I once wrote about the 10 second experience that we implement with anyone we encounter. The 10 second experience is a system we use to take literally the first 10 seconds of interacting with someone to simply be ourselves and create a connection with that person. In doing so, we are able to create a more comfortable environment for our members and guests by treating them simply as a person, rather than another client.
This works great in our clubs, but often throughout the club, we are able to spend more time with a specific individual and create a deeper connection with that person. These conversations can go anywhere from how their day was, to how they met their spouse! The way to these conversations can be developed through a series of five simple questions.
The first question is, “Where are you from originally?” Here in Gainesville, because we are a college town, we have a large number of people coming from all different areas of the state and even around the world. So getting to know where someone is from can go a long way.
The follow up question to this is going to be one of the following: “If you’re not from here, what brought you here?” Or “If you’re from here, have you lived here your whole life?” I once asked this question to one of our members and we got into a good hour-long discussion about how he grew up in Gainesville, but traveled the world during his years in the service and all of the amazing things he’s seen because of it.
Our next question is, “Do you have a family?” With this question we are simply finding out what their family currently consists of. With the previous member I mentioned, as I asked this question, he told me the story of how he met his wife while in the service, how long they have been together and up to when his last grandchild was born.
If you haven’t already found this out yet from your previous questions you could follow up with, “What do you do for a living?” We have such a diverse culture of individuals at our clubs ranging from retirees, pilots and professors to doctors, lawyers and students. It’s amazing to see the different types of people we meet.
And lastly, my favorite question to ask is, “What did you want to be when you were growing up?” The answers to this question are great, ranging from train conductors to astronauts. It’s even greater when you see the proud expressions on a person’s face when they have become what they always wanted to be.
These questions can spark so many different conversations and can allow us to become closer to someone we spend one-on-one time with. Try them out yourself even if you only get through two or three of them, and I know you will have a deeper connection with each individual you interact with.
Adrian Antigua is the operations manager for Gainesville Health and Fitness in Tioga, Fla. Formerly a desk manager, Antigua is heavily involved in customer service and staff training. For questions on operations, e-mail Antigua at AdrianA@ghfc.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.
