Hiya!
In this post, we’re going to talk about a very adult topic: trust.
My wife and I recently bought a house. And every time we need something done, we feel (maddeningly) at the mercy of various contractors and handyhumans.
After all, we don’t know how much [specific house task] usually costs. So it’s hard to understand the prices being presented.
Furthermore, we don’t understand how to do [specific house task]. After all, that’s why we’re hiring out in the first place. So it’s hard to know the difference between experts and hacks.
This is a common challenge for humans in a number of disciplines. When you’re looking for help and counsel on something that matters to you, it can feel a bit vulnerable.
This goes for contract work on your house.
For working with a financial advisor.
For hiring a lawyer.
And yes, dearest {Contact}, it most certainly goes for hiring a fitness professional.
This is especially true when we consider that there’s no correlation with marketing and sales skills and the ability to actually do the job.
(A point of much frustration in the fitness industry: the skill at growing a business and actually being good at one’s job often seem perversely inversely correlated.)
So how does a consumer looking to take a leap decide who to hire?
Here are four steps to finding reliable help with your fitness.
1) Decide on your logistical constraints & preferences.
The first thing you need to determine is your constraints. To state the obvious, the only options actually in play are the ones that work for your life.
- How much money can you invest?
- How much time?
- How far are you willing to travel (if at all?)
You should also consider your preferences. For instance, some people just need a workout program. They’re comfortable in the weight room and pretty disciplined and just need to know what to do.
Other people may need more guidance and accountability. In which case, hiring a coach — or an entire team of friendly, quirky, unicornish experts, ahem — who can oversee your workout in real time is the way to go.
2) Source three options.
Now that you have a ballpark idea of your logistical needs, it’s time to gather some options.
You can crowdsource this from friend recommendations. Odds are, you can get candid reviews of their solutions.
As needed, you can augment your list by doing some Googling. This is particularly important if you have specific geographic constraints. And this is pretty much always the case when you’re looking for a fitness solution outside your house.
(Incidentally, removing commuting is part of why Ninjas love our totally-at-home HomeBody classes.)
If possible, create a list of 5-10 viable options, and then whittle this down to the three most promising.
Why three?
Because three options gives you some comparison, without spending forever researching.
3) Vet your options.
Now that you have your three options, it’s time to look more closely at them.
Check out their online reviews.
Look over their social media.
See what kind of content they put out.
Read their website.
Watch their testimonials.
And most importantly: give them a try.
Do a low-commitment trial to get a feel for what it’s like to actually use this solution. This is really the only way to see if a given solution is going to work for you or not.
PRO TIP: If possible, consider interviewing some actual clients.
4) Take action!
Not unlike dating or searching for a house, you need to balance “exploring vs exploiting.” This is a fancy way of saying “do some research, but not too much.” At a certain point, you have to make a commitment.
If you think you’ve found a lovematch? Consider getting the best rate with a longer term commitment.
Still not 100% sure? Most fitness solutions these days have shorter or even cancel-at-anytime options. You’ll tend to pay a premium for this flexibility. But it may be worth it to give your tentative choice several more weeks to see how you like it over time.
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The above system will transfer pretty well anytime you’re making a hire.
Depending on the relative stakes and size of the investment, admittedly, this may be overkill. And if you know you tend to be an “eternal researcher,” there’s a real risk you’ll never jump off the cliff and finally take action.
However, while I couldn’t possibly be more biased, I think your health and fitness deserves a solution that’s 1) truly effective and 2) genuinely workable for your life.
You only get one mystical magical meatsuit. You deserve to find a solution that works for your goals, your preferences, and gets you the outcomes you want.
And we’re always here for you if you want to try out unicorn fitness ;-),
Mark
PS Want to try out MFF as one of your three possible fitness solutions?
Below are two no-commitment ways to get the party started with your ol’ pals at MFF: