This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
editor’s letter


Subscriptions Julie Albone


+44 (0)1462 471915


Circulation Manager Michael Emmerson +44 (0)1462 471932


Editor Liz Terry


+44 (0)1462 431385


Managing Editor Kate Cracknell +44 (0)1462 471906


Assistant Editor Katie Barnes


+44 (0)1462 471925


News Desk Pete Hayman


+44 (0)1462 471938 Martin Nash


+44 (0)1462 471933 Sarah Todd


+44 (0)1462 471927 Tom Walker


+44 (0)1462 471934


Products Editor Sarah Todd


+44 (0)1462 471927


Designers Andy Bundy


+44 (0)1462 471924


Ed Gallagher +44 (0)1905 20198 Claire Toplis


+44 (0)1462 471910


Website Team Katie Eldridge +44 (0)1462 471913


Dean Fox


+44 (0)1462 471900 Emma Harris


+44 (0)1462 471921 Tim Nash


+44 (0)1462 471917


Michael Paramore +44 (0)1462 471926


Publisher Jan Williams


+44 (0)1462 471909


Sales Julie Badrick


+44 (0)1462 471919


John Challinor +44 (0)1582 607970


Stephanie Rogers +44 (0)1462 471906 Astrid Ros


+44 (0)1462 471911


Sales fitness-kit.net Sarah Gibbs


+44 (0)14624719xx


Financial Controller Sue Davis


+44 (0)1395 519398


Financial Administrator Denise Gildea +44 (0)1462 471930


Credit Controller Rebekah Scott +44 (0)1462 733477


july 2010 © cybertrek 2010 health club management


STEVE KASS & TOM JOHNSTON


of American Leisure on global leadership in the provision of lifestyle services


CORPORATE OUTREACH


�� years KEEPING IT FUN


RICHARD LEWIS The chair of Sport England on the power of sport


British Gymnastics embraces the sport’s success


Stockholm FlOW HOUSE BRINGING THE SURF TO BEDFORD SPORTS MANAGEMENT


SURREY SPORTS PARK Sporting excellence for Surrey University


Fiona Reynolds


The iconic venues of the future


making connections


I visited a new osteopath a while back and got into a discussion about non-returning patients. He was philopsophical, saying he firmly believed patients and therapists ‘found each other’ and needed to have a harmony in terms of their styles and preferences if they were to work together. He had loyal patients who’d been visiting him for years and


some that only came once, but he believed that was OK, because they would be likely to go on to fi nd a therapist elsewhere with whom they felt connected. His attitude put into words something I realised I’d always been vaguely aware of, but had never


articulated. It struck me I’d been doing that very thing – trying different therapists until I found one I felt comfortable with and who worked for me. It’s not a right or wrong thing, all the people I’d visited were technically competent – it’s something less tangible. More about trust, instinct and ‘fit’. As it turns out, I’ve been going back to this particular therapist for a while now and getting great


results. However, his comments got me thinking about how we connect with our customers in the health club – especially in areas where we work one-to-one with them – and the vital importance of these connections to our success in terms of customer satisfaction. It’s difficult to overestimate the


If staff can be trained in how to pick up on differences in others, as well as making changes to their own behaviour, they will be able to make a signifi cant impact on retention levels.


importance of a strong relationship in terms of loyalty to a club. These intangibles are challenging to manage, but there’s a great deal we can do operationally to increase the likelihood of success and ultimately retention. Starting with recruitment, you can ensure


you have different personality types on your team. This way, you’re more likely to be able to match customers with trainers they feel


comfortable with and this in turn will mean more of your potential customers will join and stay. If everyone on the team is a noisy, bouncy extrovert, then some members will run a mile, so mix it up


and match the right member with the right instructor – especially if they’re mentoring them regularly. Ongoing staff training can help your team extend their range of styles so they’re more likely to be


able to empathise with different types of people and adjust their approach accordingly. There will always be extremes that are hard to accommodate and putting a new member with the wrong instructor is likely to lead to them heading for the door, so managing your team so there’s a fit is vital. In Health Club Management September 2009, we looked at the importance of customising exercise


prescription and how Myers Briggs peronality type indicators can be used to refine this task. “Giving your customers an exercise plan that matches their personality type increases the likelihood that they’ll continue to engage with it over the long term,” according to OPP’s John Hackston. “If staff can be trained in how to pick up on the differences in others, as well as making changes in their own behaviour, they will be able to make a significant impact on retention levels.” In this issue, the issue of creating bonds with customers is examined on page 65, where our panel


of experts give their views. We’d be interested to hear your ideas and experiences, so write and let us know how you’re managing this important part of your business so we can share best practice.


Liz Terry, editor email: lizterry@leisuremedia.com


NEWS AND JOBS UPDATED DAILY ON THE INTERNET leisureopportunities.co.uk


CONTACT US The Leisure Media Company Ltd, Portmill House, Portmill Lane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG5 1DJ UK SUBS Tel: +44 (0)1462 471915


Fax: +44 (0)1462 433909 © Cybertrek Ltd 2010 Read Health Club Management online at healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 3


FRONT COVER: WWW.ISTOCK.COM/GRADY REESE


VANCOUVER 2010 OLYMPIC


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76
Produced with Yudu - www.yudu.com