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Episode 64: Training Think Tank

February 27, 2017 Podcast Selling Gym Memberships
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Episode 63: OPEX

February 24, 2017 Gym Operations Podcast
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Back To Basics

February 23, 2017 Gym Operations
“Gentlemen, this is a football.” That was Lombardi. “Gentlemen, this is how to put your socks on before a basketball game.” This one was Wooden. Your staff is highly-trained. If you’re following our Staff Meeting Template, you’re already choosing monthly focal points and study materials. But every year, it’s wise to review the very basics. “Start the class on time.” “Wear a shirt that says ‘coach’ on it.” “Don’t eat while you coach.” “Sign EVERYONE in.” “Give everyone 90 seconds of 1-on-1 time in every class.” “Teach the WHY of the workout.” Yes, your veterans should know all of it. They probably don’t. After hearing it once, they SHOULD deliver consistently every time. They probably don’t. You should do it the same way every time, too. But – well, I don’t. And my staff follows my example, not my instructions. As new staff members are added, it’s easy to assume they know everything. We project OUR knowledge onto everyone else. Reinforce your foundation: take one monthly staff meeting each year and cover “common sense”. We have dozens of Staff Training modules in in our Incubator program, so you don’t have to teach all of these lessons yourself.
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You Teach Them How to Treat You

February 22, 2017 Member Retention
If someone doesn’t treat you right, it’s not your fault. But it IS your responsibility. Human behavior is learned through repetition. As kids, we push boundaries because we’re trying to FIND boundaries. “Is mom REALLY mad that I’m not cleaning up my Legos…or is this like that time when she was SORTA mad, and then we got ice cream?” “Is my curfew REALLY 10 o’clock, or will dad start looking for me at 10:30?” Clear boundaries help kids make better decisions. And pets. And adults. Tired of getting members’ texts at 11pm? Don’t respond to them. Members’ complaints grinding you down? Don’t make yourself available for complaints. Coaches texting in class? Tell them to stop. Have consequences. Members showing up late? Start class without them. They’ll be on time. Late cancellations for your PT sessions? Charge them. Clients won’t pay for 1:1 training? Stop giving it to a few of them for free. Changing behavior isn’t about being a jerk. Behavior is a learned process of back-and-forth responses. If a client is complaining about prices, it’s because you’ve taught them to complain about prices. Want members to treat you as a professional? Stop treating THEM as your friends.Everyone learns. Every second. Teach them how to treat you.
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Seeing Red in Black And White

February 21, 2017 Gym Marketing
Reading Emotions Through The Written Word by Josh Martin, CrossFit for Glory In the world of social interaction, humans have a multitude of different ways to communicate. Today, I want to highlight three of them: • Written word (via emails and texts) • Spoken word (via an audio medium such as a phone) • Face-to-face We are gym owners; business men and women.At the end of the day, being in business is simply an excuse for being in relationship with people. But ours is rare in the sense that folks frequently get to interact with the CEO on a daily basis. This means that deep emotional bonds are often formed. I truly believe that this is important to ensure the success of your clients, as the better you get to know them, the better you can shepherd them along in their journey to fitness…or whatever reason it was that they came to see you. But that deep relationship is a double edged sword at times. Relationships are highly emotional, for better and for worse. For instance, when someone makes the decision to leave your gym, no matter how many times it has happened, I’ll bet that it hits you on a deeply personal level. It should if you’re human.Well rest assured that the same is true for the person leaving as well. It is just as tough for them, many times more than they lead on.Last year, for the first time in our gyms five year history, we raised rates. I knew there would be some backlash; people rarely like change, especially when it comes to things costing more money. I got a few texts and emails from folks. Most wanted clarification (lesson learned – be crystal clear about exactly how things would change), but some voiced their displeasure. Taken at face value on paper, these people were angry, called my character into question, and made it seem like this decision made me a pathetic human being. But I knew ...
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Go With Them

February 19, 2017 Member Retention
What To Do When They Say, “I’m Opening My Own Gym.” In 2005, I had my last confrontation with a boss. Pinned down in the back hallway of his “personal training studio,” he asked point-blank if I was leaving to start my own gym. He was uncharacteristically aggressive, and my back literally brushed up against the wall. I stuttered. “Uh…” Until that point, opening my own gym had been a murky “maybe.” True, I had spent that afternoon viewing a possible gym location, but it was far too expensive; it was on the second floor; and it was almost directly across the street from my current employer. I had a full appointment book. I was earning around $23,000 per year, and my wife wanted to leave her career to stay with our nine-month-old daughter. The only way for me to make more money was to work longer than my 14-hour days. I had a client–and future partner–pushing me to go out on my own. But I hadn’t decided to leave. Until that second. “Yes,” I said. “I’m leaving.” I handled it badly. So did he. Neither of us had ever been on either side of this before. For the previous year, most clients coming in the door were asking for me; my articles were being published all over town; and it was me at local track meets and hockey arenas, not him. I was driving the business, and a lot of business was sure to leave with me. Back then, these things simply didn’t happen. Now they do. Very often. And as a community, we’re STILL handling it badly. Here’s WHY coaches leave, and what to do. Part I – Why Coaches Leave Like me, you probably opened a gym because you wanted a career in fitness, and couldn’t see any way to make a living WITHOUT being an owner. I first wrote about a “lack of horizons” in June 2012. ...
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