I like to view myself as a expert in my field. I always try my absolute best to provide the ultimate training experience to each and every client that I work with. Whether a client is working with me on the floor at our training facility here in Vancouver, British Columbia, or Online from their home, I have always strived to provide the absolute best customer service to anyone who chooses to work with me as their Trainer/Coach. In an industry in which you are selling a service, your reputation really does mean everything. And in my opinion, this is why it’s so incredibly important to not only practice what you preach on a daily basis, but also to portray yourself as a professional in every setting you can. Ofcourse there is a time for fun and a time for play. But what happens when you start mixing your personal life with your professional life both in person, and online? It is possible for the two to coexist simultaneously without causing conflict and creating turmoil in one’s life?
Stupid Social Media Mistakes
I am by no means a Social Media Guru. I have no desire to become a Social Media Influencer. And if I were to be completely honest, I have a strong distaste for the majority of content in which I see on Social Media on a regular basis.
I am however an active Social Media User. I do use Social Media to help promote our business. And if I were to be completely honest, I would probably have 20% less clients if Social Media did not exist.
I’ve spoken numerous times over the years about my love/hate relationship with Social Media. I’ve announced that I will officially log off from these apps for good once I officially retire from working in the Fitness Industry. However for the time being, I will continue to post, swipe, like, and hashtag on a daily basis in order to remain reputable and marketable in an Industry that is continuously evolving. What I will never do though, is use Social Media to air my dirty laundry.
Listen, all of us have gone through our own trials and tribulations in life. Whether you lost your job, lost a loved one, have been diagnosed with a severe health issue, and/or are dealing with a difficult break-up or divorce, none of us have or at least will escape life without experiencing some sort of tragedy at some point. And honestly, I have absolutely nothing against people who feel they need to use their Social Media Platforms as a way to share these tragic events with complete strangers online. I do however question people like myself, who are Small or Large Business Owners, who share EVERYTHING that is going on in their personal lives with their audience online. In my opinion this can become very dangerous as your clients and potential clients have now seen you in a completely vulnerable and unprofessional state. And although it’s nice to say that “we are all human” and that “we all have feelings” I believe that as soon as you release those feelings of sadness, anger and despair in a highly emotional state online for the world to see, you lose a bit of that credibility that you once had in your chosen profession.
When Personal Training Becomes Too Personal
Earlier this week, I had two of my good friends who are also Personal Trainers/Small Business Owners on our YouTube Channel for a Weighted Debate (Video Drops This Wednesday, January 12th). One of the topics that we discussed was whether or not we thought Trainers should hang out with their clients outside of the gym. What makes this topic so interesting to me is that there really is no right or wrong answer. I can tell from experience that when you spend 3-4 hours a week with a person, and/or communicate with them through email 2-3 times a day, a certain bond forms. And sometimes that relationship turns from Coach & Client to Coach & Friend. I can also tell you that after working in this industry for over 20 years now, that I have formed quite a few friendships with my clients, all of whom continue to work with me to this day.
My clients/friends that I do see outside of the gym understand that it’s important for us to keep our professional and personal relationships separate. Therefore they do not take advantage of our cancellation policies or ask for discounts simply because they are my friends. In turn, I do not lecture them about dietary nutrition and/or working out if we are out at a restaurant or sharing a few drinks together at a bar. I have to admit that at first, it was difficult for me to set these boundaries. But over time, I realized that we are all responsible adults, and if we could not keep the professional relationship separate from the personal relationship, then perhaps one of those relationships was not worth having.
Mixing Business With Pleasure
So should you mix Business with Pleasure? And is it okay to share your personal life online for the world to see?
I think there are multiple factors to take into consideration when making these decisions, however for the most part, the final decision is ultimately up for you as an individual to make. For myself, I prefer to keep my private life private and use Social Media only as a tool to market our Personal Training & Online Nutritional Consulting Services. I understand that I would probably gain more followers if I shared more details about my personal life. After all, numerous studies have shown this to be a proven tactic to use in order to build a larger following on your online platforms. I just don’t feel comfortable with sharing certain ares of my life with strangers, and using people who are close to me on a personal level, in order to help potentially generate more business.
As for befriending clients? Well if you were to ask me this question 15 years ago, I would have told you that absolutely under not circumstances should you hang out with clients outside of the gym. But as I’ve become older, I’ve softened my stance on this topic because I believe that you can become friends with your clients and/or co-workers as long as you are both able to separate your personal relationship from the professional relationship when you need to.
“Being professional is simply using common sense. It’s not complicated.”
– Alexio Lusinga
Yours in Good Health,
Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance