4 Little Things That Reap Mountainous Results
july 12, 2021 | WORDS BY frankie russo
How do you make a member feel welcome? This is a crucial part of the member experience whether they are new or a long time member! The little things matter here people, and the below steps are super simple and can really turn a member’s experience from good to freakin amazing! Below I have listed my top 4 favorites that I implement when I’m on the coaching floor. Let’s dive in!
01. Crossing the Threshold
As soon as a member walks in, greet them and try to ask a specific question to get some engagement besides a hey or what’s up from them. “Hey Tony what’s going on man, how was your weekend?!” “Olivia, welcome back, how are your legs feeling from yesterday’s workout?” If you are working with a client or a class the basic greeting is the minimum, but if you are hanging around before class and chatting with members or other coaches try to engage a little more by asking the extra question. This shows that you are invested in the member and they usually will be happy to open up and chat, further solidifying the bond with them. This should be the bare minimum for ALL COACHES.
02. Question of the Day
This is a great ice breaker, especially with new athletes in class. These don’t have to be a mind bending question, it can be a simple “would you rather” question. The goals are to create some chatter with your classes, get people laughing and a little more at ease, and help people get familiar with names. You can change the question each class or have a running question on the board for the day with tally marks to show how other classes answered. My favorite is “Who would win in a hotdog eating contest: Kobayashi or a Grizzly bear?” (Check YouTube there’s a video and it’s totally worth watching).
Keep in mind this is not a mandatory thing, and can become stale if always done or if it feels forced so READ YOUR ROOM! If you have a class full of people that you know love to do a question of the day, throw it out there! If you have some classes that you know want to get in and get moving ASAP then you can always ask a more general question: “Show of thumbs up, thumbs down how’re we feeling today?” You still get some participation/ ease tension and then dive into your brief of the WOD. Don’t force the question of the day and if you think it’s being forced take a break from it for a while and then come back to it!
03. Hey You!
This is also something all coaches should ABSOLUTELY do…use your athletes names as much as possible! This is an easy way for the athlete to feel important because in a class of multiple people the coach is still able to remember their name while they are coaching. That’s a pretty cool feeling…bonus points if you’re able to do it during their first class. It’s not that saying “Awesome job amigo,” or “Great work dude” detracts from the experience, it simply is not as powerful as saying “Danielle, great job focusing on pushing those knees out when Squatting!” Everyone feels just a little bit more special when their name is used so this should get worked into your routine if it isn’t already.
Now, if you can’t remember an athlete's name you have to put yourself in a somewhat vulnerable position and say something along the lines of: “I know you just told me, but could you please remind me of your name?” Never has an athlete scoffed at me and been offended, if anything they are extremely grateful that I asked. You are showing them that you are trying hard to remember names and they will appreciate the extra effort there. If you do have to ask again just make sure you remember their name after that! An easy trick is as soon as they tell you their name say: “Thank you, (blank).” Then follow it up by a coaching cue: “I noticed (blank) that your back was a little rounded on those Deadlifts, let’s fight to keep that chest up and shoulder blades together.” Then finish off the interaction with something along the lines of: “Keep getting after it (blank) I’ll come back and check on you in a bit.” Using the name 3 times should ingrain it in your mind to recall when speaking to that athlete.
04. After Class Chatter
This is one of my favorites. I LOVE getting to know more about the people I see day in and day out and post class is one the best times to help elevate their experience by chatting your classes up. Everyone has something they love talking about and there is always something you can find in common with a member. Constantly asking questions until you find that something should be a game, ask about family, career, where they grew up, sports, trips they’re taking, the list is almost endless. This is where you truly get a glimpse into members' lives and you can create a running archive about everyone. This allows for easier conversations and members will have more buy-in when you are coaching. Looking back to the first point, you can further tailor your questions to the athlete the more you know about them: “Hey John, how was your trip to Hawaii with the family? I would love to hear about it after class!”
This after class chatter also allows for a gentle transition of one class out and the next class in. Think about it from a new athlete's perspective…the gym can be a scary place and if they walk in, see everyone lying all over the floor and the coach telling them to clean up and then not really talking to anyone they are going to be even more intimidated than when they walk in. Now if time does not allow for too much post class chatter still make some light announcements to the group so it doesn’t feel like a clock in/ clock out kind of mentality for each class. “Guys awesome job today, you all crushed it! As you’re cleaning up, give someone a fist bump and I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Quick, easy, powerful.
These 4 things are easy to implement and can make a world of difference for your athletes feeling welcomed in the gym. Lean into the small things to build strong bonds with your athletes and to grow your prowess as a coach! Keep getting after it NCFIT!
