Coach HubLesson 1.3
The four clients who walk through the door
Loom walkthrough coming for this lesson. The written version below is complete.
Most clients fall into one of four types. Learn to spot them in the first week, because each one needs something different from you, and each one has a way of going wrong.
| Type | What you'll see | The trap | What they need from you |
|---|---|---|---|
| The hot starter | Comes in fast. Claims experience. Promises you the world. Long, enthusiastic intake. | Usually first to drop off, often around week 4 once the novelty wears off | Build the habit, not the hype. Keep the plan simple enough to survive a bad week, and future-map past week 4 early. |
| The slow burner | Short, minimal intake. Hesitant. Doesn't communicate much. | Easy to under-coach, because silence feels like everything's fine | Draw them out with specific questions. Small wins early. Don't mistake quiet for happy. |
| The open strugglers | Has tried before and hasn't got there, but they're honest and coachable | Loading them up too fast because they're keen to please | Lots of education and early proof it can work for them. Their buy-in is the asset. |
| The experienced | Knows their way around a gym and food. Just needs guidance. | Over-coaching, or letting them run the show | Respect what they know, sharpen the details, and be the accountability they can't give themselves. |
Why this matters
The type tells you where the risk is. The hot starter's risk is drop-off. The slow burner's risk is that you miss a problem. The open struggler's risk is overload. The experienced client's risk is that you add nothing.
People can also move between types. A hot starter who survives the first month often becomes your best long-term client. A slow burner who finally opens up usually does so because you kept asking.
✓ CompleteNext: 1.4 Their reality is reality →