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Start helping your clients get better results! It’s really that simple.
So how do you help your clients get better results when most clients continuously throw excuse after excuse at you as to why they just can’t fit in one more workout each week? When they try and justify why they just had to have that extra serving of mashed potatoes, the cupcake, the third glass of wine or whatever else they felt they had to consume.
Believe me, I know how frustrating it is when you so badly want to help your clients, sometimes more than they want to help themselves. How do you help them to stay on track?
After all, your clients’ results dramatically affect your reputation.
WARNING: You might find these 3 techniques obvious and too simple.
It doesn’t really matter what YOU think, it’s what your clients comply with and follow through with consistently. If they aren’t following your program now it’s time to modify how you do things.
We all only have so much energy in the day to make decisions, plan, prepare and give to others and ourselves. When too much energy is dedicated to having to follow too many rules and routines our clients become exhausted and they give up.
These techniques, however simple, will help your clients to stay on track and get better results over time.
Technique # 1: Identify the challenges and obstacles & then script the outcome
Ask the client where they believe they will fail. Ask what they believe their major roadblocks and challenges are. Work through each one, one by one, to learn the mindset behind each block.
Then create a step-by-step script that will combat each roadblock or challenge.
The script could be a verbal or written script or a detailed outline of the exact steps they are going to take the next time that roadblock is put in front of them. This goes beyond the simple recommendation of “have a small snack before you go to the restaurant.”
If you aren’t specific questions arise… what snack, how much, when should I eat it, is this okay to eat?
A specific script looks more like…
30 minutes before you leave for the restaurant have 1 hard-boiled egg and 10 grapes. Drink 1 cup of water. Bring a sugar free candy with you to suck on while you order your dinner and wait for your salad appetizer.
Identify each roadblock so scripting the desired outcome doesn’t leave anything up to chance and removes the idea that willpower is involved. Little energy is expended on the client’s behalf as they try to navigate the roadblock on their own.
They have a plan and are prepared.
Technique # 2: Stick to two choices
In the book Switch by Chip and Dan Heath they discuss the topic of decision paralysis. The idea is that when too many choices are provided we are likely to become overwhelmed and do nothing.
When you give your clients too many exercise options or too many meal options they feel overwhelmed and usually do nothing.
Only give your clients two options – A or B.
For example, when you give them their meal plan, provide one alternative choice for them in case they don’t like the meal you’ve provided. This way they can choose between A or B protein for their dinner.
Keeping the options targeted and narrow removes the necessity for the client to make any decisions or spend time thinking about what they want. They chose one or the other.
Technique # 3: Measure confidence
Each week I co-create one goal with my clients that they will commit to achieving and believe they can accomplish.
After many client failures I learned to keep the weekly focus to one goal and to measure their confidence level and belief around whether or not they could actually achieve that goal.
After we decide on the goal I ask the client a simple question…
“On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the most confident), how confident are you that you can achieve this goal?”
If I get anything less than a 9, I chunk the goal down into a smaller, more manageable, believable goal. Then I ask the question again.
For example, the client currently doesn’t drink any water and I set the goal to drink 8 cups of water per day. It’s unlikely that the client will truly believe they can adhere to that goal daily.
It doesn’t matter what you think of the goal or believe the client can handle. Results only come when the client commits and follows through. They will only do that when they believe they can be successful.
So if the client gives me a 7 out of 10 on the goal, then I reduce the goal to drinking 4 cups of water per day for 7 days.
Measuring confidence has been one of the most effective techniques I’ve used in my nutrition business. We live and breathe health daily, so our level of confidence is higher and our beliefs around what we can achieve are different from our clients.
When you create a specific and detailed plan to overcome roadblocks, narrow the available choices and then check in to see how confident the client is about their ability to achieve their goals you will see commitment and compliance dramatically increase.
Lori Kennedy
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