In lesson 1 of the Starbuck approach to personal training, we introduced the importance of individuality and how you need to be creative, unique and stand out from your competitors whilst simultaneously forming an extraordinary level of rapport with your clients.

So, now that we are agreed that there are lessons to be learned in personal training from Starbucks, let’s take a look at Principle 2.

Principle 2: Detail

Starbucks understands that a superior product is not a magic key to eternal success and that it must also pay close attention to every other aspect of its business, no matter how insignificant or trivial it may seem. In fact, it was Howard Schultz, Starbuck’s Chief Executive who used the phrase “retail is detail” to his fellow staff and directors.

In the words of the Corporate Design Foundation, “the success of Starbucks is not driven by the quality of its coffee, but by the entire atmosphere surrounding the purchase”. Many Starbucks enthusiasts actually confess to preferring the taste of other coffee brands but still continue to frequent Starbucks shops. So how do they do it?

You may or may not know why you feel so comfortable in a Starbucks coffee shop, but this attraction is no accident. The difference between good and great is the willingness to take those extra few steps, and Starbucks have embraced this mindset. Their stores are designed to create a ‘third space’ atmosphere, where customers are made to feel as comfortable as they do at home and work.

This is all very interesting I hear you say, but what has this got to do with Personal Training?

If you want your customers to associate that same level of passion, enthusiasm and commitment to your services, you will need to follow Starbuck’s lead. You need to give careful consideration to every minute aspect of your business from the moment you are presented in your client’s mind as a possibility, to the last training session you deliver to them.

It is highly likely that your clients and potential clients will have taken a keen interest in you long before you took a formal interest in them, therefore making it crucial that you conduct yourself impeccably, you present yourself professionally and you market yourself effectively from the outset if you want a successful career in Personal Training. It is only once you become a qualified Personal Trainer that the hard work will truly begin.

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