ACE Communication Strategies for Success

Presented by: Jonathan Ross, www. A ion F itness.com; www. A bsRevealed.com

Enhance your business by improving your ability to communicate. The most successful personal trainers
all have one thing in common ± effective communication skills. If you are interested in expanding your
business or helping your clients achieve long-term success, establishing rapport quickly is critical. This
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help you connect with different personality types. You will gain practical techniques that can be applied
immediately.

Objectives:
9 Demonstrate how to establish rapport through active listening skills
9 Understand components of communication
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9 Develop effective communication techniques for different personality styles

Coaching checklist:
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9 Did I understand and relate to my client?
9 Did I add value to the conversation with my client?
9 Did we develop a specific plan?
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General Types of Clients:

x Short-term Goals < Six weeks
o Experienced / motivated
o Program Æ follow-up programs
x Intermediate-­‐term  Goals  
o Specific  goal  6  ʹ  16  weeks  (+/-­‐)  
o (wedding  /  event  /  vacation)      
o New  to  exercise  
o Recurring  (annual  event)  
x Long-­‐term  (Executive)  
o 2-­‐4x  /week  ($-­‐no  object)  
o Exercise  w/help  of  professional  

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Want to Vs. Have to
Establish realistic expectations and outcomes:
¾ Increase daily levels of physical activity / reduce caloric intake ~ 500kcal/day
¾ 1 ± 2 lb./week of weight loss
¾ Work on 1 healthy habit at a time!
Coach clients to understand the process of adaptation:
¾ Perception and tolerance of pain (DOMS)
¾ Overload = discomfort, not pain
Each client needs personalizing programming!

Establishing Rapport
4 Components:
¾ Environment
¾ Effective communication
¾ Empathy
¾ Interviewing techniques
 ACE Communication Strategies for Success

Presented by: Jonathan Ross, www. A ion F itness.com; www. A bsRevealed.com

Establishing Rapport ± Environment
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9 A relaxed, professional environment - meet in a quiet, comfortable area.
9 Avoid high traffic areas and distractions e.g., facility tour.
9 Do not sit behind a desk ± face your client to create a level of comfort.
9 Be attentive to your own personal appearance - clothing, grooming, jewelry, etc.

Establishing Rapport ± Non-verbal communication

9 Professional appearance
9 Body positioning - Distance and orientation
9 Mirroring and gestures
9 Eye contact and facial expressions
9 Posture and position

Establishing Rapport ± Effective Communication

Vocal
Appropriate Voice:
9 Tone and articulation: expresses confidence.
o Firm, confident, and professional, yet conveys warmth and compassion.
9 Volume:
o Loud, overbearing voices ± makes people nervous.
o Weak, soft, hesitant voices do not inspire confidence.
9 Speed:
o Consistent pace ± Speaking too quickly conveys nervousness.
9 Pitch and Rhythm:
o Avoid too many voice fluctuations ± distracting and irritating.
o Flowing or disjointed (may depict hesitation / lower confidence).

Listening
Effective listening ± 70:30 Rule:
9 Listening is the primary non-verbal communication skill
9 Speak 125 ± 250 words / min. vs. listening up to 500 words / min.
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o Indifferent listening: not really listening (tuned out)
o Selective listening: listening only to key words
o Passive listening: give the impression of listening by using minimal non-committal agreements
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o Active listening: ZKHUHRQHLVHPSDWKHWLFDQGOLVWHQVDVLILQWKHVSHDNHU¶VVKRHVÆ the key to
communication

Active Listening
¾ Maintain eye contact
¾ Smile at appropriate moments
¾ Avoid distractions
¾ Taking notes (when necessary)
¾ Listening first, evaluating later
¾ Being sensitive to body language ± mirrorinG
¾ NEVER interrupt, except to ask for clarification
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 ACE Communication Strategies for Success

Presented by: Jonathan Ross, www. A ion F itness.com; www. A bsRevealed.com

Establishing Rapport ± Interviewing Techniques

9 Questions on the form lead the conversation
Please  describe  any  physical  activity  you  do  somewhat  regularly:  
Do  you  have  any  negative  feelings  toward,  or  have  you  had  any  bad  experience  with  physical-­‐activity  
programs?    __  Yes    __  No    
Do  you  start  exercise  programs  but  then  find  yourself  unable  to  stick  with  them?    __  Yes    __  No    
How  much  time  are  you  willing  to  devote  to  an  exercise  program?  ___min/day    ___  days/week  
How  long  have  you  been  exercising  regularly?    ___  months    ___  years  
What  types  of  exercise  interest  you?  
Walking     Jogging     Strength  training  
    Cycling     Group  fitness   Yoga/mind-­‐body    
What  do  you  want  to  achieve  with  an  exercise  program?  

9 Ask follow-up questions

9 Implement active-listening skills
9 Use motivational interviewing techniques
Counseling approach to collecting information:
Client-centered - engage intrinsic motivators
Help clients overcome ambivalence to change
Recognition / acceptance of current behavioral state:
¾ Non-judgmental
¾ Non-confrontational
¾ Non-adversarial
Help increase awareness and associated consequences.
Five Principles
¾ Express empathy
¾ Develop awareness of negative consequences
¾ Roll with resistance
¾ Support and self-efficacy
¾ Avoid argumentation
Expect, anticipate & recognize ambivalence to change
Help client resolve ambivalence
Evoke personal motivation for change

Personality Indexing
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behaviors
¾ While developing rapport, identifies the personality and communication style of the person(s) to
whom they are speaking.
¾ Adapts communication and teaching techniques to the personality and communication styles of
participants (especially initially).

First, assess your own personality style; survey instructions:

9 Complete the dominance and sociability surveys scoring appropriate scores for each word that
best reflects personality.
 ACE Communication Strategies for Success

Presented by: Jonathan Ross, www. A ion F itness.com; www. A bsRevealed.com

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9 Sum the scored numbers for a total score of each dimension.
9 Rate the dimension scores using the scale table (repeat another time).
Ask 3 others to rate you ± personal / professional / peer ± FRPSDUH«

Dominance Scale

Aggressive 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Challenging and Confronting 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Forceful 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Outspoken 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Takes Charge 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Assertive 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Competitive 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Straightforward 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Frank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Blunt 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Sociability Scale

Accepting and Supporting 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Easy to Know 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Friendly and Outgoing 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
People-orientated 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Sociable 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Agreeable 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Cares how Others Feel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Flexible 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Warm 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Fun Loving 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 ACE Communication Strategies for Success

Presented by: Jonathan Ross, www. A ion F itness.com; www. A bsRevealed.com

Scoring Your Personality Style

DOMINANCE SCALE SOCIABLITY SCALE

51 ± 70 High 53 ± 70 High

0 - 50 Low 0 ± 52 Low

Low Dominance / Low Sociability = Deliberator

Low Dominance / High Sociability = Collaborator
High Dominance / Low Sociability = Director
High Dominance / High Sociability = Expressor

Daves & Holland Model:

9 Classifies individuals based on whether they score low or high on the dominance and sociability
scales.

Description of Personality Types:

Deliberators
¾ More thinking, less emotional
¾ Ask-oriented: collect info before making decisions
¾ Methodical: favoring logic, analysis
¾ Problem solvers: alone or small groups
¾ Careful planners, reduce risk

Directors
¾ More thinking, less emotional
 ACE Communication Strategies for Success

Presented by: Jonathan Ross, www. A ion F itness.com; www. A bsRevealed.com

¾ Action-oriented, competitive, type-A
¾ Appear insensitive, impatient, direct
¾ Poor listeners, think proactively for problem-solving
¾ Perceived as inflexible & blunt
¾ Value time/results over relationships

Expressers
¾ More emotional, less thinking
¾ Strong communicators, highly motivational & persuasive
¾ Overly ambitious, risk-driven, favor incentives & rewards
¾ Visionaries who thrive on excitement, challenge & creativity

Collaborators
¾ More emotional, less thinking
¾ Emotionally open, favor relationships over results
¾ Team & task-oriented, gather info to reach consensus
¾ Slow to decide, non-confrontational

Working with the Personality Types:

Deliberators
¾ Be well prepared, organized; consistent, accurate follow-ups
¾ Supply info to support need for detail
¾ Appeal to need to be right
¾ Establish credibility w/research
¾ Avoid being too casual, vague, general

Directors
¾ Minimize social aspects & desire to foster relationships
¾ Appeal to need for action & problem-solving
¾ Focus on facts, solutions & outcomes
¾ Avoid being overly personal or casual
¾ Avoid being too directive, might become argumentative

Collaborators
¾ Build trust & confidence through personal support & concern
¾ Be candid, open & patient
¾ Express personal interest, be supportive
¾ Avoid being impatient, disengaged, forceful or pressing for decisions

Expressers
¾ Offer incentives & rewards ± contracts
¾ 6KDUHFOLHQWV¶YLVion, show support for their goals; stimulate thoughts, provoke ideas
¾ Avoid being directive, unyielding, inflexible or too structured, indecisive or wavering
¾ Not detail-oriented

Stages of Behavior Change Model

Stages of Change
Processes of change
Decisional balance
 ACE Communication Strategies for Success

Presented by: Jonathan Ross, www. A ion F itness.com; www. A bsRevealed.com

¾ Refers to perceived barriers, benefits of PA must outweigh barriers to initiate change
Self-efficacy
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Moving Through the Stages

Stage Description Engaging the Client

Pre- Not thinking about ¾ Is the client healthy enough to be PA?

contemplation change ¾ How might client benefit from PA?
¾ What goals or action steps can help a client start a
PA program?
9 Provide info about benefits of regular PA
9 Provide examples about others w/similar
backgrounds/experience who have had success
Contemplation Thinking about ¾ Has client had success in the past?
making a change ¾ What does client need to give up to become PA;
what barriers need addressing?
¾ How can you help your client enjoy PA?
¾ What goals can help client move to change?
9 Build off of past successes
9 ID small, process-oriented goals
9 ID enjoyable PA

Preparation Doing some PA ¾ Has the client previously been successful at

following an exercise program?
¾ What barriers does the client need to address to
stay physically active?
¾ What goals does the client want to achieve
through exercise? Are they SMART?
9 Identify strategies to overcome barriers
9 Help client identify enjoyable activities
9 Ask client to write down goals
Action Doing enough PA ¾ What worked to change behavior?
¾ How has client benefitted from PA?
9 Challenge: maintain PA for the long term
9 Record workouts to track success

Maintenance Making PA a lasting ¾ How has client continued to benefit?

habit ¾ Does client have confidence to remain active?
9 Track success ± update goals

Process of Change
 ACE Communication Strategies for Success

Presented by: Jonathan Ross, www. A ion F itness.com; www. A bsRevealed.com

Cognitive Behavioral

9 Thoughts, attitudes, awareness 9 Action steps

Increasing knowledge Substituting alternatives

Being aware of risks Enlisting social support
Caring about consequences Rewards
Comprehending benefits Commitments
Increasing healthy opportunities Reminders

A client may be ready to change some habits, not others

Be patient, supportive & encouraging
Focus on SUCCESS

Decisional Balance
 ACE Communication Strategies for Success

Presented by: Jonathan Ross, www. A ion F itness.com; www. A bsRevealed.com

Using worksheet:
1. Ask client to document perceived benefits vs. costs of change - ranking relevance of each
2. Ask them to identify strategies to achieve pros / minimize impact of cons
3. Help realize / recognize additional benefits outweigh cons.
4. Help identify easily-implementable strategies to bring about change and minimize impact of cons.
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¾ Lead client to making own decisions Æ help them take ownership!

Factors Influencing Self-Efficacy

Autonomy
People want choices & are act according to their desires
Competence
People want to develop skill in their activities
Ability Æ enjoyment
Connection
People want to feel a bond and connect with others
Personal relationships help maintain motivation & adherence

Contact:
Jonathan Ross, www.AionFitness.com
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