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Hiring a Fitness Professional Top 10 Tips

Pro Fitness Program President and owner Jeff Russo was speaking at the MGM Grand Casino in Connecticut for the NEHRSA (New England Health Racquet and Sports Association) in May about the topic of hiring the right whos to give you the right whats. His top 10 hiring list is ideal for club owners, managers and Fitness Directors who want to ensure they hire smart from the start and avoid the outrageous costs of a bad hire.

1. Use your web site and other popular job posting sites for your initial screening

Many of our clubs are having tremendous success with sites like Craig's List to find potential employees. You can greatly reduce the cost of a newspaper add by using these free services and if you do decide to use the paper as well, you can reduce fees by simply pointing people to your web site. By now all clubs should have a career button on their web site. You should use this as your first stage of the interview process by having applicants answer a series of questions on line that potentially generates an email that prompts them to follow additional instructions. If they can't find your site or get past this preliminary stage you can usually cross them off your list.

2. Always be hiring

It's imperative that you avoid the ready, aim, hire practices of most companies. If the only time you're in hiring mode is when someone leaves your company and your scrambling for a replacement you most certainly will be pressured to make a hasty hiring decision that will not work out. Statistics clearly show that 66% of your hiring decisions turn out to be mistakes in the first year. This is usually one of the biggest factors contributing to this statistic. There is nothing wrong with having a lengthy hiring process that could take up to 3 - 6 months and to have people waiting in the wings for a position to open up. Make sure you delegate the stages of the hiring process to your key people and continue to uncover talent when your roster is full. Always know where your next hire is!

3. Have a lengthy 4 - 6 part interview process

Jeff highly recommends a series of pre-determined, structured interview stages to best uncover whether an individual is the ideal fit for the organization and vice a versa. From panel based interviews with management, to a subsequent interview by staff members, spending one to two days shadowing someone on the job, a social lunch type of gathering as well as a career assessment screening often referred to as an online personality test should all be part of the process. The fact of the matter is that candidates will value the job and pursue it more if it's difficult to attain.

4. The why is more important than the what and how

It's imperative that you define why you do what you do and what your vision and core values are from the start. By surrounding yourself with like minded people who have the same passion and commitment to the cause you eliminate the need to micro manage. You can't train people in core values, you have to hire people with those values from the start. Create a 30 second commercial or elevator speech that easily conveys why your organization exists so people can catch the vision or immediately decide that they do not resonate with your calling. Companies that focus on the why first are always more successful. This should be easy for those of you who claim that fitness is your life's calling, so never ask what we should value but instead what we actually value down deep to our core.

5. Use Behavioral Based questions in your interviews

The stats show that 30% of candidates lie on their resumes, 34% exaggerate and at least 10% serious misrepresent themselves. You need to get past the superficial, surface level interview process that puts so much value on the resume and education. In life only 15% of anyone's success will be due to skills in technical engineering with the remaining 85% due to skills in human engineering. Therefore use a series of behavior based questions that attempt to reveal character through past behavior and habits. There is a huge difference between traditional hypothetical questions that illicit a response that the candidate thinks you want to hear and a question that probes into a specific situation in the past that you can easily follow up on and confirm. Contact us for a list of our top 6 behavioral based questions.

6. Provide protocols, pay structures and reviews from the start

Once you've decided to bring a candidate in for an interview, have a complete new hire package prepared outlining the job description, performance reviews and pay structure. Ensure that all pay structures have a definite structure for advancement and outline clearly how the candidate can move up from an entry to a mid to a senior level position. There is no use wasting anyone's time by not laying out all your cards from the start. It's always important to know what that person needs to earn and whether they can make the commitment to your organization taking into account a possibility of future growth. This is also a great way to measure commitment. If someone is committed to the larger vision and is passionate about what your organization stands for, they are usually willing to start for a reduced wage of commission until they've developed some competence and seniority.

7. Have a detailed 4 - 8 week new hire training program in place

If you make the decision to hire anyone the next step should be handing them a detailed schedule of training times in various departments in your club. This should come complete with training manuals and required readings as well as class room time and required homework assignments. Here is your opportunity to observe over the probationary period whether or not you made the right hiring decisions. Do they show up to training on time, are their readings done, can you delegate work that gets done on schedule and are they getting along with staff?

8. Hire people who have their finances in order

In the interview process attempt to address the candidate's financial situation by asking whether or not they will be able to handle a reduced pay during the probationary period to learn position and determine whether they are the right fit. Individuals who are struggling from pay check to pay check are typically desperate for any job and will be joining your organization for the wrong reason. Customers can also sense desperation in sales situations which will deter from the sales process. As soon as the new hire experiences a couple of slow months which is always inevitable, they will be scrambling to find alternative part time jobs and will never be fully committed to a long term career.

9. Don't hire anyone unless you're committed to developing them

It goes without saying that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Leading someone is a huge responsibility and it as process that must be earned. Employees spend more time with you and your organization than they do with their own families. If it's true that the right people are most important asset, then as managers and owners we need to have a system in place that prioritizes them above all else. Start the year by scheduling all of your appointments with your key 20% in advance for the entire year. Don't let anything bump these appointments from your schedule and make sure you have structured agendas that include reviews, further education and feedback from them so that you actions prove louder than words that your people matter.

 10. Always hire for fit and motive above experience and education

Because you are now going to create a recruitment process that instills the key values of you and your company it will be far easier to identify whether or not the individual is the right fit for your culture. In other words, we know that the job looks like this and the person has the experience and education to do it, but the bigger question is whether or not they want to do it. In even simpler terms we don't want you to come to work unless it feels right. Most companies will hire for aptitude and fire for attitude. So the challenge to all of you is to focus on culture and core values long before establishing a product, marketing, creating a building or putting together a sales force. And even if you've put the cart before the horse, it's never too late to go back and do it right from now on.

Personal Training Newsletter April 2010

April's Pro Fitness Program Newsletter features an important article on the music tariff that has the potential to put many clubs out of business. Find out what our organization and Pro Fitness Program club owners are doing about it and how you can make a difference.

April was also a record setting month for several of our clients with one of our Fitness Consultants achieving a 90% success ratio in the consultation office. Click on the newsletter below for all of the latest standings and totals.

With our new format and information delivery system we encourage you to provide comments and suggestions each time you receive information and updates.

April 2010 PFP News (.pdf, 493.7 KB)

8 Successful Tips for your Personal Training Demo

1. Preparation equals Professionalism. 

If you go in for any dentist or doctor's appointment the receptionist will immediately obtain your file for the Doctor to review and add notes to prior to making any kind of prescription. Similarly a good demo starts with the Trainer reviewing the client's fitness consultation journal and any Fitness Consultant / Trainer transitional note sheets. To take it one step further, a Trainer should speak with the Consultant prior to each demo to get a better understanding of what the client's driving wants are and what the major stumbling block is in terms of committing to one of the packages. During the demo the Trainer should have the consultation journal on their clip board and should be adding appropriate notes to the file to assist in the second sales presentation or to use as follow up during the next presentation. (Read More)

Personal Training Certification Course

On June 12th and 13th at the River Valley Club in Hanover New Hampshire, the Pro Fitness Program will be hosting a Movement Training Specialist seminar and certification course.

We have had a tremendous amount of interest in the MTS Program both in Canada and the Eastern USA for two very important reasons. First of all the majority of Trainers that we initially work with have a very difficult time defining functional training and are not 100% clear on how to properly train and progress a client through the various plains of motion through stretching, plyometrics and resistance training exercises. MTS defines function as the complex integration of joints moving, proprioceptors facilitating and muscles reacting, all at the same time in all 3 plains of motion. It's seldom that I encounter Trainers who have a structured, long term program to address all of these areas with different populations. The MTS Certification will give you the tools, confidence and support to accomplish this.

Secondly, MTS Trainers have an amazing renewal percentage which is often attributed to the variety in their exercise routines, the results they get their clients, and the absolute differentiation in training techniques from typical machine based routines. Any owner should value what this type of program can add to a bottom line personal training business so feel free to get them on board to support your education. Click here for more information on the program and how to register. Don't forget to mention that you're a PFP client for additional savings!!

Personal Training Newsletter Jan 2010

We have been sending out our monthly newsletter and rankings of our top fitness club performers for the past 3 years through email attachments. Moving forward we will be posting the PFP News on this web site and sending the link to our clients. We would suggest that staff and management simply register their email and contact information on the home page of this site to receive updates on a regular basis. We want to be able to combine all of our monthly sales, marketing and management tips to improve personal training sales with our newsletters in one central location. At the same time we are encouraging all of our users to repsond with questions and suggestions and enter into discussions with other Fitness Consultants, Personal Trainers and Fitness Directors. Why not start today.

Click on the PDF File below and enjoy the Pro Fitness Program Newsletter for January 2010. You can also save a copy to your computer to distribute in your clubs. Congratulations to our top performers and facilities.. 2010 is turning out to be an incredible year for personal training sales with this amazing  personal training business system!!

Jan PFP News (.pdf, 895.8 KB)

Top 5 Ways to Increase Fitness Consultation Shows

On our recent visit to Penfield Fitness in Rochester NY, the topic of getting clients to show up for the annual consultation program was discussed. Although clients are investing $90 for four 90 minute consultations, very few are coming back for their second assessment and even less are attending the final two appointments. Remember that the consultation fee is designed to cover the cost of exposing members to our personal training services. In addition, the consultation program is our service guarantee to the client that we are going to follow up with them, keep them motivated while continuing to prescribe the best possible solutions to help them achieve their fitness goals through concrete data and gym floor assessments. Here are some very important tips to maximize the client's experience with the program that we have developed as a result of valuable feedback from our Pro Fitness group of fitness facilities.

 Build More Value in the Consultation Journal

 Membership Representatives must make a commitment to go through the entire journal with members to outline the significance of the assessments, gym floor analysis and periodization prescription sheets. The member should be made aware that they will be able to take ownership of the journal at the end of their 4^th consultation and it will be an outstanding record of their progress and work at the facility over the course of the year. It's as valuable as any personal training log book or record keeping system that Trainers use with their clients. Let the client know that they will be handed the journal, in person, after completing the final consultation and will have the option of registering for another round of assessments for the following year. It will also allow us to clean out our final cabinets to make room for the new members.

 Shorten Up the time Between Assessments

 Traditionally we have promoted a 90 day gap between the 4 consultations. These periods have been shown to be too long to keep people engaged and serviced. All IHRSA studies indicate that the first 8 weeks of a client's membership experience is the most crucial time for satisfaction and retention. Therefore, book the second consultation at the 8-week period and then the third and fourth appointments in either 8 week intervals or continue with the 90 day period. If the client comes in for the second appointment and establishes some comparative data, the value should be built to ensure a better show ratio for the remaining appointments.

 Book all Appointments at the Membership Sale

 Have the Membership Representatives book all 4 consultation appointments at the point of sale and then printout the schedule on PFP Track and include it in the new member package. Assume the same day and time as the first appointment and don't worry if changes have to be made down the road. Fitness Consultants will be contacting the members a couple of weeks prior to these appointments to confirm and changes can be made at that time. At least all appointments will be visible in the Monthly Consultation Appointment Report for easy follow up. The member will take more ownership if they see that it is a structured program that we take seriously from day one. Once again remember to book appointment number two in 60 not 90 days.

 Create a Contact System in between Appointments

 Ensure that Membership Reps are entering complete contact information for each client in PFP Track to include phone numbers and email. Make personal notes about the client in the client profile section and then decide on a series of emails and phone calls in between appointments. The first email should be a thank you from the Membership Rep that includes a link to profitnessmember.com and a reminder to the client to read the FAQ page. It should also remind them that they can use the site to compare their assessment data printout to national norms and standards. After the consultation the Fitness Consultant must send out another email to the client if they do not purchase personal training between the third and fourth week to ask how they are progressing, indicating that they are looking forward to the second consultation while including some useful information on the benefits of resistance training, progressive workouts, intensity, variety or anything else that helps the client understand the value of working with a coach.

 Have a Strong Promotional Offer

 At the time of the initial consultation the client should be offered a coupon that will be activated if and when they complete their 4^th consultation. I would suggest a $90 voucher that can be used for the purchase of any personal training service to include a second year of assessments at no charge. How motivating would it be for a client to know that if they stay consistent and complete our program that they will basically get the whole year of assessments at no cost? It also tells them that we are committed to servicing them and that this service is not about making money but being committed to their success. I would be overjoyed if I could get even 35% of all my members completing all the consultations in year one and then getting them committed to another round in year two. Think of the multiple opportunities to educate them and present coaching and also think of the retention benefits to that kind of service. If in the end you make no money of your consultation fees but accomplish these two goals you're way ahead of the game.

Jeff Russo