42 | Akwa | December 2022 / January 2023 / February 2023 STRATEGY: ONE ON ONE In any service-oriented occupation where money is exchanging hands and clients are reserving blocks of your time, there is a chance of mis- communication or disappointment. The longer you work in the industry, the more likely you are to experience clients arriving late (or not at all), cli- ents that fall behind with payments, ask for details about other clients, or blame you for their lack of progress. As a result, you are bound to have an uncomfortable conversation or two over the course of your career. Here are some scenarios I have dealt with and some suggestions for profession- ally discussing them. Scenario 1: Your client is behind with payment. Many people are uncomfortable dis- cussing finances. When your liveli- hood depends on being paid for your services, however, you must find a way to deal with late payments before you either can’t pay your bills on time or become resentful of your client. The best way to address payment is very matter-of-fact. There is no reason to beat around the bush. For exam- ple, you may say, “Our policy here is that payment must be received before services are delivered. Based on your goals and what I noticed during your physical assessment, I recommend meeting twice weekly for one hour. The best value will be a 10-pack of sessions. That will take us through 5-weeks of training, at which point we can reassess your progress and eval- uate whether we’d like to continue training with the same frequency. Before leaving today, you can pur- chase sessions through your online member account or at the front desk. Now let’s get our first session on the calendar!” Some clients will track their sessions and always be on time with their pay- ments, but others will rely on you for that information. I like to work the number of sessions into regular con- versation during the session wrap-up so that we are both on the same page. “Great job today, Jordan! You still have two more sessions in this 10-pack. We’ll use those next week when I see you during your regular Monday and Wednesday slot.” If you maintain reg- ular e-mail communication with your clients, work the number of sessions into their progress reports or session notes. When one session remains, send a payment reminder, and include a direct link to the payment portal. If you are already beyond the point of no return - where you have a habitu- ally late-paying client or a client who only pays for a portion of their past due sessions, blame it on management. “Jen, I really love working with you, but my supervisor won’t allow me to conduct additional sessions with you until your account is up to date for the sessions we completed last week and payment is received in advance for the sessions moving forward. To make it easier for you, I’ll send you the link to the payment portal and text you a weekly reminder about the number of sessions remaining in your package, so we don’t fall behind.” Scenario 2: Your client is always late. First and foremost, do not lengthen the session when your client is late. Allowing your client to arrive late without consequence reinforces the behavior and does not teach them the value of your time. End the ses- sion when it is scheduled to end. Of course, the best time to address your policy for arriving late or not com- ing at all is during the initial session before it ever happens. Some trainers draw up client/trainer contracts with the policy clearly outlined. Both par- ties sign the contract before training begins. Another idea is to include your no-show policy in your e-mail signature. If that ship has sailed (you have never discussed your policy) or if this is new behavior, here are a few ideas: Don’t ignore it. Mention the tardiness and let the client know what they will miss. “Since we only have 45-minutes instead of our usual 60 today, here is what we’ll do so you still get a great workout.” Or “I need to meet my next client immediately after our session, so I’m going to give you a stretching series that you can complete on your own. Next week I’ll do it with you.” For a no-show, check in right away. Possibly your client fell ill or got into a car accident, so respond with con- cern first. If your client simply forgot or gives an excuse that you are unwill- ing to accept, you may need to say something like, “I realize that we have never discussed the no-show policy. Since that was my error, today, there We Need to Talk: How to address uncomfortable topics with your clients By Jackie Lebeau, MS
