101 Tips, Tricks and Ideas: 69-79

Personal Training

Dream Teams

5 tips for an all-star personal training staff from Vic Spatola, personal training director at Greenwood Athletic and Tennis Club.

Tip 69: Pick based on passion.

“The driving factor all trainers should have is the passion for fitness, wellness and leading a healthy lifestyle. Trainers should also be passionate about wanting to help people. When I see a trainer getting frustrated about a non-compliant client, I know that is a trainer that cares.”

Tip 70: Create a unified vision for your team.

“You can create a unified team by hiring trainers with the same certification, education or philosophical principle, to have them all on the same page. But having a unified principle or philosophy is the best way to unify the team to a common goal.”

Tip 71: Motivate not on money, but on recognition.

“Recognize and praise your trainers for surpassing goals, achieving results with clients and innovative training methods. We cannot always recognize trainers with money, so we need to make sure we praise them for things we want to see from them.”

Tip 72: Hire slow and fire fast.

“Take two to three interviews to choose your trainers. Have them lead a workout or a small group training session, and get feedback from participants. Make sure that the trainer checks all the boxes of qualities you are looking for. If they do not work out, get rid of them quickly.”

Tip 73: Keep your eye open for the next best employee.

“Do not look for the next big star or big number producer. Look for a great employee that is a team player, dedicated to clients and willing to go above and beyond to make a great client experience.”

Profit Centers

Tip 74: Can Your Club Support a Juice Bar?

Offering a juice bar or cafe within your facility is a great way to boost ancillary revenue and improve member experience. After all, many members are driving to Smoothie King or making protein shakes on their own directly after their workout. Why not capture those purchases in-club?

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Boasting a juice bar or cafe requires a business plan and measurable goals. Before taking the plunge, answer these questions:

Do I have enough staff to support a juice bar or cafe? If not, do I have the funds to hire an hourly employee?

What are my expectations for the profit center? Do I expect to just break even and make this an added benefit for my members, or do I want it to be profitable?

What laws or regulations do I need to be aware of?

What vendors are available for me to partner with?

Trick 75: Best Practices for Inventory Management

Let’s face it, inventory management isn’t the most glamorous topic. But to make it more manageable, here are a few strategies:

Don’t have too much inventory. Keep data on what sells well and what doesn’t, and get rid of the items that never turn over.

Make your club management software work for you. Many service providers have inventory management capabilities, so reach out to yours to see how it can help.

Have checks and balances in place. No one person should be in charge of inventory management on their own. Even if you trust an employee, it’s always good to have two people checking inventory to decrease the chances of theft.

Retention

Keeping Your Community

3 retention tips from Blair McHaney of ClubWorks.

Tip 76: Bank on Loyalty

Stop thinking ‘retention’ and start thinking ‘loyalty.’ Sometimes, simply re-framing our thinking spawns new ideas. Think less about ways to keep people from leaving and more about ways to make them want to stay. Then, if you are unable to retain their wallet, make sure you at least retain their love.”

Tip 77: More Metrics

Stop ignoring your data. Use technology to help you see and understand the member experience journey and to be proactive in creating a culture around customer loyalty.”

Tip 78: Add Alumni

Stop canceling memberships — seriously. Instead, start creating ‘alumni’ in two tiers. One free and one with a minimal cost. We suggest about one fifth of your dues, and this becomes the ‘premium alumni’ program. Regular alumni have one level of perks, and premium have another level, including ‘rate insurance,’ which allows rejoining with no enrollment and their old dues.”

Risk Management

Idea 79: A Culture of Safety

According to Brian Rawlings, the national program director of fitness, sports and recreation for The Cincinnati Insurance Company, members want a club that is not just well-maintained and clean, but also safe. And creating a culture of safety goes a long way in fortifying your health club against liability.

“By involving members of your staff team, your club and your community partners, you can continually revisit your current safety protocols for any needed revisions or new areas of concern,” said Rawlings. “This provides a consistent focus on safety with input from a number of people impacted daily, and truly works to create that culture.”

Rawlings explained a culture of safety can be developed via the following strategies: Consistent employee training, leading by example, regular staff meeting updates, mock drills, inspections and member updates.

Click here for Tips, Tricks and Ideas 80-90.