things get tough. You’ll want to know this information so you can help them stay on track to their goals.


2


Don’t hold unnecessary meetings I have four rules for meetings:


chance to learn, practice and get feed- back gives people more tools in their toolbelts and boosts their confidence. 4) If the primary purpose of the


meeting is to build relationships, don’t hold a meeting. Take the team to a res- taurant, or do a fun activity together instead!


staff members your relationships may prevent you from holding them ac- countable down the road. But getting to know your people is crucial. Every day when you arrive at the


3 4 1) Every meeting must have a clear


purpose, agenda and outcomes. If you don’t know why you are holding the meeting, don’t hold it. 2) If people can read a document to


get the information, don’t hold a meet- ing. Have them read the document and sign off that they have done so. Once they have signed, they are accountable for knowing the information and ex- ecuting their roles accordingly. 3) If there won’t be any new mate-


rial taught or learned, don’t hold a meeting. People want to walk away with something new that will help them move their businesses forward. A


club, before you answer any calls or check your email, talk to your team. Find out how they’re doing. Ask them what they need from you today. Follow up on things they’ve told you. If some- one’s sister just had a baby, ask how she’s doing. It’s the same thing you would do with a personal training client.


Don’t talk about how the business affects you personally


Trainers are in the business to help


their clients and club members. They are not responsible for your personal financial situation. If you have per- sonal targets/quotas/goals, talk about why achieving those targets is good for your staff members, not why it’s important for you as the owner or the manager! They shouldn’t have to be bogged down with the stress of help- ing you hit your bonus or make your target. It is your job as the leader to help


them achieve their targets by motivat- ing, coaching and encouraging them. The worst thing you can do when you really need sales is to put pres- sure on those doing the appointments. Their job in the consultation is to help members by giving their professional opinions and showing them all of the options for getting started with train- ing. Then, it’s up to members to decide what works best for them. If the trainer goes into the consulta-


tion thinking, “I NEED to sell,” that’s what will come across. And nine times out of 10 they won’t close because they’re caring about the sale and not


Get to know everyone on a personal level If you’re best friends with each


the person in front of them. The next time you are trying to in-


crease personal training sales, talk about the activity they need to gener- ate. How many more people do they need to book and have show up for ap- pointments to achieve their revenue goals? Tie it into how making the sale will help the trainer pay off his stu- dent loan (which you learned about in his goal setting session). Make it about the client and the trainer, and you will have less-stressed, more pro- ductive staff, more clients and more revenue.


make every little decision. They MUST be asked for approval on everything. They micromanage their team, and be- fore they know it the team is quitting one after the other. I know that it can be tough to let go


5


of the reins, but if you want to have a team that feels trusted and respected (which in turn makes them trust and respect you), you need to give them some autonomy. When people ask you what they


should do about a certain issue, in- stead of answering, ask them, “What do you think?” with genuine openness and curiosity. Then have them go and try it. For the most part, even if their ideas don’t work, it’s totally fixable. What is more important is that by go- ing this route you build the relation- ship. You gave them a chance to make decisions and to learn from the expe- rience, good or bad. You made it safe for them to make mistakes and then you were able to provide feedback so they will know what to do next time. The more you practice this, the


more your team members will learn and be able to stand on their own two feet. It will also free up your time and give you more opportunities to work on the business, knowing that your team members are perfectly capable of taking care of members and the club on their own. FBC


Jodi Rumack is the president and CEO of Personal Training Mentors. Contact her at www.ptmentors.com or 647-981-5402.


May/June 2016 Fitness Business Canada 31


Empower your staff I see this mistake all the time: owners/managers who want to


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