Sherri McMillan
“IDENTIFY YOUR GOAL, DECIDE WHAT IT IS YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE, AND THEN FIND A MENTOR WHO WILL HELP GET YOU THERE.”
sionals, for instance—you find it’s mandatory; they know it works… You just can’t obtain the necessary experience and know-how from a book. You need someone who’s been there, done that. You need to be taught, in person, how things are really accomplished. “I’ve been in this business for more than 20
years, and I still seek out mentors.” Jenkins’ take on a mentoring business is his
Body Kinetics Apprentice Program, which focuses on personal trainers. The course takes place over a two-month period, and involves weekly lectures in a classroom; in-club observation of trainers for at least 10 hours; and skill-rehearsal with clients for at least 60 hours. “The program addresses areas that other education resources typically overlook,” explains Jenkins. “Things such as: how you retain current clients; how do you approach and recruit new ones; how do you communicate effectively; and how do you organize your business. “It’s a mystery to me,” he says, “why mentoring
isn’t used more.” The Body Kinetics fee of $1,850 includes NASM
(National Academy of Sports Medicine) certification. Jenkins’ convictions, expertise, and approach
have paid real dividends for his own Mill Valley club. “We’ve invested in our trainers, which has made them much more loyal,” he says. “And because we’ve grown them organically, we’ve wound up with an all-star team.”
MENTORING’S MESSAGE
Also on the road, dispensing advice to club owners and trainers, alike, is Sherri McMillan, an author, educator, and co-owner of Northwest Personal
Training (NPT), a boutique-style fitness studio with locations in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. Like Cosgrove and Jenkins, she feels that traditional educational resources have their limits and fail to explore all the possible opportunities, and believes that mentoring may just be the missing link. “To watch an industry veteran in action, observe how they do things, hear what they say and don’t say, to get a glimpse of, and some insight into, how they manage their day-to-day career—that’s so advan- tageous,” she says. “Then, to take that information, learn how to apply it in real-life situations, obtain feedback, and have someone serve as your sounding board—that’s valuable. You won’t waste time trying to figure out what works, and what doesn’t work, and you’ll be less likely to make, or repeat, mistakes.” McMillan offers a varied, appropriately
boutique-style selection of services, including phone consultations, counseling in her own clubs, and on-site instruction at a client’s, that are designed to address specific individual needs. The topics of study might include overcoming objections during the sales process, structuring compensation, reducing staff turnover, or cueing personal-training customers. But, regardless of setting or subject, McMillan is convinced that mentoring should be both continuous and ubiquitous. “Everyone, regardless of their position within a company, benefits from it,” she says. “Identify your goal, decide what it is you want to achieve, and then find a mentor who will help get you there. The rewards are well worth the effort.”
– Patricia Glynn,
p.glynn@
fit-etc.com www.
ihrsa.org | SEPTEMBER 2010 | Club Business Internat ional 47
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