Fitness boutiques are increasingly establishing themselves as the winning business model in the luxury wellness sector. Characteristics of success of this phenomenon are the customization and flexibility of the service offered, within an exclusive venue where everything focuses on the physical and mental well-being of the customer.
For a Fitness Boutique, whether it is a personal training studio or a centre specialized in other wellness activities, it is therefore necessary to consider and pay particular attention to the correct management and coordination of the team of professionals with whom it works.
This does not refer to the contractual aspects and commercial agreements between the fitness expert and the facility, but to the aspects that the manager of the facility must take into account to ensure that the service offered maintains the quality standards expected by a specialized centre characterized by high professionalism.
What are the main characteristics to which personal trainers and structure must pay particular attention?
Being a physical activity, it may seem obvious that the professionals working with the facility must have strong technical skills.
Having said that, however, it is not possible to consider technical skills as the only ones necessary for a highly professional service. In an increasingly connected world, with increasingly informed users, mere technical expertise in no way satisfies the needs of those seeking a path to specialized motor activity.
Relational and sales skills
Listening skills, empathy and effective communication are fundamental skills to be sought and implemented in one's team of collaborators, in order to fulfil the promise of a highly personalized service with high added value. These areas are too often underestimated in the different courses of study that fitness specialists undertake, which consequently play a marginal role in the preparation of the professionals. However, it is well known how important correct communication and the relationship that can be established with the consumer is, in all sectors, and it is therefore easy to understand how important it is in the world of personal services.
It is in fact the experience in its entirety that drives people to turn to fitness boutiques. Therefore, the main competence that must be cultivated, deepened and nurtured will be the relational one.
Furthermore, sales competence is very important - i.e. the ability to transform the objectives and needs of customers into proposals for services to be purchased.
This is undoubtedly the most distant and unknown element for those who have specialized in technical training. This competence still echoes negative experiences, associating sales with the psychological manipulation of the potential customer, and it is to this day experienced and perceived as an element from which to distance oneself and if possible to delegate to others, such as desk staff.
But who knows the characteristics and needs of the customer or his potential better than the trainer himself? In fact, the only person really able to offer, and then sell, the best service to achieve the goal of the customer is the trainer, who can listen, understand and in some cases test the real needs of the customer.
In brief, technical, relationship and sales are the areas of expertise to be sought and implemented in your team of collaborators. Planning development through the improvement of one element at the expense of others risks creating imbalances and being less effective in perceiving the quality and professionalism that characterizes the service of fitness boutiques.
The will to stay up to date
Modern fitness professionals need to be highly trained and technology-oriented. If technology until recently only reached some of the equipment in the facilities, today it’s gaining more and more weight in the training of members. Technologies for monitoring training progress, wearable devices and software for archiving and monitoring performance are increasingly present in people's lives and it is therefore necessary for the trainer to be up to date and above all to understand the opportunity rather than the threat of technology. Business applications like COACH or PRESCRIBE are not antagonistic or substitutive elements for the professional, but great tools for to better monitoring and motivational support for client who, in this way, will keep commitment and fidelity high.
Thanks to technology it will be possible to monitor the activities of members but also keep them "connected". It will therefore be possible to implement loyalty protocols through actions that involve training and not only, creating real customer care actions that are particularly significant for the customer.
Technological development also allows the owner of the activity to monitor the different activities assigned to collaborators and their effectiveness, measuring their performance and obtaining standardized data that can help in the difficult task of rewarding those who deserve it and being of help and support to those who have areas of improvement.
Appearance, presence, and punctuality
Whether you agree with or not the famous saying "never judge a book by its cover", it is undoubtedly important to consider the appearance and presence of the people who represent the fitness structure, especially when it comes to services to the person. Not necessarily intended as an aesthetic element, but a good physical shape is synonymous with good health and vitality. Elements ranging from the most obvious body shape to the care and order of one’s appearance are of considerable importance in winning the trust of the customer.
In addition, it is important to emphasize that punctuality in a world of services characterized by hourly appointments can be a decisive element in customer satisfaction. The fact that it is now normal to have to wait for an appointment with a doctor, dentist, accountant or hairdresser should not be the element behind which to hide in cases of delays. Excellence and the perception of a high quality service also goes through the reduction or elimination of waiting times and cancellations.
Attitude and education
The informal fitness environment can lead to sometimes excessive behaviour. It will be the choice of the owner to define whether the trainer should have an informal approach beforehand with everyone or evaluate on a client basis, but under any circumstance abusive terms, excessively high tone of voice and attitudes of excessive confidence must not be used, especially when not authorized by the customer. Fitness boutiques are characterized by more contained environments than the classic fitness centres, so the possibility that the behavior of a collaborator is hidden in the middle of the large space is certainly less. Therefore, maximum attention must be paid paid not only to how professionals relate to their clients, but also to how these are perceived by other possible users within the structure.
Personal Drive
Finally, some studies claim that human motivation is innate and different for each individual. Following this principle, it becomes fundamental to discover what motivates the employee, to understand what his attitude towards the work and the customer may be. In fact, a high motivation for this work allows a correct and ethical approach to all members, whether they are the first customers of the week as well as the last ones on a Friday evening. Not all the professionals with whom you collaborate are motivated by the same elements, and the task of the owner of the company is to know in depth the levers that motivate their team. A leader has the task of supporting the motivation of their employees, who will connect with their customers as well.
