Working with clients can have its challenges. In certain instances, you may get a client who is not motivated to train, and this can be for many different reasons. Realistically, clients get what they put in meaning if only a small amount of effort is put into their training then it is likely they may not get much out of it. For example, if you create a programme that is suited to a clients specific needs, wants, goals etc but they do not put the effort in to the training because they lack trust, motivation and interest, this can be difficult to deal with as they may not be progressing towards their goals. So how do you motivate a client to become interested and trust what you are providing, in order for them to achieve their goals?
I once worked with a client (through an exercise referral scheme) who struggled to fully commit and trust the process of the programme I designed. The client had underlying medical conditions that had to be accounted for in the training, with the aim of also helping improve and manage these conditions through guided and structured workouts. This lead to feelings of unease from the client due to them having to trusting somebody else to work with and help manage their conditions. So, to combat this slight resistance towards the training I took a few different approaches. Firstly, I focussed on building a rapport with that client. This is a method commonly used throughout personal training in order to build a relationship with a client. Not only did I ensure that each week I was building a relationship with this client that enabled them to trust me, I was building a foundation of understanding them and their feelings, which allowed for them to build their confidence in myself as a trainer to work with them. The way I achieved this was by asking specific questions regarding their concerns with training in relation to their medical conditions, in an attempt to dispel any worries or fears they may have had. This allowed me to understand their worries whilst being empathetic towards their concerns.
Secondly, I would make small achievable goals that could be reached within the next week or so, that allowed the client to see the progress being made first-hand. This meant that they could understand and be aware of how the process I was implementing was having positive results, leading to them having more confidence in myself and the programme. This worked very well due to the client having conditions that could be easily progressed with consistent training, therefore for the most part there were steady improvements week on week.
Thirdly, I made the effort to try and bring some of their interests into the training programme. The client mentioned that when they were younger, they played netball and went on to do it competitively in their 20s. Their reaction when talking about this specific topic showed genuine interest and excitement, therefore I decided to incorporate ball-based exercises into the training. This would include a lot of throwing and catching that was typical of netball-based practice. Incorporating this each week showed a vast improvement in mood, attitude and general interest towards the sessions and was even highlighted as the one of the most enjoyable parts by the client themselves.
Implementing this three stage method taught me how to be innovative and specific to the clients needs. Combining trust, motivation and the client’s interests allowed me to make progress with this client and is something I now apply to other clients who struggle to gain motivation. Therefore, these steps should be considered by personal trainers in order to build a solid rapport with the client and progress towards their goals.
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