Boutique Gyms' concept of training in small groups was initially ridiculed. Many operators tended to invest in upgrading equipment on the training floor. Those who have learned from the Corona era are now focusing more on the course area and its trainers.
The most important thing in a nutshell:
- Gyms need good trainers to attract new customers and retain members
- Good trainers have a high level of social competence and meet course participants with closeness and understanding
- Structured onboarding and recruiting help find and develop competent trainers
- The Corona era has forced gyms to scale back course offerings to a minimum over the past 24 months, with a greatly reduced team of trainers. Now there's hope that everything will fall into perspective over the next few months.
Course areas are reopening, offers are again being used in an analogous way, and the number of employees in the relevant areas is to be increased again. In this situation lies a great opportunity for club operators to do things differently and integrate the parameters that our members have learned and demanded in online support into everyday studio life. The most important area for this is what most gyms have at the ready: the class area and the staff that make this place an experience.
People Driven Business
One thing is certain: before the pandemic is after the pandemic. Certain things have not changed to date. The course business has always been a people-driven business. And it is even more so now after the Corona pandemic.
Because after the reorientation of members to online business, operators must also keep in mind that trainers bring their newfound community with them into the studios. Real new customer potential, in other words. Real fans switch studios because they found a new, athletic role model in the online trainer during Corona. Someone who has been constantly by their side and supported them during the "hard times" with exercise, nutrition, good humor and motivation.
The bond with the course trainers is as high as it has ever been
The following points illustrate why, in the current era, people are seeking contact with sports groups and situations where people exercise together more than ever:
- Conducting training groups with affordable quality and personal training flair.
- Know-how transfer
- Building self-confidence and self-efficacy in clients
- Responsibility/commitment of a trainer for the client
- Motivation and pull effect through commitment (4 week online course etc.)
- Getting through the "hard times" together
So what factors significantly influence the course area and are responsible for success? This question cannot be answered in such a general way. In the following, we will take a closer look at two points on the basis of which we will try to answer this question in the best possible way.
What part do trainers play in a profitable course area?
Trainers are still the number one point of contact for people in studios and are responsible for extraordinary member loyalty. In order to benefit from this as a studio, it is important to develop the social skills of the trainer.
In my opinion, social intelligence is probably the most important competence of the trainer in the future. Social intelligence is the ability to understand others and their emotions and to behave appropriately toward them. The prerequisite for social intelligence is that trainers are equipped with the classic components, such as active listening, empathy, and so on. Without these qualities, there is no social intelligence.
The "5 minutes before class small talk rule" is likely to become much more important again in the future. After all, retention is no longer about squats, HIIT, bootcamp, or the new choreography, but more than ever about personality, closeness, and understanding of the trainer teaching the formats.
Personality
It's no longer enough for members to be one of many in the group. Nor do they want the coach they follow to be one of many coaches. The desire for outstanding personalities for the purpose of self-identification is growing in all areas, and this is also true for people who will attend group fitness classes in the future. This applies to both members and trainers. Because in the future, trainers will also be looking for a community with which they can identify. So it's all much more dependent on people. So this scenario is conceivable in both directions.
Icon Building
Examples of companies that do "icon building" on their websites are Peloton, Barry's Bootcamp, Orange Cycle and various other boutique gyms. Here, each coach has their own image videos, tells their life story, and shares their playlists and favorite recipes. The more avoidably "private" info is presented by the coaches, the more members can identify with them. At least in New York, Barcelona or Sydney, no member is likely to be interested in whether the profile is true or not. Here in Germany, however, they do.
Good cop, bad cop
As much as trainers can create lasting bonds with members through their personality, they are also responsible for members deciding against a course or studio. While this has always been the case, the power that trainers have over studios in the future, with and through their community, is growing simply because the online community has made them more independent and likely to remain so. Accordingly, course trainers and their personality will be even more important in the future to differentiate themselves from competitors in the market.
How can operators promote course trainers?
Aside from the fact that it is currently difficult to find studio staff, club operators should follow the tips below that will lead to higher trainer satisfaction. Again, it should be made clear that these are general recommendations. A recruitment and onboarding strategy must always be individualized.
- Recruitment & Onboarding: The first step for satisfied employees is a realistic description of the job. If there is a gap between expectation and reality, frustration is a matter of time for both sides. Furthermore, a well-structured onboarding process and quality assurance guides help give the new trainer confidence. Examples include: Communication Guide, Cueings & Wording, Coaching Methodology Used.
- Expectations: Every employee likes to meet expectations. To make this happen, it helps to define a list of expectations and goals. When this is accompanied by a deadline, there is a clear target. Accordingly, if the employee meets this goal, it immediately makes sense to think about further goals. A good moment for an employee development meeting. By the way: according to the "Fitness needs trainers" study (see info box), 62.5% of all study participants have an employee development meeting only once or less per year.
- Appreciation and recognition: Orientation and guidance are enormously important, especially for course trainers. Many permanent employees receive this orientation from their supervisor, while many freelancers have to provide it themselves or are not seen as part of the team and therefore come up empty when it comes to appreciation. Yet freelancers in particular are responsible for much of the work in the course room. But it is in the nature of things that one invests less in them because they are "freelancers" and also work elsewhere. And yet, especially in this day and age, you can gain very loyal employees among freelancers if you show them appreciation and recognition. An invitation to a team evening is still a real rarity for many freelancers, but it can bring a high degree of commitment.
- Individual promotion: Everyone wants to develop further. The way we deal with this certainly varies, but every person is born wanting to learn. In the development of adult people, however, there are unfortunately always disruptive factors, such as school, teachers and failures, which mean that people no longer want to participate in individual promotion. This needs to be reactivated. A helpful method for doing this: psychological safety. Psychological safety is the degree to which team members feel safe to speak unpleasant truths, admit mistakes, and show vulnerability and insecurities among themselves. William Kahn (1990) additionally recognized how and that psychological safety determines whether or not people are engaged.
- Feedback culture: To support point 4, there should be an authoritative line of communication focused on positive development and building. If this tool has received little attention to date, here is a very useful employee engagement tool for everyone. According to the "Fitness Needs Trainers" study, 48.5% of all study participants already live an active feedback culture in their companies.
- Self-efficacy: Every course trainer is well equipped with skills that allow them to interpret movement. Maybe there is a chance in the company to develop their skills in presenting theoretical content. Example: The course trainer attends a training course paid for by the studio. The deal could look like this: He summarizes this advanced training in writing, presents it to the team and derives a practical session in which the team makes itself available as learners. The external instructor is involved, and the group is empowered. The nature of the presentation and the content taught are filtered and/or sharpened by the group.
Conclusion
Through good recruitment and onboarding, expectations are clearly set. The appreciation consists of the exemplary training mentioned, which is free of charge for the course trainer. With the appropriate individual encouragement and psychological safety, the trainer feels able to deliver the presentation without anxiety or pressure. The positive feedback culture increases his self-efficacy and competence for the company.
At this point, then, there is no reason for either the employed or freelance trainer to torpedo the place of personal development. The successful course area is not complicated choreography or expensive equipment. The investment is in the trainer. Finally, here's a provocative question that every club operator should ask: What does it cost to employ a good trainer? And what does it cost to employ a bad trainer?
The "Fitness Needs Trainers" study shows that 85.3% of all study participants feel very comfortable to comfortable in their work environment. This figure speaks to the positive impressions on both sides. The cooperation between operators and spa trainers will certainly be strengthened by the measures mentioned.
Source: BODYMEDIA
Image source: #94566560 WavebreakmediaMicro / stock.adobe.com
Published on: 27 July 2022