A quick overview of consultation skills (speaking and listening). Level 3

1. Conducting a consultation
Unit 14: Exercise, Health and Lifestyle

2. Summary
• Working with a client
• Questioning
• Listening
• Environmental factors
• Client confidentiality

3. Working with a client
• Initial questionnaire (P2)
• One to one consultation

4. One to one consultation
• Communication skills
– Questioning
– Listening

5. Example lifestyle assessment
questionnaire

6. Questioning
• Closed questions
• Open questions
• Indirect questions

7. Quiz
• Where do you live? (closed)
• What is your occupation (closed)
• Have you tried changing your diet? (closed)
• What activities do you enjoy doing? (open)
• How are you getting on with training? (open)
• Do you mind me asking what you are trying to
achieve? (indirect)
• I was wondering whether you had thought about
giving up smoking? (indirect)

8. Choosing the right question is
important in getting enough
information to help them

9. Your greatest achievement

10. What were you like when you were
listening to their story?
• Voice
• Face
• Eyes
• Posture

11. Listening
• Clear your mind of other thoughts
• Avoid jumping to conclusions or prejudging
• Establish eye contact
• Summarise the main points of what they have
said
• Give the client your full attention and avoid
fidgeting.

12. Where should you conduct a
consultation?
• The client’s response should be
– Accurate
– Comprehensive

13. Client confidentiality
• All information gathered belongs to the client
• You must not release the information to a
third party without consent

14. Quiz
• There should be an equal amount of talking between
the trainer and the client during a consultation (F)
• Once rapport has been created, the client will accept
the advice that you offer (F – it’s only the start)
• Indirect questions can be used to put a client at ease
(T)
• ‘How do you feel your training is going?’ is a closed
question (F)
• When you are listening, it is important to summarise
what the client is telling you (T)