Chris Cooper: (00:01)
Clients will stay in your coaching practice for two reasons. First, they’re solving the problem that brought them there in the first place. And second, they’re enjoying the process. I’m Chris Cooper, I’m the founder of Two-Brain Business. If this episode is helpful to you, please hit subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. This is how we decide what kind of content to share with you for free. And so if we see more subscribers after a certain episode, we make more episodes on that topic. So let us know. Hit subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. Today, I’m sharing with you a series of, how to deliver a 10 out of 10 service in your coaching business. These are tips from Jeff Jucha, a certified Two-Brain Business mentor, and they’re really awesome. So I wanna bring ’em to you step by step. First, there’s two reasons really that people stick around, right?
Chris Cooper: (00:51)
You’re solving their problem. That’s number one. And number two is they’re enjoying the process. They can’t find a reason to dislike it, but more than that they’ve fit in. And maybe some of that is community. Maybe some of that is just your skill and coaching. Maybe some of that is they just like being around happy, positive people. But if we remove one of these elements, progress or enjoyment, they’ll start leaving. They’ll start moving out the door. They might still like you and your service. But if you’re not providing both progress and enjoyment, they’re gonna keep searching until they find a service that does. So the solution to this is to figure out what a 10 out of 10 experience looks like for them and then deliver it. Now a 10 out of 10 for one client might include one-on-one workouts and help establishing their healthy habits outside the gym.
Chris Cooper: (01:42)
Another person’s 10 might be fitting into their “college days jeans” while attending a fun group workout in the morning. So like any rating system, a perfect score is subjective to the individual, which is precisely what you want. You want that client’s 10 out of 10, which means you have to know what that client wants and what they enjoy. So the first number in your score is the client’s current experience with you. The second number is their client’s ideal experience that they had in mind when they were signing up with you. In effect, the problem that they’re trying to solve effectively in an enjoyable way. So to get a perfect score, a 10 out of 10 on your service business, you have to focus on three things. First, your intake. Second, your implementation, and third, your integration of the client into your gym community. So today we’re gonna talk about how to start with your intake process, then how to work through the implementation of your method, and then how to integrate clients to deliver a 10 out of 10.
Chris Cooper: (02:42)
So first: intake. You have to learn your client’s rating system. What do they want? What will they require to give you a 10 out of 10? Right? So you start with your consultation. You start with your No-Sweat Intro. And at the end you ask Lisa, “Let’s say that you worked on these goals with me for three months. What would a 10 out of 10 experience look like for you?” Then, in Jeff’s words, he gives the clients a moment to ponder. So most clients will never be asked this question in business, and you’ll already be standing out as a professional. If the client needs some help, ask what a 10 out of 10 would look like with regard to each goal. So for example, “How many pounds of your big 50-pound weight-loss goal would be a 10 out of 10 for you after three months?”
Chris Cooper: (03:30)
And then write down that answer. And then next Jeff would ask this: “What concerns do you have around working on these goals with me?” So if the client says, “Oh, I’ve got this bum knee,” or they don’t wanna look silly in front of other people, or they give you other issues, dig in and write down their concerns. And this is also the perfect time to review the goal and concern list and explain if the client is being realistic. And if it’s a good fit for your services. Jeff says that if he works these steps into his consultation, he has a list of the exact reasons why the person will keep working with you or stop working with you. And you’ll also get some other important info. When you ask a client what a 10 out of 10 looks like, the client’s answer will tell you exactly how to show them progress in a meaningful way later.
Chris Cooper: (04:16)
The concerns that the client identifies will tell you two things. The client is thinking like, I don’t want X. I don’t wanna get big muscles. And they’ll also be thinking, I will be thinking about this until you calm my fears. So to recap, clients leave when one of two things happen, they don’t see progress toward the goal that motivated them to start with you in the first place. And they don’t enjoy the process. So you have to start with defining what their perfect 10 is at the intake process. Now I’m gonna tell you how to deliver a 10 out of 10 onboarding service like your Onramp program. The first few weeks will greatly affect how long a client stays with you. So you learn to deliver or you learn what the client’s 10 out 10 experience looks like in their words, at intake.
Chris Cooper: (05:03)
And now it’s time to start delivering that perfect service from day one. So the secret is to build a perfect program around that client. So instead of just placing a client into one of your programs- here, come and try a group class. You need to build a customized 10 out of 10 experience using the programs that you offer. Your services are tools that you can use to help clients. Their exact programs should be built around their needs. So for example, and I’ll give you an analogy here. If you have a contractor and he’s going to build you the house, he’s going to use the same tools on your house as your neighbor’s house, but the houses might look completely different. That’s okay. He can still use the same saws and the same hammers and the same drills to build the house. You, as the coach, can still use the same nutrition plans, but they should be customized to what the client wants to build.
Chris Cooper: (05:52)
You can still use the same exercise method if it fits what the client wants to build. Okay. So for example, Jeff recommends his Onramp program to clients with a track record of success on their own. So most new clients would say something like I know what to do, but I just don’t do it. So he starts those clients with at least one month of one-on-one appointments and healthy habits coaching. And then he might prescribe them online coaching or at home workouts if they need them. After you’ve decided on the program, it’s time to go next level. So write out exactly how you’ll make each individual experience a 10 out of 10. Share the note from your consultation with the client’s coach, if you’re not the one delivering that Onramp. So for example, let’s say that Lisa needs help creating healthy habits and assurance that she won’t look silly in front of other people.
Chris Cooper: (06:43)
She’s maybe concerned about an old ankle injury being aggravated, and she wants to start slowly. So here’s how Jeff would help Lisa during her first month. First, he would prescribe 15 minute walks in the morning and evening and have her drink 20 ounces of water on top of her current daily water intake. Second, he would schedule two recurring emails each week to check on these assignments whenever she doesn’t have an appointment booked at the gym. Third, he would test her ankle flexibility and talk her through each step of movements prescribed to increase her ankle’s range of motion. Then he would introduce her to at least one coach and two clients from the gym and share something that they might have in common. The process seems really simple and it is, but most fitness professionals miss the mark on following this, even as simple as it is.
Chris Cooper: (07:32)
So once you’ve written down how you’re going to deliver your client’s perfect experience, schedule a check in. Jeff checks in at 14 days for group clients and nutrition clients and 30 days for personal training clients. So at the end of their session, he’ll say, “I’d like to know how I’m doing. If I made a Google form for you and I emailed it to you, would you take a few minutes to complete it?” And of course they will. You’ve given them a 10 out of 10 experience. So then what he does is he copies this Google form and he puts the client’s name at the top and he sends them these questions. “At our first meeting, I asked what would make a 10 out of 10 experience for you? So on a scale of one to 10, how satisfied are you with your experience so far?”
Chris Cooper: (08:14)
Next question: “When we met, you expressed concern around whatever it was. You know, did I address this appropriately for you so far?” And then last question: “You expressed that your goal was blank. Do you feel like we are making appropriate progress toward that goal?” Now you could ask two more questions that Jeff uses sometimes. So first is “could you sum up your experience with us in a short paragraph?” And this is really like for marketing purposes. And finally he might ask, “If you’re inclined to do so, would you mind leaving us an honest review on Google? You can even copy and paste your previous response for simplicity.” And then he puts the link to their Google forms in there. Try to keep this three to five questions if you can. And let’s continue on talking about delivering a 10 out of 10 service. So, so far you’ve taken the time to learn about the client’s perfect experience.
Chris Cooper: (09:06)
You’ve let them define what a 10 is for them. You’ve delivered on it. And you’ve shown that you care enough to ask for honest feedback. So everything that you’ve done up to this point is well beyond what your competition is doing, right? Because your clients do not wanna make you guess. They want you to know how to be successful. They want a 10 out of 10 experience. And if you ask them how to provide it in advance, you have a much better chance of actually hitting that mark. And then finally, after you found out what that 10 out of 10 is for them, you’ve delivered on it. And you’ve asked how you’re doing so that you can make adjustments or capitalize on their satisfaction. Now we’re going to convert this 10 out of 10 experience into long-term retention by using something called client check-ins. Now sometimes on this podcast, I’ll say goal reviews.
Chris Cooper: (09:56)
Sometimes I’ll say client check-ins. Either way, it’s a formal sit down where you review progress and goals. Okay? We map these client check-ins or goal reviews out on a long term plan for the client that we call the client journey. And this is how you deliver a 10 out of 10 service over and over again for your clients. So on that client journey, you’ll have regularly scheduled check-ins with your clients. And as Jeff said earlier, he checks in with his group clients every three months and his PT clients every 30 days and his nutrition clients every 14 days. That gives them lots of opportunities to please clients while increasing their length of engagement and their average revenue per member per month, ARM. At these check-ins, we ask the standard Two-Brain Gym questions that Two-Brain teaches in all of our materials, which is, are you completely happy with your progress so far?
Chris Cooper: (10:50)
And if you’re not, then we would ask, “Here’s how I would like to speed up the progress. Would you like to try that?” Now the answers to these questions can reveal a lot about your client’s recent experience with your business. So Jeff follows with these two questions. “When we first met, I aimed to provide you a 10 out of 10 experience. Are you still getting that?” And he also asks, “If not, what would make it a perfect 10 for you?” Now, the answers will tell you how to go above and beyond in the next three months. So you will know where the client would like to move faster. So for example, if a client loves training with you, but has not seen a lot of weight loss, you can help through your nutrition service or habits coaching. And you’ll also know what’s still missing in the client’s 10 out of 10 experience.
Chris Cooper: (11:37)
So for example, making it to four workouts per week is important to the client, but the class schedule doesn’t allow it. So there we can offer some one-on-one sessions or online training to supplement the group package. The clients who have made progress toward their goals while having their concerns addressed will be ready to accept your prescription, even if it means adding or switching to another program. And even if that program carries value that warrants a higher cost. So you can repeat this 10 out of 10 experience as long as you like. You can keep polishing your relationship with your clients and improving the service that you provide indefinitely. Not only will you see more opportunities to help your clients over time, but you’ll also retain them longer because you’re always checking in to see how well you’re doing at keeping the promises on day one. So a big recap, at intake, ask your clients to define what does a 10 out of 10 experience look like for them?
Chris Cooper: (12:32)
Second, ask what might limit their experience. Third, build a plan to provide perfect tens while addressing their fears and then deliver on those plans. And fourth, regularly schedule check-ins and ask how you are doing at helping them achieve their goals. Be sure to address the concerns that could end your relationship prematurely. If you follow this process, your clients will get exactly what they came for and they’ll enjoy every aspect of the experience with the most well-formed fitness professional they’ve ever met. The key here is to make your client’s experience personalized, even if you’re delivering it in a group setting. And you do that through your No-Sweat Intro, your goal review process and strategies like Jeff Jucha’s “how can I make this a 10 out of 10 experience for you?” Remember, you can use the same tools on 50 different houses, but every house has to be different. And as a contractor, that’s your job. I hope this helps. If you click through to our blog, you’ll find these steps broken down point by point from certified Two-Brain Business mentor Jeff Jucha. If you want the show notes, you can click through the link below in this podcast and you’ll get all the show notes and the points that I’ve made here. And if you want to book a free call with our team, you can do that by clicking the “book a free call” link in the show notes too. Hope it helps!
Mike Warkentin: (13:56)
That was Chris Cooper. Hope you had a 10-out-of-10 experience on Two-Brain Radio. If you did, please hit subscribe. Now, Coop’s back with an invitation.
Chris Cooper: (14:04)
We created the Gym Owners United Facebook group in 2020 to help entrepreneurs just like you. Now, it has 6,000 members and it’s growing daily as gym owners join us for tips, tactics, and community support. If you aren’t in that group, what are you waiting for? Get in there today so we can network and grow your business. That’s Gym Owners United on Facebook or GymOwnersUnited.com. Join today.
