The #1 thing an online nutrition coach should NOT do is sell one and done programs or coaching sessions. As nutrition coaches, our goal should be to create sustainable programs that allow our clients to have lasting success, and one and done programs do not do this! Do you see many clients who keep their weight loss off after a 30-day challenge? How about a 7-day program? 98% of the time the answer is NO, and why would you only want to keep clients for 7 to 30 days anyway? You should want to keep clients for months, and even years, to not only enable you to have a steady income but so that you can CHANGE LIVES. If you are a dietitian entrepreneur wanting to create lasting success for your clients while also increasing your client retention, make sure that your online business includes these 4 essential points below.
1. Be Sustainable.
As mentioned above, you want your clients to have lasting success. This not only goes for weight loss but for medical nutrition therapy, performance goals, etc. You need to create a coaching program that allows your clients to reach their goal and STAY at that goal long term.
For instance, if your weight-loss client reaches their target weight and is super happy with where they are at, you need to make sure that they are educated on HOW to stay at that weight and not return to where they were before.
This is the issue with one and done programs, they do NOT set clients up for success. Sure, a 30-day program sounds great, but all of us online dietitian entrepreneurs know that sustainable weight loss takes time, not 30 days. After those 30 days, what happens? The individual goes back to eating the way they were before the program. Why? Because these short “quick fix” programs are not individualized (usually), they’re not very educational, they’re overwhelming, they’re often very restrictive, and so much more.
So, rule #1 of building a successful nutrition coaching business, be sustainable! Sustainable weight loss, performance goals, improving one’s relationship with food, etc. all take TIME, definitely not 7 to 30 days. Make sure that your clients understand this and provide them with the resources, education, and support they need to reach their goals and preserve them.
2. Be Adaptable.
A successful nutrition coaching program needs to set clients up for adaptability. This crucial skill is KEY due to the fact that this allows clients to easily adjust to unexpected situations, which ultimately helps create not only improved self-confidence for the individual, but it also assists in creating sustainability within the coaching program.
Let’s say you have a weight-loss client who is a businessman, and his boss takes him out to lunch every once in a while to discuss important business things like marketing, projects, etc. Your client needs to know how to deal with this type of situation so that he is able to still stay on track with his goals. Should he order the triple-decker burger with special sauce, 5 different types of cheese, and a side of fries? Or should he order the turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread with a side salad? Mr. businessman should be able to decide which lunch will allow him to stick to his weight loss goals.
Your clients should be able to adapt to any unexpected situation like the example above. If not, your clients will have a hard time sticking to their goals, which will, in turn, make it more difficult to create the sustainable lasting success that they need!
3. Set Realistic Expectations.
Setting realistic expectations is vital in a nutrition coaching program because this allows the client to not only enjoy their program but adhere to it! And guess what? Adherence leads to the crushing of goals and sustainability!
An overweight woman who has not exercised in years is not going to stick to a workout program that includes 60-minutes of strength training 6 days a week. This is going to create a huge amount of anxiety and feelings of overwhelm for her, so start small because small goals lead to big successes! Instead this client should start off with something like a 15-minute walk around their neighborhood 3 days per week, and then increase that to 30-minutes, and then maybe add-in some type of resistance training 1 day a week down the line.
By starting small and setting realistic goals you are eliminating any guesswork and anxiety your clients may possibly feel. Clients will become non-compliant if they are overwhelmed by something, which ultimately makes them less likely to achieve their goals. Take a look at SMART goals. These are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely and allow a client to really focus their energy and attention on specific targets that are do-able for THEM. By setting goals in this simplistic way, there is a removal of any feelings of doubt and overwhelm, and your client is much more likely to commit to the program.
Write this down, complexity kills success.
4. Create Self-fulfillment.
When clients achieve their goals they should feel elated because THEY are the ones who took action. You, the awesome nutrition coach, just helped them get there. Losing weight, achieving performance goals, and building new habits are hard things to do, and you need to make sure your clients are fulfilled when targets are reached. Tell them to thank themselves! They took your guidelines, program, and words of wisdom and TOOK ACTION to reach their goals, that’s amazing!! It is so difficult for most people to do this, so that in itself is something you and your client should be celebrating.
Self-fulfillment allows us to become more aware of what we’re capable of, it allows us to feel rewarded, and it helps us to live a life that we are happy to live. Self-fulfillment is an essential feeling a client must have in order to stick with their goals, achieve those goals, and create lasting success. If you’re not fulfilled in life, taking action on specific targets you want to reach is most likely not something that will happen, so ensure that your clients are feeling proud and happy with ANY progress they have made.
Are you a Registered Dietitian looking to take your online business to the next level? For more information about the I Believe Mastermind for Dietitians visit https://ibelievementorship.com
