So, how well is your class participation really doing? Across the board it may be great, but what about those few classes on the schedule that are not pulling their weight? Is it the teacher, the time slot or the class content itself?
January could not be a better time to measure your participation and the popularity of your classes. You are not alone. I have kept classes on the schedule because four members (out of 4,500) wanted it to desperately stay on the schedule, or I didn’t want to hurt the instructor’s feelings by canceling their class. Well, newsflash, those days are over. Remember when we had a Step Aerobics class in the 9:30 timeslot every morning? That was a brilliant move on our part that did not benefit the member whatsoever.
Attention Group Fitness: We have grown up. Let’s start treating our group fitness departments like a true business within a business. Bottom line – the numbers don’t lie.
Once this month is over, take a good hard look at what is working and what isn’t working on your schedule and change it for the better, even if it means cancelation. Your numbers = dollars. The instructor who can’t fill their class is not an instructor you want. You are only as good as your worst instructor — cliché, but true. Do yourself a favor and grow your numbers and your bottom line and save unnecessary spent money on classes that do not need to be there.
Construct an instructor statistic sheet where you put how many classes each instructor taught throughout the month and how many participants they had. Derive a percentage of usage for that instructor. Then you will be able to measure how effective the instructor is. It will be much easier to have a conversation with a poor instructor who is not drawing participants if you have real numbers in front of you and comparisons of other instructors. Remember, think business, not emotion. We have work to do.
Now, you can make your changes for the following months, cancel poorly attended classes, set your expectations and most importantly, set your growth goals for the year. Make January your baseline and grow from there. Keep your numbers high. Now is the time.
If you need a sample report or want to shoot me some questions? E-mail me at lori@groupfitnesssolutions.com.
Lori Lowell is the President of Group Fitness Solutions, LLC, and owns 8 Fitness Facilities in Virginia and Wisconsin. Contact her at lori@groupfitnesssolutions.com.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
