Three things that never work out when posted by a trainer or coach:
An analysis of a Pandemic based on their understanding of epidemiology
A screed about obesity versus the flu versus championing the cause of health in a world under siege from comorbidity
Anger at not opening up when you can’t open up
For every box gym out there right now, there are circumstances beyond their control that will continue to impact their operation. Some gyms will do better as a result of the circumstances, but most will suffer.
If you are doing well, or better than you hoped, then be thankful, stay on course and keep putting one foot in front of another.
If you are not doing well then the question of why is irrelevant to the outside world. Wanting sympathy, empathy or even pity, is not a good look for any business. For one thing, if you are in an area where lockdown and restrictions are impacting all businesses, you’re not the only one and people have their own problems. If you are uniquely targeted like bars, restaurants and other indoor activities, you’re not the only one and people have their own problems.
What everyone has is their own problems.
What everyone wants is a solution.
So, give people solutions and acknowledge this time as one of opportunity:
Globo gyms are in a worst state than you are and they have tens of thousands of clients adrift all around you. People who will now be more comfortable getting private training or being supported in a small group environment. Globo gyms make most of their money from privates and upselling members to personalized services. So, you have a whole pool of potential clients all around you. You may not be looking for them, but they are there. You are a solution provider when it comes to a certain client base.
You can take your business remote unlike bars and restaurants. A lot of box gyms have managed to survive, even thrive, by continuing distant coaching and classes, and staying on top of their small client base in a way that few other gyms can manage. You are a solution provider when it comes to a certain client base.
Health is important. It is probably at the forefront of most people’s minds right now. They don’t need BS and pat promos about going to the gym. They need lifestyle adaptations and solutions that address their specific needs. If all you can offer is what you offered before the lockdowns then you will find yourself left behind after all this stuff blows over. Why? Because being a strength and conditioning coach and pontificating about CrossFit, kettlebells, motivation, dedication, zombie apocalypses and stuff like that does not endear you to people who may have anxieties and fears that need to be overcome first. In other words, the solution is a more holistic approach to your business, something that provides a path to a healthier lifestyle and isn’t just a simple, you got to exercise! You are a solution provider when it comes to a certain client base.
So, What Do I Do Wiseacre?
Maybe:
Don’t assume that any of this lockdown stuff is going to sort itself out. It’s here to stay and it will be here to stay for the rest of this year, at least, if not longer. If you work on that basis, you can stay consistent on executing a business plan for the real world. You don’t stop an 8-week training cycle for strength in week 4 to start a weeklong jogging program because the weather’s good. Whatever happens, stick to a plan assuming that there is no normal on the horizon.
Privates, privates, privates. Whether it is at home or at a location, if permissible, or at a park, whatever it takes, now is the best time for box gyms to bring in private clients. You can’t expect everyone to be a $100/hour private client, and you’re going to have to figure out tiers of service depending on what you deliver, but small group online classes, private programs, and an aggressive approach to increasing private clientele is a priority. If someone was at a Globo gym, paying $40 a month in membership and $55/hour for two private sessions a week, they can be easily switched over to a remote client for your box gym purely on the basis of the value you provide. There is still business to be had, even if it is due to the unfortunate circumstances out there. If you were fighting for clients from other box gyms, stop. Focus on the Globo gyms. They are weaker than you right now. They are not able to adapt like you. They already have a prospect list of hot leads in the thousands. When do you think you’ll have a shot at those Globo gym members like you have now?
Advertise locally, promote yourself locally, and focus on safe, at-home social distancing training options at affordable prices. We’re going to say this again, there are thousands of prospects from the Globo gym market that are open to you, now. They were not an option before but they are now. You have a captive audience, and they may not go back to a gym for a long, long time.
Be honest, people don’t need to go to a gym. They may get used to not going if they feel healthy enough and happy enough with the fact that they have not had to go for months, and have made alternative plans. Socializing and being around people isn’t the big selling point that some gym owners thing it is because there is no circumstance on this planet where gyms are going to be at the center of socialization in the near future.
Once you see bars and nightclubs pick up and go back to normal that’s when you will find gyms going back to normal. You can make what you want of that, but no one cares about what you think, all they want is for you to provide a solution or an answer to a problem. You have to decide what problems you can handle and let people know how you can help.
Craig Patterson over at MadLab always has some worthwhile opinions about how box gyms need to think. We’d prefer you think profitability and spending money on the business then buying all those shitty certs out there and paying for lead gen campaigns or social media help. Focus on what’s right there in front of you, the local pickings are the easy pickings. Social media fame is not really a strategy.
We will guarantee that the box gyms that come out of this successfully will exceed any previous expectations that they may have had about their potential. Change is hard, even when it is benign. Change is harder when it is uncertain and unexpected. But, change is an opportunity. If there was ever a time to be sanguine about the prospects of box gyms, it is now. Either take the positive road forward or keep worrying about how you get back to keeping a 100 members a month, finding part-time coaches for minimum wage, and finding yourself a living wage.
Open your gym now. But, open your gym redefined for this era.