Recently, a woman called me and said she was interested in a personal trainer. She briefly told me about her situation and history, and that she's been thinking about hiring a trainer for quite some time. She seemed like an excellent candidate.

I went to her house the next morning to discuss her history and goals in more detail. She said she had always been the type of person who didn't need to watch her weight, she'd always been active and healthy, but more recently there was a lot of added stress in her life. She found herself eating more and more and not exercising. Again, she explained that it was difficult for her to call and she was in tears as she told me how stressed she was feeling.

I was exhilarated. This was exactly the reason I became a personal trainer - to help people like her. I want to help people that are feeling stuck, who can't seem to break out of the trap they're in, to help them become vital, healthy and happy again (or for the first time).
Another time, a man called me from his cell phone from the freeway after seeing my sign. He was very gung-ho to get big, trim and strong. He had a gym in his house and was willing to let me push him as hard as I wanted.

They both seemed like ideal clients. They also seemed like complete opposites, but they had one thing in common - they were both flakes.
It became apparent early on that I was going to have trouble with this woman. Before our second session she called to cancel saying she was too busy. The next two sessions she changed the time, then the day. When we finally did meet, she dawdled around the house moving boxes and cleaning up the area, and then she had to change clothes, then get a glass of water. We finally worked out and she did great, no problems, and said she really enjoyed it and felt great, but before our next meeting she canceled it and said she just didn't like exercise and maybe this wouldn't work out. I convinced her to keep with it, that it takes consistency to benefit from exercise and we met a third time, but that was the last. She canceled what would have been our fourth meeting and admitted that she just wasn't ready to commit and said she'd call me when she was.

The man who called from the freeway was great - for the first two weeks. I had some problems with him not being ready when I got there and answering phones (and talking), but for the most part he was committed. At the end of the first two weeks I showed up at his house at our appointed time and waited for 20 minutes. He never showed. When we spoke later he said it was just a misunderstanding with the time and it wouldn't happen again. He even recorded our conversation when we set the time for our next appointment to be sure he didn't misunderstand. He didn't show up to this one either, and I haven't heard from him since.

There are three basic types of clients:

1. The Gung-Ho. This person is always on time and ready, they take the commitment to you and the program seriously. They workout hard while with you and do their homework when not. This type is one step away from being self-sufficient (not needing a trainer at all) but either they won't train themselves as hard, or they need that little bit of extra motivation to get them going. This is the type that will show the most progress.
   
   
2. The Mediocre. This person will do it because they know it's good for them, but they won't like it - and probably never will. These types of people give the trainer the challenge of helping them to see the light. If it weren't for a trainer, they probably wouldn't exercise at all, or would quickly taper off.
   
   
3. The Flake. This could seem like any type at first. They may seem like a Couch Potato or be Gung-Ho or somewhere in between.They may, or may not show signs of flakiness. They will find excuses to not workout, everything and anything is more important to them then their health - regardless of what they say. The flake might string you along, giving you false hope that you can change them.
   

The Couch Potato is not actually a "client type" since they won't get off the couch to do anything but get another bag of chips - therefore hiring a personal trainer is out of the question. I use this type as reference for number three and to show the opposite of the Gung-Ho client (number one). The Couch Potato is the kind of person who will purchase fitness products they see on TV because the ad says "you can even do it while watching TV." I would like to point out that The Couch Potato has potential to move into any of the above categories if they feel a strong enough desire to improve their health; but be careful, they have a strong propensity to be flaky.

It's very difficult to pinpoint a flake from the start. You might have suspicions, but you can't decline a person based on that; it's just not good business sense. I have had clients who I thought would flake, and am surprised that they never did.

There are certain precautions one can take to avoid suffering from somebody else's flakiness:

1. Get paid up front. I offer incentives to help clients pay for sessions in advance, for example: 15% off if they purchase 12 at once, 20% for 18, etc. Money is the best motivating factor, whether a person has it, or not, money still speaks louder than anything else. It's best if you can get them to purchase as much as possible during your first meeting when they are fired up and enthused - before they feel delayed onset muscle soreness.
   
   
2. Policy. Have a strict policy about cancellations and "No Shows." Be understanding but firm when someone cancels. I require 24 hours notice before a session for cancellations or changes, or I charge them for that time. I will usually let the first one slide; after that I hold to the policy. I play it on a case-by-case basis depending on the type of client they are - if they seem to be a flake, I'll have less sympathy. Make sure you explain your policy to them completely on your first meeting.
   
   
3. Commitment. Talk with your potential client about the importance of commitment and consistency of exercise. Get a strong commitment before you agree to work with them. Determine what their goals are and their commitment history (if possible). This can usually be accomplished by asking them about past personal trainers they've used or programs they've been on, find out what has stopped them from reaching their goals in the past.

Before I sign someone I talk with him or her to make sure they are serious and committed to an exercise program. If I feel they are not, I won't work with them. Sometime all of this isn't enough. Despite having a few hundred of their dollars, despite the heartfelt talk and sworn commitment, some people just won't stick with a fitness program and are unwilling (or not ready) to make fitness a priority in their life. This is when you, as the personal trainer, need to cut your losses and get out before you invest too much time and energy into a person who is simply not ready. Don't feel bad that you couldn't save them, some people don't want to be or aren't ready to be saved, and if they're not ready, nothing you do is going to help them.

For any questions regarding this article please contact Glenn at justglenn@earthlink.net or check out his web site MotionWorksFitness.com.