Guide

The personal training consultation: what to ask, and why clients cancel after saying yes.

By Jason Odell, founder of RiseForIt

A good consultation is mostly questions: what they want to change, what they've tried, what staying stuck costs them, and where they want to be in 90 days. Clients cancel after saying yes when the consult sold the program instead of their goal, and when no payment was taken on the call.

The order that works

• Their goal, in their words. Write it down.
• What they've tried, and why it didn't stick.
• What it costs them to stay where they are: health, confidence, time, money.
• Where they'd be in 90 days if this worked.
• Only then: how you get them there, in two or three sentences.
• The price, said plainly, and payment taken on the call.

Why they say yes and then cancel

They agreed to a feeling in the room, not a decision. If you explained sets and check-ins for twenty minutes, they bought information, and information can wait. If you sold where they hurt and where they'll land, and they paid before leaving, the decision is made.

Should you hide your prices?

Hiding prices filters for people who haven't thought about money yet. Showing a starting price filters out people who can't afford it and saves you calls. Either way, the price lands better after they've said what the problem costs them.

Common questions