Introduction
Personal trainers should be constantly looking to deliver the highest value to their clients, helping them to reach their goals, whilst also building trust and a long term relationship to serve both the client in value provided and the PT in business. At the PFCA, we use the 4 I’s framework in order to navigate what a client needs and to develop the best structured and intentional communication to deliver information to them. In this article, we’ll break down the 4 I’s, teaching you how you can apply this system to improve the service you provide.
Investigate: Detect, Curious, Notice & Gather
The first part of the 4 I’s framework is Investigate, which primarily revolves around gathering the most important information about your client. As the personal trainer, this part of the system requires intense curiosity, observation and attention to detail.
The first thing you’ll need to do is detect your clients needs. Identify what their goals are, whether it is weight loss, muscle gain, injury rehab, or just getting fitter. Be curious and ask open ended questions to find out what their motivations are, what their lifestyle is like and what they find challenging.
In addition to asking, pay attention to them and try to notice patterns. What are their energy levels like? How is their movement quality during movement assessments? You can also use questionnaires or more general fitness assessments to gather this data.
By thoroughly investigating these things, you’ll establish a clear understanding of your clients’ starting points and from there you can figure out what they need. Investigation is the foundation of every effective plan.
Integrate: Process, Prioritise & Plan
Once you have gathered this data, the next part of the framework is to integrate into a plan. You must organise the information available and turn this into actionable and realistic steps which align with your clients goals.
Begin with processing the information. Identify your clients’ patterns, strengths, and areas for improvement. All this must be deeply analysed before you can prescribe a set plan. You must prioritise goals based on what is important for your client and what is the most logical route to the end goal. If your client wants to become bigger and stronger, figure out what their priorities should be based on your initial assessment. Is it to correct imbalances in movement or body? Is it to build strength? Or should they become fitter first?
From here you can plan strategically, developing a personalised workout programme and schedule which in this example, could account for progressive overload, guidance on nutrition and recovery strategies.
This kind of integration will ensure that your programmes are not a one size fits all, cookie cutter template that you apply to everyone. Your ideal is to create a bespoke roadmap for each client specifically . Also, by being vocal about why you are prescribing what you are, with references back to the initial data collection, you will ensure that your client understands that this is a programme based on them as an individual, which will improve the relationship between coach and client, and lead to longer term adherence to the plan.
Implement: Prescribe, Deliver & Connect
The third part of the 4 I’s framework is to implement, and this is where your action really begins. You must prescribe individual workouts, deliver their sessions and be present, and stay connected with them throughout the whole process.
You should select exercises and training volumes which align with their goals and interests. Again, the Investigate stage is not just about understanding their goals, but also what they are like as a person. You want the programme to be realistic for them. Adjust by ability and progressively change intensity to align with their growth over time. Deliver your sessions with a focus on precision focusing on maintaining excellence in form, technique and safe progression. You want to keep your clients safe and injury free to stay consistent with the programme and maximise their results over time.
Finally, you must connect regularly with them. Follow up with clients after sessions to check in on how they found the session. These little touch points will show your clients that you are genuinely interested in their progress whilst also providing you with valuable feedback on how they are getting on.
The way you implement can really be the make or break for your clients’ personal training experience. You must be clear with your instructions and demonstrations, and ensure that you maintain open communication to help ensure that they stay on track.
Influence: Communicate, Attend & Coach
The final part of the 4 I’s framework is influence, which focuses on building a truly long lasting impact through direct communication, being attentive and coaching effectively. In many ways, this is where you can transition from being a personal trainer the client meets up with once or twice per week to becoming a trusted mentor who can make a long term impact on their life.
You must communicate clearly, explaining the why behind each decision behind their programme. Educate your clients in order to let them take ownership of their fitness, and become autonomous with their choices when you are not there. You must attend to all the details; be present during sessions. Correct subtle problems and celebrate their process by recognising achievement. By recognising these things, you will improve your clients’ confidence in both yourself as a coach and in themselves on their fitness journey.
Become a true coach by offering advice on their lifestyle, nutrition and recovery strategies. Just be aware of the legal limitations of personal trainers whilst doing this!
Having an influence is all about leaving a lasting and positive impact on your clients. In an ideal world, your clients should become autonomous in their choices and eventually not need you as their coach, but instead choose you as a consistently positive influence in their life. By leaving this kind of impact, not only will you improve retention, your existing clients will also become an advocate for you, improving your uptake of new clients.
Conclusion
By using the 4 I’s framework you will not only improve your clients’ results with a structured and intentional approach, but you will also develop a stronger relationship with your clients. By following the same framework, you will improve all your skills across the board in assessment, planning and coaching, improving your reputation as a personal trainer over time. All of this will accumulate to more satisfied clients, improving retention and creating more opportunities to take on new clients.
If you are looking for a career change to personal training and you want to learn from the best, then be sure to take a look at our level 3 personal trainer course, CPT. Or maybe you’re an existing PT looking to improve your skills and knowledge. If this is the case and you learnt something from reading this article, then be sure to take a look at all of our personal training courses. Our PT courses have been developed to take personal trainers from completely new coaches all the way to master trainers, teaching all things coaching business, functional fitness, movement, and skill development.