Active Management

Tag: members

  • Business Growth Starts With A Smile

    Business Growth Starts With A Smile

     

    How good is a laugh?

    When you laugh, your body releases endorphins — those feel-good hormones you also get from exercise… or sex!

    This week I ate at two restaurants. At The Founding Farmers, our waiter Dom had quick one-liners and made us smile all night. The second? Efficient but no smiles, no eye contact, no warmth. Same food quality. Totally different feeling.

    And that’s the thing, your team controls how your members feel.

    You can’t hire comedians, but you can build a culture where people relax, be real, and smile.

    You can teach skills but you can’t teach someone to smile.

    When you smile, your team mirrors it. When they smile, your members feel it. And when your members feel it, they talk about it.

    Funny, isn’t it? Business growth starts with a smile.

  • Does The Fitness Industry Really Understand Its Members?

    Does The Fitness Industry Really Understand Its Members?

    Let’s be brutally honest for a second — how many of your members actually love exercising?

    How many jump out of bed or finish work thinking, “I can’t wait to get to the gym!”

    Yet from day one, we tell them they need to train three times a week if they’re serious about results.

    Maybe… just maybe… we need to rethink our expectations, our messaging, and even our product if we truly want to improve retention.

    Last week, Aaron Moore from VIDA Fitness told my REX Roundtable in Washington that their members aim for nine visits a month. Luke Carlson from Discover Strength, who’s way smarter than me, said two 30-minute strength sessions a week are enough to improve health. That’s eight visits a month.

    So is twice a week the magic number?

    If our entire approach focused on getting members to train twice a week, from programming to communication, would we see stronger retention and happier members?

    I don’t know the definitive answer, but I do know this: I hate going to the dentist. If someone told me I had to go three times a week to keep my teeth, I’d take my chances and settle for once every six months!

    Your challenge this week: Dive into your member visitation data. See how often your members really train — and what that says about how well you understand them.

    You might be surprised by what you find.

  • How Do I Make My Gym Standout?

    How Do I Make My Gym Standout?

    Last year at #FitnessBiz23 I shared multiple ways for your gym, studio, leisure centre and fitness facility in general to stand out from your competitors.  And you need to as every market is saturated with fitness service offerings, so you must be known for something OR you’ll be known for nothing!

    While we are just a few months in to 2024, there are some early re-occurring themes:

    • Design, build & implement a unique atmosphere: When you have a distinct vibe that resonates with your target audience you will stand out. For example, a welcoming community feel or a high-energy, performance-driven workout environment.
    • Specialised Training Programs: Develop unique, specialised training programs tailored to specific fitness goals. This could be functional training for athletes or holistic wellness programs for seniors. Your offering can be a unique training experience where word will spread through your community
    • Cutting-Edge Equipment: Yes you should invest in state-of-the-art equipment that can distinguish your gym & maybe this is important today to separate you but tomorrow your competitors just buys new equipment and catches you. Taking this option will separate you but the question is: for how long?
    • Personalised Coaching Services: Offering more than just personal training for a workout and moving toward a personalised coaching services to elevate the fitness experience to a holistic care package of your members. One-on-one sessions, personalised training plans, and nutritional guidance can defeat on-line programming who are also your competition.
    • Engaging Events and Challenges: Most people join gyms for results and require accountability and support to achieve their results. Events and challenges are the opportunity to fill this void and high touch and high cost programs will work as will low cost and low touch programs. Committing to a 12 month plan of events and challenges will have your members talking!

    Seth Godin (guru marketer) defines ‘remarkable’ as ‘worthy of remarks.’  If you want to be a remarkable fitness facility that people talk about (ie remark on) then consider one of the 5 points above.  Tackle one then the next then the next and so on. Before long you’ll make your gym standout!

     

    This year at #FitnessBiz24 I will be sharing loads more ideas to make your gym remarkable.  And between now and FitnessBiz Month in November, I am gifting anyone who registers to attend a monthly ‘Competitive Advantage Brief’ each month.

    Registration for #FitnessBiz24 is now open with an early bird discount of $50, just click here for more information.

     

     

     

  • Want To Know The Industry Trends Before They Trend?

    Want To Know The Industry Trends Before They Trend?

    One Reason To Join The Industry Leaders Roundtable in 2020: we examine everything that’s happening in the International fitness industry.

    In order to stay ahead of your competition, you have to be looking in the right place.  And with running a business a full time job, how do you have time?

    Most owners do not have time, so they ride the industry waves as they have already broken.  At Roundtable, we examine what’s happening in the industry and SWOT that happening to determine if it’s a trend or a fad.  And if it’s a trend, what’s our strategy for using that trend to our business advantage.

    Roundtable will open your eyes to things you never knew.

    The various Australian and New Zealand Industry Leaders Roundtable are taking applications now:

    • Australian Club Owners Roundtable
    • NSW Personal Trainers Roundtable
    • New Zealand Fitness Business Roundtable

    Apply now or find out more by emailing JT.

    If you’re based in the US, then REX Roundtables is available for you to join.  Contact Eddie Tock here.

    If you’re based in Europe, then REX Roundtables is available for you to join. Contact Fausto di Guilio here.

  • How Not To Feel Lonely In Business In One Click?

    How Not To Feel Lonely In Business In One Click?

    One Reason To Join The Industry Leaders Roundtable in 2020: running a fitness business is lonely and the Roundtable means you’re surrounded by like-minded individuals.

    It is not easy running a business. Every day there are challenges, obstacles and road blocks.  Wouldn’t it be great to either see these challenges, obstacles and road blocks before they actually come?  Wouldn’t it be great to have solutions for every challenge, obstacle and road block?

    Well, you can and the answer is simple – peer support.  You see there are very few challenges, obstacles and road blocks that have not been incurred by someone already.  So by having a group of trusted people you can reach out to will mean you have an answer within 24 hours to your challenge, obstacle and road block.  This will solve your time, energy and money!

    Your own Roundtable will help you prepare and get around anything thrown at you in business.

    The various Australian and New Zealand Industry Leaders Roundtable are taking applications now:

    • Australian Club Owners Roundtable
    • NSW Personal Trainers Roundtable
    • New Zealand Fitness Business Roundtable

    Apply now or find out more by emailing JT.

    If you’re based in the US, then REX Roundtables is available for you to join.  Contact Eddie Tock here.

    If you’re based in Europe, then REX Roundtables is available for you to join. Contact Fausto di Guilio here.

  • Want 10 Experts To Put Your Business Under The Microscope?

    Want 10 Experts To Put Your Business Under The Microscope?

    One Reason To Join The Industry Leaders Roundtable in 2020: we visit members business both in person and via their P & L’s.

    We call it the “hot seat” and can have the most profound impact on your business in a 12 month period.  When we visit a business we are given a brief from the owner and this can include improvements to the physical facility; mystery shopping the business; visiting competitors; and having staff present plans to the Roundtable.

    When Roundtable comes to visit everyone benefits!

    The various Australian and New Zealand Industry Leaders Roundtable are taking applications now:

    • Australian Club Owners Roundtable
    • NSW Personal Trainers Roundtable
    • New Zealand Fitness Business Roundtable

    Apply now or find out more by emailing JT.

    If you’re based in the US, then REX Roundtables is available for you to join.  Contact Eddie Tock here.

    If you’re based in Europe, then REX Roundtables is available for you to join. Contact Fausto di Guilio here.

  • Experiences!

    Experiences!

     

    Experiences!

    • Step outside your comfort zone and have one
    • Create a fabulous one for others – your staff, your members, your family, your friends, a random stranger

     

    Education

    Each New Year I write down 3 new personal goals and 3 new professional goals. This year I chose one word, which would be my goal personally, and professionally – Experiences

    From new experiences we grow, we feel good, we help others develop and connect, and we dig deep and find our bravest self, and try something new.

     

    Summary

    New experiences are enriching and gratifying and expanding. Embrace one today. Not tomorrow – do it now, today.

     

  • Disruption!

    Disruption!

     

    It’s the buzz word in the fitness industry – Disruption.

    • forgetting everything we know about exercise and turning it on it’s head,
    • getting ahead of the trends and setting them instead,
    • anticipating what our members want and delivering it to them before they even know they want it,
    • creating a new market with a radical new offering/strategy/product/service,
    • creating a market where none existed before.

    Summary

    The fitness industry evolves and changes rapidly and continually and we can’t afford to be left behind.

    To get yourself at the forefront of the industry and stay there, you need to be disrupting.

    Let’s be innovative and forward thinking.  Disrupt in your space!

  • Reinvigorated, reinspired!

    Reinvigorated, reinspired!

     

    The Filex Business Summit and the Women of Influence Lunch this year jump-started my passion for this wonderful industry.

    Key take-homes for me were the need to keep evolving with our offerings for members, our clubs and our teams This industry never sits still and nor should we.

    Emma Barry talked about popping wellness, happiness and fitness into one basket and looking to other industries for what they are doing well.

    My favourite tip was that ‘thought leadership builds trust’. With a large team of 50-90 group exercise instructors I never stop working on my leadership to keep them engaged in the business and knowing they are valued and part of something bigger, and most importantly that they are contributing massively to enhancing the quality of our member’s lives.

    Summary

    • Never stop learning – aim to have different and new experiences constantly.
    • Health is the new wealth. We are in the industry at a great time.
    • Connect with people in meaningful ways. Be present.
  • Leisl’s Learning’s

    Leisl’s Learning’s

     

    Culture Change

    Changing the culture in your club is a long term proposition which takes planning, patience and commitment from all staff and contractors. Before effecting change you need to identify what needs changing and why and how.

    Education

    Using my own situation as an example, we had a ‘gotogether goal’ this year where our General Manager encouraged all of us to work together to hit our targets, achieve our goals and effect change in our 6 clubs.

    The result of this goal in my club was;

    Member Love Levels

    NPS Dec 2017 67.9%,

    NPS Dec 2016 34.3%

    This is a team effort. The entire staff needs to pull together to effect this level of change in a net promoter score.

    It is interesting that right now we have just;

    • rolled out a new GEX booking system which has not been too heartily embraced by the members,
    • we have had no Customer Service Manager for the last few months,
    • and we are running a reduced GEX timetable over Christmas/New Year – which also makes many members disgruntled.

    Despite this, our NPS is double that of the same time last year. My theory is that as a club, we have been enormously proactive in talking to members in person, over the phone, via email and on social media. We have let them be heard, we have explained our business decisions and the benefits to them and we have kept ongoing communications open with them.

    How happy your members are is a direct correlation of how well staff are communicating and connecting with them. You may not be able to resolve all their concerns but are you giving them ‘ear time’ and explaining the ‘why’ behind your business decisions?

    I have been working on a long term strategy to change the club culture and shift it into a less aggressive and more accepting and tribal one. In order to achieve this we have focused as a brand on Mind Body this year but I have also completely restructured classes like Zumba with new instructors, new timeslots, masterclasses and travelling roadshows between clubs and this has built community. Introducing a Young at Heart program has also done a great deal to promote fitness friendships and foster  community in the over 55’s demographic.

    The culture of our club has shifted from members who want to punch and kick things (Kimax and Boxing were top performers 2 years ago) to Zumba being #1 of our Top 5 classes and Yoga making into the Top 5 for the first time ever.

    Identify – what you can do to make your members feel heard and how you can foster community (this may involve member events, social get-togethers, challenges, telling your member’s stories, publishing member achievements), seek member feedback, listen and act on it.

    Snapshot

    • Your members need to feel heard.
    • Your members are searching for community.
    • Set goals
    • Track member satisfaction levels to gauge progress.
    • Celebrate your achievements