A new client walks in, they have been referred and this will be their first experience of Pilates. Unsure of what to expect but not believing it will be much, they sit wide-eyed, waiting. Recognising this ‘first-timer expression’ you approach them to do the meet and greet. For the most part everything is routine, but you sense something’s off, and as if right on cue they confess they’re not sure if Pilates is for them. Introducing your new client “the sceptic”; then and there, you know it’s on. Challenge accepted.
A measured, professional response is probably what’s needed here, but what you really want to do is yell “Pilates is for everyone!” loud enough so that all the sceptics the world over can hear you. You want to convince them, with words, that this is what they need and that it’s not the alternative therapy they suspect it is. But yelling just won’t do, and in truth, it’s likely to fall on deaf ears since no one really likes to be yelled at, and on top of that, you did just meet. You might also say it’s not the most effective sales pitch…For the client to understand, it needs to be something that is experienced first-hand and not something that is recited to them. Though depending on the individual, getting a sense of it can take several sessions and may not necessarily be felt after one. So then how do you get the client to invest before they are convinced it’s doing any good? Undoubtedly this is where your people skills come into play.
In my experience, the first hour is crucial in establishing a connection and understanding what it is the client wants and needs from you as their trainer. You need to lay the foundations and make no mistake, it’s your first impression and it counts. I think that being able to read people is possibly as much a part of the job as being on time. Personal training, as the name suggests, is very personal. Of course a good match is an ideal starting point, but if you don’t have that, then what? In this situation I think it’s necessary to be even more sensitive to the individual, take a back seat and just try to follow their lead. When working hour to hour like this, fundamentally you’re the same person but there needs to be certain compromises made to better suit the person you’re working with. Perhaps it’s something that happens automatically or maybe with some clients you need to make a more concerted effort to be the instructor they need, in that hour, on that day, whoever that may be.
The thing is, I actually did have a client like this, as in “the sceptic”, did as in past tense because they are now one of my most dedicated clients. It’s funny because each time I teach this client, who I will now refer to as “the convert”, I‘m gobsmacked by the progress that’s been made. A little over a year ago Arm Circles were confusing, Hip Rolls were more like Hip Lift and doing a Cat Stretch was a complete mission- a lot of patience was needed- but today posture, mobility, strength, co-ordination and awareness have improved tenfold. I could ask for an exercise and leave the room. As a bonus “the convert” notices a general increase in wellbeing, has gone down in weight and is no longer in pain. These are results that could not have been promised or foreseen in the introduction. Not only would they not have believed you, but this kind of progress is something that is largely to the credit of the client. I’d like to take more credit, but it just wouldn’t be right.
In the early stages of developing the instructor-client relationship, I’ve found that in stepping back and allowing the client to make up their own mind, they are more receptive to the information I’m giving them and trust builds more naturally. Even though I believe in what I’m teaching and am excited by the prospect of being able to help, only they can decide how much they benefit from the training. As soon as I accepted that, it became easier to do my job. There is definitely a psychology to teaching movement, there is no average day, and in that way it is almost always consistent.
Photo credit “Die Schauspielerin Els Dottermans” by Gerhard Palnstorfer