While a lot of what we do at The BIZ is designed around concrete tools to help you run your business, sometimes it’s helpful to remember that the most important aspect of improving your business is changing your mindset.
The vast majority of affiliates approach their gyms as just that – gyms. They believe they are trainers first and business ownership is just a means to that end. At the BIZ we believe it is essential to break your mind free from that mentality if you want to provide the best experience for your clients.
Let’s take a look at some successful companies that consistently outshine their competition because of the way they approach their businesses.
The most obvious is Starbucks. They began as one store focused on outstanding coffee and a welcoming environment. They exploded to the upside by being able to recreate that first experience in each store after that, through a careful selection and training of staff and using checklists to ensure every detail got covered. Sound familiar?
Walk into a Lululemon, and I guarantee you’ll be greeted with a smile by an employee who is an expert on Lululemon styles and will find just the right clothing for you. The clothing isn’t cheap by any means, but CrossFitters flock to their stores because they know that they’re getting a quality product and excellent service ever single time.
This is the missing step for many Affiliates: complementing their outstanding coaching abilities with a well-run, systematized business model.
A few months ago I got the chance to visit CFLA in person, and it wasn’t what I expected. Their equipment was used and nothing was new, the floors showed signs of a thousand washes, and the pull-up bars are homemade. However, EVERY single person there appeared to be having the greatest day of their life. Everyone introduced themselves with a smile. Each person was having a BLAST, and loving every second of the day. “Holy crap,” I thought, “THIS is different!”
What sets CFLA apart from the other 4,000 Affiliates? It’s the way they treat their members and the way that treatment is repeated over and over for every single new member. Hand-written postcards and thank you notes, individual coaching emails, progress check-ins, coaches who know what’s going on in your life outside the gym…all the little details that take place outside the classes.
And Andy Petranek isn’t doing it all by himself- he’s trained his team to re-create the magic and methods that have made CFLA what it is today. It is the combination of world-class training and top-tier business methods that have changed the lives of their members and staff. But none of that was possible until Andy brought his business up to the same level as his coaching.
This kind of excellence is achievable in every CrossFit gym! It is not your space or equipment that earns you success – it is your training and business methods. Challenge your mind and you can create success on a level you might not have thought possible. Just ask Andy.
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BIZ Tribers – Are you ready to break your mind with us on the WLCW Kickoff Call for Athletes and Affiliates this Thursday, Sept 6th?
Please take note: the call time has changed to to 3:45 – 4:30 PST.
This is where you will click to join the webcall! if you are an affiliate or affiliate member, so hang onto this link.
All your #WholeLifeChallenge – related questions will be answered on this call PLUS some prize winner status announced!
