Many of your personal trainers may feel like guests at your facility, versus residents. After all, if they enter your facility only to train clients and don’t interact with other employees, it’s hard for a sense of belonging to be fostered. So how can you make them feel at home?
Pura Vida Fitness and Spa in Denver, Colorado, takes great pains to ensure its trainers feel like they fit in with the company as a whole. “The first thing that we do is the trainer will meet with me and I will discuss who we are and what we’re about,” said Keith Moore, the club’s general manager. “That trainer is then walked around and introduced to every single person in the club.”
For Pura Vida that includes 150 employees from housekeeping and spa personnel to managers and other personal trainers. “To get the trainer involved, it’s not different really than if you were to come to my house for a dinner party,” said Moore. “I would introduce you and let everyone know about you.”
After meeting with each employee in person, Pura Vida also introduces the new trainer via email, which includes a photo of the trainer and a short Q&A on their interests. “It’s kind of tongue in cheek and lighthearted, but it talks about where the trainer was raised, what their favorite things are, what they like to do — whatever it might be,” explained Moore.
Next, the new trainer sits down with the club’s marketing group, which asks them a series of questions, including “What is it that you have that is special?” and “How do we promote, brand and market you within the club?” According to Moore, “That alone makes the trainers think, ‘Wow, these guys are really behind me,’ and that’s truly what we’re trying to do.”
After the marketing group has identified the trainer’s strengths, the club implements a full marketing campaign to promote the trainer on all social media platforms. Moore explained that all of these steps are taken to ensure the trainer is clear that the relationship is a two-way street. “We try to make sure that they realize we’re in this together — we’re your partner in this,” he said.
Ultimately, no personal trainer should enter your club feeling like a guest. Your club should be their second home, one they feel whole-heartedly a part of. According to Moore, dedicating time to their success is a key factor in doing so. “If you give personal trainers respect and your time and allow them to bring out that creativity and mold it with them, they get really excited and feel like they’re a part of the organization,” he said.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
