What to Automate when Training Bespoke Online Clients

Jul 31, 2017

By Tim Saye



Many trainers offer 100% bespoke training and coaching for each individual client. This can be a great way to do things.

I worked like this as a face to face trainer and assumed when starting online I would have to spend hours setting up and scheduling each thing for each client. However, on deeper analysis there are a huge number of things that can the automated for even the most bespoke of online personal training clients. For example, I'm sure you've noticed having consistency around scheduled assessments, and reminders for training sessions improves the coaching process and results for all clients.

When adding online clients one of the important things is to save time on the repetitive tasks. This allows you to offer a service at a competitive price which you can grow in to a business that helps a lot of people and earns you a great income.

To do this efficiently automating the repetitive coaching tasks is a huge time saver that will not take away from the experience of any client.


So, if you want to do 100% bespoke programming for each client what repetitive coaching tasks can you automate to save a lot of time?

1) Emails to clients and prospective clients, giving extra tips, encouragement, and telling client success stories.

2) Delivery of forms and questionnaires such as PARQ and Informed Consent Form.

3) Delivery of a welcome pack with all starting information and welcome videos etc..

4) About 70% of your encouraging in app messages can be set up on the same schedule for every client.

5) Scheduling consistent assessments.

6) Scheduling and reminders for body weight, and circumference measurements.

7) Notifications and prompts for training sessions.

8) Reminders and delivery of food diary for regular recording.

9) Delivery of new recipes (if you offer this as a service).

10) Setting up and scheduling of phone calls/ Skype calls etc.. (automate a message each week/ month with a link to your Calendly call schedule).

11) The start of all “how are you getting on?” related digital conversations, then you can continue the conversation with each individual.


All of these can be set up in a PTD Group and added to each new clients account in one click as you add them to PT Distinction.


There's also a number of things that you can create templates for and use appropriately for each individual. These can include:

1) Nutrition and lifestyle coaching videos – Make them once, put in to your attachment library and use when appropriate for each client.

2) Habits and habit tracking reminders. Most clients will need some of the same habits as each other but will benefit most from working on each one on a schedule that best fits their current needs. Have a list of general great habits to follow and schedule perfectly for each individual client.

3) Training programs after the initial structural balance/ corrective exercise phase. When most movement issues and imbalances are gone certain programs and periodisations work well for clients with similar goals. Finding a set up that gets amazing results and tweaking for each client often works better than missing patterns that get great results.

4) Skype assessments - consistent assessments create comparable results so having a set assessment you take all clients through and record results for each individual works well.

5) Example meal plans – If you offer meal plans it's beyond scope of practice for personal trainers to create them for individual clients. Therefore templated examples work very well at giving guidance without putting yourself and your business at risk.


You can set these up in your templates and attachment library in PT Distinction and schedule for each client in a few clicks from any device.


So, what is 100% bespoke in an individualised package?

1) Probably the initial 2 phases of training built around their assessments and movement screen results.

2) Tweaks to later training programs to ensure they fit perfectly with each individual.

3) Certain messages of encouragement, accountability and support should be 100% relevant to each client and their needs, results etc. These should be sent after looking at clients exercise technique and overall results.

4) The timing of which habit to work on and when to work on it. One client may really need to work on eating more vegetables whereas the next may need to focus on drinking more water first. While good habits are similar for everyone, optimal results can come from tailoring the timing of each one for each client.

5) The timing of which nutrition coaching videos are most relevant to their current habits.

6) Training should be scheduled around their individual life and the events in their life.


You can do all of this with ease inside your clients dashboard in PT Distinction.


Setting things up in this way allows you to give clients everything they could possibly want or need to get amazing results.

Despite being more efficient you're giving your clients everything in a way that is perfect for them as an individual and built around their life.

As a member of PT Distinction you can take on and help a lot more clients and still spend a little more time with the people you love instead of wasting time doing the repetitive coaching tasks for each individual that are in actual fact exactly the same as the tasks you just did for your other clients.

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