Fitness training has become a career option for many. Although it is a lucrative branch with plenty of financial and growth opportunities, not all are seen to excel in the field.
Looking back at the reason for this, one of the drawbacks noticed is the soft skills the fitness trainer possesses. No matter how good you are or that your approach shows results in the majority of your clients, your first step to success is the way you convey your knowledge to the opposite person. You need to be confident in whatever you say or do and communicate seamlessly with your clients. If you are confident half of your battle is successfully fought.
This is true especially if you are a rookie. Now, different people can lack confidence for various reasons, but in fitness trainers, it is mainly due to the inability to communicate and push the person. Read this article to help yourself gain confidence and move ahead in your profession.
What is Confidence?
Confidence can be boiled down to the belief that a person has it in their ability to succeed at a task, based on whether or not they have been able to perform the task in the past. There are two aspects of self-confidence. The first is competence, whether or not you have the necessary skills and abilities to complete a task. The second is self-assurance and whether or not you believe that you have the ability to complete the task.
Think about this for a moment; you might have been trained in interview skills, but you might not feel comfortable in interviews. In this case, you would have the competence but lack the self-assurance.
On the other hand, you could believe that you have the ability to do something but not have the skills to actually carry it through. In this case, you are very self-assured, but you don’t have the competence to do the job. True confidence occurs when both competence and self-assurance are in balance with each other.
Following are certain tips to improve your Confidence:
Walk the talk
It is the same as practicing what you preach. If you want your clients to be healthy and fit you need to set an example for them. So, make sure you are fit and healthy for your clients to look up to you. Also, you should make it seen. They may know that you work out daily but have they seen you do it?
If not then put yourself out there and make yourself visible. Remember you are as good as you show you are. And once you put your real self out there it will give you immense confidence in yourself and your abilities.
Prepare and plan
Always do your homework. Make sure whatever is in your client’s plan, you know very well. Be ready to demonstrate the same too. You can even practice before the session if required. Doing this can gain you credibility and your client will not feel like they have to achieve an impossible feat. If you can do it you will be able to motivate them further and this will definitely have a positive impact not only on them but on your confidence too.
Being energetic
Your being lethargic and drowsy will make your client doubt your commitment to work. You can do this in various simple things like the way you walk or even your posture. You can feel more confident by walking with purpose wherever you go. You’re on a mission, with places to go and people to see!
Walk about 25% faster than you normally would, with your head up and your energy flowing. Similarly, sit or stand upright with your head up and your shoulders back. Make eye contact with others in a friendly manner. You’ll feel more alert, more confident, and more powerful.
Read and read more
Become a lifelong learner. Learning never stops for a fitness trainer.
The more you learn, the more you will be able to speak. You will be able to see the difference when you interact with others in the same field that you are updated with your knowledge and this may even inspire others to learn something new from you. It is said that beauty is dangerous but intelligence is lethal! It will only make you more confident and you will even be able to generate more trust among your clients.
Grooming
When you need to feel more confident, pay attention to how you are dressed. When you feel that you look your best, you are more likely to carry yourself with more confidence. Stay hygienic and groom well. That doesn’t mean you need to get waxed or be at manicures and pedicures regularly, it just means that you need to ensure that you look decent professional with a proper shave or beard and take care of your clothes, and dress well. Like this, you will find it easier to interact with others and you won’t be distracted by worrying about how you look.
People sometimes confuse confidence with arrogance. An arrogant person is usually an insecure person and their arrogance is a way to hide their insecurities.
Where an arrogant person is boastful, a confident person does not need to boast – they know that their achievements speak for themselves. Where an arrogant person will have trouble admitting they were wrong, a confident person is perfectly willing to admit when they are wrong –they know that the admission doesn’t diminish their value or their abilities. A confident person focuses on being the best and doing the best.
Being confident is not being arrogant. It is believing that you can help anyone and that you will always seek to help in any way you can. You are not better than other trainers, but you are as good as anyone.
So, kill those securities and get out there with confidence. The world is yours to conquer!
For more such inspirational and self-help blogs come back to this space and let us know if these tips have helped you in the comments section below.
Author: Dr Pooja Nilgar (Content writer and editor)
