You need people to know, like, and trust you.
That means publishing content. elitefts publishes every day; CrossFit.com publishes every day; and TwoBrainBusiness.com publishes every day. I learned this from the old Testosterone.net, where I met Dave Tate.
But what should you say?
What should you say on video, in your blog posts, or in your emails to clients?
The most important thing is to say SOMETHING. So consider this list an example of “Good, better, best.”
Good: "Here's a list of books that every fitness enthusiast should read."
Better: "Here's the top lesson I learned from this particular book, and how it applies to your fitness pursuit."
Best: "Here's what you need to know, and here's how I screwed it up!"
In the beginning of my coaching career, I confused volume of education with authority. I thought that since I was reading more than anyone else, I must know more. That's obviously flawed — but it worked. Very few people were reading fitness blogs, let alone textbooks or journals. But now everyone is reading fitness blogs, listening to podcasts, and signing up for online plans!
Of course, no one takes action on what they read until it's translated into their world. Too much information is part of the huge problem. Our job as coaches is now to be the filter of ideas, not the source, and to translate those ideas into action.
That means translating a message for your audience. “There’s a lot to know about the keto diet, but you don’t have to worry about it. Your friends might be doing it, but for YOUR goals, you need more carbs. Here’s why…”
Finally, I've found that adding "...here's how I screwed THAT up!" to most lessons has made the messages much stickier. First, it humanizes the source. Second, it shows that I’ve actually DONE the thing; I’m not testing ideas at their expense. Finally, the story makes the lesson stickier and easy to process.
When you're helping a client through a change, think about teaching the lesson and adding your own personal story. Make it sticky, and build their trust in you!
Header image courtesy of pashabo © 123rf.com
