You might not be worried about coronavirus (COVID-19), but your clients are.
Whether you believe that it’s just another flu or even that the tail is wagging the dog—it doesn’t matter. Two-Brain gyms in Italy have already been forced by the government to shut down for at least a month. Stock markets are plunging. Your audience is worried.
And when people are worried, they stay home. You need to get in front of this.
What You Need to Know about COVID-19
From our friends at AGuard:
1. It is not an insurable risk. Most admitted insurance companies exclude communicable diseases on the general liability.
2. Business income is a property coverage and is only triggered by a property loss caused by something such as fire, etc. Therefore, it does not cover lost income as a result of this outbreak.
3. At this time, the risk is low. However, there is a strong likelihood that it will impact gym owners and members at some point in the near future.
What You Need to Do About Coronavirus
1. Demonstrate that you’re taking precautions. Stock up on hand sanitizer with alcohol content greater than 60 percent. Make a big deal about using it on every piece of equipment after every class, and make sure people see you doing it.
2. Tell members to stay home if they are not feeling well or if someone at home is not well.
3. Send out an email to your members list. Download a sample from AGuard here (change the “Florida Department of Health” link to the appropriate one from your state or jurisdiction):
COVID-19 info 2.27.2020
4. Put posters up around your gym. Again, the demonstration that you’re taking action is what’s really important to member retention. Here are two examples:
Handwashing-Middle-School-8×11-p
stop-the-spread-of-germs
5. Coach people in their homes. I spent a summer doing “house calls” to personal training clients. While I don’t recommend visiting clients’ homes, you can allow them to remain under your coaching umbrella without coming to the gym.
Publishing a daily “at-home” option for your group classes is a good idea. We’ve already seen it working in many Two-Brain gyms. It’s not a solution that will last forever; but COVID-19 won’t, either.
The key to the at-home option for your group training clients is to ramp up the social engagement. Have clients share pictures of their workout, pre- and post. Share a ton of stuff in your Facebook group. Create discussion.
Get 31 Free At-Home Workouts (and some other resources) from the Two-Brain Coaching site here.
6. Take advantage of the opportunity to think outside the box.
– This could be a good time to do your goal reviews online. Set up a link for a 15-minute session with you over Skype or Zoom.
– Why not test out some No-Sweat Intro meetings over video, too? You never know—this could actually lower the barrier to entry for new clients. Some Two-Brain gyms are testing conversion rates between in-person meetings and video meetings already; this is your excuse to do the same.
– You can also ramp up your online training practice. If you’ve ever wanted to try online coaching or online nutrition coaching, this is an amazing time to test it. Listen to our podcast on the topic here. If you’re in the Two-Brain Family, visit the Growth ToolKit for step-by-step instructions (Revenue Diversity, Milestone 10).
– Produce content to educate your clients. Establish your knowledge and expertise by teaching about COVID-19 or just about exercise and how to maintain a healthy immune system.
– Take the opportunity to start working with a mentor 1:1. The magic of mentorship is that every step you take with a mentor belongs to you, even after the chaos subsides.
Build Trust During Trials and Tribulations
In the middle of adversity, there’s always a way to move forward. Even when people are afraid.
Here’s the surprising truth about fear: It opens you up to new possibilities. When you’re in a crisis, you think about things you wouldn’t consider before. Use that fear to build a bigger business instead of just waiting and hoping.
This blog has always really been about human behavior. Perception is reality. If one client is worried, he or she could kick off a real outbreak of membership cancellations in your gym. You need to get ahead of this.
Fortunately, the coronavirus is an opportunity to demonstrate your leadership and care. If you show them they can trust you in a crisis, they’ll trust you even more when it’s over.
