VERBAL SCREENING

Good Morning! Easter and Spring is a fantastic time for getting more people into our classes. In this environment where the World Wide Web is where we do get most of our enquiries for our classes from, we will also get lots of phone calls from people wanting to know more about what we offer and also more about Pilates and whether it would be ok for them.

The best way to get people interested in what you do is to engage them in a conversation, so your promotional material for classes is the introduction part of this conversation. Asking questions that you believe people need answering when they are looking to join a Pilates class, such as the old faithfuls:

• Are you looking to improve your mobility?
• Do you want to be rid of day to day aches and pains?
• Etc., etc.

So your promotional material needs to provide enough information for them to want to find out more. The verbal screening is then the next stage of the conversation.

As I used to work in Human Resources and spent a lot of time interviewing, I look at the verbal screen in a similar way to an interview …. just less formal. There are three specific reasons for having a verbal screen:

• Getting people into your class
• Ensuring the class is appropriate for their needs
• Can you cope with this person in your class

The first thing to remember about the verbal screen is that it should be two-way. Yes you want to be able to answer their questions, but you also want to find out if you want to and are able to work with this person. There are some basic questions that you will need answering, particularly if this client is wanting to join one of your group classes. For example:

1. Have you done any pilates before? If so, where, when, how often and how did you get on?
2. What has made them decide to try one of your classes?
3. Have they been recommended to try Pilates by another Health Care Professional? If so, what are the reasons?

This last question will then open up the conversation so that you can find out as much detail about the potential client as possible, because you need to know what specific needs they may have to be recommended to start Pilates. They may have joint issues or spine issues that you definitely need to know about so that you can then decide if your class is appropriate for them and advise them accordingly. Even if it is simply to find out if they can get up and down from the floor unaided, there are certain things you need to know, and medical issues are a necessary part of this screen.

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Depending on your client group you may also need to know:

1. How old and how active are you? What sort of activities do you currently participate in?
2. What specific aims do you have in mind for joining one of our Pilates classes?

If you have multiple class venues and a timetable of classes, as we do, it is also important that you find out:

1. Where do you live?
2. Is there a time of day that is best for you to attend a class?

Then as part of the screen you need to impart information to the potential client, such as:

1. There will be a Pre-Exercise Health Questionnaire that will need to be completed at the first session, so ensure you take a pen and glasses (if needed) and arrive a few minutes earlier. Explain that this is required as a follow up to the conversation to confirm certain information already provided, plus an agreement to our terms and conditions for participating in our classes. This cannot be done by email according to the new GDPR regulations.
2. Also explain what they will need to bring with them, and what you provide, to ensure they have the best experience at their first class. E.G. will they need to bring their own mat, yoga block, pillow, etc.
3. Explain the best clothing to wear to ensure they are comfortable throughout the class.
4. Let them know if there is parking available at the venue.
5. Let them know the cost of classes and how to pay, and if this information will be given to them at their first session.
6. Will they be expected to pay for their first session OR do you offer a free taster.
7. Ensure you have correct contact details, and what is the best way to contact them, e.g. phone or email. If email, give them your email address and ask them to email you to confirm they will be attending.

Finally check if there is any other information they need, and reassure them that once they have attended their first session that you will follow up, to find out how they got on and whether or not they then wish to continue.

If you also offer 1–2–1 sessions, this verbal screen will provide you with the opportunity to invite them for a more detailed assessment with you. It may be that a group class would not be appropriate, particularly if they have a specific condition that would not be effectively managed in a class environment. So 1–2–1 could be more suitable, and if this is part of what you offer, the verbal screen will give you enough information to know whether or not you want to work with this person, and whether or not you could help them.

If after all this you don’t think you can help, or your classes aren’t suitable, then don’t be scared to offer advice about who or where would be more appropriate. They will remember you for this, and it is far better to be professional and pass someone on, rather than to place them into a session that they may not benefit from.

I truly believe that the verbal screen can be the difference between an initial enquiry becoming a lost lead or a long term client. I also believe that it reflects a professional service which will then be shared and will build your reputation as a Pilates teacher.