The next couple of weeks/months are going to be a lot of fun around here.
I’ve had a lot of time lately to really think about what I want my business to look and feel like over the next 5-10 years, and I’m going to be sharing a lot of that right here, with you.
Because while writing and creating content is great for me, I also feel like it can be instructive for YOU.
For instance, many trainers and coaches I’ve mentored with over the years want to do some (or more) online coaching.
Whether it’s adding another revenue stream, helping more people, or just having something “new” to work on, I totally get it.
But I also know that diving in without having a real plan of attack, or knowing who your target market is, can not only set you up for failure, but a lot of headaches along the way.
So this weekend as I was driving to beautiful Terre Haute, Indiana, I started thinking about all of the traits my best online clients have had.
What do they do that others won’t?
What personality traits do they have?
What do they need/get out of working with me?
Going through this has been eye-opening for me, and I think it will be for you as well.
So without any further ado, let’s dive in!
Trait #1 – They Have REAL Goals
You know the hardest person to write a program for?
The person who just wants to be “healthy.”
I mean it’s an admirable goal – but being “healthy” could mean vastly different things depending on who you’re talking to.
On the flip side, who’s the easiest program to write a program for?
The client/athlete that has clearly defined goals, such as:
- They want to lose 20 pounds in 3 months.
- They want to add 25 pounds to their squat, bench press or deadlift.
- Or they want to to improve their HRV score 10 points in the next 6 months.
Can you see the difference between the two?
The first one gives you zero focus on where to go with their programming, while the second tells you exactly what you need to do.
More times than not, the clients I work with who have the most success are targeted and specific in their goals, so I can be targeted and specific with their programming.
Trait #2 – The Want Accountability BUT…
I feel the two biggest reasons people hire a coach are:
- Insight, guidance and programming – i.e. they tell you WHAT to do. And
- Accountability to make sure that what you need to do ACTUALLY GETS DONE!
And even though I’m a coach myself, I’ve experienced accountability in action when I’ve turned the tables and become a client.
When I’ve hired Oetter, Bill, Mike Tuscherer or Campo to write my programs, I never skip workouts because I feel like I’m letting them down.
When I hired Cody and Trevor to handle my nutrition, I weighed and tracked every damn morsel of food to make sure I lost the weight.
You see, there’s power in accountability.
But some people don’t want accountability – they want a babysitter.
And my joke is always this: I’ve got two kids at home who I have to parent, so if you want a babysitter and someone to hold your hand every step of the way, then I’m not the coach for you.
I will lead, guide and support you, but I want to work with adults – not grown up children.
Trait #3 – They have a decent gym set-up
One of the only good things that came out of COVID is that many people now have exercise equipment at their home.
But there’s a difference here between having access to a real gym set-up, and having a few pieces of equipment you can use when there are no other options.
I’ve had some people apply to be online clients, and when we discussed their training equipment it was the following:
- Dumbbells up to 20 pounds,
- A few bands,
- A ball of yarn, and
- A Yoga mat.
Now I’m not here to tell you you can’t get a great workout in with just dumbbells and bands, but if you want me to write a program that can help improve your movement, I need access to a more robust set-up.
For instance, cables are something I find myself using more and more in my workouts, because they can provide a ton of benefits.
They can help shift your center of gravity back.
They can help “unweight” you.
They can help you reach/expand/open up your chest, shoulders and upper back.
So they’re a pretty versatile piece of equipment, and if you don’t have access to that, what I can do with you is immediately more limited in scope.
You may not need a full decked out gym, but if you don’t have access to at least a modest gym set-up, online training with me may not be your best fit.
Trait #4 – Have been training for a while on their own
I won’t belabor this point too much, but most of the successful people I’ve trained over the years are comfortable training on their own.
Sure I can help via programming, feedback on lifting technique, and maybe some accountability, but again, they’re self-starters and willing to do the work on their own.
They just need a little bit of guidance along the way.
Trait #5 – Are (typically) between 35 and 55 years old
In my almost 20 years of doing this, I can count the number of successful online clients I’ve had in there 20’s on one hand.
I can attribute this to a few things:
- Many people in their 20’s aren’t ready to really lock in and focus on ONE training program.
- They haven’t had a few setbacks to help them realize they are, in fact, human. And
- I’m not cheap – so a lot of 20 somethings aren’t ready to pay my prices.
However, once somebody gets into their 30’s, they have a little bit more perspective.
They don’t want to just bang weights.
They still want to be athletic, but they’ve maybe had a few aches and pains along the way.
And people that want to work with me are starting to think more about longevity and being well-rounded than crushing one aspect of performance training (i.e. strength).
So suffice it to say, most of my online clients who are successful in somewhere in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.
But let’s drill down on a few of these topics in a bit more depth…
Trait #6 – Are (typically) weekend warriors or former athletes
When I was coming up in the strength and conditioning/fitness game, the play was strength training.
Now you got to pick one of three avenues, but it really came down to:
- Bodybuilding,
- Powerlifting, or
- Olympic lifting.
Now don’t get it twisted – I loved powerlifting and the rush a big squat, bench or deadlift gave me.
But I also never felt the athleticism that my body craved.
Because at the end of the day, I’m an athlete and I love training athletes.
Furthermore, I like to train like an athlete – so most of my online clients resonate with that point of view as well.
You see, I think we give up on athleticism too early.
I was saying this waaaayyyy back in the early 2010’s, and people were mocking me viciously when I talked about “everyone being an athlete.”
Now look, athleticism doesn’t mean you have to go out and play elite level pick-up basketball or soccer.
Sure I have online clients like Amy who loves playing tennis.
Or Mark who is an avid martial artist
Or even Courtney who is trying to become a professional basketball player.
But you don’t have to want to do those things now – it just means you want more out of the gym than banging weights day in and day out.
You want to sprint, jump, cut and throw.
And more importantly, you want to FEEL like an athlete again.
Trait #7 – Have had injuries/setbacks in the past
Almost everyone I work with has had some aches, pains or boo-boos along the way.
Part of it is the athletic lifestyle they’ve led.
Some of it just comes with training and age.
But all of them want to overcome those hurdles and get back to healthy, athletic training again.
And if I can get an elite soccer or basketball player back on the field/pitch, I feel confident I can help you.
This is also where you can’t just give someone a standard, cookie-cutter program and they’re magically all better.
Most of the people I work with both at IFAST or via online coaching have some mileage on their body, and thus require some of the tools that make me special as a coach.
Whether it’s achy knees, stiff hips, or a painful lower back, I feel like I do a really good job of working in that gray area of return to play, and helping my clients get back to the things they enjoy in life.
Trait #8 – They want to live a longer, healthier lifestyle
When you’re in your teens and 20’s, you’re bulletproof.
For instance when I was powerlifting in college, it wasn’t uncommon to have Jaeger shots with the team on Saturday night until 3 in the morning, sleep as long as possible, and then come in and do a heavy squat workout Sunday afternoon.
(Just as an aside, this was NOT my most productive time in training, as you can imagine!)
But once you get past the mid-30’s and definitely into your 40’s, you suddenly realize – if you haven’t already – you’re NOT bulletproof.
So how can we build a program that allow us to:
- Move like an athlete,
- Feel awesome, AND
- Live a longer, healthier life?
And the answer is so freakin’ simple…
…well balanced training.
This is why the days of focusing on one physical quality (i.e. strength) are long gone in my programs.
Instead, the programs I write account for everything – from mobility, to speed and power, to strength, and even conditioning.
It may not all be in there at once, or straight out of the gate, but it will all be there over time.
Which leads me to my next trait…
Trait #9 – They understand the balance between the long- and short-term
Look we all want short-term progress.
It helps stoke the fire and gets/keeps us motivated to train.
But if all we did was focus on the short-term, then people would still be crushing 21-day detoxes and enjoying their “cookie diets.”
So I do the opposite: I tell my new clients their first couple weeks – or even MONTHS of working together – will probably be boring.
My goal isn’t to wow or impress them, as much as I’d like to.
Instead, my goal is to set the stage early-on and to build a training foundation that sets them up for the rest of their life.
And yes, I realize that’s a big goal.
But I’m playing the longest game possible here, not trying to wow you with short-term wins that ultimately get you burned out, injured, or some combination of the two.
Trait #10 – They take ownership of their results
Last but not definitely not least, the most successful people I’ve worked with online, offline, and in life take ownership over their results.
If they’re crushing it, losing weight, getting stronger, and improving their conditioning, they realize that they’re doing the things necessary to make real, impactful change in their life.
And if they’re struggling or not seeing progress?
Well here’s the thing – they realize that’s on them as well!
Now look I get it – life can be hard, and sometimes things don’t go your way.
We all have real lives and stresses outside the gym that can negatively impact our results.
But I can’t stress this highly enough – the most successful people I’ve met IN LIFE realize that they own their results, good or bad.
But there’s also the flip side of this.
The most unsuccessful people I’ve worked with refuse – in any way, shape or form – to look in the mirror and realize THEY are they reason they’re not successful.
It’s not their job.
It’s not their spouse.
It’s not their kids.
It’s not the fact that I’m not texting/emailing/DM’ing them every hour to check in.
It’s because they are unwilling to do what’s necessary to see impactful change in their life.
Luckily I haven’t had too many of these stinkers over the years, but trust me, if you ever have one, you’ll make it your personal life goal to never have another one in your coaching program ever again!
Summary
I hope if you’ve read this entire article, it’s given you some real insights as to how you want to run your online coaching business.
Who do you want to coach?
What are their goals?
How much interaction do they need with you on an ongoing basis?
How much gym equipment do they need?
Once you identify and answer these questions, everything is infinitely easier for you – from the language in your marketing to designing the actual programs themselves.
Thanks so much for reading and MAKE IT a great day!
All the best,
MR
P.S. – If you read this and feel like you’d be a good fit for my online coaching program, either send me an email at [email protected] or head over here to learn a little bit more about the program. Thanks!