The PT Roadmap

A weekly newsletter for personal trainers that'll guide you in your career to become a better coach and build a better business.

Hey!

Thanks for opening up today's PT Roadmap.

Let's get into things.

One Coaching Cue

"Hold a coin."

What's it for?

As I was watching a client squat yesterday, I wanted them to squeeze their glutes rather than extend into their lower back. I told them to "imagine they were holding onto a tenner (£10 for anyone not from the UK) in between their butt cheeks and don't let me steal it."

I asked how they had interpreted my cue, and they replied, "So, basically, you want me to hold a coin right in there?"

I love it when clients say stuff like this.

It means I now have a personalised way to cue this client to clench their glutes.

One Business Tip

Here's a simple yet underrated business tip: have good email etiquette.

A lot of your communications as a PT will happen via email.

Here are 10 best practices for email:

1. Err on the side of professional - think formal rather than informal.

2. Use a direct subject line - descriptive, clear and concise. "Follow up to our call" is better than "hi 👋"

3. Practice good grammar - I use the plugin Grammarly for all of my writing. It is a huge help as I have no idea what the difference between a colon and a semi-colon is.

4. Double or triple-check the recipient name - I've been called Staurt often. It's not a game-changer, but it does put a slightly sour taste on our interaction.

5. Use exclamation points sparingly - "Hey! It was so great to meet you! Let's chat soon!" It makes you sound a bit too eager.

6. Respond in a timely manner - I aim for 12-24 hours during the workweek and 48 hours over the weekend. An out-of-office is important if you're off on holiday too.

7. Proofread before sending - I try to remember to read mine aloud as I always spot something. This is also a helpful way to gauge your tone. If it sounds negative or rude, it may well come across like this to your recipient.

8. Be careful with humour - Without facial expressions, comedy can be hard to get across in writing. Best to leave it out unless you know the person well.

9. Classic font & size - Black writing using Calibri, Helvetica or Arial in 11 or 12-point.

10. Emojis - I researched this, and the internet is pretty mixed. But it does seem like the consensus is that most of us use emojis now, and it's ok to use them. You do, however, need to be careful. I don't use them if it's my first time contacting someone. If it's more informal or someone I've known for a while, I'll use the occasional 🙂 as it does portray warmth to me.

One Coaching Tip

Remember people's names.

"A person's name is to that person, the sweetest, most important sound in any language. " - Dale Carnegie

I used to be rubbish at remembering names.

Or, at least, I told myself I was.

I started working on remembering names because I kept encountering embarrassing situations where I'd ask and then instantly forget.

What's stuck for me is using the acronym CHARM.

• C - care. A person's name matters. Really care about hearing it and remembering it. Sometimes, just making a point of noting it in your head can be enough.

• H - hear. Listen to the person when they tell you what their name is. Try not to be thinking about your reply.

• A - ask. If you forget it (this happens to me a lot!), don't hesitate to ask for it again. This is better than knowing you've forgotten it, seeing them again and having a semi-awkward conversation because you can't address it properly.

• R - repeat. Repeat the person's name instantly. "Tom, great to meet you, I'm Stuart."

• M - marker. Write the name on their head with a marker in big letters. Sounds stupid, but it works well for me.

One final tip: write it down somewhere after your interaction. I have a note on my phone with many people's names and a tiny bit of info about each person (e.g. Tom - quantity surveyor, training for a 10K in June). I can easily refer back to this if needed, and it helps me personalise my interactions.

One Social Media Post Worth Your Time

How to remember valuable information by Andrew Huberman

Nice post on an important topic by Dr Huberman.

"Taking typewritten notes can also work, but not as well as writing by hand. This likely has to do with the fact that our motor cortex and limbs evolved using fine dexterity-whole limb movement as a key source of feedback about the accuracy of our memories. In fact, even just drawing a diagram that summarizes information and makes sense only to you can greatly enhance your recall of that information."

Thanks so much for reading.

Until next Friday, Stuart.

Whenever you're ready, here are two ways I can help you:

1) If you’re looking for a place to help you gain knowledge & develop your skills as a personal trainer, I’d recommend joining Lift the Bar on our trial for free for 14-days. You'll get access to courses, actionable webinars and time-saving downloads, and a community of PTs who have achieved what you're struggling to achieve.

2) Listen to the LTB Podcast. Latest episode #387 w/ Mark Fisher: Mastering Marketing & Managing Distractions