The second module in our Second Degree In-Person Course is titled ‘Building a Career.’
As serendipity would have it, I just had a discussion the other day with a head coach at a gym. In going through his career roadmap, a lightbulb went off in his head – “I’m coaching way too many group classes. The money to be made, so that I can make this a real lasting career, is in our high value services like PT, skill sessions, and specialty classes.”
I smiled in agreement. But before I let him get too far down that path, I shared something with him that led to an even brighter, and more important, lightbulb to go off in his head.
First, a quick reminder: the clients that are most likely to purchase your services are your current clients. They already know, like, and trust you. Don’t believe me? Offer up a gym t-shirt for full price to a random person on the street. Then do it to the next person that stops in for a free intro session. Finally, do the same with a current client. Who makes the purchase?
Ok, so back to what I talked to him about. Namely, the benefit of coaching in the group is that it affords you the opportunity to market yourself to the warmest audience you’ll ever have a chance to be in front of.
If you coach group classes, and are scratching your head right now, read that again. People buy from those that they know, like, and trust. That last one is important. People trust those that show up, consistently, and have confidence in their competence. If you want that to be you, its simple – show up, do a World-Class job coaching the group, and lead with help first.
Someone is struggling with double unders? Pull-ups? Mentally down on themselves?
Pull them aside privately after class and say this: “Hey Jeff, I noticed you were having a hard time with [insert observed struggle]. I’ve got a few 30-minute slots open in my schedule this week if you would like me to work individually with you. Are you opposed to that?”
What did I just do? Offered to help. As a coach, that’s your job.
If you are just standing around with hands open like you are waiting for the next client to be dropped into your hands, you’re in reactive mode. Turn it around, be proactive. You’d tell your clients the same thing about their health and fitness, right?
When you start to see these group classes as the opportunity they really are, you realize something pretty neat: you are being paid to market yourself. Where else can you find that arrangement?