This tip is a guest post by Derek Peruo.
The "Top Dog" is one of six common personalities we all come across as trainers. Recognizing the fundamental behavior cues of a Top Dog allows you to tweak how you interact with this type of client, so you can increase your client retention, broaden your market, and get the most out of them each and every time you meet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0iJxbB7xTw
Top Dogs:
- Work in high-stress jobs
- Put in long hours at the office
- Are under a lot of pressure from their boss
- Are very competitive, and very driven to succeed
- Will always invade your personal space
Top Dogs try to take control of the session by:
- Standing tall, and puffing out their chest
- Looking you directly in the eyes while speaking
- Offering exercise suggestions during the session
Maintain control of the training session by doing any of the following:
- Correct a postural issue. Look for tight hip flexors, tight pecs, or a tight neck. Correcting any of these will raise your status in the relationship, which means they will question your abilities less.
- Give them choices. If Top Dogs want to control the training session, give them the illusion of control. Make sure the options you present accomplish your goal for the workout, so you win no matter which choice they select.
- Compare them with others. Nothing gets Top Dogs fired up more than telling them someone else did better, or lifted heavier weights, or ran a faster time. Use this to your advantage if the Top Dog is particularly stubborn.
