In a previous post, I told you how to turn this crisis into an opportunity. But there are actually two opportunities.
The first is financial. Simply put, the last gym standing will win big time.
But the second opportunity is bigger.
The second opportunity is the one that few people will ever get. And fewer still will grasp it when it’s thrust into their hands.
It’s the opportunity to lead.
Real Leaders Stand up to a Challenge
Every year, millions of people buy books about leadership.
Every year, thousands of people proclaim their expertise at leadership.
But when it’s time to lead, very few ever stand up.
That time is now.
Now, I’m not a great leader. Like many of you, I’m an enthusiastic student of leadership.
But what I know about the leaders in my life is that they took the opportunity to turn their darkest crisis into their finest hour.
Leadership boils down to two words: “Follow me.”
You must demonstrate calm control through this crisis.
You must play show and tell: Show your members that you’re cleaning. Make sure they see you scrubbing down every single bar after class and make sure the gym smells like disinfectant when they come in.
Tell your members exactly how you’re going to help them through this crisis.
Constantly message your clients. Every day. One on one. “How are you feeling?” Send them their workouts individually instead of copying and pasting 31 days at a time or posting workouts onto your website.
There’s not much value in “here are 31 things you can do at home!” There’s a ton of value in this: “Chris, I chose this workout for you because it will make you better at hockey.”
I’ll write more on this topic. But for now: Communicate three times as often as you think you should.
Personal trainers have an advantage here because we’re used to 1:1 communication. But group communication—mass emails, copy-and-paste programming, even coaching over Facebook Live—doesn’t carry the value that daily communication does.
Remember: You’re paid to coach these people.
Your clients aren’t counting on you to have extra dumbbells.
They’re not counting on you for their daily dose of burpees.
They’re not even counting on you to keep the gym open through this crisis!
They’re counting on you to lead them.
