It is spring break season, and soon after it will be summer. What is so special about this time of year, you might ask. Well, as many of you trainers know, clients will be coming to you asking for you to perform the miracle of getting them in shape for their spring break or summer vacation. After a few long, cold months of being locked inside, many of your new clients are emerging from hibernation and seeking out your advice on transforming there body from a couch potato to a ripped and toned sculpture. Which is great for your business. It is also an opportunity for you to educate them on better ways to stay in shape and avoid yo-yoing all year. This will lead to a long term client and not a couple month fly by. It comes with its challenges though. The fitness media thrives on this type of thinking.
Instead of talking about diets and routines to help someone make improvements in a short period of time, (which is not realistic) lets discuss how to approach these clients and transform their mindset, then transform their body.
The first hurdle you will face is the idea and preconceived notions that they can get in great shape in the matter of a couple months. They might refer to celebrities that claim to do just that. This is when you should tell them that hitting a fitness goal involves a long term commitment to their diet and training. Don’t discourage them. Give them positive feedback on what they want to accomplish. You can also explain the long term health benefits of staying in good shape year around.
Next you will most likely need to take their fitness goal and change it into a more realistic one. When they say, “I want to look like Brad Pitt in Fight Club by next month”, you can provide a better short term goal and focus on that as the long term goal. It may help to provide as much factual information as possible on the celebrity workout and how long they actually dieted and trained to look the way they did.
While it is a good thing for spring breaks and summer vacations to provide added motivation to hit the gym and find a trainer, it can also be a frustrating time for clients. When they don’t hit their goal, they become discouraged and will likely toss fitness to the side. This is your opportunity to step in and head off that way of thinking. Your input could change their lives.
