As an Indoor Cycling studio owner or manager, you want your supplier relationships to be a WIN/WIN/WIN where your supplier wins…your customer wins…and you win.
Find the right retail supplier and you add value to the overall customer experience and to your bottom line.
On the flip side, choosing a supplier in haste can cost your studio time and money.
Poor decisions risk creating a false brand illusion, detract from your customer’s overall experience, are expensive lessons to learn.
A new Indoor Cycling studio owner or manager lacking in retail experience is left to rely on trial and error and the test of time to determine what retail products work or don’t work. Social media advice and google searches may help you determine what works in other studios … but there is no guarantee that what works for one will work for the next.
So, once you have narrowed down your chooses of suppliers, think about choosing a partner instead of a supplier. Stay focused on WHY you offer a specific retail product and consider the following…
1. CHOOSE A BRAND NOT A PRODUCT
The way you treat a product is different than how you treat a brand
A product is something. A brand stands for something
How you feel about a brand trickles down to your customer
Products come and go. A brand is here to stay …very similar to how one feels about a job vs. a career
2. KNOW THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE BRAND
Passion drives success
You're passionate about your small business so choose partners with passion …FUN Fact:smart business people surround themselves with like-minded people
3. CONSULT YOUR MISSION STATEMENT
Your mission statement is the foundation of every decision you make …if you don't have a mission statement GET ONE
4. CAN YOU WRITE A TESTIMONIAL?
A brand that parallels and magnifies your own brand is easy to write about
A brand for which words are hard to find…may need to be reconsidered and …go back to questions 1, 2, & 3
Think of your suppliers as partners and watch the WIN/WIN/WIN MAGIC unfold.
Here’s WHY…
A supplier who is also a partner amplifies brand awareness for both brands.
A supplier who is also a partner adds value to the overall customer experience.
A supplier who is also a partner makes you and your partner $$$.
A supplier who is also a partner … well … that’s KEEPING IT FUN for everyone!!!
YOUR CUSTOMER WINS. YOUR SUPPLIER WINS. YOU WIN.
EVERYONE WINS.
Additional FUN Fact:
The article … WIN/WIN/WIN, was inspired by a testimonial I wrote for Violet Love Headbands. While writing the testimonial, it dawned on me that the reason Violet Love Headbands are so successful at our studio is because of the partnership that I share with the founder/owner, Rebecca Michaels. It's not the product that's amazing, it's the people behind the product. KC
Rebecca and Karen share a business philosophy of #keepingitfun
Email info@totalstockroom.com to inquire about wholesale pricing on Violet Love Headbands and product. Violet Love by Rebecca Michaels
Now that it's summer, I like to transition from serious > to fun classes. Not sure exactly why… maybe because when it's cold and dark in the morning, I tend to think if we can't be outdoors we might as well be training with focus.
Summer, on the other hand, causes me to lighten up and try to be more entertaining and fun. Here's a few tracks that I'll be using in the coming weeks.[wlm_private ‘PRO-Platinum|PRO-Monthly|PRO-Gratis|PRO-Seasonal|Platinum-trial|Monthly-trial|PRO-Military|30-Days-of-PRO|90 Day PRO|Stages-Instructor|Schwinn-Instructor|Instructor-Bonus|28 Day Challenge']
Not sure where I found this but I remember I Shazamed it the instant I heard it. There's a nice 30 second finish you might use as a final sprint.
I know I heard T-Shirt Weather when I was at American Eagle Outfitters last week.
I'm going to set the mood for my next class with this fun remix – I can't help smiling listening to it 🙂 Doesn't this sound free and easy? You might also use it as an aerobic transition between a pair of intervals.
Here's the MP3 to download Right Click > Save As.[/wlm_private]
Always in search of the perfect 90 bpm flat road song- I first saw this artist on a not memorable awards show I watched with the kids. Her voice is mesmerizing and she used to be a backup vocalist for a favorite British group of mine- Jamiroquai. This shy Australian vocalist is also a song writer and video producer that prefers not to show her face…(you can do that when you're a star)!
This song is great as a recovery flat or ‘reset' between harder work efforts. It's a great motivating flat that helps everyone petal at 90 rpm's- which the experts tell us is our body's optimal pedal speed.
Enjoy Sia and “Fire Meets Gasoline”
The Spotify link:
Here's the free Soundcloud download which is 96 bpm's:
The new E! series, “Hollywood Cycle,” is a never before seen look inside the uber-popular, highly competitive world of indoor cycling at LA’s Cycle House. The series follows the “ride or die” lives of high profile instructors, along with three up-and-coming trainees, whose strong, driven personalities often clash both in their professional and personal lives. While the instructors struggle to keep their sweaty, dark rooms full, their loyal riders ferociously compete for attention and mixing business with pleasure is always tempting. Viewers will also be introduced to Cycle House management who constantly vie for authority and power. E!’s new hour-long, six episode series, “Hollywood Cycle,” is a raw and real look inside one of today’s hottest, most competitive fitness crazes.
I love a great track that can be tune-mapped with some very clear bursts of energy, that signal GO!!! The image above is the actual sound print of today's free track. I've added the √ at the start of each sprint and an X at the end. You'll notice the segment @ 1:53 – 2:23 not marked – that's a feigned (false) sprint which is common near the end of a race.
Here's how I will cue this:
0:00 – 0:42 time for our big finish. I need everyone to find a comfortable cadence and add load that's close to having you come out of the saddle. Prep for two short sprints and then a final extended push to the end.
0:42 – 1:00 Sprint #1. Stand and accelerate with everything you've got – it's only 18 seconds so stay up and hammer through till the end.
1:00 – 1:23 Easy here. Leave your gear on. Sit and relax as much as you can… listen as the music builds until >
1:24 – 1:41 Sprint #2. Stand and accelerate and then return to the saddle. Power through this… you need to hang on to this group.
1:42 – 1:53 Easy, but watch for a break away.
1:54 – 2:28 Feigned sprint. Stand and WAIT – they only faked their break. But notice how everyone's intensity has risen to just below threshold.
2:29 – 2:45 Catch your breath and be ready for the finish sprint. Get your head right – this finish is long and it's going to hurt before you get to the end.
2:46 – 3:22 GO!! We need quick feet here. Head up. Breath like your race depends on it… it does. Watch your watts or speed. Ignore the pain in your legs and don't let it drop.[wlm_private ‘PRO-Platinum|PRO-Monthly|PRO-Gratis|PRO-Seasonal|Platinum-trial|Monthly-trial|PRO-Military|30-Days-of-PRO|90 Day PRO|Stages-Instructor|Schwinn-Instructor|Instructor-Bonus|28 Day Challenge']
Is it possible to create Performance Cycling Classes that are entertaining and compelling, for both endurance athletes and non-cyclists? David McQuillen, with The Sufferfest video series, says you can with entertaining video content – note the emphasis on entertaining 🙂
I've been aware of David's videos for years. Perfect for pounding away in the garage or your basement, but I didn't consider them suitable for group cycling classes. Turns out I may need to adjust my thinking about this… With more than 45 licensed facilities worldwide (they're called Sufferfest Embassies) it sounds like there is a group application for these extremely well produced HD videos.
Listen below as David and I discuss his ideas on expanding your studio's appeal to cyclists through the use of his Sufferfest training videos.
Studio/Club Owners and Managers interested in becoming a licensed Sufferest facility can request a free information package by emailing Kate Patterson Kate@TheSufferfest.com – you'll want to include your studio's name and location.
Please tell Kate you heard this interview on ICI/PRO and she'll send you a pair of these cool Sufferfest Socks, just for saying hello! Limited to responses through June 30th.
