OK, so mid August may be a little bit early to start asking people to come back to your class. But I don't feel that there's any harm in giving some thought (and maybe some preparation) in how you plan to encourage past students to return to class this Fall.
Here is an excellent article from Club Industry contributor Christine Thalwitz that reinforces the need to collect contact info on participants throughout the Indoor Cycling season.
Blame it on the down economy, poor service or a life change. Whatever the reason, most health clubs lose at least 20 percent to 40 percent of their members each year. The good news is that many former members are ready to come back if you just ask them.
At my club, ACAC Fitness and Wellness Centers, referrals from existing members are our top source for new membership sales, but former members who rejoin are a strong second. Many companies do not take any special steps to recapture lost members, but ignoring these individuals constitutes a massive missed opportunity.
Last week, while I was riding a century, the course took me past a restaurant that Amy and I used to eat at occasionally – but haven't for years. Why haven't we gone back there? I thought. I really liked it, but I've completely forgotten about this place. Had they sent me an occasional letter or email there's a good chance we would have returned. But they didn't – so we didn't return.
Back in September of 2008 I recorded ICI Podcast #5 — ten steps to building up your class numbers. In it I share my strategies for class promotion. These steps have worked for me and I hope, if you haven't heard them before, that they help you fill your class this fall!
One note: In the Podcast I encourage you to start your own Blog, which obviously dates when I published this. Now my recommendation is to start a Facebook group where you can communicate what's happening in your class.
Flywheel's Torq Board – screen shot from youtube video
Updated: 11/23
Flywheel Sports is a chain of Indoor Cycling studios who started in New York city. They have had tremendous results and growth, now with 12 locations in three states; New York, Florida and Illinois. A big part of their success has come from a proprietary retro-fit system they have engineered to measure each rider's power and then display the real-time results on a screen. From their website:
… Additionally, for those who thrive on competition, Flywheel has developed the TorqBoard— an in-studio display that provides riders with the option to compare their performance against the rest of the class in real time.
The reason many students come to your class is for the community. Sure you maybe a great Instructor and include a lot of specific training into each profile you teach, but I'm convinced that the added element of friendly completion Flywheel's Torq Board brings is a big part of their success. Participants who are not achieving their personal fitness goals – read weight management goals – have a tendency to stop coming. We all understand that working harder (when appropriate) in class will increase fitness and burn additional calories. That's why so many of us are excited about power; for the first time our students can truly see what “working harder” feels like. Throw in the friendly completion part and you have the recipe for a fabulous sold out class
Beyond competition between riders, I see a remote display system like Flywheel's TorqBoard as solving multiple problems I'm hearing and seeing at clubs who have (or are considering) adding power based classes to their schedules:
Students have their heads down, completely focused on the display console – not on the instructor. With everyone riding with eyes forward they stay connected with you, the Instructor.
I can't see the display in a darkened class. A quick scan of your class will probably reveal an average participant age of 45-55 years old. Many of us (including me) have limited eyesight due to our age and when you dim the lights I'm nearly blind 🙁
Let's just add a constant back light to the console. Great idea until you realize that you will be replacing batteries at an even quicker rate than you do now.
Too many potential “computers” to fail. Henry Ford was famous for saying, “parts left off cause no service problems”. What if there was a system that eliminated the “computer” on each bike? Instead use a common system and eliminate some of the cost and maintenance concerns.
So let's say you think Flywheel's TorqBoard looks like something you would like to have in your studio… you can't have it. It's not for sale unless you are ready to become a franchised Flywheel Sports studio.
Enter Performance IQ and their new Top Power remote display system for studios using any of the Indoor Cycles with Power, including; FreeMotion S11.9, Keiser M3i, Schwinn AC or Spinner Blade Ion. Watch the shot video below to see this plug and play system at work at their second Beta site, Cycle Quest studio where I'm teaching. While it doesn't remove the existing “computer” on each cycle, it does solve the first three concerns I have listed above 🙂
To fully take advantage of Performance IQ's wonderful features, studios will want to offer a Bike Reservation system and data collection system that sends out those wonderful emails to each participant, showing them how many calories they burned in class.
If you're a new instructor you will soon learn what many of us old dogs figured out a long time ago; the change off of Day-Light-Savings is the trigger for many to move back indoors and hopefully back to your class 🙂
I teach a lot of early AM classes and look forward to this week, starting around October 1st when I'm looking at the 6 people at 5:54am.
You've probably heard the phrase timing is everything…
Well, if you want to take advantage of the one day of the year when people are most open to a change in their normal schedules, today the timing is perfect!
Think about this… How many people have to talked to who have said “I should really be getting to the club, before heading off to work each morning.” And yet something stops them – they don't have the discipline or desire to get out of bed early enough to make it to your class. But tomorrow is different. Many of us will wake up with plenty of time because our body clocks are on daylight savings time. If you catch people with an extra hour and then offer them something they already know they want, you could see a big improvement in your class numbers.
BUT YOU HAVE TO ACT TODAY – MONDAY AT THE LATEST
Communicate with your list of students (you do have a list, right?) telling them something simple that starts like – Hi Susan, if you're anything like me, tomorrow morning you wake up an hour earlier than you need to. Why not spend that hour riding with us?
Tomorrow morning is the day to teach your best class! You can take advantage of the time change yourself and get there early so you are relaxed and fully prepared.
And I mean YOUR BEST FUN CLASS. Forget about Heart Rate and Power for a few days and focus on delivering nothing but fun and enjoyment for your participants. And for gosh sake, please don't feel that with a bunch of new students you need to spend the whole class preaching about form and what not to do 🙁 this week should be nothing but positive affirmations if you want them to keep coming back.
Offer your students a reason to make your class a regular part of their schedule. We will be talking a lot about SYSTEMATIZATION (connecting multiple classes together) over the next month. After 25 years of sales experience, it's my opinion that your students will have the least resistance to committing to a series of classes this week. Tom Scotto has a great article about adding a Winter Training Program to your studio's schedule that addresses this in more detail.
It maybe as simple as asking each person you see to commit to coming to your class on a regular basis. In “sales speak” we call this asking an obligating question. A question like; “Sally, will I see you in class Friday?” can be very powerful because if they answer yes, they will feel obligated to show up Friday. Notice I didn't say “Sally, I would love to see you class Friday” which doesn't commit them to anything. Asking obligating questions is hard for many of us so don't be discouraged if you feel uncomfortable asking them. It maybe helpful to first think; “will coming to class Friday help Sally?” and if your answer is yes, then you should be able to communicate your desire to help Sally through a question that will help her get to your next class 🙂
You and your participant's desires are in perfect alignment this week; they want to use this change to start a new habit and you want them in your class… Now is the time to act 🙂
The dog days of summer are here with a vengeance, and your classes may be showing the wear and tear of hot weather. But there is no reason why your studio can’t be a riot of activity in spite of the heat. Consider these six easy perk-ups to generate new energy and unstoppable momentum.
“Featured Artists” Spin® Off
ICI/PRO Member Nina Israel asked me to create a mixtape featuring music by Prince and Michael Jackson to help launch a new studio. Because her idea was so awesome, I offered the same ride at my own facility and even included classic YouTube video performances prior to the ride. Who can forget Michael Jackson’s Moon Walk? A few creative posters promoted the event, and many students arrived an hour before class to secure a bike. Not a fan of Michael or Prince? Select your own artist showdown: Zeppelin vs. Rolling Stones, 70’s vs. 90s’, Akon vs. Usher, Divas vs. Degenerates, etc.
Cycle 101
Promote weekly intro classes to recruit new students. Bonding with other newbies creates a fraternity, and students feel comfortable knowing they have a buddy system for encouragement and accountability. Offer a “graduation” incentive after attending six Cycle 101 classes: a logo water bottle, towel, bumper sticker or tee shirt.
Spruce Up Your Studio
Let’s be honest. Does your facility look the same as it did last summer? No wonder your class attendance has slumped! Momentum must be created and sustained continually in order to foster growth. You’ve talked for years about updating your studio — now is the time.
Guest Instructors
In a rut? When was the last time your club brought in a guest instructor to motivate and inspire both students and teachers? Generate a buzz and create excitement when you hype up a guest appearance. Reach beyond your comfort zone and invite a motivating instructor to teach a few rides at your studio. Works like a charm.
Monday Night Lights
Beg, borrow, rent or purchase some nightclub-quality LED lights. Just plug them in around the room to create a visually stimulating light show every Monday night during the summer. You can easily transform an average class into a spectacle of lights and sound. American DJ lights are affordable and simple to install.
We’re Going Out!
Teens and college kids home for summer are an enormous untapped market. My studio added a Friday evening “We’re Going Out” ride with music and instruction designed for the “Under-25 Crowd.” Instructors invited their friends to attend using Facebook and free passes. Those friends soon became members, and now they are an integral part of our cycling family.
