When a client relationship fails, it is important to practice self awareness and evaluate your performance with that client, rather than just dismissing the loss and blaming them. Use it as a learning experience, and focus on how you can do better in future. You may want to consider sending out feedback forms to all of your clients if you wish to get some constructive feedback and continue to improve your communication and services.
Tips for personal trainers when building relationships with clients
Appear approachable - both inside and outside of the gym
If you appear approachable, potential clients will approach you - simple!
There are many ways to give off an approachable energy, such as smiling at people around the gym, not wearing headphones (which discourages people from chatting with you), assisting someone who needs a spotter, and taking a moment to say hi to your clients if you see them training or outside the gym.
Keep private matters off the gym floor
Although it is beneficial to be open and honest with your clients so that they feel comfortable doing the same, this does not apply to the more personal elements of your life.
It is not necessary to talk about your dating life, your friendship gossip, what you think of your boss, or your thoughts on politics, religion and other potentially controversial topics during your sessions. Discussing these things can make some of your clients feel uncomfortable, which will jeopardise the relationship you have with them.
Listen and remember!
We discussed the importance of actively listening to your clients but one additional element to assist in your relationship building is to remember what they say. When you train multiple clients (and here’s hoping that you will be), it can be difficult to remember who told you they were celebrating their birthday soon/ who recently moved house / gets especially sore in their hamstrings, so write a few notes or calendar reminders straight after the session. The next time you’re training or massaging them, you can check in with what they mentioned last time, thereby showing them that you care!
Be punctual
This one is obvious - but show up on time to your sessions. In fact, always aim to arrive well before the client, so you have time to prepare and can be ready for them as soon as they arrive. They are paying for your time, so show them that you respect this by making every minute count.
Use your manners!
Yes, your client is paying YOU for the service, but thank them for booking in, for a great session and for them putting in such a great effort. This will make them feel valued and appreciated - there’s no better feeling!
Keep it professional
Never flirt with your clients! Again, this is another surefire way to make many clients feel uncomfortable about training with you. Same goes in reverse, if you are feeling uncomfortable about the way a client is speaking to you, politely let them know and if it continues, offer to provide them with the contact details of another PT.
Tips for massage therapists when building relationships with clients
Create a welcoming and calming environment
Environment is key when it comes to making a client feel comfortable as a massage therapist.
Every element from music choice to temperature, lighting, visuals, privacy and scents can influence the way your client feels when they are in your space, so take all of these aspects into consideration. You can check out our guide to setting up your massage room here.
Respect your client’s boundaries
Massage clients will generally be either partially or fully unclothed, with just a towel covering them, and will therefore potentially feel quite vulnerable. It is essential, therefore, that you not only adhere to the standard boundaries of massage therapy, but also to any additional boundaries that may have been set by your client (they might hate their feet being touched for example!). Be sure to take the time to discuss this prior to starting the massage so they are able to fully relax during their time with you.
Assume they are there to zone out
Unless your client is seeming to initiate conversation and has made it clear they like to chat whilst receiving their massage, assume they are there to enjoy some peace and quiet.
Most people prefer to listen to the peaceful music and relax while experiencing a massage and don’t want to be bombarded with questions about their day, what they do for work, or how the kids are. Give their mind, as well as their body, the opportunity to relax.
Seek feedback
Ask your clients for feedback at the end of the massage - what parts did they enjoy most? Was there anything that felt uncomfortable or sore that they didn’t mention at the time? Note this down, so you can remember it for future sessions.
Strengthen your client relationships
Client relationships are integral to the success of your PT or Massage Business. Now that you are armed with insight and tips into how to establish and maintain these relationships, you can apply this knowledge and watch your business flourish!
Increase your relationship-building skills by gaining UNLIMITED access to a huge range of professional development courses from AIF’s Network, including those in the area of Coaching and Behaviour Change. With an ELITE subscription to Network you can study as much as you like, anywhere, any time for one low price. Check out the incredible value here.
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