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 Social Media Post Worth Your Time

This was a nice post from Greg Nuckols on what the data tells us about adherence to activity guidelines across numerous countries.

The big takehome: we need to get more into lifting. No surprises here, but it's easy to forget that most people do not do much (if any) resistance training. 

We're perfectly placed to impact these stats positively.

This is also why I'm a huge advocate for more content dedicated towards complete strength training beginners - that market is much larger than the already-doing-it-but-not-getting-results one.

One Coaching Cue

"Imagine you have a scale underneath your front foot. I want to see that number driving upwards."

When to use it?

I used this one to good effect yesterday with a client who was doing a staggered-stance RDL.

A common fault you'll often see with the SSRDL (what PT doesn't love an acronym - my personal favourite is SHELC) is the client will keep a lot of weight on their back foot. We want to see most of their weight on their front foot so it's loading the front leg hamstring,

Got a coaching cue you love using that works like a charm?

Hit reply, as I'd love to hear it!

One Business Tip

When was the last time you increased your prices?

If you're anything like most PTs, the answer is probably somewhere in between "never" and "years ago"

And yet, your cost of living has increased, and the price of most other service-based businesses has risen.

I recommend increasing your prices yearly, and the standard is anywhere from 3-10%.

My barber used to cost $15. Now he's $23. I've only been going to him for 8 months and I didn't bat an eyelid at the increase because he does a great job. Why should we be any different?

Here's how I'd approach a price increase:

1. Set a date for the increase roughly 4-8 weeks away.

2. Write a letter to each of your clients. Thank them for their continued support. Explain why you're increasing your prices for new clients and how excited you are to use the increased revenue to invest in development opportunities/ new equipment etc.

3. Let them know that this price increase won't fully affect them due to their loyalty as a current client and that their new rate will be X which will go into affect as of X date.

4. Hand them it in-person AFTER you've told them face-to-face about the increase.

The last point is critical.

I'd recommend against just handing or sending them the letter. I've learnt the hard way that clients expect you to tell them to their face about something like a price increase (unless you're running a huge group operation). It's not easy or comfortable to do, but it is important.

Here's an example of how I'd approach it with a client at the end of their session:

"Hey Jamie. That was a great session - thanks as always for your dedication to our sessions. I'm increasing my prices for new clients on X date to X amount. As you're a current client, your new rate will be X, which will change on X date. Here is a letter that explains it in more detail. Let me know if you have any questions."

You deserve to be well paid for the work you're doing.

Lift the Bar members: there is a price increase template on the member's site here.

One Coaching Tip

Something I've changed about my coaching over the last 12 months is asking clients to "focus on doing something" versus telling them to "stop doing something" during our sessions.

It's significantly impacted how the constructive feedback I give feels.

"Stop doing" or "don't do" feels more critical. 

"Focus on" feels more neutral. It could be net positive if it's sandwiched in with a compliment (e.g. your back position and tempo were excellent on that last set. Next, let's try focussing on...).

For example, you could say: "stop letting your heels lift during your squat", or "don't let your heels lift"

But it sounds much nicer to say: "focus on keeping your heels pressed into the floor."

Give it a shot when you next see the need to offer constructive criticism about how a client moves.

It's a subtle yet significant change.

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 struggling with & working towards the same things you are.

Newest resource: Common Medical Conditions & What PTs Need to Know [Webinar]

2) Listen to the LTB Podcast. Latest episode #381 with Jon Goodman: Why You Don't Need More Followers