How likely is it that you would recommend this Club/Studio/Class/Instructor to a friend or colleague?
As a Life Time Fitness Instructor/employee I hear about our NPS scores frequently… and if you don't understand what NPS refers to and the effect it could have on their business or your class, you may be thinking; “so what?”
Well the short answer is your NPS score is an indication of how likely your students will be to promote the club where you teach or your class to their friends.
Let's start with some understanding from the people who developed this concept:
What is Net Promoter?
Net Promoter® is both a loyalty metric and a discipline for using customer feedback to fuel profitable growth in your business. Developed by Satmetrix, Bain & Company, and Fred Reichheld, the concept was first popularized through Reichheld's book The Ultimate Question, and has since been embraced by leading companies worldwide as the standard for measuring and improving customer loyalty.
The Net Promoter Score, or NPS®, is a straightforward metric that holds companies and employees accountable for how they treat customers. It has gained popularity thanks to its simplicity and its linkage to profitable growth. Employees at all levels of the organization understand it, opening the door to customer- centric change and improved performance.
As you can see in the image above, NPS is based on a 0-10 rating score in response to the question; How likely is it that you would recommend to a friend or colleague? The responses are then broken down into three categories:
0-6 Detractors – Unhappy people who will talk down your class or club – damaging your brand through negative word of mouth.
7-8 Passives – Satisfied, but won't go out of their way to promote your class to others.
9-10 Promoters – these are your fans 🙂 The students you look forward to seeing and they in turn look forward to telling others about the awesome class you just taught. In a nut shell, these are the people who will help FILL YOUR CLASS!
To calculate the NPS you subtract the number of Detractors from Promoters, which leaves you with either a positive number (good), zero, or a negative number (bad). So if you have 100 people respond to a survey of the ultimate question if you have more Promoters than Detractors you can expect to see your class size grow.
NPS ignores the Passives as they really don't hurt or help your business. I see the real improvements coming from moving the Detractors up the scale.
I have a few personal complaints and/or concerns with NPS:
The score tends to be skewed by the number of respondents and getting busy people to respond is tough… which is why your manager is forever asking you to ask your participants to complete a survey.
I'm personally more inclined to give negative feedback, actually… I'm guessing we all are.
You may have very little influence on your clubs NPS. If your bike maintenance is lacking, one of the two projectors isn't working or the locker room has a funny smell that causes a member to score your club as a Detractor, there isn't much you can do. This could be a good reason to drill down and solicit NPS for specific areas/departments.
So beyond Life Time, who else uses NPS to measure how successfully they are satisfying their customers? Apple for one. The link is to an article that dispels the myth that Steve Jobs never listened to his customers – Apple listens every day.
In Podcast # 196 Studio Owner Emmy Ragali explains why she has an Instructor Evaluation form on her Go Cycle website. The link to it is easy to find and she and her instructors encourage participants to give feedback regularly. I see that one of the questions is; Are you likely to recommend this instructor's class to a friend?
Which is really all that matters 🙂
Does your studio use NPS [wlm_firstname]? What have been your experiences?
I'll be discussing how we all can help to improve our clubs NPS scores in later articles.
This cute kid found something good – image from http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2012/09/24/gluten-free-apple-crisp-fall-away-from-tradition/
The posts with more than a couple of comments always catch my attention. It shows a hit on a subject that interests people enough to share their thoughts. I have always considered this forum's primary objective to do just that. Light a fire so-to-speak.
That said, the post on Single Leg Pedal Drills got me thinking. They are a staple of my classes. I teach on both magnetic as well as friction resistance bikes. Like Doug (Yo Doug good to hear from you) I cue the riders to “let one leg go along for the ride.
The term ‘contraindicated' has – over the years — been associated with these drills when the rider has been instructed to ‘unclip'. And I agree though I see the risk as minimal. Even on bikes using MR we have a few ‘bouncers' — those that will just never put the kinds of resistance we instructors are trying cue — and as such are at risk for getting a pedal in the back of their leg. So I just don't do it.
Yet, what I liked most about John's post is that he has come back around to an important issue. It clearly got us talking with our fingers which means — hopefully — we gave it some thought. We don't always need to be finding something new so much as reinforcing something good. And that got me thinking.
As I have moved from beginner to journeyman to experienced to grizzled veteran, I've learned a few things.
Embrace and learn from those that take the time to compliment you/your class. Lately there have been many more of my riders — some regulars some new — that have taken the time after class to come to me with an acknowledgement of well delivered class. “Your best yet” said one just yesterday. The irony was that I'm doing nothing really new. In fact I used a playlist favorite of mine that has been collecting dust in my iPad for a while. When I think about it I've not really put anything new together in quite some time. Oh, I've got a pile of audio podcasts printed out waiting for me to take action. But I believe the truth is that the riders in my regular classes are enjoying my growth as an instructor far more than hearing Katy Perry's new tune. Or another way to climb.
People resist change. We already know we cannot please everyone in class every time. So if you are committed to bringing new everything to your class, every class, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Your regulars have an expectation of what you're going to deliver before they walk into the studio. Try your new stuff out when you sub.
You are who you are. If you have been teaching well attended, prime time classes then it is very likely that your success has more to do with you, than what you play and cue. While I don't recommend getting stale I do strongly urge you to stay true to your style.
I will use John as an example of what I mean. Recently he posted about a technology, Harmonic mixing, that blends tracks of the same musical key. His frustration was that others could put together better mixes than he. Ok, I guess. First, that is his opinion of his playlists and probably not an issue for his riders.
Next, while his integration of harmonic mixing may have a subtle effect (positive or negative) on what the riders hear, John is teaching to full room because he is John. A great smile, always happy to see his riders, has a plan for the workout and best of all, his voice over the mic during his cues are about the best I've heard. Right up there with the late Jim Karanas. Which segues nicely to.
Know your strengths and play to them. Maybe wife Amy and Chris Hawthorne put together mixes that he thinks flow better. Good for them, that is their strength, among many others, 🙂 not his. We all chose to get to the front of the room. On stage is what I call it. So face it, you like the affirmation. What gets you applauds is what your strengths are. If you are a new instructor then you may still be searching for key performance parameters. I use the word performance intentionally because that is what we do. It's not just about the workout but how you deliver it. Your performance.
One last thought on strengths. The best of the best are quite adept at getting their riders attention and holding it. I cannot stress this enough, go watch them. How? Maybe at your club there is the one instructor that ‘packs em in'. Attend conferences. IDEA here on the left coast is dedicated to instructor continuing education. SCW has monthly conferences around the country. Find one near you.
Know when to say when. If you are teaching more than an average of a class a day it will be very difficult to keep the fire burning hot. Motivating ain't easy. If you are teaching your third class of the day it will soon become obvious to your riders that you are not feeling the love. Teaching indoor cycling for living is tough and — in my opinion — not sustainable at pro levels. Unless teaching that many classes is standing between you and the street, consider what your optimum number is per day as well as per week.
Do continuing education. You can always get better. Our craft is one of caring, connecting, nurturing, prodding and sweating. But none of that is possible if you don't base it on sound fundamentals. Indoor cycling is about doing cardio vascular training on an indoor cycle. Knowing as much as you can about training both, will never hurt. Add your personality, a touch of some stuff you picked up from the pros and you've got a winning recipe.
We don't always need to be finding something new, so much as reinforcing something good.
Make sure you add the – spotify:user:__________ part or it doesn't work
She was close to yelling when I walked into the studio. “I'm so excited you came back John!” “I haven't been able to find you on Facebook or Spotify, so I wasn't able to find the playlist you used the last time you were here…”
I subbed last night at the Life Time Fitness corporate HQ club. This participant was there the last time I had covered this class for a friend. I remembered her instantly and how she had approached me after class, asking for the names of two of the tracks I had used. “Are you a Spotify user?” I had asked her. She responded that she was just getting started with Spotify, so I suggested to friend me on facebook and I would show up on her Spotify.
Perfect plan… until she remembered my name as John McCowan and couldn't find me on Facebook 🙁
Which got me to think about an old post I wrote back in 2008. In it, I suggested that Instructors carry and handout a business card (I called it a class promotion card) and showed the card that Amy and printed online. They included our email addresses and class schedules. They worked like a charm, until our classes changed that is.
There are a bunch of websites online where you could quickly create a simple Spotify/Promotional card that you could have available to hand out. I ordered mine through www.vistaprint.com and paid $15.95 with shipping. Because my schedule changes so often, I choose not to include it – but you could easily add yours to the back.
ICI/PRO member Zack, a Cycling Fusion Master Instructor and routine contributor to The Weekly Ride on ICI/PRO, delivers a ride. THIS IS THE COMBINED FILE THAT INCLUDES THE MUSIC AND THE VOICE. IT IS NOT AVAILABLE ON ITUNES.
“I am very excited to be releasing an audio version with my ride this week. You get to really feel how i intended the song to be felt then. Notice the shorter than usual notes this week to really make you listen to the delivery. As always my rides can suit all riders and ill be sure to highlight that verbally. So listen up and enjoy!” Zack
I love having a full class of students. But first they need to know my class exists. I'm continuously frustrated with how poorly my own club promotes the Indoor Cycling classes we offer. Based on comments offering similar frustrations, I'm guessing that I'm not the only one.
So why not take a few minutes to do a little self-promotion?
The other day a received a request from an ICI/PRO member to join FourSquare, the social media site where you can check in, so other people know where to find you. Like Yelp, FourSquare acts as a search engine to find where there friends are, in the hope to meet up with them. You can also leave and read reviews there. I hadn't spent any time there so I decided to check it out to see what I could do with it to promote my class. At first I thought that only actual businesses could create a listing. Instead I discovered you can create a listing for anything that is an actual place, even if you don't technically own or manage the facility. I saw listings for specific seat rows at a concert, events in a local park and even a listing for a specific airline flight to Europe – maybe they were interested in who they would be sitting next to for eight hours.
In the name field I suggest; Your Name, Time/Date and theKey Words that describe your class.
In the address field; Club Name and address.
Then fill out the other fields – you may want to use the club's phone number.
Click save when completed.
You will then see your new listing. Check that the marker on the map is in the correct place. If it's not you can click and drag it to the proper location.
Now when anyone searches for a Spin class near Minnetonka, MN they will find:
As a long time educator, I’ve learned some lessons that have been very valuable to me as I added ‘Cycling Instructor’ to my resume. One of the things that I’ve learned over my years in education is how much my students and parents appreciate being connected to what’s going on in the classroom. In addition, my students are made to feel like they are a part of a family. Getting to know each and every one of them on a personal level is a goal I have in my classroom each school year. It builds camaraderie and it lets them know that I care. In return, I’m greeted with happy parents and almost 20 beautiful smiling faces every day.
This concept can be translated into your indoor cycling class in several ways. Connecting with your students can be as simple as sending out weekly emails. Or if you’re really ambitious, you can connect by blogging or through your own personal website. Your options are limitless!
How many times has a student come to you after class and asked you , “Now, which days/times do you teach”? Even though it’s surely posted on every wall in the facility. How often do you hear, “Wow, I loved that one song, what was it”? Or “I wish I had known class was cancelled-you added a class-you were subbing for so and so.”
Your students want to know what’s going on, and the easier you make it for them to get that information, the more they are going to appreciate it. In return, you WILL see your class size grow.
If you have a computer and five minutes a week, you’ll be off to a positive start. Here are a few simple ways that you can connect with your students:
Weekly Emails:
Bring a sign up sheet on a clipboard with you to class and ask your students for their email address if they would like to receive updates and important information regarding your class.(Of course let them know that you would never share their information with anyone first.) As new members join and become consistent in your program, they will appreciate the connection, so keep that clipboard in your gym bag at all times. Every so often, make an announcement to see if anyone would be interested in receiving emails. If a member comes to you with a question about your classes or teaching schedule, suggest that they join your email list.
Send out a mass email once a week. In the email give your students information about any closings or cancellations or special classes that you might be teaching that week. Your students will also appreciate the heads up when you’ll be subbing for another instructor or if another instructor will be filling in for you.
If it’s a slow news week in your cycling world, add in a link to a good article about indoor cycling or a funny clip or picture.
If you have your weekly playlists on iTunes or Spotify, add a link so your students can have a listen.
It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but I promise you-your students will appreciate you for it!
Connecting Through Facebook:
Facebook Groups
You can easily create a group through Facebook where members can post, share and ask questions about your indoor cycling program.
Creating a Facebook ‘Group’ is really pretty simple. If you have a Facebook account, click on ‘Groups’ under the ‘Applications’ menu on the left side of your home page. Enter your group information and invite members from a list of your Facebook friends.
You have the option of keeping your group private or open to the public. Facebook members that are not already your ‘friends’ can search your group and request to be added to it.
You can customize who can post on your group page, but it’s fun to keep it open for all group members to post.
You can add photos and links to your Facebook groups. This is a good place to post your cycling playlists for your students to view.
Facebook Pages
A Facebook ‘Page’ differs from a Facebook ‘Group’ in that it allows only the page administrator (you) to post. It is open to the public and anyone that ‘Likes’ your page can see your updates on their newsfeed. It is not as interactive as a ‘Group’, but still a great way to get information to your students. Page administrators (you) can also track your page’s activity.
To create a Facebook ‘Page’: Go to this link which will take you to the Facebook page wizard. It will lead you through the steps and you will have your very own page in no time! You can view my Facebook page here.
If you’re feeling ambitious, here are a few other ideas for staying connected:
Of course you could always create your own blog or website. I originally created my blog, Chrispins, with my students in mind. And while they still check it out, it has really blossomed into place where I communicate with other instructors around the globe.
If you’ve never checked out FitGuru, it is a good (free!) tool for communication with your students as well. It takes a little bit of time to set up, but once you have it rolling, it is quick and easy to maintain your site. It allows you to easily email all of your members with the click of a button and you can post your teaching schedule there along with important news.
If you are not already connecting with your students in some way, give one of these ideas a try and see the difference it can make in your classes.
How do you communicate with your students? Are you already using some of these methods or do you use a method that I did not mention?
ICI/PRO member Zack, a Cycling Fusion Master Instructor and routine contributor to The Weekly Ride on ICI/PRO, delivers a ride. THIS IS THE COMBINED FILE THAT INCLUDES THE MUSIC AND THE VOICE. IT IS NOT AVAILABLE ON ITUNES.
