I once had a friend who attended marriage counseling. I asked her if she had to take one thing away from her sessions what would it be. I still remember her answer to this day, “Communication is key to maintaining any relationship”. Oh how right that marriage counselor was. Whilst I am not here to give you relationship advice (I don’t get paid enough for that) I am here to tell you, why communication is essential in any business, but especially in the fitness market. Positive communication allows owners to build the respect and trust of their members and coaches, resolve differences and foster environments where creative ideas can flourish. Often it is the lack of communication that leads to frustration and the build up of conflict. Effective communication is a skill, that requires practice.
The more effective of a communicator you are, the greater the progress in both the business but also in member performance.
The marriage counsellor was right, communication really does build relationships
Relationships are built on trust and communication. Members will begin to trust owners and coaches the more they communicate issues that directly affect them. Discussing technique or performance results highlights interest and to a member this essential in building a trusting relationship. If members believe you generally care they are more likely to listen to and follow direction. Often resulting in a decrease of poor technique and in return a decrease in injury occurrence.
Community building
The fitness environment thrives off the community vibe and it is important to have a good rapport between box owner, coaches and athletes. As a owner or coach, it is essential to make sure your members feel a part of the growing community by showing an interest in their development. Members will WANT to show up for training on a daily basis if you communicate to them on a regular basis and provide support, advice and genuine care.
Think tank
Building a comfortable environment where employees and members feel confident in communicating ideas is key to success. This is where new ideas are born, often resulting in business growth and development. Don’t be afraid to speak to coaches or even members on a regular basis on how you can improve current workings or solve issues that arise. As the saying goes, two heads are better than one.
Invest in communication software
I have spoken to multiple affiliate owners who invest in several software systems to run their business. They spend time and money on setting these up, in a hope it will improve the day to day running of their box. Yet when it comes to communication they will often just message members or coaches, on important matters, through Facebook. Software systems such as FitBox allows for owners to directly communicate with coaches concerning business issues whilst also allowing for messages to be sent to individual or groups. This communication may be about technique or noticeable drops in wellness. This highlights genuine care into a member’s progress and health. As well as messaging, box owners and coaches are able to share files, videos or photos to each other and to their members. When athletes feel apart a community, overall confidence is improved and athlete performance will thrive.
At the end of the day, to be an effective communicator, you must first know how to listen and read people to understand where they are coming from.
Great communication results in a win win scenario.
Your members and coaches will benefit from the messages they receive, which in turn boosts their confidence and keeping them coming back, time and time again.
Naomi Wallis
Product Manager
Naomi speaks all things functional movement. She loves it so much, she adopted it into her daily fitness routine. To say sport was ingrained in Naomi is an understatement.
In fact, she loved it so much, she went on to study sports science at university and has worked for some of the best NRL teams in the country.
Her world is revolved around the sport and she brings this enthusiasm to the table every single day.
