I’ll admit it. I have quit a lot of gyms. In fact, I’m jaded. Whenever I am thinking of joining a new gym, my shields are up. I look closely for any reason that the gym or coaches might not be up to my standards. I ask around. I keep my eyes wide open. And even after they’ve passed my initial test and I’ve signed the dotted line, the
gym owners or coaches can still kill rapport quite quickly.

I’ve put together a list of the top 10 things I see as red flags. Avoid these and you’ll have happier clients—which means better retention and more referrals.

1. Pick up the phone!

I’m always amazed by how many high profile gyms have voicemails that don’t work. I try to leave a message and it cuts me off, or the mailbox is constantly full. E-mails bounce. Or calls don’t get returned. Being easily accessible and returning calls promptly makes your business seem reliable, so take the few minutes each day to stay on top of it.

2. You gotta show up.

It seems like a no-brainer, but in order to have a successful class you have to actually show up to teach it. On time. Every time. Of course, emergencies do happen but if you’re having an emergency every day between 5-6 PM (or whenever the class is scheduled), that’s a problem. Try to find someone to cover your class in lieu of canceling it if at all possible. And make sure the doors are unlocked so people can get in.

3. Long lectures.

You might have memorized all of the reasons why it’s important to avoid hyperflexion or use the hips (or whatever), and obviously it’s important that the client understand why as well. But you can usually keep an explanation to a minute or less. If you are constantly repeating your five or ten-minute spiel, you are taking away time you could be coaching. If you’re doing this in front of a group, you’re probably also either embarrassing or pissing off your client. Bear in mind that there’s a good chance they have no idea what they did while they were doing it, and you don’t want them overthinking things anyway. Keep your explanations to a minute or less and keep your verbal cues short and sweet.

4. Not understanding what your clients want.

I’ll never forget the day that I got to visit a gym known primarily for its chalk, bumper plates and steady stable of competitive lifters. When I went inside for my tour, they took me directly to the women’s bathroom. It had a nice couch, a TV and all kinds of blowdryers with diffusers, as well as an assortment of communal hair care products—all of which I cared nothing about. Really, I wanted to go to the gym to work out and was more concerned with the spin on their bar and their kettlebell selection than their bathroom amenities. This extends beyond the tour to actual training. Do you know what your clients’ goals are? Of course most people have questionnaires for their personal training clients, but it’s also important in a group setting to know what everyone is looking for so that you can keep track of their progress in that area or provide personalized tips. Don’t assume you know exactly what people want—you may very well be wrong.

5. Getting in arguments with clients.

Maybe they’ve been taught something incorrectly before, or maybe they disagree with you on something minor. Natural human instinct is to pounce into action and get in a debate about it, but this is usually the wrong tack to take. If you’re in a group setting, it takes time away from everyone else. It also creates an unpleasant environment. Simply stating your point and then dropping it is one approach. If the client is about to do something unsafe, laying down the law might be necessary. But getting in long extensive arguments reminiscent of conversations with toddlers is probably the wrong approach.

6. Being too lax.

I personally love a change of pace or getting to decide what I want to work on. But if I’m regularly getting asked what I want to do every time I go to a class or to the gym I start to wonder if the coach or instructor actually planned anything at all or
is just making things up as they go. And while I don’t mind providing feedback about how hard or easy something felt, I’m paying money for an expert eye.

7. Timing is everything

There is certainly a time and a place for pushing someone, but it’s important to read their body language to see if your timing is correct. MMA fighter Rosi Sexton wrote an excellent blog post about this in which she talked about how pushing someone hard can either make them stronger or create learned helplessness. She describes how you are not supposed try to build strength on top of dysfunctional movement patterns, and believes this applies to dysfunctional psychological programs as well. Just as you wouldn’t try to get someone to lift a heavy load with bad form, you don’t necessarily want to push someone who came into your gym with their shoulders slumped after putting out fires at work (for example). Know when to back off and when to increase the load (figurative or otherwise).

8. Talking too much shit.

Anybody who’s been around the biz for a long time knows that there are endless amounts of infighting and drama. It can sometimes be fun to hear a story about all the crazy things that happened or whatever, but talking about other people can descend into an endless downward spiral of negativity and gossip. Plus, the more you do it the greater the chances are that you’re talking about someone your client really respects or has a relationship with. Save the stories for when you’re having a beer with your buddies, and keep it out of your coaching.

9. Telling stories about your high school football days.

We’ve all had coaches who we would love to hear stories about for days on end if possible. But usually this is because they don’t tell any stories about themselves at all. They are constantly coaching, looking with a watchful eye and pointing out minor problems. They are in love with their craft. Stories from them are great fun every once in a while, especially when the timing is relevant to the person the story is being told to.

Who knows? Maybe your clients would love to hear about your athletic career in days gone by. But even if they do, that’s not what they are paying you for. Coaching or personal training are service-oriented activities, and should be all about the client, therefore personal stories should be kept to a minimum.

10. Going through the motions.

It is quite apparent when a coach doesn't really want to be there, is going through the motions, is trying to rush things or is distracted. Your clients go to you for leadership and will often mirror your behavior. If you can’t set aside your own personal concerns or get yourself motivated, how are you going to get your clients motivated? Your body language, tone of voice and overall attitude has a huge effect on your client.

Keep these ten tips in mind and watch your business grow!