Over the years, I have learned the value of a good client feedback form. If you’re a personal trainer or health coach that runs online programs, then utilizing this tool well will help you both improve and grow your online programs.

 

I know that client feedback forms can be a little scary, like you are putting yourself out there for a barrage of negativity, but they are truly crucial. If you’ve created a program you truly believe in, you will get positive responses back. If your responses aren’t positive, then you know you’ve got to go back to the drawing board and create a better program.

I send out client feedback forms mid-way through and at the end of each of my bootcamps. Ninety-nine point nine percent of the time, the feedback is positive. In fact, my latest feedback form has over 330 responses, only one of which was negative. But you better believe that the one negative response took way more of my focus than the 329 positive ones.

What to do with a negative response.

When I do get a negative response to my online bootcamp, I always do my very best to think through whether there was anything on my end that could have been done differently. If there was, then I do my best to make things right for my client.

If there isn’t anything wrong on my end, then I consider whether the person actually followed the program as it was designed. I also consider whether there are any outside factors that could be skewing results in terms of life circumstances. After I’ve done a full assessment, I always reach out to that client personally to let them know I saw their feedback form and have taken their responses seriously. I let them know any recommendations I have, ask questions to get more info, and do my best to ensure they feel heard. If a client asks for a refund, I always stand behind my money back guarantee and provide them with one, even if I know the problem wasn’t on my end….ouch is right, that’s a hard pill to swallow!

What to do with positive feedback.

Those that have seen a good bit of success from your online programs have a lot to offer in terms of feedback. I always ask my clients what their favorite part of the program was, and their suggestions to improve future programs. This is the information I use to continue to add value to my online bootcamps. For the FASTer Way to Fat Loss program beginning in January, I have created an incredibly valuable comprehensive guide that clients will be able to use as a reference throughout the program. This is a direct result of client feedback.

Affiliates and Referrals

One thing I have recently added to my client feedback form is a question that asks whether clients would like to join my affiliate program. I include the compensation rate for becoming an affiliate, and have been blown away by the number of women who are interested. In addition, I have another question that asks participants how likely they are to refer a friend to this program in the future. My goal is to have at least 80% of participants answer that they are highly likely to share this program with friends, because that means they are truly satisfied with their results. Not to mention that a ton of clients in the fitness industry come through referrals, so I know that this is a powerful business building metric.

My feedback forms are usually pretty short, so they are easy for clients to fill out. On each form, I am sure to ask clients to leave a testimonial for me to use across my social media platforms. Future clients want to know that your program has had a positive effect on a real person just like them; client testimonials allow you to provide them with that. Be sure to include this on all of your client feedback forms.

A few other things to keep in mind...

In the online space, it’s easy to live in your own world and lose touch with clients. If you have a successful program, then it’s easy to grow complacent and phone it in most of the time. Client feedback forms help you continue to improve, force you to address pain-points and make you an extreme value provider. That is truly the foundation to growing a successful business, long term.

Create an encouragement file…

Take some of your testimonials from each feedback form and add them to an encouragement file. Pull this out on days when you need a little positivity, or when you feel like calling it quits. Even though the negative voices are always the loudest, a file like this can make the positive voices more powerful as you move forward.

If you haven’t been using client feedback forms, it’s time to put those big girl panties on and be brave, friends. It is truly a powerful tool to improve and grow your online fitness, health and wellness programs.