How to Pick the BEST Personal Trainer or Wellness Coach!
Part 1 of 2
I think the majority of us at one point has thought about hiring a fitness professional/health coach, maybe in person or even online. I truly in my heart believe everyone should hire a trainer/coach not just once in their life but even multiple times for different periods in their lives. As we go through life we will constantly need different tweaks and adjustments to our health and fitness. I think hiring a trainer to help you get to your goals, break plateaus or just too learn a few tips is one of the best investments you can make. However, before you start investing your hard earned money into hiring a coach and putting your health and safety in someone else’s hands, there are a few things you’re going to want to do.
Step #1: Set a budget and schedule.
You don’t always get what you pay for in the industry of health and fitness. Trainers and salesmen are good at using emotion to get you to commit to something that really may stress you out more. If you’re looking at going to a gym or a personal training studio you should be able to commit at least two days a week and about $75-$125 for a 1 to 1.5 hour session. Yes, there are coaches both lower and higher, but that’s a decent range to find a quality coach. I would not recommend half-hour sessions, as it is a sales gimmick. If this isn’t what you can afford, approximately a $750-$1,250 minimum investment, then I advise to wait and save. There are so many great free resources to help you now while you make saving for a coach one of you training goals. If you save up for a car, vacation, or the newest iPhone, then you can save up for a good coach!
Step #2: Window Shopping.
Once you have your budget and rough schedule it’s time to shop! Yes, you need to shop for a trainer. Here’s a hard truth: the trainer/coach field is NOT a truly regulated profession. It’s not considered a protected designation such as doctor, lawyer, law enforcement, etc; occupations with high oversight and regulation. Nutritionist is tricky because the definition falls under state regulation. For example in some states to be held out to the public as a nutritionist you must also meet the education requirements of a registered dietician, which is fairly stringent. In other states you can just have a simple $99 certification. This is important because your diet is much more crucial in any physical benefit you will desire from working out then actually working out. So anyone designing workouts for you or coaching you should have a strong command of nutrition. If you’re hiring a coach for something specific such as a sport or competition it is critical not to confuse “competitor” with “educator”. Just because someone accomplished something with themselves does not correlate to them knowing how to do it with the vast bio-individuality of different bodies. If you know where you want to train great, if not the internet and todays information age allows you to do a quick search of places close to you and who the trainers are as well as their backgrounds. You don’t have to be a super sleuth but I HIGHLY recommend googling the certifications that they have listed, don’t just look at letters behind the name, go to the websites of the certification companies and read what the certification entails from cost, to required reading, in person instructors, online only, etc. Skip to the bios and contact pages and look for formal and informal education.
The main take away: Why should you invest $100’s to $1,000’s of dollars on someone that doesn’t invest the same in themselves?
Here’s some Red Flags:
- 1 or 2 certifications, only, with over 5 years of experience. The great coaches in this industry love to learn, even if they weren’t great in the formal academic setting, they devour knowledge in this one like a fish to water.
- The certifications they have are only in products, equipment, and supplements by those same companies they sell for. 3. Formal education. This one is tricky. Lots of letters can seem quite impressive and with a certain degree of respect they are impressive, I still suggest looking into what those letters mean, what exact degree they received and from which University. Harvard University is quite different than Phoenix University. You’d be surprised what some people try to push by the public. Most of the really credible programs and schools you would have heard off.
After you finish the window shopping and filter out about 3-5 trainers, it’s time to screen your options! Yes, there are some great trainers that are fully booked up, however, I’m confident the statistics will prevail here, so if you pick 5 you will easily get 3 to give you one or two complimentary sessions to see if you want to invest in them.
Step #3: Phone Interview.
Here’s where things will be VERY different. No one ever calls a gym or studio and asks to talk with a trainer. Don’t be surprised if the staff says, “I’ve never heard of this,” or “…no one has ever asked to talk before.” That’s fine you don’t want to be like everyone else. DO NOT fall for the trick of, “…well I’m really busy because of all my clients why don’t you just come down and we can talk in person…” That’s a sales technique, don’t fall for it. If they were busy they wouldn’t jump on the phone AND quality coaches who are “booked full” will ALWAYS have another coach to refer you to. All good coaches prescribe to the theory, “If in doubt, refer out.” This goes for their knowledge and their schedules. You can simply respond with, “That’s great you’re so busy, but I’m looking for someone with the time to spend on me and my specific needs.” Then shut up and be silent, their next answer will tell you a lot:
What to Look For:
- If they suddenly change their mind and say something to effect of being able to “open a time just for you” that’s a sales trick, especially if they end it with a CTA (call to action). This will be evident by concluding with a “…if you can come down here today I can make some time – give you a discount – give you a free pass” If they are starting out on the phone with deception you can bet there’s more to come. Move on to the next trainer on the list.
- If they book a time to talk later in the day or in a day or two, and don’t pressure you to come in immediately that shows some truth in them being busy and they respect your boundaries, they don’t get into pressing you into “…coming down now.”
- If they refer you to another trainer or coach, either in the gym or even a stronger positive sign, refer you to someone outside of their location, that’s a good sign. Good coaches know their limits and they know their clients’ limits. A strong network of other health professionals is strong positive sign. Jim Rohn’s saying, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” is very telling in the profession of coaching. Also be upfront with them that you are looking at 3 possible trainers and will decide over the next 2 weeks which one is the best fit for you. Again this is another statement by which their response will be very telling.
Here’s Some Red Flags:
- Demeaning the Competition. This is Business 101. NEVER bad mouth competition to your client, it’s petty, unprofessional and is truly a reflection of one’s own fears of inadequacy being transposed onto a competitor. At the core of training is competition, and good coaches love to compete and love to lose. YES, I said lose. Good coaches share a strong positive paradigm structure that includes the philosophy, “You never lose, you either win or learn.” Or “You can learn a lot more from losing than you can from winning.” Good coaches compete for knowledge not clients and money.
- Complimenting you on “doing your homework”. As stated above, good coaches love to learn and crave educated clients that do their homework. It tells us you will adhere to our programs and that we don’t have to baby step or tip toe around topics.
- Passive Aggression. If they ignore your statement and jump into CTA’s, “well if you come here by this date I can get you this discount” or “well before you see them see us and I will give you this or that discount.” or my least favorite statement “Trust me..” as in “…trust me Ms. Smith once you come here you will never want to go anywhere else” or “trust me once you meet me you won’t want anyone else.” These are sales techniques to use emotion to supersede intellect. If they say this immediately respond with, “Wow I’m impressed by your confidence, infact so impressed I am definitely going to meet with you…..but after the other trainers, if you are right then by the time we meet, after everyone else, I’ll be ready to buy right await from you!” Then just listen to them stumble and bumble. Move on. I would still meet with them, but definitely last. Some people are aggressive by nature and it’s not entirely wrong, but it is a sales trick, just be aware, and set your boundaries right from the start. After you screen your 3-5 picks you want at least 3 to meet with in person and do an interview. YES, I said interview, you MUST interview the trainer next. If you don’t have 3 start again with the internet searching, DO NOT SETTLE, take your time and be patient, this will save you tons of money and health issues over the long run.
In part 2 of this article I will take you through the in-person interview process. So for now, stop, follow the 3 Steps above and after you have your 3-5 prospects go on to read Part 2.
Of course any questions feel free to comment below or contact me directly. Also if you found this article interesting or not, I would appreciate your feedback below as well!
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