At first glance, it might seem like one coach is the sole benefactor of continued education. But the truth is, nearly everyone in your gym benefits from that one coach’s time and efforts.
Yes, it’s fulfilling for each individual. They increase their knowledge, motivation and in some cases, income. For that reason, it’s up to them whether it’s worth the time, effort and in some cases, investment.
For your gym members and other coaches, it can be invaluable. From nutrition coaching to Olympic lifting seminars, the investment usually means a solid ROI. Oftentimes, this is in the form of gym member retention and cross-team education.
Therefore, it’s worth it for you to consider making continued education a requirement. And you can take it a step farther by providing financial motivation.
First, let’s look at the benefits for your coaches, members and gym.
The Multi-Layer Benefits To Continued Education
1. Coach Benefits.
From a financial perspective, the coach stands to gain the most from a continuing education plan. For coaches looking to make fitness a career - and more money - it can be especially useful.
Beyond that however, there are quite a few other benefits.
Any seasoned coach will tell you that confidence is a big part of growing as a leader. It factors into everything from time management to proper cueing. Plus, it allows you to truly be yourself and bring your personality to each class.
Continued education builds that confidence. It gives you more tools in your belt and belief in yourself to truly help people. You no longer have to fake it until you make it. You can feel confident that you’re providing valuable information and expertise.
Further, it’s the spark some coaches need to reignite their passion. Or your team can discover new areas to be passionate about. Keeping things fresh can motivate them to continue coaching long-term.
Former affiliate owner Zach Forrest says continued education is a game-changer. For more than a decade, Forrest owned multiple gyms. He recalls that the amount of self-respect his coaches gained from continuing education was priceless.
Forrest says when he began encouraging continued education, there was a huge “culture shift” at his gym. It was something he was willing to pay for, sometimes covering 100% of the costs. He says as a result, his coaches took their jobs more seriously. And professionalism increased to help members even more.
2. Client Benefits.
The first benefit to the client is fairly obvious: Better coaching. When classes are led by knowledgeable coaches, members are more likely to get better, faster. Educated coaches can help clients fix deficiencies, improve performance and reach goals.
But the next level is more specific program options for members. When coaches complete specialty courses like gymnastics, it opens up new offerings at your gym.
For example, after the CrossFit Open, members might look for “the next thing” to focus on. What if you offered an endurance seminar in the spring and a powerlifting competition in the summer? Follow that up with a gymnastics course in the fall.
Now, your coaches can help members in the specific areas they’ve learned in. Plus, members will love the variety and unique training opportunities.
3. Business Benefits.
Fulfilled coaches and happy members generally mean business is good. So from a continued education perspective, there are a handful of benefits for your gym:
- Increased Revenue: Generated from specialty gym programs and seminars your coaches might host throughout the year.
- Better Coach Retention: As coaches earn more money, and feel more engaged and fulfilled, they’ll stick around longer.
- Higher Client Retention: When clients start to see results from better coaching, they become life-long members.
So now that we’ve outlined the benefits, let’s talk about how to roll it out at your gym.
Two Simple Steps To Get Coaches On Board
1. Outline The Financial Opportunities.
First, help your coach clearly connect the dots between the education and the financial opportunity. They’re investing time, energy and money. So show them that the return is worth it.
For example, consider a nutrition coaching certification through Healthy Steps Nutrition. Once the course is complete, your coach can bring on new clients. If 20 new clients pay $150 per month, that’s $3,000 in revenue. And if the coach/gym split is 60/40%, your coach is making $1,800 per month.
Or let’s look at an Olympic lifting course. Once your coach earns their continued education credits, they launch a six-week Oly Club. The cost is $120 per person and 30 people sign up. With the same split, that $3,600 in revenue means $2,160 for the coach.
Further, once the program is over, you can sell individual programming for members to continue progressing.
Pro Tip: Sell individual programs to member directly with just a couple clicks in the PushPress Train app! Book a demo with our team today for more info!
The key is to start by finding out which coaches are interested in exploring opportunities. Then brainstorm ideas for additional revenue streams and find correlating education opportunities.
2. Invest In Their Success.
Since this type of education benefits your business as well, it’s worth considering covering some - or all - of the cost.
Forrest said he used to set aside a fund specifically for continued education. His business would cover 100% of the cost for a CrossFit.com certification or seminar. Or, the gym would cover 50% for other courses that would improve coaching.
In some cases, this meant covering half the cost of improv or public speaking courses. Forrest deemed these as helpful for his team to coach classes better.
First, crunch the numbers and determine what you’re able to afford. Oftentimes, even 25% will be helpful to coaches. In addition, having to contribute part of the fee means coaches are more invested in their own success.
Again, help the coach see the big picture when it comes to the investment. Show them the opportunity to make the money back. This truly makes the time and money an investment, instead of a one-way transaction.
In Summary: Knowledge Is Power (And Revenue).
Continued education starts with investing time, energy and money. This automatically separates “everyday” coaches from those who want to excel. Find your rock stars and show them the benefits of education. The ROI is worth it for them, your members and your gym. It produces a great opportunity to increase revenue while launching your coaching staff to a whole new level.
