small group training
The ViPR website offers programming suggestions and revenue predictions for small group training
types of 30-minute sessions twice a week – two vitality, two performance, two reconditioning and two circuit- based sessions – £400 a week can be generated with just fi ve clients per session, each charged £10. The membership structure is also
vital. “I’ve seen local gyms starting to offer small group training along the boot camp model, but I think they’re going about it the wrong way,” says SussexBootCamps co-founder Ben Davies. “Essentially they’re offering
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. It introduced Circuit30 small group training to the studio timetable in July 2011. This allowed it to take advantage of the dynamics of group fi tness, building familiarity with the equipment among participants before introducing it to the gym. Gym development offi cer Paul Badhams
S
had identifi ed that some 60-minute studio classes were running at 50 per cent capacity, and that they could be replaced by two half-hour classes. Having identifi ed those sites with a strong group fi tness offering, Circuit30 was then launched selectively and positioned directly on the studio timetable as an open-ended model – members can turn up as and when they choose, paying on a per-class basis. Haden Hill Leisure Centre, for example, offers the class back-to-back twice within an allocated hour, priced at £3 per participant per session. “We thought the public would expect a 30-minute class to be half the price of
44
andwell Leisure Trust (SLT) maintains nine affordable leisure centres for
circuit classes, but without the structure that successful boot camps have. Gyms are offering circuit classes on the PAYG model, whereby members can just turn up as and when they like, on a per-class basis. But without booking a number of sessions in advance, for a fi xed cost, there’s no buy-in from the client.” Launched in 2008, SussexBootCamps
now has 240 members, 150 of which have chosen six- or 12-month contracts (the shortest option is a fi xed-term four-week course). The business further
THE STUDIO MODEL: SANDWELL LEISURE TRUST
an hour-long class [£3.90], but we wanted to price it as a premium offering,” says Badhams. This is partly to offset costs, but also to refl ect the “ultimate workout” claim. Adds Badhams: “Because it’s just 30 minutes, we wanted people to get a sense that it would be more physically challenging.”. Unlike other models, SLT has launched
small group training without a training specifi city or the typical fi xed, short-term structure; Circuit30 is open to the public on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served, ‘pay as you go’ basis. “I think those factors are great for some operators, but they weren’t relevant for us due to our customers’ less rigid usage patterns,” adds Badhams. It’s too early yet to see the income and
footfall results for Circuit30, but classes will stay on timetables as long as this can be justifi ed by footfall. SLT also plans to launch ViPR30 and Kettlebells30 models. The long-term plan is to create functional fi tness zones on the gym fl oor with TRX, ViPR and Powerbags, expanding the offering off the back of a successful fi rst step in the studio.
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
encourages loyalty by including mindset and nutritional support in the member package. Growth in membership comes despite fees of £138 a month, compared to local gyms that charge £80 and council facilities charging £50.
STAFF BUY-IN It’s clear there are still differing views over what constitutes a successful small group training model. But whatever the model it will be your staff who ultimately secure its success; the onus is on the operator to hire, train and retain the right people. As far back as 2009, programming
consultant Robert Esquerre had identifi ed the attributes of the ‘hybrid trainer’ in Fitpro magazine – attributes that include cueing, communication and presentational skills; professional coaching skills; and the ability to develop and support team dynamics. “Don’t just hire on coaching skills,”
explains FitPro’s sales and service trainer Lesley Aitken. “A hired instructor who, two months into the job, can’t be a team player is no good for the business.” Use your interview opportunities to test behaviours in specifi c situations, and look for soft skills, she advises:
“Relationships with customers = retention = referrals = revenue.” Once you’ve hired the right instructors,
ensuring their buy-in to your small group culture is key to success, according to Davies: “I worked in local gyms for fi ve years and decided I didn’t want to replicate that model in my business: instructors are poorly paid, they don’t buy in to the culture, they go off sick... We pay our instructors well and they’re committed and give 100 per cent.” Having
october 2011 © cybertrek 2011
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