Every week I get to meet with prospective athletes. Folks that want to lose body fat, build muscle, lose excuses, and change their lives. As such, they are curious if coaching can help them. I’ve had a coach since I was young. Growing up, I was a basketball player and I went to one of those schools where ball was life. We played year-round. We were good too… some years. Looking back, I can attribute a lot of what I know about life, honesty, success, and getting the job done to those early experiences.
I often tell my daughters the story of me getting caught cheating on test in 6th grade by my basketball coach. He didn’t yell, he wasn’t mad. He only said that he was disappointed in me. OUCH! That hit HARD. I respected him greatly and his loss of respect for me in that moment was truly a life lesson. As you might have guessed, I assign a lot of value to mentorship and coaching.
But, not everyone does. Why?
- Maybe they never played sports as a kid?
- Maybe the had a bad coaching experience?
- Maybe they just don’t know what they don’t know?
- Or… maybe they have it all figured out already (unlikely, but possible)
Here’s a common scenario…
Someone books an appointment with me. We sit, I listen intently to their story. I ask a few pertinent questions for clarification. I begin to develop a sense of where we could start.
Then, they ask the question…“How much does it cost to join your gym”
Then, I say… “Well, it depends on what you need”
This isn’t a sales tactic. At our gym, we meet with every prospective client. We let them tell their story. We let them tell us what they want. The next step is critical… we offer the program that best suites THEIR NEEDS. A custom approach at our gym doesn’t refer to the exercises in your workout, it refers to:
- your goal(s) & how we most effectively reach them
- your resources & how we most effectively utilize them
- your nutrition skills & how we build on them without overwhelming you
- your ideal coaching relationship & how we deliver it
The “how much does it cost to join your gym” scenario demonstrates a lack of critical thinking around their goal(s). It’s highly likely they haven’t even begun to allow themselves to think about what life will be like when they achieve their goal. Which means, they haven’t yet begun to consider what achieving those goals will take. Who cares?… you ask. Here’s the deal: “the body cannot go where the mind hasn’t been”. If their mind hasn’t gone there, the investment will always be too “expensive” for them. Said another way… they aren’t ready to see the value in coaching.
It’s not personal, they’re just not ready. It’s near impossible to understand this value or “get it” when lacking previous mentorship and success. Perhaps they don’t think they can actually achieve their goal(s)? Or, maybe they aren’t ready to prioritize their actions in order to achieve their goals? The second scenario is much easier to work with. This is where you tell them something like:
- buy a few less $8 coffees
- get your monthly football screen time below 35hrs
The first scenario is going to require some reprogramming and take more time. Change is hard! So you can push but ultimately, they have to get to a place where they can see the value in being coached. It’s true that mentorship and coaching IS a considerable investment (for most). But, wouldn’t it be weird if something that had such potential to change your health, fitness, and life wasn’t?
If you answered “yeah” then you’re starting to be able to see the value!
Ready to book a meeting? Go HERE.
Not ready but want to join the conversation? Go HERE.
Talk soon,
James