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Do You Know TOO Much?

I can’t count the number of times I’ve been told, “I have self-diagnosed ADD”. I say it myself. But it’s not true. The problem isn’t a lack of focus. It’s not a condition or affliction. We simply have TOO MANY ideas. Thinking of ways to solve problems is not the same as solving problems. What’s the difference? Action. You probably knew that already. So why aren’t you taking action? It’s simple: you’re paralyzed. You’re analyzing options. You’re seeking input, data, and opinion from other gym owners. Maybe you’re even writing a “pros vs cons” list. And NONE of it matters with ACTION. In Jay Williams’ closing address at the 2017 TwoBrain Summit, he walked the 180+ attendees through an exercise on action. Then we committed everyone to their action, and checked in with them all within days. Most seminars, online courses and lectures focus on knowledge; we focus on action. I used to travel around giving 4 seminars every year. For awhile, I sold courses online. But I stopped doing BOTH of these things when I realized this: Lack of knowledge isn’t the problem. Not anymore. Lack of action is the problem. Founding Two-Brain Business in 2016 allowed me to start from a blank slate, with years of mentoring gym owners under my belt. It gave me the chance to rebuild a program from scratch, instead of being married to old ideas like selling courses. So what did I build into the Incubator? Accountability. A one-on-one relationship with a real mentor, who is really successful in the gym industry. A mentoring platform that carries hundreds of NEW videos with updated ideas…and templates to make sure you can use them. An aggressive call schedule (the Incubator is a LOT of work. If you’re not given a deadline, you’ll stop doing the work.) Support. First from a mentor, then from an incredibly supportive group. Access. Our clients can message us through our ...
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The Unexpected Strategy for Business Growth: Leadership

Often times businesses fail to grow, not because of products or systems, but because the leader stops growing.  So, what is the number 1 thing Gym owners are missing when it comes to leadership? While there are a lot of great leadership models, it is hard to overlook the leadership model of the United States Army. It is simple, yet brutally effective, a lot like good programming at your gym.       From the official leadership manual of the U.S. Army Direct—direct leaders use face-to-face continuous contact with those under their command. Organizational—organizational leaders influence a team of sub-teams, without direct contact with the majority of their down-line employees. Strategic—strategic leaders must influence a team of organizations, often geographically dispersed, with little direct contact with most team members.   As the micro gym market evolves, many gym owners find themselves moving into higher value roles. This is a key concept of the TwoBrain  Mentoring Process. With high value roles, often comes less direct contact with team members. Lets quickly define these levels as they relate to our business model. Direct – This is the customer service level of our business, at this level of leadership, the business owner is coaching most classes and has constant day to day contact with all members and employees. Organizational – At this stage of leadership, the business owner is spending more time developing coaches and working on basic systems like their website, client retention software, Facebook groups, and other marketing. Strategic – At this level of leadership, the owner is developing new ideas to move the business forward. New programs, new revenue streams, new marketing engagements, partnerships, continuing education, and developing strategic relationships within the community. A General Manager and/or Head Coach is in place as the organizational leader, developing the staff to deliver on the direct leadership level. A good friend of mine recently identified that a lot of gym owners who have ...
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5 Tips to Not Suck at Sales

5 Tips to Not Suck at Sales

To Sell = To Solve a Problem The sooner we think about selling as problem solving and not pressuring someone into something they don’t want, the better. Think about it this way, every person you meet with has a problem (nobody is perfect).  We offer a service that could solve most of those problems.  Start by listening to them to understand the problem, then find the solution in your service.  It’s simple, but it’s not easy. Try these 5 tips in your next No Sweat Intro: 1. Use good body language to convey trust and confidence Look people in the eye from time to time, sit up straight, nod your head, try not to fidget/look around/check your phone/talk to other people. 2. Find out the emotion behind their goals A goal is not enough to make a sale.  Find out why they are here. 3. Ask “YES Questions” Typically “YES Questions” end in the contraction n’t, and elicit a YES answer.  I.E. Wouldn’t you agree?  It is socially awkward to say NO, so most people won’t. 4. Pre-Objection Handle Sick of getting objections and smoke screens?  We like to get them out of the way early in the appointment, before the $$$ shows up.  At Two-Brain Business we use the “Why Not” sheet to do this.  Contact us for more info on this.  This sheet helps solve the spousal, time and other objections. 5. Option Close Presenting 2-3 options at the point of sale, along with the question “Which option works best for you?” can be powerful.  If they don’t just buy off of that, it at least opens the conversation to find the right fit in your services. If you need more help, we are here for you. Which stage of entrepreneurship are you in? Take our 20-question quiz to find out and get the exact steps you need to take your business to the next level. BOOK A ...
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Episode 75: Why You Suck At "Selling" (And How To Fix It)

 
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R and R

By Ken Andrukow, TwoBrain Mentor   Defining the roles and responsibilities of your staff is a critical piece of building a business that can run without your presence. I’m going to be honest with you: this isn’t a fun project. But, it might be the most important thing you ever do if you plan to be a successful business owner. If you haven’t seen it, you should watch the movie The Founder. In a nutshell, it’s about the rise of McDonalds from a single restaurant into the empire that it is today. The success of McDonalds was based on the “Speedee Service System,” which broke all of the elements of making a hamburger into simple steps and assigned one simple task to each employee. Every employee knew the part they had to play in executing the mission, which was to deliver a perfect hamburger in 45 seconds. McDonalds grew from one restaurant in 1955 to 5000 restaurants by 1978. Without the “Speedee Service System,” that growth would not have been possible. McDonald’s isn’t paleo, but there’s a lot to be learned from their approach to employee training. As you grow your business, you need to ensure that standards are met without you having your eyes on every single class and sale. As you, the owner, move up in value you will need to devote time to higher value activities: networking, sales, management of employees, and hopefully also some time away from the gym. You need to make sure your employees are able to consistently perform the tasks you used to do. “Scaling up” means creating freedom for yourself, but many owners  find the quality of their members’ experience declines when they aren’t present. This isn’t a problem with your coaches. It’s a problem with how you communicate with your coaches. People aren’t mind readers. If you want a class to go a certain way, you need to take the time to write ...
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Episode 74: Coaching Kids, with Gretchen Bredemeier

 
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