3 Key Personality Traits of Successful Trainers

Do you ever wonder how trainers that don’t have the science, dedication to the lifestyle, or physique are so successful in selling sessions?
Are you stumped on what you need to improve to excel at selling the superior product you offer?
I am going to show you 3 personality traits that are necessary to thrive in the sales portion of your overall
Personal Training Business Skill Set!  These 3 traits are Ego, Economic Drive, and Empathy.

Ego Trippin

I know what you are thinking and that is who wants to work with someone
with such a big ego?  Your instincts are correct and most people on a scale of 1-10 don’t want
to work with a huge size 10 ego. However, there is nothing wrong with a 7!
 On that scale of 1-10 a person that has a 4 ego is the type that when they are told “I have to think about it” or “
I have to get back to you” this person will smile and nod and say “Sure, no problem!” and walk away.

A trainer with a 10 ego will here those objections and get upset with and blame the potential client and lose the sale.
 A person with a 7 ego is perfect because when they are told “no” it lights a fire inside them, its a challenge.
This will make that 7 ego person think on the fly and change what is needed to make the deal go down.  It is a
comfortable balance between not accepting “no” as an answer and not being so pushy that you upset the potential client.  A little bit of
ego can go a LONG way, but it is a delicate balance :-)

Economic Drive Baby Drive!

This is a very powerful motivational tool but again the right level is essential.
On our same scale of 1-10 the low end is ineffective.  A person that has a 4 economic drive is someone that has expenses paid for them,
maybe still lives at home, is in school, ect.  This is someone that doesn’t have a consistent need for money to support themselves so
are significantly more likely to lose motivation in the face of a tough sell.

On the other hand a 10 is too much because they tend to be financially irresponsible , too focused on money, and always
needing a lot of money to maintain there exorbitant lifestyle and are never satisfied.  This high need for funds will eventually cloud judgment
and make them too pushy because they are focused on getting the new Ipad.  Too much flash and aggressiveness will turn off  most potential clients.
Now, the 7 drive is the perfect balance.  A 7 is someone that likes the new toys but is not so impatient as to not wait
a month for the free upgrade. They also have an appreciation for nice things that they work hard for and take care their possessions and look to maintain their
lifestyle with class.

Empathy: I Feel For You!

This one is my personal favorite and essential trait for success in the Fitness Industry.
When looking at our scale we all know the low and top end of our scale.  A person with a 1 would be a totalitarian dictator
like Ghadafi or someone that cannot care or understand what is going with the person in front of them.  The only thing that matters
is what the individual thinks and their own selfish concerns. Now a 10 on this scale is not good either.
This is a Mother Theresa personality that empathizes too much to where they are way too understanding and commiserates with the potential clients
issues instead of just listening and acknowledging but still is able to pull it together to achieve goals.

Enter the 7!! We are back at the perfect balance where you can put yourself in the other persons shoes.  When a potential client feels you understand their
issues and are there to help work through them then a strong bond of trust is built and success is right around the corner.  You listen and understand,
but then direct them to the powerful solutions that you can offer them :-)

What Are You Personality Strengths?

What personality traits allow you to be the best trainer you can be?  Let us know in the comments, we would love to hear from you.
Chris "the shark attack" O'Toole