3 Ways to Take Your Fitness Business From Chaotic to Predictable
Running a fitness business can seem like you’re in the middle of a hurricane watching everything around you spin out of control. It’s chaotic, crazy and sometimes just plain overwhelming.
But what if it didn’t have to be that way? There’s got to be a few things you can do to manage the chaos and make things a little more predictable, right?
I’ve got some good news! There are some simple steps you can take to manage the chaos and create a predictable business that allows you to focus on growing it, instead of constantly putting out fires.
Create Simple Systems
The first reason that you have chaos in your business is a lack of effective systems. You either don’t have any in place or the ones you do have aren’t doing their job. As you look at the things that are frustrating you in your business, take a good look at why they are making you feel the way you do right now.
In trying to delegate some of the sales to one of my employees at the fitness business I used to own, I continued to be frustrated. There was a lack of follow through and inability to close a prospect early in the process. In my mind I had given this employee all the tools needed to do their job and given them goals to hit, which I thought were reasonable.
After a few times of trying to train this individual, role play sales situations and teaching sales methods, I realized that there was no formal process. I was relying on myself to teach him how to sell and boost his sales skills instead of empowering him with a simple process.
And that’s how I created the FR Sales System that we teach to trainers in our coaching programs now. Here’s how the thought process went for me:
- “I’m really frustrated with all the time I spend training this person and not getting a result.”
- Ask why the result isn’t being achieved…
- There are goals set, and I’m teaching the person how to sell.
- “Why can’t they use the methods I’m teaching them to close the sale?”
- They don’t have a process to follow that’s replicable.
So, I needed a simple system! That lead me to create a 4 stage sales process that anyone could deliver with a basic closing system. The system would essentially remove any obstacles of having to be a great salesperson to make it work.
That structure and framework led to an increase in sales and more revenue for the gym. Not to mention peace of mind for me! Don’t go overboard when creating a system. Get it to “good enough” and then implement. Once you and your team are implementing the system you can work on improving it.
Hold Weekly Meetings
It’s easy to think that your team understands what’s going on in the business and exactly what you want them to accomplish. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Holding a weekly meeting with your team can have a huge impact on everyone getting on the same page, which will limit chaos.
This meeting will provide you with an uninterrupted opportunity to give your team feedback and update them on initiatives in your business (like new systems being added). It will also give them a chance to discuss issues with you and the rest of the team.
The meetings should take place on the same day and at the same time each week. Attendance should be required from everyone on the team. An hour is plenty of time to accomplish what you want from the meeting.
In 60 minutes you can:
- Have everyone provide a highlight from their personal and professional life from the previous week
- Provide client success stories or other highlights from the business, even acknowledging another team member
- Review your business metrics such as the 4 Sales & Marketing Pillars and KPIs
- Update each other on specific projects or larger initiatives they are working on
- Report back on the previous week’s to-do’s or tasks
- Prioritize and discuss the biggest issues and opportunities in the business
- Assign to-do’s for the next meeting
- Provide feedback on the meeting
The majority of your time will be reporting on projects and discussing the issues and opportunities in the business. This set up helps you keep a finger on the pulse of your business and manage your team.
As the owner you don’t have to be responsible for every part of the meeting. You can have your admin report on client issues and put together your numbers. Or your head trainer can be responsible for reporting on client successes and training system issues.
Assigning responsibility to others will take the pressure off you and allow you to focus on being present. It helps to have someone taking notes during the meeting of the items discussed and having a formal agenda that is followed.
Having weekly meetings helps you see issues before they become larger problems.
Running these meetings helps you see issues before they become bigger problems. It also provides you with the chance to assign responsibility for solving those problems to someone else. When you hold these meetings you’ll have a better idea of what’s going on, especially as your team grows.
But, what if you’re the only person in your business? Get in the habit of holding a weekly meeting with yourself! This gives you time to look at working on the business instead of in the business. Schedule it and stick to it, just like any other appointment.
Relentlessly Hold People Accountable
As the business owner it’s easy to pick up the slack when someone drops the ball. It’s easier to blame the person that didn’t do the job as well as you’d like and to say they weren’t “good enough”.
You hired them though…so, really it’s your fault 🙂
Holding people accountable means that you have set clear expectations. It also means that the person understands those expectations, they are trained on how to deliver the results and that the results are delivered.
A lot of time and energy is spent by business owners micromanaging and chasing down people for answers. Spending a bit of time early on in the process and training your team well and holding them accountable will save you a lot of headaches later. It also removes a lot of the chaos and allows you to know what to expect.
Ensure that there are checks and balances for the major tasks in your business and be relentless about holding your team accountable for them. But you have to lead from the front which means that you must meet your deadlines and deliver the results that are expected of you.
You Deserve Better…
Having a business that is stressful, chaotic and frustrating sucks!
The great thing about being a business owner is that you can change it, but you have to be willing to put in the work. You get to make the choice to continue doing things the way you have or to make changes so that you get what you need out of your business.
Helping clients be more fit, healthier and happier should be a rewarding experience and you should be extremely proud of your career as a fitness pro. I want you to have that same pride and get the same enjoyment from running your business.
You deserve it…but only if you put in the work.
Feel Like You Can’t Do It Alone?
We do for you what you do for your clients. You help them set goals, assess their progress and create a plan for them to reach their goals.
That’s what we do for fitness businesses. If you’d like to get a little help building your fitness business, creating systems and escaping the chaos, schedule a free discovery call to see if FR is a good fit.
