It’s my job to help you improve your gym.
In fact, I know that if I don’t help you do that, you’ll fire me.
With that incentive on the line, what do I fix first in most gyms? Usually, it’s not the coaching.
I’ll give you a business-evaluation tool in a moment. But first ask yourself this:
“On a scale of 1 to 10, how good am I as a coach?”
- 1—You’re a beginner and have no idea how to help people get more fit.
- 5—You’re not an expert, but you can get people to do what you tell them and come back for more.
- 10—People do exactly what you say and get amazing results, and you can prove it!
Notice that I don’t mention certifications or credentials or degrees here.
Most of us believe that being a better coach will make our business more successful—but that’s a fairy tale. The story even has a name: “the technician’s curse.”
If you have coaches working for you, rate them on the same scale. My bet is that you and most of your coaches are around a 7 out of 10, possibly a 9. Many part-time employees at Globo Gyms or franchises are around a 5 out of 10. And for most clients, that’s more than enough.
Now, rate your gym using this scale, and compare your coaching against the other parts of your business.
My bet is that you have some areas of your business that are a 3 or 5 out of 10.
That means your top priority is to fix your business first, and then take your coaches from a 7 or an 8 to a 9 later. They’re already more than good enough.
Patch Big Holes First
This is how our mentorship program works: We take big strides quickly by identifying your weaknesses and then giving you the exact systems and tools you need to improve. Because we’ve tested all our tools and tactics, you don’t have to waste time with trial and error on your own, and your business improves very quickly.
This scientific approach gives us a precise order of changes to make, and we rarely tell a gym owner to invest in coach education when they start with Two-Brain because the coaches aren’t the problem. In fact, the coaches are often excellent, and if the business doesn’t catch up, the coaches will leave because the business can’t support them.
Tell me I’m wrong: If you left a gym to start your own gym, you were probably the best trainer at your previous gym. (I see you nodding.)
I’ll double down: You left the other gym to make a better income or to remove some other limiting factor. Right?
Well, your coaches are thinking the same thing!
They might be interested in getting their black belt or their CrossFit L3 or another high-level certification. They might love to take a weekend course with a high-level gymnast or weightlifter. But they’d rather just make more money, have more free time, work with clients they love and not feel like a martyr—they feel just like you did!
Every gym owner I know tells me “I want to make a better career for my staff.” You love your staff. So do I. But “better career” starts with “sustainable career.” The certifications and courses come after the money because you can’t eat a black belt.
Am I lying?
Now, there’s certainly a time to invest in staff improvement. If your length of engagement is low, for example, you can probably blame something in your experience. It could be a facilities issue or a staff-personality issue. But it’s rarely a staff-education issue.
I originally called my first book “Two-Brain Business” to describe the yin and yang of quality service and good business. You need both. You’re probably already really good at one and need help with the other.
If so, click here to book a call with my team.
