I have officially been in the fitness industry since 1983. I say officially because I have been in the fitness business forever – it IS me. If I can help other trainers with anything, it is with this concept: really, truly developing the YOU in you to create a great experience for your clients.
Understanding “Experience”
I started hearing about “experience” a long time ago. The concept sounds so simple, yet it was so difficult to get my head around it – much less understand how to do it well! When I first met the man who is now my husband, he taught a class called Experience Design in the Industrial Design Department at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. I was amazed when he told me that people actually got paid to think about how I might “feel” when picking up a glass, and how that would influence the design of the glass.
Relating that to our work as personal trainers, when I look at two training sessions going on at the same time, I wonder: what is the difference in terms of the experience that each client is having? When I see trainers running in late or answering phone calls while the client is doing jump squats into step-ups, I can’t help but wonder…what is that client experiencing?
Developing a Professional Brand to Match the Experience
When I wanted to incorporate my own training business, I asked a consultant what slogan and logo I should use for my new business cards and website. He laughed! Then he said it didn’t work that way.
Instead, he asked me to start at the beginning and answer these questions:
Who is Annette Lang?
What do people see and feel when they see or interact with you?
What should someone expect when they work with you as a trainer/as a teacher?
What would your current clients say about you?
In terms of a slogan or logo, I told the consultant that I love to move, and feel that this is a basis of my personality and business: the positive connection between movement and physical and mental health. I thought my slogan could be “move more!” I played around with this idea, but after a few weeks of getting to know me better, the consultant pointed out that it was not consistent with my personality because I don’t force fitness on people. I help them when they are ready. The explanation mark was too harsh. My slogan became “move more…”. The “m” is not capitalized, and even the three dots are deliberate; they soften the message.
When it came to a logo, we decided that a bike made sense since I ride for transportation, and it implies activity and motivation. To give a feeling of movement, he suggested the hair flying back.
This sounds simple now but it was very difficult and time-consuming to really get specific and honest with myself. I have since had cards and other products designed with this bicycle and moving theme.
Living the Brand
That brings to mind another important component of experience – looking the part and maintaining consistency within the brand. I remember that as a new trainer I quickly got sick of walking around New York looking like a personal trainer – I wanted to look like a normal person. It didn’t take me long to realize that I was missing a huge marketing opportunity! Potential clients are all around us, and every interaction is a new opportunity. So I decided to be consistent in representing the experience I offered my clients. I made sure people saw my bike helmet with my logo. I walked around with a band around my neck, encouraging people to ask about exercise. I became the fitness person. This, of course, influenced my actual training sessions.
The experience our clients have is a compilation of everything – and I mean EVERYTHING – we offer! It is the way we speak to people, the tone of voice we use, the body language we project.
I remember how I used to be pretty severe in my response when a client would tell me on Monday that she didn’t run over the weekend. I would say something like “Oh, c’mon! You said you were going to run! What happened?” Then started thinking about what I learned in graduate school about how you have to accept people at wherever they are right now. So when a client said she didn’t run over the weekend as planned, I switched my response to things like “What do you think was the reason?” or “What do you think you could do next week to increase the chances of being successful?” Then I realized that even that was not really the best response for her or for me. Now when a client says she didn’t run over the weekend, I pause a second and ask, “How do you feel about that?” This is a profound difference! I have to keep checking to see where she is emotionally in terms of this behavior!
I invite you to start with this self-assessment as you start creating your own professional personal training experience.
Annette Lang has been in the health and fitness industry since 1983, working in sales, education, management and personal training. She is one of the most sought-after presenters at health and fitness conferences in the US and abroad and works as a personal trainer in New York City.
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