Leading a Group Ex Team

Those of us that love Group Exercise know the value that it can bring to a club or studio. There are many stats that speak to the benefits of Group Ex, such as increased retention, higher attendance and more referrals. Group Exercise showed its worth when Covid struck. Who kept our members moving? Who kept them engaged? Who dove straight into Facebook Live, Instagram Live and Zoom and broadcasted to living rooms and garages around the world? Our Group Ex teams! So let’s devote some time to give these people some kudos and give you some pointers regarding them.

My first message is to remind you to make sure you let your instructors know that they are appreciated and that you value what they do. They are your ambassadors. They are keeping your members engaged, motivated and healthy. The impact these instructors are making is critical to your business’s survival, so make sure that you express gratitude.

The second message is to share with you some training that you can do with your instructors that will help them be the best they can be whether it is in person or online.

A best training practice that we use at clubs that we owned and operated, as well as clubs with whom we consult is the four “I”s of instructing. The four "I"s will help your instructors deliver the best experience possible. Although some of the elements may seem basic, it is surprising how many of these are forgotten.

1. Invitations: Inviting is the first "I". Instructors need to regularly invite members to take their class. Whether it's walking around the fitness floor, working the reception desk as members check in, or using emails, social media messaging/ posts, they need to use every opportunity to personally invite members to participate. That personal invitation might be the gesture that motivates a member to finally take the yoga class that they have been too afraid to try.

2: Introductions: The second "I" is Introductions. Typically, instructors will introduce themselves at the beginning of class, ask if there are any injuries or if there are any new people to the class. This is a great practice that can easily be skipped or overlooked. At the very least, instructors need to make a point to introduce themselves to anyone they don’t know and to do their best to remember people’s names. Your sales team and welcome desk can be a tremendous asset by escorting all members that are new to a class into the session and introduce them to the instructor. Another overlooked aspect that is a great practice is to introduce members to one another! This works in virtual classes as well. Introducing members to one another helps to build community, which is great for retention!

3. Interactions: Interactions are something else on which you should train your staff. Many studios and clubs discovered during Covid that members were tied to THEIR instructors. As much as we like the professional quality of the bigger companies delivering content, members wanted to work out with the people they knew! When taking classes in person, it is possible that a member might go to a class with 60 people (although post-Covid that is changing). In this scenario, there is ONE instructor that 60 people have come to see, so it is the responsibility of that instructor to personally interact with every person in the room. Instructors need to remember that they shouldn't be doing the entire workout. Do they demonstrate form and sequence up on stage? YES! Absolutely! After demonstrating, they should walk around and interact with everyone in the room. It might be a word of encouragement, a form adjustment or even a virtual high five. The individual and personalized connection with each member makes a big difference.

4. Innovation: Finally, the last "I" of a good instructor requires Innovation. Innovation might look different for instructors teaching a pre-choreographed format versus a free format, but the intent is the same. Change it up! It can be as simple as playing new music, doing a different warm-up or using new toys (such as bands or gliders) to help disguise repetition. A squat is a squat is a squat…but a good instructor makes things interesting by switching things up. When instructors switch things up, it keeps members engaged and coming back for more.

When you train your instructors to consistently use the four “I”s as a part of their teaching practice, members have a better experience. A better experience means they come back for more, and that means better health. Is there anything better than that??

See full post here!

Author: Marisa Hoff