One of the drums that I bang repeatedly is that a crucial element of small group personal training is about the time the member spends outside your facility, not just the few hours a week that they are training at it.
Every trainer on the planet knows that results come from consistency. Training sessions alone are likely to bring limited results if they are not accompanied by a corresponding lifestyle.
Studies going back decades have consistently shown that motivation is critical towards achieving results, and that members who see progress towards their goals are happier and more likely to renew their gym memberships.
Systems such as Myzone bring gamification and motivation within the facility, and are so much more than simply being "a tile on a screen". As part of a much broader system, Myzone can also play a beneficial part in keeping members motivated outside of your gym.
Whilst many SGPT gyms are conscious of the need for community and to motivate their members, the understanding of what this means and the effectiveness of how this is delivered can vary considerably. Over the next 12-months, many in the small group sector will start to feel the impact of the big box gyms entering their space. It is therefore imperative that facilities get their "ducks lined up".
How to deliver "out-of-hour" motivation to members is something that gym owners regularly find themselves wrestling with. Very often it ends up as a "recipe dump" (or similar) on members, which yields little-to-no reward for either side.
Part of the answer is the use of purpose-built automations, delivered by a system geared-around the heightened needs of personal training clients. But, whilst many systems talk of "workflow automation", the reality of what this means can vary considerably.
Workflow automation should be used to help keep your members motivated and to promote engagement with your facility. Gathering, acknowledging and rewarding accomplishments is an important part of member progression and satisfaction. Good workflow processes can help handle these ad hoc events.
Modern, sophisticated gym management software enables you to have complete control over your automations. Gone are the days where members receive their "happy birthday" emails on the dot of midnight (not exactly "personal"!), and actions are limited to simply sending a message.
These days, actions that you may trigger from an event might include:
Within the small group training framework, there are literally dozens of different waypoints in a member's progress for which you may wish to create automations. These range from the trivial (E.g., a birthday or anniversary acknowledgement) to the more sophisticated (E.g., sleep has been below x hours for y consecutive days). In turn, there are an almost infinite number of ways in which the triggers could be configured, thus ensuring a highly tailored response.
Ideally, your workflow processes will also tie with your other member engagement products. So, for example, being able to trigger a sequence if a member improves their Myzone ranking, or if they log a particularly good MEP score.
A few examples of workflow automations are provided below.
Lead sign-up via Facebook/Meta
When a lead responds to one of your Facebook campaigns, ensure that there is an immediate response sequence and that expectations are set. This could include staff alerts, and perhaps the assignment of a nurture program to initiate preliminary dialog with the prospect.Myzone rank changed
If the member has achieved a new Myzone ranking, ensure that this is acknowledged and celebrated. Perhaps send them a congratulatory video, and maybe reward them with an extra class credit.x sessions attended
Celebrate the member's attendance achievements, whether this be total attendance; attendance of a certain type of class (E.g., one-on-one); or attendance within a period of time (E.g., 12 sessions this month).Member spend has reached a threshold
Be aware of the members that are spending the highest amounts with you. Ensure you know when they reach a certain spending threshold and ensure that the service they are receiving is on-point.New achievement logged
When a member logs a new achievement, make sure that you acknowledge and celebrate that goal.Sleep below x for y days
Overall wellbeing and mental health is a massive part of the modern SGPT delivery. Make sure you are aware if your member's tracker has logged a poor sleep threshold for a consecutive number of days, and address the issue with the member.Membership end approaching
Be proactive as a member's membership approaches renewal. Ensure that staff members are aware, and that it's not left until the last minute for the member's options to be explored.Injury recorded
If an injury is recorded against the member, ensure that this fact is re-iterated back to the member. Show that you generally care about their wellbeing, and outline how their sessions will be tailored to support their recuperation.
These examples merely scratch the surface of what is possible.
By using your SGPT management software effectively, it is possible to deliver a much higher level of service to your members without needing a whole additional team to support it. Your members will feel more valued, more engaged, and more supported. Our experiences at Quoox show that implementing such processes also leads to increased membership renewals.
Everybody wins!
