PERSONALITY PROFILING FOR BETTER COACHING

By James Macintosh

James is an ex powerlifter, online coach, educator and Pre-Script coach. He believes that education is not just theory but, more importantly, applying what we are taught. James takes a detailed approach to the art of coaching by facilitating conversations to improve communication, programming and training protocols for coaches to develop their services.

Personality Profiling for Better Coaching. 

You can be the most knowledgeable coach out there, but if you cannot communicate with your clients, chances are your business will not be around for very long. Knowing how to communicate with each client will help you deliver your services more efficiently and lead to better results - ultimately what the client wants. 

A technique often overlooked and uncommonly used by coaches is personality profiling. The more we can understand your client’s personality type, the more effective we can communicate with them to create greater buy-in. 

“Learning” your client does take time, and naturally you will get to know what communication methods work best for them - but what if we could shortcut that process and possibly save us some time?

There are many personality tests out there. One I love to use, and a staple of the late Charles Poliquin is the Braverman Nature Assessment, developed by Dr. Eric Braverman. It’s worth a mention that none of these tests are perfect, but they are all useful tools you can add to your “Coaching Tool Kit”.

The test is broken down into two parts: 

Part 1 is to determine your dominant neurotransmitter system, which can influence your personality traits and temperament. 

Part 2 is used to identify any deficiencies in the four primary neurotransmitters. 

The Braverman Assessment looks at four primary neurotransmitters in the brain: Dopamine, Acetylcholine, Gaba and Serotonin. It’s important to note that neurotransmitters exist on a bell curve. Too much or too little can have adverse effects. 

Why can this be important? 

For example, clients who are dominant in the dopamine neurotransmitter are generally very driven and competitive. Knowing this can give you the upper hand when communicating with them. Using incentives in their programs may be a useful tool, as you know they are likely to thrive off of competition and will be more likely to stick to the plan as they are usually self-motivated.

An Acetylcholine dominant client is all about details and numbers. You already know they will be onboard tracking all their metrics, gym progress and be immersed into the finer points of the programs. Be expected to explain and communicate your intentions.

There is no right or wrong with coaching. It’s about finding the most effective way to communicate with our clients to get them their results. If having them take this test allows you to understand them better, I’m all for it.

Find what works for you as a coach and run with it.