playbook
Transcription
playbook
dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Table of Contents A Letter from the Founder 3 Section 1: How to use this playbook 5 Section 2: Establish your vision of success 6 Section 3: Program positioning strategies 10 Section 4: Establish your goals 25 Section 5: Leading the team to success – The 5 C’s 37 Section 6: Team players and roles 45 Section 7: Getting ready for kickoff – Installation Guide 59 Section 8: dotFIT Arsenal 70 • Product Merchandising and Sampling • Effectively Positioning the Product Home Delivery Service • How to set up a dotFIT Kiosk in your club • Testimonials • Transformation Contests • Effective Staff Training Strategies • Online marketing and other resources • Suggested Reading • 5 Steps to Better Selling • Fitness Orientations • Program Enrollment Scripts • Basic Coaching Skills • Me Program 4 session coaching outline • Me Program and 90 day Weight Loss 12 session coaching outline • Trial Me Program Enrollment Steps • How to create a new Me Program • How to log food in your Me Program • How to create a Home Delivery Order • How to create a new Staff or Trainer Account dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 2 A Letter from the Founder: dotFIT helps you connect the dots. Whatever your goal, fitness level, or age, your solution is here. My name is Neal Spruce and I am here to welcome you to the future of fitness, which for you is here and now. You have just arrived at your organization’s final destination for sports and fitness. Whether you’re working with a parent whose eight year-old baseball or basketball (or any other sport) player wants to be faster, maximize growth potential, and know how and what to eat on game day and all others; a non-exerciser trying to drop a few pounds (or a lot of pounds); a senior citizen desiring to live a longer more productive life; or a professional athlete trying to maximize size and performance – and everyone in between – we’ve got you covered. Our team –which is really your team—is a coalition of sports and fitness experts who, like many of you, have “been there, done that” and are now driven to share what works with the masses. With these leaders at your side we are dedicated to helping you achieve a single outcome: provide proven DO-ABLE methods of achieving performance and fitness goals for anyone no matter the obstacles. In other words, we are the behind-the-scenes resource here to help you help your customers connect the dots, allowing you to effectively deliver fitness on their terms with your brand. With this web-platform and partnership, you can confidently assert that their goal is within reach, and you can help them do it THEIR WAY. The guarantee you can offer: They will reach their goal or understand why they did not. A 21st century fitness/weight control paradigm Because of our country’s current overweight crisis, we formed a “Fitness Think Tank” to study all the current diet and fitness propaganda or what we like to call “noise” or “clutter”. This includes programs both good and bad, magazines, books, professional advice, and more. We looked at why people are unable to follow today’s diet and exercise recommendations, and suddenly it became very clear to us why it’s so hard or impossible to achieve or maintain fitness. Who do you listen to? And if you don’t know who to listen do, how do you start? Current recommendations are so intimidating you would have to be a professional athlete to be motivated enough to even come close to adhering to them. Extra time is impossible to find, exercise isn’t fun, and “dieting” ends up being painful and eventually fruitless. The “noise” was so LOUD, even we were momentarily paralyzed before we realized the answer has always been right in front of us. We had to stop listening so we could FINALLY ask the right question: what can our members and clients do that doesn’t require constant motivation or a lifestyle change? It became clear that if we want to reverse our society’s current overweight trend, we must “fit the solution to a person’s lifestyle” rather than fitting the person to a solution. There’s no magic to fitness – in fact the simplicity of fitness almost explains why it has been so elusive for most dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 3 adults once they become unfit. Every person was a fit at one time, and no one told them how to do it – it just happened. Much the same way fitness undid itself in adulthood. So let’s start there. No matter what, everyone has to move and eat. All you need to do is teach your members and clients how to balance the two so they can get and/or remain fit. Starting from that point, the rest just falls into place. After all, fitness does not have be a lifestyle change, just a minor adjustment. It can be as simple as moving anyway you can in your current, normal day, and eating whatever you eat now in the right amounts. Or it can be as complicated or structured as you want it to be, or anything in between. For anyone who struggles with weight control, today is a new day. With your help, whether they want to lose that last bit of troublesome fat, a whole lot of fat, or want to keep from becoming the average overweight adult, it’s a new game – their game. The mantra we must empower them with: Your food is your diet and your life is exercise. And remember that by faithfully using the tools, resources and support we are committing to you, you will always be able to guarantee this to anyone who seeks your help: You will reach your performance or fitness goals or know exactly why you didn’t. Finally, from the staff of dotFIT World Wide, including the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), welcome to the dotFIT family. You are now empowered to help anyone anywhere reach their personal goals, stay fit and perform better. We appreciate your role in helping make the world a healthier place. You are the key – you are the messenger and protector of our most precious asset: health and fitness – and you have made it affordable and unintimidating for everyone. Together we will help all of our communities connect the dots. Our family is your family. And dotFIT is Your Fitness. Connected. Yours in health, Neal Spruce Founder & CEO dotFIT Worldwide dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 4 Section 1: How to use this playbook Welcome to the dotFIT Success System Playbook. This is your guide to everything dotFIT – from defining your vision, to developing and leading your team, to marketing and promotions and a step-by-step process from installation to administration. Dive into it, make notes, highlight, brainstorm, and push the envelope of what’s possible. Combine these proven strategies with the passion, heart and resolve to be successful. The Importance of Using a Proven System As the saying goes, Confidence and courage come through preparation and practice. Whether you are new to the industry or an experienced veteran, this playbook will not only guide you along the path to success, it will also steer you away from the pitfalls and mistakes that others who have taken this path before you have made. That’s what a SYSTEM is all about: Saving Your Self Time, Energy and Money. dotFIT not only provides the system for success in your business, it also provides the proven, evidence-based system for your clients and will help them achieve lasting results. Take Ownership While it is our goal to provide for you the ultimate fitness vehicle, we are simply the behind-thescenes engine. It’s up to you to put it into your vehicle, get behind the wheel and drive it. Use this playbook as your map and inspiration to achieve great things in your community. Explore. Learn. And most importantly, have fun. Don’t worry about making mistakes. As Samuel Smiles once said, “He who never made a mistake never made a discovery.” We look forward to helping you in any way we can, and we want to hear about your discoveries and successes with dotFIT. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 5 Section 2: Establish your vision of success What, exactly, do you want to achieve? Is it measureable? How will you know when you get there? Conceptually, growing any business is very simple. You can: 1. Increase the number of customers or clients 2. Increase the average purchase amount per customer or client 3. Increase the frequency at which they return and buy again Increase one of the above, and you’ll increase revenues incrementally. Increase two or even all three at once, and you’ll see exponential growth because they start to compound on one another. The exciting part is that by properly incorporating the dotFIT offerings into your business, you can benefit from all three and experience exponential growth! Your dotFIT Vision: Results or Revenue? The dotFIT platform is typically utilized by individuals and organizations that either want to improve the results their clients are achieving, increase revenues and profitability, or both. Clarifying your “dotFIT Vision” is important because it will ensure that your program and product offerings are structured and presented in a way that makes that vision a reality. No matter what your “dotFIT Vision” is, the dotFIT platform provides all of the various components needed for success. The Me Program, the dietary supplements, the fitness accessories, the online community, education, and the in-club or virtual coaching and support services are all designed to support each other and your business. dotFIT is the holistic solution. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 6 What follows is an overview of how you can use dotFIT to improve client results, generate more revenue from new profit centers, and generate more revenue from existing profit centers. After you establish your primary vision for dotFIT within your business, the Playbook will then outline proven program positioning strategies to help you achieve that vision, and finally, a goal setting process for your business and your trainers/fit pros. As you read through this, be sure to take a moment and write down your vision and how you would like to accomplish it. It will serve you well during the goal setting process. • Improved client results Unfortunately, buying a gym membership does not guarantee that success or even progress will follow. Why? Because what’s missing from most fitness-related purchases is a specific plan based on the person’s needs and goals. What’s more, measuring progress, making appropriate adjustments and utilizing systems for accountability are rarely incorporated effectively, if at all. If your organization’s goal is to maximize your service and improve the results of your members, incorporating four to twelve week dotFIT Me Programs into your offerings is the way to go. We’ll share some recommended program structures later, but for now, answer these questions: 1. How many people would you like to see participate in the Program? - This could be determined as a percentage of new customers, or as a percentage of your current customer base 2. How many of those that participate would you like to see successfully attain their goal? • Increased revenues from new or existing offerings A healthy business, by definition, must be profitable. If extra revenue is part of your goal, where do you want to see these revenues coming from? You can either add new profit centers, or leverage your existing ones. New Profit Center Revenue. A profit center is a distinct department or unit that generates profit for the organization. If you are a health club, there usually comes a point one to three years into your club’s lifespan where it seems as though the number of new members you add each month is only replacing the members you lost last month. Developing a profitable health club solely based on membership dues alone is a tough thing dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 7 to do. In fact, a popular health club consultant states that membership dues/EFT should cover your base operating expenses, and the profit centers (such as dotFIT Me Program coaching, personal training, dotFIT dietary supplement sales, and juice bar sales) are what will make you profitable. If you are a trainer, you know that there are only so many hours a day and clients per hour that you can physically service before you either burn out or burn up. The ability to connect dozens, and even hundreds, of clients to the virtual extension of your services through your online dotFIT platform adds a powerful tool to your toolbox. Imagine having 20 to 50 clients you personally train in the club, but hundreds who you stay in connection with through your own online dotFIT virtual gym and coaching platform. The subscriptions they purchase and the dotFIT products they order via home delivery are great ways to incrementally grow your business, your commissions and your impact. This represents a huge win for the club as well. You can use one or all of the profit centers dotFIT offers, depending on how much you want to leverage. • There are 5 potential profit centers that you have access to through dotFIT: 1. Online Me Program subscriptions 2. Products sold in your club or facility 3. Products sold via home delivery 4. In-club nutrition coaching and/or training (by a dotFIT Certified Trainer) 5. Online/virtual dotFIT Coaching (by a virtual dotFIT Coach) Questions: 1. How much monthly revenue would you like to consistently generate? - The average dotFIT facility generates $2,500 - $5,000 per month in both program and product revenue within their first 12-18 months after integrating the systems. The blended margin range is between 20%-40% after commissions - It is not uncommon to see well-run organizations generate in excess of $15,000 $20,000 in dotFIT revenue per month! (What separates the average clubs from the top-performers? Check out Section 5: Leading your team to success - The 5 C’s) 2. Where would you like to see that revenue come from? - What would be ideal for you? Programs? Products? Subscriptions? - Keep in mind that program participation also drives product purchases, because each program participant is provided customized product recommendations based on their needs, health history and goals. So even if your goal is to sell more products, you can increase your product revenue potential by getting more people involved in programs. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 8 Existing Profit Center or Membership Dues Revenue. What if you have a profit center such as personal training that is already doing well, but you’d love to see if you can drive more people to purchase that service without discounting it? That’s where you can use dotFIT as a driver of other profit centers. Similar to a loss-leader approach, you can use select dotFIT offerings such as the Me Program, online nutrition coaching or the 90 Day Weight Loss Solution as a valuable addon, which in turn will increase the price point and number of people participating in your personal training services. This strategy can also increase the number of memberships you sell each month. If people come to see you for nutrition guidance and assistance for the purpose of losing weight, but your business model was not built to administer the nutrition coaching in-house, include a 90 Day Weight Loss Solution kit and/or a dotFIT Me Program subscription that includes online support from a dotFIT Virtual Coach with the purchase of a membership or personal training package. It’s a win-win because they get the nutritional, supplementation and accountability support they need, while you can focus on what you are the best at and profit nicely. • Existing profit centers or membership dues that dotFIT can positively impact: o Increased personal training participation and revenue by adding nutrition and supplementation services o Increased group exercise participation and revenue by adding nutrition, supplementation and complimentary exercise programming services o Increased membership dues revenue by selling results, not just memberships o Increased dietary supplement and fitness accessories revenue by selling products in the club and via online home delivery Questions: 1. How much monthly revenue would you like to consistently generate? - The average dotFIT facility generates $2,500 - $5,000 per month in both program and product revenue within their first 12-18 months after integrating the systems. The blended margin range is between 20%-40% after commissions - It is not uncommon to see well-run organizations generate in excess of $15,000 $20,000 in dotFIT revenue per month! (What separates the average clubs from the top-performers? Check out Section 5: Leading your team to success - The 5 C’s) 2. Where would you like to see that revenue come from? - What would be ideal based on your goals? Programs? Products? Subscriptions? - Program participation also drives product purchases, so even if your goal is to sell more products, you can increase your product revenue potential by getting more people involved in programs dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 9 Section 3: Program Positioning Strategies Now that you have your vision, it’s time to begin formulating your specific goals and plan for achieving them. There are countless ways that you can leverage the various dotFIT platform offerings that will either directly or indirectly drive your service offerings, participation, customer results, retention, referrals and profitability. The dotFIT platform is your virtual gym that never closes, has no geographical or staffing limitations and supports your brand. You have a choice between two primary approaches: 1. In-house service model 2. Outsourced (or client self-service) model The in-house service model is built for businesses that want to provide onsite, in-club service from their own dotFIT Certified Trainers/Fit Pros. The benefits of this approach include full control of the customer experience, the ability to seamlessly integrate dotFIT programming into current services such as personal training, a greater potential for creating the all-important dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 10 “culture” within your organization, and full control of the price points for rendered services performed in-house. This model does require that your trainers/fit pros become dotFIT Certified and maintain their mastery of program administration by utilizing all available educational materials provided by dotFIT. The outsourcing model, on the other hand, is built for businesses that don’t want to provide the hands-on, in-club service from their own trainers. If you don’t want your trainers to deliver nutrition coaching, or if you don’t have any trainers at all, this approach may be best suited for you. There is no Certification requirement for your staff because in this model, you outsource the service of all online nutrition coaching to the dotFIT Virtual Coaches, who are dotFIT Certified. Can you do both? Absolutely. In fact, if your primary model is built around the in-house service approach, but you find yourself temporarily short on Certified trainers/fit pros needed to perform the coaching your customers are purchasing, you can funnel all “overflow” coaching to the dotFIT Virtual Coaches, and you maintain your full revenue share. This means you are completely scalable! Program Positioning Here are the three most popular and proven ways you can position your dotFIT platform offerings, and how to integrate both in-house and outsourced services. • • • At the Point-of-Sale At the Fitness Orientations At the retail stand Let’s take a closer look at each. At the Point-of-Sale (POS): Position your dotFIT solutions to all new members and all prospects This strategy has the biggest upside revenue and service potential due to the volume of prospective customers, but it does require small adjustments to your current POS offerings in order to make it effective. Here’s the idea: Rather than simply offering membership options at the POS, and then trying to up sell them on services that could ensure their success later, your team now presents solutions that may include memberships up front, while they are the most motivated to take action and achieve their goals. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 11 This focus on providing solutions that include a membership, rather than memberships without solutions, will drive new membership sales while giving you the option of also increasing Personal Training participation. It also positions you as your community’s fitness resource. Here’s how to position both in-house and outsourced solutions to new members and even prospects that haven’t joined the club yet: For all new club members: The club representative presents the following in-house or outsourced dotFIT solution options as part of the results membership package. This “virtual gym membership” is as important as the traditional gym membership because it gives the member an exact plan for when they are at the club, at home, on vacation and anywhere they go. In-house Options: • Nutrition Coaching • 4 weekly Nutrition Coaching sessions with a dotFIT Certified Fit Pro • One 45 min, plus three 15-min follow up sessions • Trainer will provide customized program printout • Upgrade option: Member has the option of becoming a subscriber and take advantage of the first 30-days for free • SRP: $89 • Pricing bundled in to membership enrollment fee • Sales person commission: 10% • Trainer compensation: $45, plus product commissions and an opportunity to up sell additional sessions or personal training • Nutrition Coaching with personal training • 4 weekly Nutrition Coaching sessions with a dotFIT Certified Fit Pro • Same format and upgrade option as above, but session time is “baked” in to the club’s current personal training package offerings • SRP: $89 • Pricing bundled in to personal training package purchase and/or membership enrollment fee • Sales person commission: 10% • Trainer compensation: $45, plus product commissions and an opportunity to up sell additional sessions dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 12 Outsourced (or client self-service) Options: • Online dotFIT Plan Subscriptions • Monthly, quarterly or yearly options o SRP: $9.95/mo, or $99.95/year o Member pays for subscription via website, club receives revenue share • 30-day free trial on each of the above, can cancel at anytime • Family subscriptions will be available soon *14-day trials are also available as a last resort for members who do not have credit card information readily available. Unlike the 30-day trial, this 14-day “mini trial” does not require entry of the members’ payment information, nor does it give the member a 20% discount on all of their online product purchases • dotFIT Virtual Coach options • FIT Plus Plan (4 phone coaching sessions with a dotFIT virtual Coach and 12 wk subscription) o SRP: $99.85 (installment plans available online) • Weigh the Weight Away (daily email coaching with a dotFIT virtual Coach and 12 wk subscription) o SRP: $47.90 • 90 Day Weight Loss Solution Kit • 12 week “weight loss in a box” solution • SRP: $99 (or can be bundled with membership enrollment fees) Other considerations: When the new member joins and subscribes to the online dotFIT Me Program, the club can offer an incentive, such as a rebate on the enrollment fee, $5 off the club’s monthly membership rates or even a complimentary personal training session as a way of rewarding the new member for taking their results seriously and making it a priority right from the start. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 13 What does an online subscriber get? • 20% off dotFIT product orders (you must complete your • • • • • • • • • • • • • • subscription purchase before you'll see the discount applied - be sure to save your payment information as a Billing Profile during check-out) Daily targets for how many calories you should burn and eat to get to your goal Daily calories burned – with or without a body monitoring device Food logging and breakdown (you don’t have to log food) Multiple lifestyle menus designed by registered dietitians (optional) CalorieKing™ food database of over 50,000 foods and easy-touse search tool Unlimited cardio and weight training plans Customized dietary supplement recommendations Continuous feedback to stay on goal Option to add a body monitoring device to track calories burned, steps and activity (coming soon) Extensive community platform – message boards, videos, webchats (coming soon) Reports and daily journaling Access to extensive library of weight loss, fitness, nutrition, performance, senior, youth and women’s health topics Various personal coaching options - email, phone or a live Certified Fitness Professional First 30 days are free. No commitment. Can cancel anytime dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 14 For all club prospects who haven’t joined the club yet: All prospects that haven’t yet joined the club should be presented various solutions the club offers before they leave. These options include both in-house and client self-service programs that they can “take with them” and use anywhere, even if they never join the club. In-house Options: • Nutrition Coaching • 4 weekly Nutrition Coaching sessions with a dotFIT Certified Fit Pro • One 45 min, plus three 15-min follow up sessions • Trainer will provide customized program printout • Upgrade option: Member has the option of becoming a subscriber and take advantage of the first 30-days for free • SRP: $89 • No membership required • Sales person commission: 10% • Trainer compensation: $45, plus product commissions and an opportunity to up sell additional sessions or personal training and even a membership down the road • Nutrition Coaching with personal training • 4 weekly Nutrition Coaching sessions with a dotFIT Certified Fit Pro • Same format and upgrade option as above, but session time is “baked” in to the club’s current personal training package offerings • SRP: $89 • Pricing bundled in to personal training package purchase; no membership required • Sales person commission: 10% • Trainer compensation: $45, plus product commissions and an opportunity to up sell additional sessions and even a membership down the road Outsourced (or client self-service) Options: • Online dotFIT Plan Subscriptions • Monthly, quarterly or yearly options o SRP: $9.95/mo, or $99.95/year o Member pays for subscription via website, club receives revenue share • 30-day free trial on each of the above, can cancel at anytime • No club membership required • Family subscriptions will be available soon dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 15 *14-day trials are also available as a last resort for members who do not have credit card information readily available. Unlike the 30-day trial, this 14-day “mini trial” does not require entry of the members’ payment information, nor does it give the member a 20% discount on all of their online product purchases • dotFIT Virtual Coach options • FIT Plus Plan (4 phone coaching sessions with a dotFIT virtual Coach and 12 wk subscription) o SRP: $99.85 (installment plans available online) • Weigh the Weight Away (daily email coaching with a dotFIT virtual Coach and 12 wk subscription) o SRP: $47.90 • No club membership required • 90 Day Weight Loss Solution Kit • 12 week “weight loss in a box” solution • SRP: $99 • No club membership required Other considerations: This is presented as a “thank you” for visiting and as a reflection of the club’s efforts to be the community’s trusted fitness resource. The prospect simply chooses which solution best fits their unique needs and goals, and the club representative can help them get started. If the prospect decides to enroll in a subscription (even the 30-day trial), it’s a good idea for a club representative (Trainer or Sales Counselor) to check in on the trial member before their trial period is up to ensure they are getting results, and if appropriate, invite the prospect back to the club for additional support. The club can also offer a free session with a dotFIT Certified Fit Pro even if they never join the club, so that the Fit Pro can show them how to use their dotFIT Me Program, customize menus, perform the exercises at home, while building a relationship with the prospect, which may lead to selling personal training and supplements as needed. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 16 At the Fitness Orientation (FO): Position your dotFIT solutions for prospective and current personal training clients A personal trainer’s primary goal is to help guide members to achieve the results they came to the gym for. Typically, the biggest missing link in a member’s program is lack of a sound and practical nutrition plan. The dotFIT Me Program makes program creation and servicing much easier for the trainer because they can service a greater number of clients more quickly, effectively and profitably. It also makes client accountability and follow up much easier as the trainer can stay in contact with their clients and subscribers - whether they go to the club or not - through one simple online tool. This approach will drive new personal training sales while increasing client results and renewals. It is also easier to integrate into the facility’s systems because it is limited to primarily the fitness department and will not directly affect POS. Here’s how to position both in-house and outsourced solutions to new, current and even prospective clients who haven’t purchased sessions yet: For all new personal training clients: The trainer/dotFIT Certified Fit Pro presents the dotFIT online subscription as part of the personal training package. The online program is a vital compliment to in-club personal training sessions because it allows the trainer to provide an exact plan for the client’s biggest missing piece (nutrition), each PT session, each “solo” workout when the client is on their own, at home, on vacation and anywhere they go. In-house Options: • Nutrition Coaching with personal training • 4 weekly Nutrition Coaching sessions with a dotFIT Certified Fit Pro • One 45 min, plus three 15-min follow up sessions • These sessions are “baked” in to the current personal training package offerings • Trainer will provide customized program printout • Trainer will also update the client’s measurements in their program as appropriate • Upgrade option: Member has the option of becoming a subscriber and take advantage of the first 30-days for free • SRP: $0 - $49 dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 17 • • • • Since there is negligible additional cost to the club or fit pro to create the customized program, you are strongly encouraged to include the nutrition and supplementation recommendations as part of the personal training services, with no additional fee to the client This approach will increase the value of the PT package, improve results and increase the potential for product and subscription purchases, as well as client re-signs with the trainer The club could also choose to charge up to a small $49 “nutrition upgrade” fee, but this is not encouraged Trainer compensation: Normal personal training session wage, but with increased opportunity for commissions from product sales, online subscription sales and an improved opportunity for re-signs and referrals due to enhanced results Outsourced (or client self-service) Options: • Online dotFIT Plan Subscriptions • Monthly, quarterly or yearly options o SRP: $9.95/mo, or $99.95/year o Member pays for subscription via website, club receives revenue share • 30-day free trial on each of the above. Member can cancel at anytime • Family subscriptions will be available soon *14-day trials are also available as a last resort for members who do not have credit card information readily available. Unlike the 30-day trial, this 14-day “mini trial” does not require entry of the members’ payment information, nor does it give the member a 20% discount on all of their online product purchases • dotFIT Virtual Coach options • FIT Plus Plan (4 phone coaching sessions with a dotFIT virtual Coach and 12 wk subscription) o SRP: $99.85 (installment plans available online) • Weigh the Weight Away (daily email coaching with a dotFIT virtual Coach and 12 wk subscription) o SRP: $47.90 • 90 Day Weight Loss Solution Kit • 12 week “weight loss in a box” solution • SRP: $99 (or can be bundled with personal training session fees) dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 18 Other considerations: All outsourced, or client self-service options presented to personal training clients are best suited for those instances where a trainer or a club does not want to, or simply cannot, spend the time or energy on nutrition and supplementation guidance during the personal training sessions. From dotFIT’s perspective, these scenarios should be the exception, rather than the rule in the fitness industry, because the majority of clients who purchase personal training require nutrition and supplementation coaching in order to maximize the time they spend exercising and thus achieve the result they are looking for. There are too many trainers who fail to provide their clients with a plan for the “other 23 hours a day” when the client is at home, at work and living their life. Adding these client self-service options as a last resort will give everyone the best chance at long term success. For all current personal training clients: The trainer/dotFIT Certified Fit Pro presents the dotFIT online subscription to all current personal training clients as a way of saying “thank you” for being their client, and to demonstrate their commitment to constantly improving the services that lead to their client’s results. The dotFIT Me Program will provide a vital compliment to the in-club personal training sessions because it allows the trainer to provide an exact plan for the client’s biggest missing pieces: nutrition, supplementation, and the plan for any time when the client is not with their trainer (at home, on vacation and anywhere they go). In-house Options: • Nutrition Coaching with personal training • 4 weekly Nutrition Coaching sessions with a dotFIT Certified Fit Pro • One 45 min, plus three 15-min follow up sessions • These sessions are “baked” in to the current personal training package offerings. Session One occurs during the client’s next training session • Trainer will provide customized program printout • Trainer will also update the client’s measurements in their program as appropriate • Upgrade option: Member has the option of becoming a subscriber and take advantage of the first 30-days for free • SRP: $0 - $49 • Since there is negligible additional cost to the club or fit pro to create the customized program, you are strongly encouraged to include the nutrition dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 19 • • • and supplementation recommendations as part of the personal training services, with no additional fee to the client This approach will increase the value of the PT package, improve results and increase the potential for product and subscription purchases, as well as client re-signs with the trainer The club could also choose to charge up to a small $49 “nutrition upgrade” fee, but this is not encouraged Trainer compensation: Normal personal training session wage, but with increased opportunity for commissions from product sales, online subscription sales and an improved opportunity for re-signs and referrals due to enhanced results Outsourced (or client self-service) Options: • Online dotFIT Plan Subscriptions • Monthly, quarterly or yearly options o SRP: $9.95/mo, or $99.95/year o Member pays for subscription via website, club receives revenue share • 30-day free trial on each of the above, can cancel at anytime • Family subscriptions will be available soon *14-day trials are also available as a last resort for members who do not have credit card information readily available. Unlike the 30-day trial, this 14-day “mini trial” does not require entry of the members’ payment information, nor does it give the member a 20% discount on all of their online product purchases • dotFIT Virtual Coach options • FIT Plus Plan (4 phone coaching sessions with a dotFIT virtual Coach and 12 wk subscription) o SRP: $99.85 (installment plans available online) • Weigh the Weight Away (daily email coaching with a dotFIT virtual Coach and 12 wk subscription) o SRP: $47.90 • 90 Day Weight Loss Solution Kit • 12 week “weight loss in a box” solution • SRP: $99 (or can be bundled with the purchase of additional sessions) dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 20 Other considerations: All outsourced, or client self-service options presented to personal training clients are best suited for those instances where a trainer or a club does not want to, or simply cannot, spend the time or energy on nutrition and supplementation guidance during the personal training sessions. From dotFIT’s perspective, these scenarios should be the exception, rather than the rule in the fitness industry, because the majority of clients who purchase personal training require nutrition and supplementation coaching in order to maximize the time they spend exercising and thus achieve the result they are looking for. There are too many trainers who fail to provide their clients with a plan for the “other 23 hours a day” when the client is at home, at work and living their life. Adding these client self-service options as a last resort will give everyone the best chance at long term success. For all prospective personal training clients who didn’t purchase sessions: There is a tremendous opportunity to capture more of the prospective clients that completed a Fitness Orientation with a trainer/fit pro, but decided not to purchase training or nutrition services afterwards. The dotFIT Certified Fit Pro creates a dotFIT Me Program for all PT prospects during their Fitness Orientation sessions and member results follow-up appointments. The complimentary program printout is reviewed with the prospect during the session and can be taken home with them so the prospect can begin making progress right away. The Fit Pro also explains the opportunity to get involved in the free 30-day free trial (client self-service option) subscription. This is a great way for the trainer/fit pro to thank the prospect for meeting with them, without pressuring them into a large up front purchase, while capturing that prospect’s needs, goals and information in their database for regular follow up at appropriate times. In-house Options: • Complimentary program printout provided by Fit Pro during FO session • Trainer will provide customized program printout, and can present product recommendations if appropriate • Trainer will also encourage the prospect to “come back or check-in with them in two weeks so the trainer can update their measurements and provide some coaching feedback, based on their progress” • Upgrade option: Member has the option of becoming a subscriber and take advantage of the first 30-days for free dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 21 • Trainer compensation: Normal FO session wage, but with increased opportunity for commissions from product sales, online subscription sales and an improved opportunity for referrals and future purchases from this prospect Outsourced (or client self-service) Options: • Online dotFIT Plan Subscriptions • Monthly, quarterly or yearly options o SRP: $9.95/mo, or $99.95/year o Member pays for subscription via website, club receives revenue share • The emphasis made by the trainer should be on the 30-day free trial on each of the above, can cancel at anytime • Family subscriptions will be available soon *14-day trials are also available as a last resort for members who do not have credit card information readily available. Unlike the 30-day trial, this 14-day “mini trial” does not require entry of the members’ payment information, nor does it give the member a 20% discount on all of their online product purchases • dotFIT Virtual Coach options • FIT Plus Plan (4 phone coaching sessions with a dotFIT virtual Coach and 12 wk subscription) o SRP: $99.85 (installment plans available online) • Weigh the Weight Away (daily email coaching with a dotFIT virtual Coach and 12 wk subscription) o SRP: $47.90 • 90 Day Weight Loss Solution Kit • 12 week “weight loss in a box” solution • SRP: $99 Other considerations: While this may seem counterintuitive to trainers who feel they are “giving too much” to the prospect, the opposite has been proven to be true. By providing extraordinary guidance and support up-front at no charge, and then enrolling the prospect in the free trial, the trainer is building trust and rapport while soft-selling their services and extending a “fitness lifeline” to this prospective client that they can use to follow up with that prospect for months to come. It is only a matter of time before that prospect will dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 22 realize they need professional guidance and accountability. The trainer should check in on the trial member before their trial period is up to ensure they are getting results and, if appropriate, invite the prospect back to the club for additional support or to strongly encourage the purchase of personal training sessions and supplements as needed to ensure the achievement of their goals. The key to all of this is the consistent follow up with the prospect at appropriate intervals to check in on their progress. At the Retail Stand: Position the 90 Day Weight Loss Solution and Supplement Coach If weight loss is the primary goal of your prospect, new member or client, and this person is looking for a simple, evidence-based weight loss solution “in a box” that they can start using today, the 90 Day Weight Loss Solution is the answer. The “90 days for $99” program combines practical nutrition and activity guidance with a complete 90-day supplementation plan that will maximize their results. This versatile 90day program can easily be presented at POS to both prospective and new members alike, or it can be incorporated into any club member’s or personal training client’s program. In addition, the opportunity to create a complimentary Supplement Coach recommendation by any staff member (no Certification required), arms your front desk, sales staff, and even management team with the ability to quickly and effectively make supplement recommendations. Here are a few ways to position these simple solutions: • As a “last resort” solution to a prospective member or client who wants to “think about it” before joining the club or purchasing PT. The 90 Day Kit or Supplement Coach can get them started today and they can begin making progress while they “think about it”. • Presented and even price-bundled into each new membership enrollment fee for members whose primary goal is weight loss. Simply add either the entire $99, or slightly discounted retail price, to the enrollment fee for the kit. You can also use the kit as a “loss leader” by incorporating the kit’s wholesale cost into the enrollment fee, thus giving your sales team the ability to say “we are including our 90 Day Weight Loss Solution with all memberships this month”. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 23 • Bundled in to all long-term personal training session package purchases. For example, include the 90 Day Weight Loss Solution with all PT package purchases of 20 sessions or more. • Enhance your service offerings without having to do more work yourself. If people come to see you for nutrition guidance and help losing weight, but you specialize in physical training, include a 90 Day Weight Loss Solution with the purchase of their training package. It’s a win-win because they get what they need and you can focus on what you are the best at, while profiting nicely. • The 90 Day Weight Loss Solution at point of sale is an option that will get people involved right at the start and can lead them into the club’s dotFIT Me Program. If a prospective member comes in with a main goal of weight loss, this is an easy and powerful program to offer at POS, and the “less than $100 price-point” means easyentry for many who typically spend hundreds on weight loss programs. • Bundled into your club’s weight loss contests. Build the wholesale cost of the kit into the Entry Fee for your 12-week weight loss contest. All contestants receive this kit as a way to “jump start” their progress. • Offered as a “thank you” gift option for those members who refer their friends to your club. • As long as it’s a win-win for all involved, the possibilities are endless – use your imagination! dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 24 Section 4: Establish your goals Setting realistic, yet challenging goals is vitally important for your success. In the same way that your clients and members would have a difficult time seeing their progress if it weren’t for measurable markers such as body weight, circumference measurements and how their clothes fit, your team and your organization will feel lost without the direction and guidance of some key numbers. As long as you and your team can get over the fear of potentially setting a goal and falling short of it by remembering that these shortcomings are often filled with opportunities to learn how to do something better the next time around, you’ll be well on your way towards long term success. Progress is the goal, not perfection. Here are 4 Simple Steps to Effective Goal Setting 1. Define what the Organization or Department needs to achieve. • Be as specific as possible. Here are some examples: o $7,200 in monthly product sales by month 12; $3,600 in-club, and $3,600 through home delivery - Grow both in-club and home delivery by $300 each per month for first 12 months - 80% of all active clients using the dotFIT Multivitamin and one Meal Replacement) o 80% of all personal training clients with a dotFIT Me Program by month 6; 50% subscribing; 30% with a recurring home delivery order o 35% of entire membership base with a dotFIT Me Program by month 6, etc. 2. Why is this important? What purpose does this serve to the Organization, the employee and the customer? • Be as specific as possible – this “purpose statement” provides the reasons for achieving your goals. Here are some examples: o This contributes to 35% of the organization’s monthly revenue goals o This ensures that the employee meets or exceeds their individual production goals and get paid what they deserve o This gives the customer the best shot at achieving their long-term fitness goals o This solidifies our organization as the community’s fitness resource, etc. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 25 3. What needs to occur in order to make this happen? Prioritize the actions, set deadlines and leverage your current resources. • Be as specific as possible. Here are some examples: o All staff must demonstrate their ability to effectively educate and sell these products by (date) o The management team must commit to empowering the staff with the resources they need to learn, practice and master the necessary skills o The management team must also commit to removing unnecessary obstacles that get in the way of their team member’s pursuit of achieving their goals o Everyone must hold each other accountable to these goals by committing to Step#4 below 4. Measure it regularly, and proactively make any needed adjustments along the way. • • • You can’t manage what you don’t measure. The management team’s job is to hold the team accountable to realistic goals, and provide any coaching and mentoring for under-performing staff as needed, etc. We’ve provided some sample monthly business plan templates following the Benchmarks data below Post It! Once you have established your specific, objective goals, and the reason(s) why you want to achieve them, post them where you and everyone responsible for the accomplishment of them can see it daily. This will help keep everyone focused and excited about what they are working towards each day. Useful Benchmarks and other statistics (based on historical data) Need help coming up with some objective goals? Here are some current statistics to help get your wheels turning. Whether you accept these statistics as realistic goals or as inspiration for improvement within your own organization is all up to you. Typical Club and Member • • • • Percentage of adults who are overweight: 66% Percentage of adults who will officially go on a diet or weight loss program this year: 27% Percentage of those who lose weight on a typical diet that will keep it off for a year: 20% Percentage of those who lose weight on a typical diet that will keep it off for more than five years: 5% dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 26 • • • • • • Percentage of adults who belong to a health club: 16% Percentage of prospective members who, after visiting a club or studio, actually join: 60% Percentage of new members in a typical health club who sign up for Personal Training, Nutrition Coaching, or other services: 3-5% Percentage of club members that participate in group fitness classes: 6-10% Percentage of new members who make it past the first 2-3 visits of their membership: 79% Percentage of new members who make it past the first 4-6 weeks of their membership: 39% dotFIT Club Statistics • • • • • • • • • • • • • The average facility typically generates $2,500 - $10,000 per month in both program and product revenue within their first 12-18 months after integrating the dotFIT systems The blended margin range is between 20%-40% after commissions It is not uncommon to see well-run organizations generate in excess of $15,000 $20,000 in dotFIT revenue per month! Percentage of online nutrition program free trial (without entering credit card details) users who become subscribers: 20% Percentage of online nutrition program free trial (with entering credit card details) users who become subscribers: 60% Percentage of online nutrition program users who sign up for product Home Delivery: 15% Percentage of adults who use dietary supplements regularly: 70% Average monthly dietary supplement purchase: $55.00 Percentage of Home Delivery product purchases that are retained and repeated the following month: 85% Percentage of in-club product purchases that are retained and repeated the following month: 60% Percentage of Home Delivery Orders that are Instant Orders: 22% Percentage of Home Delivery Orders that are Recurring Orders: 78% Percentage of online nutrition program users who purchase a calorie tracking device online: 5% dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 27 Creating a Monthly Business Plan Monthly Business Plans are crucial because they are a proactive tool designed to help each individual trainer/fit pro maintain focus throughout each day of the month, rather than waiting until “close out” and thus feeling the stress and pressure that can come from being behind on their goals. When creating a Monthly Business Plan for a trainer/fit pro there are a number of things you have to consider: • • • • • • • • • • • • How much revenue does the trainer/fit pro need to make? (This can also be viewed in terms of the number of people you need to help by dividing the total revenue $ by the average revenue per program or product sold) How much revenue would the trainer/fit pro like to make? Does the trainer/fit pro fully understand their compensation plan and how to maximize their time? How many clients is the trainer/fit pro currently working with and how many times a week are they working with them? How many clients are going to continue working with the trainer/fit pro once they complete their current agreement? How many new clients will the trainer/fit pro need to grow your income to a level that meets their desired goal? How many new clients will they need to replace some of the existing clients they might lose because those clients have reached their goal or they have decided to go on their own? How much time does the trainer/fit pro have open in their current work schedule? How much time can the trainer/fit pro invest in prospecting? How many appointments does the trainer/fit pro need to set in order to generate their new business target? How many hours will the organization give the trainer/fit pro to prospect and take fitness orientations? Has the trainer/fit pro asked any of their clients for referrals recently? Answering these questions every month will help determine a course of action that is necessary in order to accomplish your goals. Next, let’s create a sample Monthly Business Plan and show you how to set realistic goals and track your results. Completing the Monthly Business Plan During the last 5 business days of each month, the Fitness Professional should review their current month’s plan to create a new monthly business plan and to evaluate their current performance. To complete this activity the Fitness Professional will need: dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 28 • • • • A blank Trainer Monthly Business Plan Active client list displaying all agreements with 14 or fewer sessions remaining The updated business plan for the current month Schedule for the next month (Including existing clients and available hours) Review the current month’s business plan. Finalize any sales that are expected/pending before the end of the month and evaluate how well you performed to plan. Start by asking yourself some important questions: • Did you meet your monthly revenue objectives? • Did all of your expected re-signs come in? • Did you meet your new business targets? • How many sessions did you service? • Where are the opportunities to improve next month’s performance? Creating a new business plan: Step 1: Completing the “Re-sign Section” of your plan. • Start by ensuring that EVERY client you have with 14 sessions or less remaining on any current agreement is listed in this section. • Establish an “Expected Date” for your re-signs by subtracting the number of days they train each week by the number of sessions they have remaining on their agreement. Once you determine the number of weeks they have left to train before their agreement ends use a calendar to select a specific day of that week when you believe they will re-sign. • During the month, you might have to establish a new date because of scheduling challenges or cancellations. In that case use the “Revised Date” box if the original “Expected Date” has changed. • Ensure the “9” box or “?” box is checked based on how likely you feel the re-sign will occur. “9” = Very Likely and “?” = Questionable • If a client is a questionable re-sign, note why you feel that is the case in the “Comments” section. • Ensure the “$ Expected” boxes are filled in with the expected re-sign amount. • For the “Very Likely” re-signs choose a $ amount you believe the client will generate. If you are not sure of the $ Expected amount to use, use the $ amount of their last agreement. • For the “Questionable” re-signs, place a value of $0 in the “$ Expected” column. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 29 o Consider “Questionable” clients as a possible opportunity, but do not add them to your re-sign target. • Establish a realistic target for re-signs based on the total of your “Very Likely” re-signs. • Enter the re-sign goal in the “Target (A)” box. Step 2: Complete “New Business” section: • The “New Business” section combines both “Referrals” and “Fitness Orientations”. o For Referrals: Determine any referrals that you have already set up for the month. Determine a strategy you will use for the current month to generate referrals. • o Example…Give 10 business cards to each one of your existing clients and ask them to pass one out to everyone who gives them a complement on how they look this month. For Fitness Orientations (FO) Program: Review your historic performance for enrolling Fitness Orientations. Determine how many hours you will be working FO appointments and how many appointments you will likely see. Use last month’s performance to determine your current closing % and your average $ per new sale. Determine a realistic new business target that is based on the expected number of appointments you will generate, the number of new business units you can expect from those appointments and $ amount you anticipate from each new unit. • Circle a number under the “Circle Target” column representing the number of New Business enrollments (Referral & FO) that you expect to generate. • Establish an appropriate target by multiplying the unit target by the club’s average $ per unit. • Enter the new business goal in the “Target (B)” box. Step 3: Complete Overall Targets at top of page: • “Sessions Serviced”: o • “PT”: o • Set a realistic target based on past performance, number of current clients and how many times a month those clients train. Add all Personal Training revenue targets (A) + (B). Enter total in the “PT Target” box. “Supplements”: dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 30 • o List all of your existing clients on the “Supplements Planning Page”. o List expected purchases from each client and add the $ expected. Establish an appropriate target for supplement sales and enter in the “Supplements Target” box on the first page of your Business Plan. Monthly Business Plan: Case Study Creating a business plan is an important activity that will allow you to determine a desired monthly income. It will also offer an opportunity to evaluate your performance though out the month and help you identify areas of your business in which you can improve. During this activity you are going practice setting up of a business and determining the appropriate amount of revenue that should be generated by this plan. Richard has been a trainer for about 2 years. He has established a consistent income and he has a large number of clients that have been training with him for an extended period of time. Richard has had a number of conversations with a few of his clients that do not plan to continue working with him after their current agreement is completed. He recognizes that he is going to have to replace a number of these clients with new clients if he wants to maintain his current income. Richard has 12 clients that are coming up for a re-sign this month. In a normal month he generally loses about 1 or 2 of his potential re-signs, but this month he knows he could lose as many as 5 for various reasons. He usually has to generate at least 1 new client a month to close the gap on the clients he normally loses, but this month he will have to increase his focus on new business to maintain his monthly income. By evaluating his past performance Richard knows that he would normally have to set 4 appointments with potential new clients to generate 1 new client. He knows this because he has determined his average closing % on appointments is 25%. • How many appointments will Richard have to generate this month to meet his goal of 3? ___ Appointments Next Richard will need to establish a realistic New Business Target. He has determined by reviewing his past performance that the average $ amount generated from a new sale is $500. • What should Richard set as his New Business Revenue Target this month to reach his goal? $________ dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 31 Next, review Richards Business Plan to determine the Total Revenue he can expect to generate form the opportunities he has from his Re-sign Business, New Business and Supplement Sales. Start by adding up all of Richard’s “Likely Resigns” and place the total in the appropriate target box Next, take the New Business Target you just calculated and add it to the appropriate target box. Now add up both targets to get his total “PT Goal” and place it in the appropriate target box. Finally add up all of Richards expected Supplement Purchases and add them to the appropriate box. Answers: Appointments - 12 New Business - $1,500 Likely Re-signs - $5000 Total PT Goal - $6,500 Total Supplement Purchases - $1,100 dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 32 Sample: Monthly Business Plan dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 33 dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 34 Blank Versions: dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 35 dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 36 Section 5: Leading the Team to Success – The 5 Key Cs What does it take to achieve success? The good news is that success leaves clues. Think about it this way: If you want to open a lock, you need to have the keys that fit that lock. When you do, the lock opens every time – no matter who used the key. There are 5 keys that are required to unlock the potential of your dotFIT platform. These will be easy to remember, because they all start with the letter C: 9 9 9 9 9 Culture Captain Compensation and Cash Flow Communication Creativity Culture Have you ever walked into a gym, doctor’s office or coffee shop where you felt a palpable “vibe”? Sometimes that vibe made you feel very comfortable and welcomed, while other times you felt awkward and uneasy. Either way, that vibe you feel is coming from the culture within that organization. Every organization has a culture. Some cultures are created accidentally (usually developed by the most controlling or outgoing personalities in the group), while others are developed purposefully. In the fitness industry, first-time health club members make up over 40% of new customers. Even though they need our help, they already feel a bit nervous, uncomfortable and maybe even intimidated because our environment is a new experience to them. This makes the culture that you and your team create vitally important. By creating a warm, welcoming, and empowering environment, you can move beyond their fears and worries and help them focus on what it takes to achieve their fitness goals. “Attitude reflects leadership, Captain.” This quote, from the movie Remember the Titans, captures the essence of how cultures are created. Your culture is created by your team. It starts at the top and trickles down through the ranks of your organization. It is reflected in the individual and collective attitude towards everything that you do. With the right culture, the team works together by supporting, leading and challenging each other. True leadership is about empowering the people in the organization to get the job done, while managing the critical numbers that drive the business. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 37 Here are some questions you can ask yourself about your club’s culture: o o o o o o o o o Do people on your team see servicing your customers as something they have to do, or something they get to do? How aligned are the values and beliefs of those on your team with the values and beliefs of your organization? Does your team use the dotFIT Me Program and products themselves? Would they promote them to their family, friends and loved ones even if they didn’t work for you? Note: Be cautious of individual tastes negatively “flavoring” other people’s experiences. For example, if a staff member doesn’t like a particular bar flavor or consistency, rather than taint other’s first experiences by speaking negatively about it, follow the advice of Thumper, the bunny – if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. When it comes to taste buds, tell others what you like, and let others decide which flavors they do or don’t like (what tastes strange to you may be flavor nirvana to another) How congruent is the Voice of the team? If a customer asked each of your team members a specific question about nutrition, supplementation or exercise, would there be a consistent tone, perspective and direction given? Does the team hold each other accountable? Are they supportive? Do they challenge each other? Does each team member know precisely what important role they play in the achievement of the organization’s goals, purpose and ultimate mission? Are other club/facility initiatives supporting or competing with your dotFITrelated initiatives? Culture-creation ideas: o o o o o o o Team “Think Tank” or mastermind sessions. Discuss openly the organization’s goals, resources available, and get them involved with coming up with ideas and creating solutions. As long as the leaders in the organization communicate the rules of the dialogue (be respectful, be open-minded, be supportive, etc.), encourage them to participate in the growth of the business. Transformation Contests (for staff and members) Celebrate the victories. Make it mandatory that all trainers get testimonials from their clients. Display them with pride. When mistakes occur, use them as opportunities to coach and support the team’s development. When you fall short of established goals, work together to learn from it, get better, and crush the next set of goals. Hire team members based on values, people skills, work ethic and personality. Program and product-specific knowledge and skill sets can be acquired. Programming and results-focused contests for the members and community. Guarantee results with your programs. For example, “We Guarantee we will empower you with the exact plan you need in order to achieve your fitness goals. What you do with it is your choice.” dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 38 Captain Every team needs a qualified, dedicated leader. The Captain is someone who has the drive, work ethic, charisma and the leadership skills to inspire and empower a team of people to achieve extraordinary things. This is your dotFIT “go-to” person. Here are some questions you should ask when appointing your dotFIT Captain: o o o o o o o o Who is the primary driving force in charge of constantly growing the dotFITrelated business within your organization? Are their personal values and beliefs aligned with the organization’s goals? Do they have the ability to make key decisions? If this person is not the owner, does this person have the support of the owner and/or ultimate decision maker within the organization? Is this person provided the appropriate resources (time, energy, staff, etc.) to get the job done, or are they being spread too thin because the owner is making them wear too many hats? Do they maximize the power of their team by effectively leveraging their strengths, delegating as appropriate and empowering them through their leadership? Or do they believe that in order to get something done right, they must do it themselves? Do they hold their team accountable? • Remember: If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Do you have a backup, or co-captain in training in case this person leaves? Compensation and Cash Flow Working in the fitness industry can be very rewarding. Watching seemingly ordinary people achieve extraordinary physical transformation, and apply what they learned to improving their career, relationships, finances and emotions will give anyone a sense of unparalleled satisfaction. In order for your organization to achieve sustainable success, compensation plans should be structured so that both the team member who facilitates extraordinary client results and the organization who made it all possible can be rewarded financially. First, you must ensure that your program and product pricing is appropriate. • Program Pricing • For stand-alone program offerings • For maximum value and simplicity, any stand-alone nutrition coaching programs should match similar personal training package prices dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 39 • • In the example we provided in Section 3, a 4-session Nutrition Coaching program costs $89. This represents 90 mins of time with a Certified Fit Pro • The club’s personal training packages should be priced comparably. In this example, three 30-min PT sessions would cost $89 as well For integrated program offerings • Since there is negligible incremental cost to the club or trainer to create a dotFIT nutrition program printout, we encourage you to consider including it with club services the client is already paying for • This will increase the potential for the client to become a paying subscriber, purchase supplements and refer others to you • Product Pricing We’ve made this easy for you. Simply price all dotFIT Products to match the online Suggested Retail Price. This will accomplish three important goals • Your online SRP and in-club SRP will be consistent, and since dotFIT sets the online prices for all licensees, you will not have to deal with “online price wars” • Your products will be priced in such a way that you are maximizing your profit margins (typically 30-40% after commissions) while staying competitive with other product lines • Subscribers to your online dotFIT program will receive a true 20% discount for online product purchases, maximizing the value of everything you offer See the Merchandising Section for more product information • Staff Compensation Trainer and Staff Product Commission • 10-20% commission on net revenue from program and product sales. We suggest one of two approaches: o A flat percentage 10% commission for in-club sales 15% commission for online sales o A tiered percentage based on monthly net revenue generated: $0 - $999: 10% commission $1,000 - $1,999: 12.5% commission $2,000 - $2,999: 15% commission $3,000+: 17.5% - 20% commission (optional) dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 40 Tiered incentives are great for inspiring continual growth. If you only offer one straight commission percentage, what is the incentive to meet the next “tier” of production? By increasing the percentage, you encourage the higher-performing players to really go after it. These tiers can be adjusted up or down based on your organization’s goals. What about program and Web subscription revenue? The same tiered approach will work. Alternatively, you could offer reward levels based on performance, such as their choice of $20 gift cards when they sign up their first 30 trials. Be creative and make sure that the prizes are things that really excite your team. Make a big deal out of it when handing out the rewards – remember to always “praise in public”. • Trainer and Staff Program Session Wages • Hourly or per-session wages must match or slightly exceed your current personal training session compensation rates o Note: If you want the team to drive the dotFIT Program, it is important that the compensation structure does not allow the trainers to be able to make more money training clients without incorporating dotFIT • Organization Compensation • Direct profit center revenue o The organization should net at least 20% on all direct dotFIT profit center revenue, after commissions • Indirect profit center revenue (i.e., Drive other profit centers) o The organization can choose not to focus on directly profiting from a dotFIT-related purchase, but rather on positioning these services in order to drive other key, highly-profitable profit centers that maximize an organization’s strengths, niche and demographics o Examples: The 90 Day Weight Loss Solution can be used as a loss-leader to drive personal training “Complimentary” meal replacement bars or multivitamins can be given with membership enrollment fees or personal training packages in order to simultaneously increase the value of the purchase while introducing the new member to the dietary supplements available dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 41 Communication Communication is the life-blood of your organization. The level of effective communication will ultimately determine how quickly your organization rises or falls. As George Bernard Shaw said, “The problem with communication… is the illusion that it has been accomplished.” There are two types of communication: Internal (within your team) and external (typically seen as sales and marketing). Communication within your team • • • • • Realistic team and individual goals set and communicated During times of significant stress or change, error slightly on the side of too much as opposed to too little communication. This will help prevent false assumptions from being created in the minds of team members Before communicating, remember your audience. Effective communication requires that the person communicating deliver their message in a way that considers the listener’s perspective, values, beliefs and understood roles within the organization. Questions leaders must ask themselves when communicating to their team: • Are my requests for completion of certain outcomes or tasks clear, specific and realistic? • Did I clearly communicate what the successful completion/accomplishment looks like? • Did I empower my team with an exact plan and the resources needed that gives them the best shot at achieving the outcome I am asking of them? • Did I clearly explain why this request is important to everyone involved and the organization as a whole? • Did I clearly establish priorities that will help guide them (if they only had time to do one task, which one is most important)? • Are the potential consequences of falling short clear and understood by all involved? • Did the person and/or people involved clearly commit to accomplishing the outcome or task? • Am I fully committed to overseeing, supporting and holding accountable the person and/or people involved all the way through until completion? Take advantage of “professional development opportunities”. Screw-ups and victories are both great opportunities for you and your team to learn and grow dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 42 • Effective Meetings • There are two primary strategies you can adopt: Frequent but short meetings or occasional but long meetings. Each have their advantages and disadvantages: a. Faster-moving organizations typically benefit more from frequent (even daily), but shorter meetings b. The more amount of time between each meeting, the more information you’ll have to cover, which reduces retention and effectiveness (see Section 7 for Meeting Ideas) Communication with your customers and community (i.e. marketing and sales) • • • What would I have to do so prospects and customers would say to themselves, “I’d have to be crazy to do business with anyone else”? Are your dotFIT solutions integrated into the overall brand and service messages you communicate to your members, prospects and community? Or are your dotFIT products and services seen as a separate solution only for certain people? Consider the messages communicated on all of the following: • In your marketing collateral (flyers, brochures, billboards, etc.) • On your website • Verbally by your staff in their sales presentations • Non-verbal communication from your staff - How are they dressed? - Are they sincere in their communication? - If a member was watching them interact with a client, what would they think? - Remember, “What you do speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you say” – i.e. the best signage or poster in the world will never overpower whatever message your staff walks and talks each day Creativity While we strongly encourage you to use the dotFIT Success System as a guide to putting energy towards what works, remember that this is your program and your brand. Thus we also encourage you to be creative and flexible. Experiment, test, and see what works and what doesn’t. If something stopped working, explore the reason(s) for it. If conditions or opportunities changed, and you see a better dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 43 opportunity with something else, go for it. Push the envelope of what’s possible, while keeping an eye on these 5 key ingredients, which will help keep you on course. Create a “Counsel” where you can challenge each other and get your organization on a continual growth cycle. See Jim Collins’ book, Good to Great (pgs 114-116) for more information. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 44 Section 6: Team Players and Roles There are Four Key Players who all contribute to your team’s success: 9 9 9 9 Trainers Group Exercise Instructors Sales Staff Front Desk In this section, you’ll find valuable information pertaining to each Player, the impact they can make, and the tools available to them through dotFIT. How do you use the following sections? Our suggestion is to use these Cliff Notes-type resources as a guide to educating and empowering your team members and Key Players in exciting ways. As an example, in your team meetings, print and distribute a copy of the following sections for the appropriate Players. During this time, review the “Why?”, “Who?”, “How?” and “What?” together to define specifically how each Player can make a significant difference with the people they service and how they contribute to the team’s overall results and financial success. Trainers Why me? What’s the impact I can make? • Results. You are the resident expert in your club. In order to be successful in today’s environment, you must be a three-dimensional trainer: An expert in training, nutrition and education. Your clients and gym members alike are bombarded by too much misinformation and inappropriate advice by unqualified people, which leads them to make the wrong choice or do nothing at all. Forty percent of all new club members are brand new to this environment. Over 75% of them want to lose weight, and over 60% quit in the first 4-6 weeks because they were too confused, overwhelmed or simply frustrated by lack of results. Clients, members and people in your community expect you to have the evidence-based solutions that actually fit with their needs, preferences and lifestyle. What does dotFIT provide for you? • A platform with unlimited resources that you can utilize to significantly grow your client base, reduce programming time, and get results. Here are a few examples: • Realistic, easy-to-use nutrition planning resources that will maximize your client’s progress both in the club and during the other 23 hours a day. - Pre- and post-workout meal planning and timing dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 45 - On-the-go menus for clients with hectic lifestyles - Heart healthy menus - All recommendations come from industry experts and meet the ADA’s requirements for a general weight control program - Food database powered by CalorieKing™ • Dietary supplement resources and recommendations - Safe and effective. Evidence-based formulas that are manufactured in an FDA-registered pharmaceutical company, in compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices - Health history screening process ensures that the right products are recommended to the right clients - All products work synergistically together, ensuring that your client never takes too much, or doesn’t get enough - Home delivery with discounts - How powerful is the combination of Home Delivery with in-club product sales? - Here’s an example of a club that offers 10% commission on in-club sales and the effect of adding 7 new customers each month, with 85% retention of Home Delivery sales and 60% in-club product sales. Notice the compounding effect on monthly commissions at the end of month 12: Online Sales (85% retention) 10% Commission 55.00 10% Commission Net Commission Avg Sale New Mbrs/month $ $ 55.00 Month 1 $ 385.00 $ 38.50 $ 385.00 $ 38.50 $ 77.00 Month 2 $ 712.25 $ 71.23 $ 616.00 $ 61.60 $ 132.83 Month 3 $ 990.41 $ 99.04 $ 754.60 $ 75.46 $ 174.50 Month 4 $ 1,226.85 $ 122.69 $ 837.76 $ 83.78 $ 206.46 Month 5 $ 1,427.82 $ 142.78 $ 887.66 $ 88.77 $ 231.55 Month 6 $ 1,598.65 $ 159.86 $ 917.59 $ 91.76 $ 251.62 Month 7 $ 1,743.85 $ 174.39 $ 935.56 $ 93.56 $ 267.94 Month 8 $ 1,867.27 $ 186.73 $ 946.33 $ 94.63 $ 281.36 Month 9 $ 1,972.18 $ 197.22 $ 952.80 $ 95.28 $ 292.50 Month 10 $ 2,061.36 $ 206.14 $ 956.68 $ 95.67 $ 301.80 Month 11 $ 2,137.15 $ 213.72 $ 959.01 $ 95.90 $ 309.62 Month 12 $ 2,201.58 $ 220.16 $ 960.40 $ 96.04 $ 316.20 7 7 dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK In-club Sales (60% retention) Page 46 • Exercise programming logic - Completely scalable – from quick and easy when you’re in a hurry, to comprehensive and aggressive when you want to create the ideal customized exercise program - Assessment-based workouts, time-bound workouts, periodization models, and even special populations. Unlimited workout variations - Create a full year’s worth of programming on your client’s exercise calendar to keep them focused on their future fitness goals, and how you can help - Video exercise descriptions for the days that your client works out on their own, or needs a refresher on the form you taught them - Sports programming for all ages (8+) and activities • Connection to your client - Create your own online fitness community (coming soon) - Accountability and support. For any subscribing client, you can view their logged food and get an update on their progress anytime, from anywhere - Email, text messaging and even video messaging will help keep your client on track - Stay in touch with your clients even if they move and are no longer a member of your club - Create a complete database of potential clients so that if a spot opens up in your schedule, you can fill that opening quickly by drawing from your pool of clients - Family subscriptions for your client are also a fantastic way to get the entire family involved (coming soon) • Resources for you - Free CECs and education from the experts at dotFIT - Discounts on dotFIT products, NASM Certifications and more - Network with other trainers and fitness professionals - Have a question? We’re only a phone call or email away - 1-877-4-dotFIT (1-877-436-8348) - [email protected] Who can I get involved? Who can I help? • Training Clients • All current clients should either be enrolled in a dotFIT program, which you can create and customize for them. This is their plan for the “other 23 hours a day”. • As a paid subscriber, they will receive access to the programs you create, the community and online support you offer, as well as the special discounts and offers on products that will help them achieve their goals. Their first 30 days are dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 47 • completely free, and they can cancel at any time, or continue with their monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription access • You can also enroll them in a 14-day trial period, which has many of the same benefits, but no access to the special discounts on online product purchases Past Clients • Reach out to past clients – no matter where they live now – and give them the same opportunity. You never know when someone is getting ready to “get back in shape” after an extended layoff • Referrals • Let each of your clients know that their friends, family and coworkers can also take advantage of the 14-day trial, or first 30 days for free – no matter where they live or what club they currently workout at. If these people select your name when enrolling from your club’s site, they will be linked to you and added to your community • Alternatively, you can create the account for them through your Trainer Console area and ensure that they are linked to you • Prospective Clients (Fitness Orientations) • Regardless of whether a prospective client decides to purchase training, each should be enrolled into either the 14-day or 30-day trial under your account • The dotFIT program can be created in approximately 7 minutes, and serves as a great education-base d sales tool during a Fitness Orientation • Current Members (walking the floor) • Since over 80% of all “regulars” at the gym have been at a plateau for 6 months or more, they represent a tremendous opportunity to build your client base • “Did you receive your free trial to your customized dotFIT program?” • You can also “work the floor” by offering complimentary or semi-private paid sessions that provide exercise performance coaching based on their dotFIT program recommendations • Out in the community • Think far beyond the walls of your club. Presentations to local small businesses, Youth Sports Programs (ages 8 and up), recreational sports leagues, wedding planners, churches, chamber of commerce, networking groups, boot camps, writers and reporter for your local media… the list is endless How do I get started? How do I accomplish this? • What’s the process? • Your Fitness Manager or Club Owner will create a unique Trainer Login just for you. This will give you access to the following: - Your own dotFIT program dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 48 - The online dotFIT Certification Course (if applicable) - Your own dotFIT Home Delivery account with huge discounts on dotFIT products - The online fitness community and educational resources • Once you have your login information, if you are going be dotFIT Certified, you’ll need to enroll in the online course. After you complete and pass the online course, you’ll have access to the additional resources below: - Free CECs from dotFIT and the National Academy of Sports Medicine to further your knowledge base and skill sets - Ability to create unlimited programs for your clients, and full access to your entire client database - Even bigger discounts on your own dotFIT product orders (up to 50% off with both a dotFIT and NASM Certification!) • Who’s in charge of what? • The good news is that as a trainer with the dotFIT resources on your side, you are in complete control of your own level of success • Take advantage of the tremendous professional development and networking resources found in your Trainer Console online (Coming soon) - Educational tools - Marketing resources - Strategies that work • What are my goals? • Your Fitness Manager will help you create your own goals and monthly business plan • Who’s accountable? • Of course, no one can hold you to a higher standard than you hold yourself to. With that said, your Fitness Manager and Club Owner both have access to see how you’re doing from their Console logins, and can help provide the guidance and support that will ensure your success • What resources are available? • Online resources - Product information (click on “shop” and then explore each product, supporting research, articles and even videos on how the products work) - Program Administration (Your online Certification Course materials and tools found at www.dotfit.com/clubtools) • Contact us - Have a question? We’re only a phone call or email away - 1-877-4-dotFIT (1-877-436-8348) - [email protected] dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 49 Group Exercise Instructors Why me? What’s the impact I can make? • You are the resident expert in your class. Your participants and gym members alike are bombarded by too much misinformation and inappropriate advice by unqualified people, which leads them to make the wrong choice or do nothing at all. Forty percent of all new club members are brand new to this environment. Over 75% of them want to lose weight, and over 60% quit in the first 4-6 weeks because they were too confused, overwhelmed or frustrated by lack of results. What does dotFIT provide for you? • A platform with unlimited resources that you can utilize to significantly grow your class participation numbers and help them get even better results. Here are a few examples: - Realistic, easy-to-use nutrition planning resources that will maximize your participant’s progress both in the club and during the other 23 hours a day. - Pre- and post-workout meal planning and timing - On-the-go menus for clients with hectic lifestyles - Heart healthy menus - All recommendations come from industry experts and meet the ADA’s requirements for a general weight control program - Food database powered by CalorieKing™ - Dietary supplement resources and recommendations - Safe and effective. Evidence-based formulas that are manufactured in an FDA-registered pharmaceutical company, in compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices - Health history screening process ensures that the right products are recommended to the right clients - All products work synergistically together, ensuring that your client never takes too much, or doesn’t get enough - Home delivery with discounts - How powerful is the combination of Home Delivery with in-club product sales? - Here’s an example of a club that offers 10% commission on in-club sales and the effect of adding 7 new customers each month, with 85% retention of Home Delivery sales and 60% in-club product sales. Notice the compounding effect on monthly commissions at the end of month 12: dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 50 Online Sales (85% retention) 10% Commission 55.00 10% Commission Net Commission Avg Sale New Mbrs/month $ $ 55.00 Month 1 $ 385.00 $ 38.50 $ 385.00 $ 38.50 $ 77.00 Month 2 $ 712.25 $ 71.23 $ 616.00 $ 61.60 $ 132.83 Month 3 $ 990.41 $ 99.04 $ 754.60 $ 75.46 $ 174.50 Month 4 $ 1,226.85 $ 122.69 $ 837.76 $ 83.78 $ 206.46 Month 5 $ 1,427.82 $ 142.78 $ 887.66 $ 88.77 $ 231.55 Month 6 $ 1,598.65 $ 159.86 $ 917.59 $ 91.76 $ 251.62 Month 7 $ 1,743.85 $ 174.39 $ 935.56 $ 93.56 $ 267.94 Month 8 $ 1,867.27 $ 186.73 $ 946.33 $ 94.63 $ 281.36 Month 9 $ 1,972.18 $ 197.22 $ 952.80 $ 95.28 $ 292.50 Month 10 $ 2,061.36 $ 206.14 $ 956.68 $ 95.67 $ 301.80 Month 11 $ 2,137.15 $ 213.72 $ 959.01 $ 95.90 $ 309.62 Month 12 $ 2,201.58 $ 220.16 $ 960.40 $ 96.04 $ 316.20 7 7 • Exercise programming logic - Completely scalable – your participants can create their own programs (it’s easy to do), or they can enlist help from you or another dotFIT Certified Fit Pro in the club - Assessment-based workouts, time-bound workouts, periodization models, and even special populations. Unlimited workout variations. - Create a full year’s worth of programming on your participant’s exercise calendar to keep them focused on their future fitness goals, and how you can help. You can even show them how your new class releases can fit into their calendars - Video exercise descriptions for the days that your client works out on their own, or needs a refresher on the form you taught them - Sports programming for all ages (8+) and activities. Blend it in to your current or future group class offerings for kids! • Connection to your participants - Create your own online fitness community (coming soon) - Accountability and support. For any subscribing class participant, you can stay in touch with them through the online community. If you are dotFIT Certified, you can even view their logged food and get an update on their progress anytime, from anywhere - Email, text messaging and even video messaging will help keep your participants on track and remind them of upcoming new class releases dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK In-club Sales (60% retention) Page 51 - Stay in touch with your participants even if they move and are no longer a member of your club - Encourage all subscribing participants to bring their families and friends via the online community you’ve created - Family subscriptions for your participants are also a fantastic way to get the entire family involved (coming soon) • Resources for you - Free CECs and education from the experts at dotFIT - Discounts on dotFIT products, NASM Certifications and more - Network with other trainers and fitness professionals - Have a question? We’re only a phone call or email away - 1-877-4-dotFIT (1-877-436-8348) - [email protected] Who can I get involved? Who can I help? • Class Participants • Be sure to speak about the importance of their plan for the “other 23 hours a day” during your classes. You have a captive audience, and they rely on you to give them the guidance and support they need to achieve their goals, and continue to participate in your classes • Your dotFIT Me Program will show them exactly how many calories they need to eat each day in order to achieve their goals, and have a ton of energy for your next class • The Me Program will also give supplement recommendations based on their age, gender, goals, health history and food preferences, to make sure that they are “feeding the muscle, while starving the fat”. This will help them recover more quickly and see better results • For those that love to take a lot of classes, there are even supplements that will provide nutrients for joints that take a lot of pounding • Balancing out their class exercise routines with a solid resistance training and stretching program will make sure they don’t develop any muscle imbalances • Encourage all current class participants to either be enrolled in the 14-day trial, or as a paid subscriber, either option will give them access to the programs you create, the community and online support you offer and the special discounts and offers on products that will help them achieve their goals • As a paid subscriber, they will receive access to the programs you create, the community and online support you offer, as well as the special discounts and offers on products that will help them achieve their goals. Their first 30 days are completely free, and they can cancel at any time, or continue with their monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription access • You can also enroll them in a 14-day trial period, which has many of the same benefits, but no access to the special discounts on online product purchases dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 52 • Past Class Participants • Reach out to past class participants – no matter where they live now – and give them the same opportunity. You never know when someone is getting ready to “get back in shape” after an extended layoff (and who they know that still lives close enough to your club to attend your class) • Referrals • Let each of your class members know that their friends, family and coworkers can also take advantage of the 14 day trial, or first 30 days for free – no matter where they live or what club they currently workout at. If these people select your name when enrolling from your club’s site, they will be linked to you and added to your community • Current Members (walking the floor) • Since over 80% of all “regulars” at the gym have been at a plateau for 6 months or more, they represent a tremendous opportunity to build your class base • “Have you tried my class? If you do, I promise you’ll not only have a great time, I’ll also show you how you can receive your free trial to your customized dotFIT program!” • Out in the community • Think far beyond the walls of your club. Presentations to local small businesses, Youth Sports Programs (ages 8 and up), recreational sports leagues, wedding planners, churches, chamber of commerce, networking groups, boot camps, writers and reporters for your local media… the list is endless. How do I get started? How do I accomplish this? • What’s the process? • Your Group Fitness Manager, Fitness Manager or Club Owner will create a unique Trainer or Staff Login just for you. This will give you access to the following: - Your own dotFIT program - The online dotFIT Certification Course (if applicable) - Your own dotFIT Home Delivery account with huge discounts on dotFIT products - The online fitness community and educational resources • If applicable: Once you have your login information, if you are going be dotFIT Certified, you’ll need to enroll in the online course. After you complete and pass the online course, you’ll have access to the additional resources below: - Free CECs from dotFIT and the National Academy of Sports Medicine to further your knowledge base and skill sets - Ability to create unlimited programs for your clients, and full access to your entire client database dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 53 - Even bigger discounts on your own dotFIT product orders (up to 50% off with both a dotFIT and NASM Certification!) • Who’s in charge of what? • The good news is that with the dotFIT resources on your side, you are in complete control of your own level of success • Take advantage of the tremendous professional development and networking resources found in your Console online (Coming soon) - Educational tools - Marketing resources - Strategies that work • What are my goals? • Your Group Fitness Manager or Fitness Manager will help you create your own goals and monthly business plan, if applicable • Who’s accountable? • Of course, no one can hold you to a higher standard than you hold yourself to. With that said, your club’s management team have access to see how you’re doing from their Console logins, and can help provide the guidance and support that will ensure your success • What resources are available? • Online resources - Product information (click on “shop” and then explore each product, supporting research, articles and even videos on how the products work) - Program Administration (Your online Certification Course materials and tools found at www.dotfit.com/clubtools) • Contact us - Have a question? We’re only a phone call or email away - 1-877-4-dotFIT (1-877-436-8348) - [email protected] dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 54 Sales Staff Why me? What’s the impact I can make? • By adding the dotFIT solutions to your membership presentations, you are presenting true solutions, rather than just memberships. By doing so, you will gain the trust of your prospects and community, separate yourself from the competition, and sell more memberships – with solutions. Most people don’t buy “access to a facility” (aka the typical gym membership), they buy a result. You are now providing that. Who can I get involved? • Prospective and New Members • Now you have a full solution to offer all prospective members who come to see you. This gives you the opportunity to be a problem solver/solution-based consultant as opposed to a “sales” person • Sell a program that delivers a result, and package that program with the membership • For those prospects that “want to think about it”, or who “want to lose some weight first”, simply encourage them to participate in the online dotFIT Me Program or 90 Day Weight Loss Kit to jump start their progress (and ensure they stay connected to you and your club) • If your club has decided not to offer the full program at POS, simply ensure that you speak to the fact that your club is a “one stop shop” and that by meeting with a Certified Fit Pro at the Fitness Orientation, the new member will be given an exact plan to achieve their goals at the club • Current Members • Since over 80% of all “regulars” at the gym have been at a plateau for 6 months or more, they represent a tremendous opportunity to build your subscription base • “Did you receive your free trial to your customized dotFIT program?” • Referrals • Let each of your members and prospects know that their friends, family and coworkers can also take advantage of the 14 day trial, or first 30 days for free – no matter where they live or what club they currently workout at. If these people select your name when enrolling from your club’s site, they will be linked to you and added to your community • Out in the community • Think far beyond the walls of your club. Presentations to local small businesses, Youth Sports Programs (ages 8 and up), recreational sports leagues, wedding planners, churches, chamber of commerce, networking groups, boot camps, writers and reporters for your local media… the list is endless dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 55 How do I get started? How do I accomplish this? • What’s the process? • Your Fitness Manager or Club Owner will create a unique Login just for you. This will give you access to the following: - Your own dotFIT program - Your own dotFIT Home Delivery account with huge discounts - The online fitness community and educational resources • If applicable: If your club has decided that sales staff members should become dotFIT Certified, once you have your login information, you’ll need to enroll in the online course. Once you complete and pass the online course, you will have access to the additional resources below: - Free CECs from dotFIT and the National Academy of Sports Medicine - Ability to create unlimited programs for your clients, and full access to your entire client database - Even bigger discounts on your own dotFIT product orders • Who’s in charge of what? • The good news is that as a trainer with the dotFIT resources on your side, you are in complete control of your own level of success • Take advantage of the tremendous professional development and networking resources found in your Console online (Coming soon) - Educational tools - Marketing resources - Strategies that work • What are my goals? • Your Fitness Manager will help you create your own goals and monthly business plan • Who’s accountable? • Of course, no one can hold you to a higher standard than you hold yourself to. With that said, your club’s management team have access to see how you’re doing from their Console logins, and can help provide the guidance and support that will ensure your success • What resources are available? • Online resources - Product information (click on “shop” and then explore each product, supporting research, articles and even videos on how the products work) - Program Administration (Your online Certification Course materials and tools found at www.dotfit.com/clubtools) • Contact us dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 56 - Have a question? We’re only a phone call or email away - 1-877-4-dotFIT (1-877-436-8348) - [email protected] Front Desk Why me? What’s the impact I can make? • As a front desk or customer service representative, your main job is to ensure your members have a positive experience at the club, and help guide them towards services the club offers that can help them achieve their goals. The dotFIT platform can help you to achieve this Who can I get involved? • Existing Members • The club’s the front desk staff has the most interaction and oftentimes the best relationships with existing members. This creates a huge opportunity to make sure those members are getting the results they came for • “How is your program going?” “Are you seeing the results you would like?” “Have you tried our dotFIT resource?” “Have you met with one of our Certified Fit Pros?” How do I get started? How do I accomplish this? • What’s the process? • Your Fitness Manager or Club Owner will create a unique Login just for you. This will give you access to the following: - Your own dotFIT program - Your own dotFIT Home Delivery account with huge discounts - The online fitness community and educational resources • If applicable: If your club has decided that sales staff members should become dotFIT Certified, once you have your login information, you’ll need to enroll in the online course. Once you complete and pass the online course, you will have access to the additional resources below: - Free CECs from dotFIT and the National Academy of Sports Medicine - Ability to create unlimited programs for your clients, and full access to your entire client database - Even bigger discounts on your own dotFIT product orders dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 57 • Who’s in charge of what? • The good news is that as a trainer with the dotFIT resources on your side, you are in complete control of your own level of success • Take advantage of the tremendous professional development and networking resources found in your Console online (Coming soon) - Educational tools - Marketing resources - Strategies that work • What are my goals? • Your Fitness Manager will help you create your own goals and monthly business plan, if applicable • Who’s accountable? • Of course, no one can hold you to a higher standard than you hold yourself to. With that said, your club’s management team have access to see how you’re doing from their Console logins, and can help provide the guidance and support that will ensure your success • What resources are available? • Online resources - Product information (click on “shop” and then explore each product, supporting research, articles and even videos on how the products work) - Program Administration (Your online Certification Course materials and tools found at www.dotfit.com/clubtools) • Contact us - Have a question? We’re only a phone call or email away - 1-877-4-dotFIT (1-877-436-8348) - [email protected] dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 58 Section 7: Getting ready for kickoff – Installation Guide Installing dotFIT The dotFIT Success System Installation Guide is designed to help you avoid reinventing the program kick-off wheel (unless of course you like reinventing wheels, then don’t read anything that follows). There are essentially three sections that follow here: 1. Living your brand 2. Soft launching your program and products 3. Hard launching your program and products Read through each section below, get a feel for the timelines, the necessary resources, and who will be in charge of each. Inject some excitement into the mix, and you’ll have the perfect recipe for a great launch and years of success. Living your brand What is branding? Your brand is the image that you and your organization project to your customers and prospects with your products and services. When used properly, it sets you apart from your competition. It should make a bold statement about who you are and what unique benefits you offer. This statement – communicated verbally and nonverbally – should be relevant to and resonate with your target customer. As a dotFIT-licensed facility, you now offer the industry’s best nutrition and exercise programming, along with the highest-quality evidence-based dietary supplements and an online fitness community that will extend your influence beyond the physical walls of your establishment. The dotFIT brand can and should be incorporated into your own internal and external marketing efforts to ensure that you maximize the impact it can have. In order to do this effectively, while protecting the integrity of the brand, you should follow the guidelines set forth in our dotFIT Marketing Guidelines document, which is available online (www.dotfit.com/marketingtools) and is updated periodically. We’ve included some basic “do’s and don’ts” below. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 59 DOs and DON’Ts These will help you develop and use your own marketing materials. DOs • • • • • DO use the “powered by dotFIT” logo on your co-branding marketing materials. This ensures that your members recognize your brand and your relationship with dotFIT DO promote the program as an effective way to alter body composition DO call yourself a dotFIT Certified Fitness Professional DO use before and after pictures, assessments and/or testimonials to keep track of member results. As permitted make these success stories visible to other members. DO ask your dotFIT Account Specialist for help if you have questions DON’Ts • DON’T market the program to treat any health or medical problem, including eating disorders • DON’T market the program to promote or promise permanent weight loss • DON’T market the program as nutrition counseling, providing nutrition care, or a Medical Nutrition Therapy offering (MNT) • DON’T make unrealistic claims concerning the rate of weight loss (one to two pounds a week is considered normal) or promise unrealistic results • DON’T call your staff nutritionists, dietitians, certified nutritionists, certified dietitians, licensed dietitians, nutrition counselors, nutrition experts, nutrition educators, or a nutritionalists (there is no such thing) in your marketing pieces unless they really are REGISTERED DIETITIANS • DON’T make guarantees that the client will achieve unrealistic results (e.g. weight loss in excess of 2 pounds/week) The dotFIT brand is designed to be combined with your organization’s brand and name into a cohesive “Your Brand powered by dotFIT”. It is also important to remember that your brand is more than just a logo; it’s an image, an experience and an association that a customer or prospect has when they think of you. Some examples of branding ideas and opportunities: • • • • • • • • Internal and external publicity campaigns (Local TV and radio, newspapers, your facility’s newsletter, email) Posters, guest passes, banners, and flyers Staff uniforms, name tags and lanyards Brand your facility with testimonials and success stories Community education collateral and resources Your Website The experience your team creates when interacting with prospects, members and clients The way your team presents themselves both visually and verbally dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 60 In short, how do you accomplish all of this? Simple: Live the brand – and do so consistently. When deciding on an action to take or not to take, ask yourself, “Will this add to or take away from the experience of our customer?” This creates your brand. Everything that you do, and decide not to do, communicates something to your customer. What qualities do you want your customers to associate to your company? What is the dotFIT Mission? The dotFIT mission is to provide the evidence-based tools and support needed in a seamless easy to use format that guides people towards eating, supplementing and moving smarter on their terms so that we can all live a longer, more productive life in a way that’s affordable to all. Summed up, the dotFIT tagline says it all: Your Fitness. Connected. Your brand is your “voice”. Be true to it by being consistent and delivering on your promise to your customer. By doing so, your brand’s equity will grow to unprecedented levels. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 61 Launching the dotFIT Platform You only get one chance to make a first impression. For this reason, good planning is critical as you work towards launching your dotFIT program, products and services. This guide will walk you through the suggested launch process; a model proven successful by countless clubs just like yours. Countdown to Launch: 4-6 weeks Goal: Establish your target launch types and dates Ideally, it’s best to establish both a “soft” and a “hard” launch date over a four to six week period of time. This approach has proven to be very effective because it is progressive, but not overly aggressive. It also gives your most valuable asset – your team members and trainers – the opportunity to become very comfortable with the program and products before the big launch, yet the club will begin to generate revenue almost immediately. What’s the difference between a soft launch and a hard launch? The “soft” launch: • • • • • Typically occurs within the first couple of weeks after you purchase your license All trainers and staff should take this time to learn about the program and products through their own personal experiences, as well as through the education and training support that dotFIT offers If your club’s trainers are going to administer the dotFIT program, they will complete the online Certification Course during this time and become dotFIT Certified Fit Pros Once certified, they will focus on enrolling and servicing select individuals to gain experience administering the program without too much “pressure” to be perfect right away: Existing clients they have great relationships with Other team members (front desk, sales staff, etc.) Minimal marketing resources and support are needed for this launch specifically, as the promotion occurs primarily via word-of-mouth from your staff The “hard” launch: • • • Typically occurs toward the end of the four- to six-week target launch timeline, and follows the completion of the soft launch by just a couple of weeks This is the big launch. Your goal is to get as many of your members, clients and surrounding community exposed to and involved with your dotFIT program and product offerings Considerable internal and external marketing resources and support can be used to capitalize on the opportunity dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 62 Other variables for consideration We’ll explore the specific goals and timelines of each, but first, let’s look at a few other variables to consider when scheduling your target launch dates: - Size of your facility. Larger facilities with more team members usually require more time to prepare Other initiatives? Are there other events or activities that you could leverage? On the other hand, are there other projects that may tax resources? Is there a specific calendar date that you want to leverage such as the beginning of a certain season (New Year’s, spring break, kids back to school, etc.)? Remember one last thing: It is best not to rush things just because you are excited. If you are under a tight timeline, just remember to move quickly, but never rush. Soft Launch and Hard Launch: Step-by-Step You’ll find a step-by-step checklist for each of the 4-6 weeks leading up through your soft launch to your hard launch. The target timeframe, desired outcome, purpose behind the outcome and the recommended actions to take are all listed below. Remember that if you delegate any of these actions, your follow up and support of those team members will ensure all goes smoothly. Soft Launch Checklist. Timeframe: 2-3 weeks Week 1 Outcome Leadership: Assign dotFIT Captain Purpose Establish the go-to dotFIT person responsible for driving your dotFIT profit centers Plan 1. Assign key person who has the ability, passion and availability to drive your brand 1 Goals: Set Targets with dotFIT Captain Set realistic yet challenging goals that will inspire great experiences, results and increased profitability 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Completed? Set soft and hard launch dates Set 30-, 60- and 90-day program sales goals Set 30-, 60-, and 90-day product sales goals Set program prices Establish how the programs will be structured and offered Establish employee product discounts in-club Establish employee product and program commissions and compensation Page 63 1 Staff Training: Trainer Certifications If you are running the dotFIT program in-house, ensure your Trainers have the knowledge and skill set needed to exceed your customer’s expectations 1. 1 Product: Order Product Ensure products are available and ready for purchase 1. Order Product 2. Add products to inventory management software 3. Match retail prices to SRP listed online 1 Marketing: Marketing and Branding Game Plan Create excitement and anticipation for the hard launch of your programs and products 1. 2 Staff Training: Staff Meeting Part 1 Create “one voice” with your team. Get them excited, educated and ready for a big launch and long term success 1. Staff buy-in is crucial to the long term success of your platform 3. Establish the size and scope of your hard launch marketing campaign 2. Order/make plans for inclub dotFIT Kiosk stations where staff and members can access their programs and community. Needed: High-speed internet computer and printer 3. Order posters, banners, brochures and other collateral 4. Create Program Sales Presentation sheets 5. Club Newsletter announcements 6. Press Releases 7. Check online marketing resources for other ideas and tools 8. Create and begin posting “Coming Soon” and other teaser collateral Note: all hard launch marketing collateral should be ready at least one week prior to hard launch date 2. 4. 5. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Order appropriate number of Trainer Certifications Present game plan to the 4 Players (Trainers, Group X, Sales and Front Desk) Hand out and review together Team Players and Roles materials Communicate goals, prices, commissions and discounts Communicate soft and hard launch dates Show team how to access online training materials Page 64 and give educational homework assignments with completion dates 6. Schedule Staff Training Part 2 approximately one week prior (see hard launch checklist week 3 for meeting details) 2 Staff Training: Create their own experience The best way to learn is through experience; charge your team to lead by example through the successful participation of their own personal programs and product usage All staff should use the subscription for at least 30 days 3 Product: Soft launch products Build excitement and create “buzz” around your new product and program offerings. Begin generating revenue from in-club product sales dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK 1. Trainers enrolled in online Certification Course; Give completion deadline 2. 80% of all non-certifying staff enrolled in their own program (once Trainers are certified, they can run these programs and use as practice to hone their presentations) 3. 80% of all staff order products via Home Delivery (Another great opportunity for Trainers to set up other staff once they have placed their own orders) 4. All staff should try the dotFIT products – especially the bars and powders. Encourage all to use whichever products are recommended for them personally so they can experience the dotFIT difference 1. When products arrive, create your product display by following the merchandising guide 2. Only display products that your staff feels 100% comfortable talking about 3. Small-scale sampling events with meal replacement bars and powders are a great way to introduce the products to your staff and members. Just make sure your staff is ready to answer questions about the products if you sample them to members Page 65 3 Staff Training: Select Clients for Soft Launch Once Trainers have experienced their own personal program and have tried the products themselves, it’s time to give them real-world experience in a safe, comfortable environment. This way they can hone their craft prior to launching the program on a huge scale 1. 3 Soft Launch Enroll selected soft launch clients 1. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Determine which key clients would be ideal candidates for participation in the soft launch of the program. These are typically the clients Trainers feel the most comfortable working with, who will use the program and products effectively, who are understanding if things don’t go perfectly, and who will provide honest, valuable feedback on their experience. Work with your Training Team on selecting at least one to two clients per Trainer initially – ideally with different goals 4. Establish the charter client offering. In other words, what’s the incentive for these initial clients? Discounted prices? Complementary? 5. Establish the duration (usually 1-3 weeks) and what each Trainer wants to achieve with their clients during this phase Note: As an alternative, key staff members can also be enrolled by a Trainer, giving the Trainer an opportunity to work with a real person, and the Staff Member an opportunity to experience the program Offer opportunity to and enroll selected soft launch clients and/or staff members 2. Trainers must meet and communicate frequently to share experiences and what they learned in preparation for hard launch. This is the best time to “work out any bugs” in your game plan Page 66 Hard Launch Checklist. Timeframe: 3-4 weeks Week 2-3 Outcome Marketing: Hard launch teaser campaign Purpose Build interest and excitement around the hard launch of the program and products Actions 1. Create and place “Coming Soon” teaser flyers and posters with hard launch date throughout your facility 3 Staff Training: Staff Meeting Part 2 Arm all Team Player with the program and product knowledge they need to confidently answer any and all questions they may receive 1. Keep in mind all answers to any questions are available on line, therefore your staff will always be armed with what they need to be the fitness resource 3 Staff Training: Check in with Soft Launch Clients and Trainers Assess the results and experiences thus far of the select clients, staff and Trainers who participated in the soft launch dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Completed? Hold staff meetings – individually for each department or for the entire team – where each person and/or group comes prepared to present and role play the critical skills they will need to master for the hard launch • Program benefits (What makes it unique? Why should someone get involved?) • Program subscription options and prices • How to enroll a customer in online program • How to enroll a customer in Home Delivery • Product benefits and usage based on specific goals (such as weight loss, health and performance) or specific age ranges and life stages (youth, pregnancy, over 50, etc.) • Answering common questions 2. Additional role playing with key individuals as needed 3. Review their goals and roles as the hard launch date approaches 1. Meet with staff and Trainers to learn about their experiences 2. Meet with selected clients if possible 3. Note what is working and what adjustments may need to be made (i.e. more staff training, program structure Page 67 adjustments, etc.) 4 Marketing: Final Preparations Ensure all marketing materials and strategies are ready for your hard launch 1. Make it loud! Get people curious and excited about what’s coming 2. 3. 4. 5. Make sure posters, banners, flyers, newsletters, press releases and any other marketing collateral is ready to go Make plans to announce launch of program and products at key “contact points” within and outside of your facility, such as: • Point of Sale • Training Sessions • Group Exercise Classes • Cardio TVs • Club P.A. Systems • Local affiliate businesses • Community newspaper, radio and TV Make sure your team is ready to bring their “A” game If you are holding a product sampling event, ensure ample product and staff for sampling and selling Set up in-club Kiosk and ensure the staff is ready to assist in setting up customers with subscriptions and Home Delivery product orders 5 Staff Training: Final Team Meeting Assure readiness for hard launch All team members and players should feel comfortable with their roles and have the resources they need to be effective and have fun 2. Address any final questions, concerns or opportunities 5-6 Hard Launch Make a tremendous impact, get as many people involved as possible, and have fun! 1. 7 Post-Launch Learn from your launch and plan for long term success 1. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK 1. Work as a team: Run your game plan, but be flexible if need-be Meet with your team; Celebrate the successes, explore any shortfalls and learn from all of it 2. Make adjustments and Page 68 address any issues that may have come up with members during launch 3. Establish and/or adjust your 60- and 90-day goals as necessary 4. Incorporate your key learnings into your ongoing systems dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 69 Section 8: The dotFIT Arsenal Outcomes from this section: Helpful tools and resources that include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Product Merchandising and Sampling Effectively Positioning the Product Home Delivery Service How to set up a dotFIT Kiosk in your Club Testimonials Transformation Contests Effective Staff Training Strategies Online marketing and other resources Suggested Reading 5 Steps to Better Selling Fitness Orientations Basic Coaching Skills Me Program 4 session coaching outline Me Program and 90 Day Weight Loss 12 session coaching outline Trial Me Program Enrollment Steps How to create a new Me Program How to log food in your Me Program How to create a Home Delivery Order How to set up a new Staff or Trainer Account Product Merchandising Product Pricing and Discounts • Pricing: How should you price your dotFIT Products? We’ve made it simple for you: Because you’ll never have to price-compete with any online product discounters, you can simply match the Suggested Retail Prices of the products, as found on the website and/or order form • Discounts: All dotFIT subscribers will receive 20% off of their Home Delivery orders. This is an ongoing discount that subscribers “earn” with their subscription. Any in-club discounting is up to you, but avoid the temptation to overuse discounts that aren’t “earned”. Discounting more than one product a month, and offering 10-20% discounts on the entire product line more than once a quarter will devalue the product line, hurt your margins, and will ultimately train the member to wait wait for your next sale – even if they are out of product. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 70 o Reward volume purchases. “10% discount for buying by the box” posted by the display case and staff required to ask any member who purchases a single bar or protein stick. “Would you like to save 10% on your purchase today?” and explain to the customer the benefit of buying by the box (they have “emergency portion controlled food” on-hand, they won’t run out as quickly, they will save money on eating out, etc.) o Run specials monthly and during the final week of the month to “close out” the special. DO NOT run the same special every month… be creative and have fun o Create specials that leverage the customer to spend more to benefit (rather than simply lose 10% profit on normally occurring purchases) - Example:10% off $50 or more purchase • All staff members and trainers will receive special discounts on their online product orders. Those with Staff and .FITproTrainer accounts receive an automatic 30% off. .FITproTrainers will receive an additional 10% off with a dotFIT Certification, and another 10% off with a current NASM Certification. Product Displays and marketing materials • • Location. Walk through your facility as if you were a typical customer and notice where you look while you walk along the typical member traffic patterns. o Marketing pieces and product displays should reside in areas that match the line of sight of your customers. o Product Displays should be within 3-6 feet of typical traffic patterns. o Allow a few feet of clearance around the product so people aren’t standing in the main traffic line while they investigate your products. Nobody likes their personal bubble invaded while they check out a new supplement. Product Fixtures. The ideal buying height is from an average sized person’s knees up to eye level. Therefore, make sure your product shelves can maximize this. o Position any countertop displays within the typical “impulse buying zones” to maximize revenue from impulse purchases (think of how your local convenience or grocery store does this – while you wait in line, they have conveniently placed easy to buy products at a small price point within your arm’s reach) o Example: Within arm’s reach of your club check-in area, at the front desk and the cash register at the juice bar • Just like your local grocery store, make sure your products are “faced”, clean, and well maintained. Keep the shelves looking full. Create a positive shopping experience for your customers and they’ll thank you with increased purchases. • Lighting. Ensure that the products and other posted marketing materials benefit from enough lighting. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 71 • To lock or not to lock? In order to maximize product sales, do not lock up your products during club hours. Imagine if you had to ask your local grocer to unlock a box of cereal you were interested in. This creates unnecessary buying obstacles, which is fine if you don’t actually want them to buy from you. o If you do decide to lock up your products, be sure that a staff member can access these products within 10 seconds upon member interest or request, or you will risk losing the sale. It is also good to understand that most theft comes from employees, who have the keys. o Tip: Cameras or daily inventory assessments can quickly and easily prevent shrinkage while maximizing sales. Instead of locking up the products, consider rewarding the Front Desk Supervisor and/or Fitness Manager with a $50 bonus anytime product sales are over $1,000 and shrinkage is under $50. • Strongly consider removing competitive products that may potentially confuse your customers. If you offer both products, which one is best? Mixed messages confuse buyers. • Place price labels on the products where it will not detract from the visual appeal. The best place is on the bottom of the bottle, as it will not prevent the customer from reading the about the product’s unique benefits found directly on the label. • Ensure that product sales, goals, quotas, and commissions for staff are established and communicated. Hold them accountable to the goals, but make sure you provide the tools to accomplish them • Create a dotFIT presence by “branding” an area with products, product and program information. A dotFIT Kiosk (a computer with internet access and printer) is a great way for your members and customers to research your offerings, sign up for subscriptions and set up Home Delivery orders comfortably at the club. • Use dotFIT drink mix in shakes in your juice bar, and advertise that fact, which will drive shake mix sales • Keep your staff well-educated by using the dotFIT educational and staff training resources • Someone must be in charge, it must be a priority, and they should be held accountable for success dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 72 Sampling Try before you buy – there’s no easier and better way to introduce meal replacement bars and even powders to your customers. Here’s how to make it work for you. Executive Summary: 1 Create your own sampling kit. We recommend the following items to make your sampling event a success: • • • • • • 2 Prepare the sampling area. • 3 A total of 70 bars, more than enough for a two-hour sampling event 12 plates Product information signs for the nutrition dotFIT product line 50 dotFIT product guides Rubber gloves for safe, sanitary preparation One (1) cutting mat and cutter Set up the plates and product information signs so that they will be visible and accessible. Prepare the bars. • • • Be sure to wear rubber gloves at all times when handling the bars. This avoids violating health regulations and gives your members peace of mind. Using your cutting mat and cutter, cut the bars into bite-sized pieces as the diagrams below indicate—five pieces for dotSTICKs and dotBARs; four pieces for dotTREATs. It is not necessary to chop or slice the bars. Simply apply firm pressure using the cutter. dotSTICKs & dotBARs (5 samples) dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK dotTREATs (4 samples) Page 73 4 Look and act the part. • • 5 Be proactive. • • 6 Be in uniform. Smile. Be active, friendly, and involved. This is your chance to engage your members, to educate and inform them, as well as a chance to learn about them. Ask members to sample the bars. Don’t wait for them to approach you. If another person is available to staff the sampling area, walk around the club and offer samples to exercising members who may be “between sets.” You’ll have their undivided attention. Maintain the sampling and merchandising areas. • • • Keep the sampling plates full. People don’t want to take “the last one.” Remember to use gloves at all times when cutting and placing the bars and treats. Be sure the dotFIT product available for purchase is well stocked and organized. Direct people to your dotFIT fixture or product area to purchase. This is the perfect opportunity to turn a trial into a single or box purchase. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 74 Detailed Version: dotFIT Sampling Promotions Checklist Pick a 2-3 hour timeframe during a high traffic, high energy time in the club for your first Sampling Promotion Set an initial supplement sales goal for that time period. • For example, if 100 members check in during a 3 hour period, set a goal of 30% will buy at least one full box. Without projecting for individual bar sales, that 30% will generate over $800-$900. Inform each staff member as to what his or her specific role(s) are during the promotion • Every staff member must be well-informed, enthusiastic, and proactively communicating and interacting with members. Signs by themselves never sell anything. Your staff will drive this better than any sign ever could. Submit a product order to increase back stock and capture increased sales volume • Consider ordering more than you think you’ll need to avoid missed sales • Remember two things: • If you don’t have it in stock, you can’t sell it • You will have residual purchases for several days after the event (from wordof-mouth and from people who didn’t bring money with them at the time of the event) Give out “coupons” for 10-15% off boxes of their favorite meal replacement bars (mix ‘n match should be encouraged) • Ensure that the staff members who love the products are working the floor and front desk that night. • Enthusiasm is key! If a staff member likes a particular flavor, like the Iced Lemon Vanilla Protein Stick, for example, let them distribute samples of that flavor – they’ll sell it based on their enthusiasm. Place your in-club signage and posters hyping up the event • Place the signs at eye level and in the visual path of major traffic areas • Another option is putting posters (foam-core mounted) on easels right in the middle of major traffic areas (as long as they aren’t hazardous). Make sure you move these dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 75 easels every week (objects that never move become part of the visual landscape, and are easily ignored) • Create and hand out coupons for 10 or 15% off boxes of bars • Let your members know that if they like what they try, they can save money by purchasing boxes of bars. Also let them know that they are encouraged to “Mix ‘n Match” flavors of equally priced bars to make a box. This will increase your volume of sales You must get your members and customers actively involved in the promotion. Here are some tactics that work well: • Get the most enthusiastic, energetic and well-liked staff member(s) in your club to walk up to members who are out on the gym floor to ask, “Would you like to try a sample of our new Protein Sticks? They are REALLY good!” These staff members must truly believe in the products themselves. • While members are just sitting on a bench in between sets, you have their full attention. It is a perfect time to offer them an energizing, yummy sample! • People on bikes and other cardio equipment can also be offered a bite-sized sample. • Hit up the members leaving a group exercise class for their post-workout treat – they earned it! Have the Instructor give a 10 second commercial about the importance of feeding their body the right nutrients within the first 30 mins after a class, and how the samples available meet that criteria and taste great. • Make sure the staff has full trays of samples to bring with them. No one likes to take the last one and offering a variety of flavors is a must. • Setting unattended plates of samples on counter tops or tables in the front area will not give you the result you are looking for. Sure, you may go through all of your samples, but you won’t have any sales to show for it. • Be creative with how you get members involved. Make it fun, exciting, interesting. Make a “spectacle” out of yourself (in a good way of course) Stock your front desk and juice bar areas with stacks of the products you are promoting. Make it easy to buy. • Customers like to see that you went out of your way to promote something you really believe in. Not many people enjoy getting involved in what looks like a last-minute promotion because it’s close-out for the club • The more products you have stacked up, the easier it will be for your members to grab what they need and they will never feel like they are being rude by “taking the last one.” Make it easy for them to purchase it dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 76 • If your products look like “slim pickings”, they’ll think that you didn’t expect many people to buy it, and that you don’t really believe in them. Your inventory makes a statement – what statement is it making today? • If your club offers “On Account” or “Prepaid Credit Card” payment options, this is the perfect time to utilize this service. Remember – make it as easy as possible for them to buy what they liked • Have enough staff members and cash registers available to ring up sales. If your customers have to wait for more than a couple minutes, they’ll justify “coming back later when they aren’t so busy”. They rarely actually come back to purchase later • Setting up a raffle bin, where for every $10 you spend, you receive a raffle ticket to win a cool prize. Raffling off bartered prizes like DVD players, Festival Tickets, and other things adds extra value. Allow members to play the game with a chance to win something • The more people, members, staff members, etc. you can have congregating around the register, juice bar, or an area out on your workout floor who are talking about and eating the samples the better. People always want to “feel like part of the group” and they will wander over, even if they resisted a sample offering earlier. (Wear them down with your enthusiasm.) • Proactive communication. Your staff can never do enough verbal promotion on the day of the sampling session. Active promotion is the key to your success! **Remember to have sampling sessions once a week, at different times, over the course of the first 60 - 90 days (am, pm, weekend… to get all your members involved) and then reduce to 1-2 times a month. • The upside to starting out this way is a ton of exposure to the products but the downside can be too much exposure that may turn people off, so pay close attention to the vibe of your members. Evaluate the success of the sampling session: • What could have gone better? • How can we avoid challenges in the future? • What did we learn? How can we make this more successful next time? dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 77 Effectively Positioning the Product Home Delivery Service Home delivery: is best for those people that can’t or won’t buy at the gym. The Recurring Auto Ship order concept is ideally positioned for products such as the dotFIT multivitamins or any other dotFIT Health product, because these can and should be used continuously in order to receive maximum benefit. Home delivery is not meant to replace or redirect in-club product sales to online orders. Instead, this service was built to solve for the following six challenges: 1. Attrition – member or staff that leave the gym 2. Vehicle for non-members to experience/purchase dotFIT products. This can include capturing opportunities with corporate relationships, non-local friends and family, etc. 3. Clients no longer working with a club Fit Pro 4. Convenience – many members choose not to bring their wallets/purse to club 5. Tracking and maintaining the Fit Pro commissions for as long as anyone they sign-up purchases products 6. Reminder for a client to take their daily dotFIT multivitamin & mineral (MVM) In order to accomplish this, it is imperative that all of your customer contacts are informed of the availability of this service, and how to participate if and when they are ready. Balancing in-club and online Product Production • In-club purchases will drive the majority of your Product revenue production. It is human nature to want to “touch and feel” the products you about to purchase. Your Trainers and staff can also actively promote in-club product sales much more so than online product sales. • Out of sight, out of mind. In-club product offerings are a constant reminder to your active members about their supplement needs, and to your Trainers about their supplement production goals. • Although the home delivery has a great return on investment (because you don’t have to purchase the inventory first), your in-club product presence and purchases drive the home delivery program. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 78 How to set up a dotFIT Kiosk in your Club “A picture is worth a thousand words.” If that is true, how much is an interactive, web-based solution that’s completely customizable based on your members’ goals and lifestyle? A million words? The value of your new dotFIT Me Program and online community resources are infinitely easier to communicate through show ‘n tell, than just “tell”. This is why we strongly recommend that you set up at least one to two dotFIT Kiosks in your facility. The larger your facility, the more Kiosks you should have. The dotFIT Kiosk is the place where your members can: • • • • • See a “demo” of your staff’s program Sign up for a subscription or trial subscription Get dotFIT supplement recommendations Order dotFIT supplements through your home delivery service Check out the online fitness community features (coming soon) Here are some helpful tips for selecting effective dotFIT Kiosk locations in your club: 9 Set one up near your Front Desk or waiting area for prospects, new members and even people in your community 9 Set one up on the workout floor. This will offer easy access for members and trainers during workouts, while drawing attention to your dotFIT programming as other members observe and get curious 9 Set one up near the juice bar or nutrition center 9 If you have a large Group Exercise culture, set one up outside of the Group Exercise studios Other considerations for your dotFIT Kiosk: o o o o o Place dotFIT-related marketing materials and program information around the Kiosk Testimonials from dotFIT users should also be within eyesight Since some members will use the Kiosk to make adjustments to their meal plans, or even create supplement recommendations, make sure a small printer is connected to your Kiosk While encouraging use of the Kiosk for dotFIT-related use is warranted, you may want to consider limiting the web-access to “unapproved” websites that are not fitness related If you want to go all-out, free-standing professional Kiosk systems are available. Here’s a company we found that does custom Kiosks: www.kis-kiosk.com dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 79 Testimonials Why a testimonial? As Psychologist and author Robert Cialdini points out in his book, Influence; Science and Practice, when people aren’t sure what path to take, or decision to make, they look around for examples of what other people who appear most similar to themselves have done to get the results they are searching for. This is a powerful influencer of human behavior. In order to maximize the positive impact that your programs, products and services can have on your members and surrounding community, you must utilize all proven and ethical means of influencing people in a positive way. This will not only help them get out of any “ruts” they may be stuck in, it can also effectively combat the tremendous clutter your members are exposed to by other advertisers in this industry. Testimonials can come in the following forms: • • • A written account of the experiences and results achieved by your members and clients. These can also be accompanied by photos; both before and after, or just after photos A video testimonial A live testimonial (these are the most powerful and should be incorporated whenever possible during conversations with prospects, seminar presentations and other applicable opportunities) When should you ask for a testimonial? The best time to ask for a testimonial is after the client experiences something that is positive and significant for them. This could include: • • • • • A weight loss or performance improvement breakthrough. A long-standing plateau mark has been surpassed Fitting in a certain pair of pants Making the team Getting off the medication Anything that is of significant value to your client and the quality of their life. This means that you don’t have to wait until their program is over to ask What should the testimonial include? How should it be written? The best testimonials come from the heart. As long as your client is honest and they know that their words are going to impact the people reading them, you do not have to influence the content of their testimonial. The best lengths range from 3-4 sentences to over a full 1-2 pages, depending on how much they want to share about the impact your program has had on them. Here’s a sample script you can use when requesting a testimonial: dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 80 “Congratulations on achieving this tremendous milestone! We are so proud of you and your accomplishment. You are an inspiration to all of us here and we would be honored if you were willing to share your story with others – especially those that are just getting started on their fitness journey and as a result, maybe don’t know which direction to go, or who to trust. Would you be willing to share some of your experiences, advice and results you achieved through a heart-felt testimonial? If you are willing to provide some inspiration to others, all we ask is that you take a few moments and write down in your own words what you learned, how you benefitted and what advice you would give someone that may be contemplating about starting one of our dotFIT Me Programs. So many people out there just need some encouragement – your words could really help them take an important step.” Photos Each of your clients should have a “before” picture taken at the beginning of their journey with you. Make it clear that these photos are for the client’s use only, and that they may choose to one day share that photo with others who may not believe that is where they started. Our experience has shown that 100% of the clients who chose not to take a before picture were disappointed that they didn’t have that to compare to when they achieved their goal. Don’t let that happen to them. Take the photo in good light, wearing whatever level of clothing the client feels comfortable in, and make sure it is a high quality photo. Digital is best. After photos are usually something the client is excited about. Same photo quality guidelines apply here, although you can get a little more creative with the after photos. Have the client “make a muscle”, or get in a celebratory pose of some sort. Make it fun. For your testimonial, if you only have an after photo, you can still use that as a standalone. The goal, however, is to have a side by side comparison of before and after photos. Other considerations Every trainer should have a requirement for testimonials. If a trainer successfully helps 3-6 clients achieve their goals each month, they should be able to turn in testimonials from at least half of those clients. Set a monthly requirement for each trainer (it could be as few as just 1 new testimonial each month) and link the accomplishment of that requirement to their compensation to help gather momentum. As a trainer begins to use these testimonials as further proof that the program works, they will quickly learn the power of a collection of successful client stories Here are some suggestions for marketing with testimonials: • • • • Wall of Success, or “Me. Better.” board (leverage the Me program name if you so desire). Posted throughout the club, in trainer’s offices, near the dotFIT Kiosk. Book of Success (three-ring binder with testimonials) The club’s website A digital photo frame with automatically scrolling before and after photos dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 81 Model Release Be sure to obtain a signed Model Release form from all clients. Here is a sample you can build on: I will allow <Your Club Name> to use my name and/or publish photographs of me for advertising, website, and promotion. This includes pictures, testimonials or any information provided by me. I will only provide pictures or copy to <Your Club Name> that is privately owned by me and is not copyrighted or owned by any outside party. I waive any right to inspect or approve the photographs, promotional copy or printed matter that may be used in conjunction with, or as part of, any advertising or promotion. I understand that this does not guarantee a sponsorship agreement with <Your Club Name> and I do not expect any compensation. Furthermore, I will not present myself as an employee, agent or representative of the company. __________________________________________________________________ Date Signature (______)__________________________________________________________ Phone number Printed name __________________________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________________________ City State Zip Note: Share your client’s success stories on the dotFIT website for everyone to see! Simply email us at [email protected] and request a dotFIT Model Release Form. Return the form with clear, high-quality photos and a testimonial, and we’ll post it at www.dotfit.com/testimonials. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 82 Transformation Contests Transformation contests, when used effectively, can drive more results and more business than any other single programming approach. Contests leverage powerful influencers of human behavior (such as social proof, deadlines and competition), marketing resources are maximized with a singular focus, and a Contest can become a fitness organization’s “weapon of choice” for creating that all-important culture of results in the community it serves. Contests are not just limited to members or clients. In fact, every organization new to the Contest approach is strongly encouraged to consider launching their first Contest for staff members only. Staff challenges can effectively train your team through their own experiences on the dotFIT Me Program, while simultaneously create a buzz that gets your members’ attention as they await their own opportunity to participate in upcoming member challenges. Here then, are the keys to running wildly successful staff and member Transformation Contests with your dotFIT Me Program. The Transformation Contest What can you expect to accomplish? • • Staff Contest: o Staff training: By experiencing the dotFIT Me Program and products first-hand, they will be better equipped to promote, educate and sell these offerings to your members o Culture creation: Most fitness staff are competitive by nature. Holding a staff challenge will appeal to them greatly and help create a buzz o Promotion: Members will be watching to see how successful your staff are with their own programs. Leverage this through contest updates, leader boards and staff testimonials o Fit Pro Training: Since your Fit Pros will be administering these programs, this provides a great opportunity to refine their skills Member/Community Contest: o Excitement and a reason: Every member at your club has a goal they want to achieve, they just need a compelling reason and a solid plan o Competition and deadlines: Contests like these provide unique opportunities to compete with other people like themselves in a fun, supportive atmosphere. The deadlines help prevent procrastination o Prizes: Create tremendous incentives and a buzz in your club o Promotion: The results from the Contests and the Contests themselves should be leveraged in all of your internal and external marketing efforts. Some clubs have even leveraged community media coverage dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 83 Who should get involved? Staff Contest: o To put it simply; as many as possible who will actually complete the challenge. Your target should be 50% - 100% of your current staff in order to have an impact o All key staff should be involved: Fit Pros, Personal Trainers, Sales Counselors, Front Desk Staff, Group Exercise Instructors and even Management and Owners. Total buy-in is crucial Member/Community Contest: o Members, prospects and people in your community who have a fitness-related goal and are looking for some motivation and a plan to achieve it o Depending on the number of participants interested, you can also choose to create teams of 3-8 people each. Each trainer will be assigned a team to work with for the duration of the Contest and teams will compete against each other. Teams work well because most people will work extra hard not to let their team down, while the club can leverage the time of their Fit Pros by including 2-3 weekly “team training sessions” for each group with the cost of the Entry Fees. This also keeps the cost to enroll down for participants o If you have enough participants, you could also break them out into categories based on their goals (fat loss, muscle gain, etc.), gender, age, couples, etc. What are the details? • All Contests should be 8-12 weeks in duration, which is enough time to show significant noticeable results, while still being manageable • “Pre-enrollment” opportunities can also be offered. Total durations of 10 – 16 weeks can also work, if the first 2-4 weeks are used to give “early adopters” a chance to get started early and enhance their results. This will also prevent people from waiting until the official start date • There should be a deadline for all entries within 4 weeks of starting the contest • No more than two to three Contests per year to remain effective • The dotFIT Me Program should be used for all participants to ensure best results (and to be an effective marketing strategy for your programs). Certified dotFIT Fit Pros should administer the programs for the entire duration by following the suggested coaching outlines o Outsourcing model alternative: Your facility can also outsource all coaching to dotFIT Virtual Coaches who will administer the sessions via phone. Participants will purchase their sessions directly from their accounts dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 84 • Personal training assistance can be added to the programs as appropriate. This will enhance results, revenue, and for the Staff Contests, this will provide hands-on experience for your staff – showing them first-hand the value of training with your Fit Pros • Before and after pictures, as well as overall progress stats will be recorded for each participant • Weekly Challenges • o Individuals or teams compete for points that can’t otherwise be earned simply from physical progress. These challenges will encourage those who may be behind on “physical changes” points to continue competing, rather than getting discouraged and quit before the Contest has completed o Obstacle courses, “guess the calories” challenges, and any physical or mental challenges related to healthy lifestyle changes are fair game Create for each participant a “Participant Book” that outlines the conditions of the Contest o Start and End dates o Contest Rules and prizes o Requirements (pictures, testimonials, Model Release, etc) o Entry Fees o Weekly weigh-in information o Entry Fees for a 12-week challenge typically range from $150 - $299, depending on whether fitness equipment and training sessions are included. A small portion of the entry fees may also go towards the prizes It is a good idea to discourage scale weight-manipulating behavior that could lead to unhealthy consequences such as low fluid intake, manipulating electrolyte balance and diuretic use Inspiration and support materials from your staff, or from your dotFIT website Staff Contests: o For Staff Contests, each staff member must commit to complying to their programs 100%, and will only use dotFIT programs and products during this time What are the incentives and prizes? Incentives and Prizes: Staff Contests: o Special staff discounts on programs and products can apply. Here are some examples: dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 85 o The club should create Staff Accounts in the dotFIT platform for each staff member. This will give them a free subscription to the Me Program and 30% discount to online product purchases o The club can choose to provide free coaching sessions with the Fit Pros for the duration of the 8-12 week Contest. These costs can be minimized through administering each session in a group format if you have a large number of participants (2-3 staff members with one Fit Pro at a time) o The club could also decide to absorb the cost of the program, writing it off as staff training time, provided the programs are completed successfully Any staff member that does not complete the program may be forced to pay the member’s rate for all sessions serviced. This will help show them the value of these sessions and not take them for granted o Individual Prizes for individual efforts and results, or you could form teams who can compete against each other within the club o Set a team goal. If you have ten team members participating, the team goal could be to lose 100 lbs by week 12 (10 lbs each). For each 25 lbs increment they hit, they win a more valuable prize o Work with the team to determine prizes, but have suggestions on the table for them to choose from. Dinner cards, movie passes, vacation time, cash, or other prizes are all fair game. Be creative – the more difficult the prizes are to obtain through normal means, the more valuable they are o Need to up the value? Have each team member contribute $10 - $25 to participate o Get the members involved. Have them help vote on who should win Incentives and Prizes: Member/Community Contests: • Special pricing on personal training and in-club product sales (10-20% off, or limited time only packaged pricing) to Contest Participants only • Special opportunities to earn “points” for all participants during the duration of the Contest. Each dollar spent gives them 2-5 points • Participants can also purchase special programs and products for friends at discounted or special rates • T-shirts, hats, and bags for Participants only. “Brand” them! • Examples of prizes: o Individual or Team Prizes for results (most fat lost, most muscle gained, most inspirational, etc.) o Individual or Team Prizes for total points earned during the Contest. For each team workout completed, each team challenge won, each new member or client they refer, and each educational seminar attended earns individuals and teams points which they can use to contribute to their team totals dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 86 • o Prizes of some value should be awarded for everyone who finishes. The goal is not to simply reward the top participants, but to make sure all participants finish the challenge, learn new lifestyle habits and have fun! o Prizes typically range from vacation packages, home electronics, club memberships, entertainment packages, sports equipment, massages, and cash. What would get your members excited? Are you in an area that values outdoor activities? Give away an adventure trip. One club even gave away a 2 year lease on a new car! Winners are determined by total points, staff or member judges How do we market it? • • Give yourself at least 4-6 weeks to prepare and properly market your Contests o Proactive promotion begins and ends with your staff. Make sure they are well equipped, informed and prepared to create the buzz and get people signed up o Assign roles and set deadlines for each. Have someone oversee the entire project o Outfit your staff with Contest-specific clothing – hats, shirts, buttons, etc. o Leverage the hype through your prizes, press releases and your local media (TV, newspaper, billboards, direct mail, email, etc.) Run the Contest around major events in the club o New Year’s (“A New Year – A New You”) o Seasons (Summer Shape Up, Fall, Spring, etc) o Club Events (Grand Openings, renovations, Member Appreciation, etc) o Sporting Events (Super Bowl, World Series, etc) • Community Seminars are great ways to promote both your contest and your club • Leverage your current members – encourage them to spread the word and bring a friend to participate. You don’t have to be a member of the club to participate • Place a countdown timer next to your Contest Grand Prize to reveal the number of days remaining to enter the Contest • Get creative – people like to be part of something new and fun. “Do you mean to tell me that you haven’t signed up for our Contest yet? What are you waiting for? Let’s get you signed up right away!” How to leverage the results • Make sure you use the results – show how your staff and your members can walk the talk. “If they can do it, so can you!” • Results, before and after pictures, group pictures, testimonials… All of these should be used in the marketing of your dotFIT Me Program. Even if they are from your staff dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 87 members, they are “real people” who have to deal with this whole “calories in – calories out” thing too! Leverage this • Create a dotFIT “Me. Better.” board with all of your results and testimonials. See the Testimonials section of the Playbook for more ideas on Testimonials o How many people competed? o How many total pounds were lost? o How many total calories were burned? o How many friendships were created? o How much fun did people have? • Have a Ceremony to announce the individual results, the participants and the winners. Make a big deal of it. Get local media coverage • Each participant who completes the Contest should receive a Certificate of Completion, t-shirt, and a picture with their trainer and team to signify his or her accomplishments. Anyone who successfully completes the Contest is a winner • Develop success stories for PR with your local TV or newspaper • Post the Contest updates and final results on your club’s website dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 88 Effective Staff Training Strategies Every staff meeting provides an opportunity to build teamwork, your club’s culture and your team’s skill sets and confidence. Here are three proven strategies for maximizing those opportunities. Staff Presentation assignments The Fitness Manager assigns pertinent topics to be presented to the rest of the team at the next staff meeting The assignments could be to individuals, or to “teams” of no more than 2 people. Here’s an example: • For a team of less than 10 trainers, the FM would charge each Trainer with learning about and mastering the information on 1-2 dotFIT products each, and would be responsible for presenting this information to their team • The presentation must include: What does the product do? Who is it for? How do you use it? What makes it unique? And overcoming potential objections • The FM would point the Trainers towards resources such as: The Supplement Reference Guide, the online educational content from dotFIT (videos, studies, uses, etc.), asking fellow teammates or the FM for help in preparing, or even contacting dotFIT for assistance when needed • These strategies can also be applied towards program administration, sales training, and any other skill-based topics • After presenting the information to their peers, the FM would open the floor for feedback, additional questions, and anything else from their peers that they believe would be helpful for the growth and development of the group • This process encourages accountability, proactive behavior and creates a great team culture Team challenge The FM assigns the entire team with learning a certain topic (or topics) prior to an upcoming team meeting. The FM tells the team that they will be broken up into 2 groups and will “compete” against each other based on knowledge base and skills application for a valuable prize (which will be announced at the beginning of the meeting). This has shown to work for as little as 4 Trainers (2 teams of 2 trainers), and up to as many as 20 (2 teams of 10 trainers). Here’s an example: • The FM creates a “Jeopardy board” with 2-4 categories, and 3-5 questions of various difficulty worth anywhere from 100-500 points each. The questions should not only include knowledge-based answers, but application-based as well. (For example, dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 89 “Explain what the FatReleaser does, who it is for, and what makes it unique”, or “Present the FatReleaser product to the following case study client…”) • Note: The FM should make sure that the questions challenge the Trainers enough, but shouldn’t be too hard too soon. Each subsequent challenge should increase in difficulty level as their skills and confidence improves • Topics could include: o dotFIT Supplements or specific categories of supplements (health, weight loss, performance and nutrition) o dotFIT Program sales skills o dotFIT Program administration o OPT-Model questions and application o Club-specific operational policies and procedures “What I learned” assignments The FM requires that all Trainers write a “5 Things that I learned about the dotFIT programs and products and how I plan on using it with my clients” essay after a recent staff training or completion of the online Certification Course. The FM gives a deadline for completion, and then reads some hand-picked essays during subsequent team meetings. This assignment has yielded the following results: • It encourages the Trainers to actively get engaged and think critically about the most important, application-based information • The FM now has written statements that he/she can use to refer back to in the future, should he/she need to hold specific trainers accountable to what they wrote • The FM also learns very quickly which trainers may need to be let go (the percentage never completed the assignment) • It also helps build the type of culture they need to be successful. Even many of the Trainers who have completed this type of assignment at other clubs have stated that they personally benefitted significantly from the assignment dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 90 Online Marketing and other resources • Go to www.dotFIT.com/clubtools to see what’s available online • Sample Consumer Awareness Guide • Marketing Guidelines including Do’s and Don’ts • Posters • Product guides • Shelf talkers Other Online Resources • Thomas Plummer’s profit center, usage rates, and other useful calculators (coming soon) • Educational Tools o Videos o Scripts o Articles o Certifications • Online in-club Training Quizzes (coming soon) Suggested Reading and Resources • • • • • • Business Development and Leadership o Good to Great, by Jim Collins o Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, by Verne Harnish Sales o You Can’t Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar, by David H. Sandler Merchandising o Why We Buy, by Paco Underhill Mindset o Awaken the Giant Within, by Anthony Robbins o Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill Marketing o Getting Everything You Can from All You’ve Got, by Jay Abraham Hiring o Who, by Geoff Smart and Randy Street Note: Statistics used in this Playbook come from industry-experts such as Thomas Plummer and IHRSA. dotFIT™ Success System PLAYBOOK Page 91 dotFIT Certification Course 5 Steps To Better Selling The goal of this section is to provide fitness professionals with the insight and tools that will help get people involved with the products and services conducive to obtaining their goal(s). Yes, we’re speaking about sales, but not in the high-pressure, “Slick Willie” sense that may come to mind. Like most of us, you are in this industry to help people gain knowledge and utilize tools and strategies to enhance their lives and community. Will that happen if they don’t get involved with the products and services you know they need? No! They will continue “shooting in the dark” or get taken advantage of by marketing ploys that distort the truth. This section is about solution-based selling - determining what someone wants or needs, assessing if they have the knowledge and resources to get there on their own, and providing solutions that best fit their needs. This is a win-win scenario that requires passion and integrity. It is not about selling something people don’t need or want - it’s about showing people the value of what you have to offer and helping them get what they want. Overview People make decisions intellectually, but they buy emotionally. Helping them discover those key emotions that drive them to take action is a critical component of any successful selling strategy. The good news is that if the right approach is used, this process is relatively easy and quite fulfilling. The tools found here in this simple fourstep process are designed to empower you with an approach that will help you increase your sales skills and expand your level of influence. These four steps are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Become the trusted advisor Uncover their reasons Establish a commitment Present their solution Overcoming objections Step One – Become the Trusted Advisor If you were struggling with a problem that was causing you a lot of pain and upset, would you be more apt to trust advice from a close friend or a complete stranger? Assuming that you were confident that your close friend had your best interest in mind, you would probably trust the close friend. Since most of the prospects you will encounter are people who have never met you before, we need to establish trust and rapport. Rapport is sharing a common view with someone else. It creates a significant bond between people. In fact, because of the power of the bond that rapport creates, the person with the greatest amount of certainty invariably ends up influencing the other. This is especially important in our environment where emotionally charged topics such as body image, food habits, and lifestyle choices are discussed. Page 1 of 6 dotFIT Certification Course 5 Steps To Better Selling Here are some proven ways to develop rapport quickly. 1. Mirroring. People feel comfortable with others who are most like themselves. You can increase their level of comfort with you by simply mirroring their body language, tonality, rate of speech and even some of the key words and phrases they use. In fact, 55% of rapport is developed through non-verbal communication. 2. Questions. People feel most comfortable talking about themselves and what’s most important to them. By genuinely asking them questions about their needs, desires and goals, they will begin to trust that you have their best interests in mind. 3. Active Listening. Whatever they say, make sure you listen intently – even take notes if you have to – it will confirm that you truly do care. Tell them you understand when you do, and seek clarification when you need it. Additionally, pay attention to your own gut instincts. If you get the sense that they are feeling uncomfortable with something, get it out in the open, solve for it, and continue to move forward with the bond you’ve created. Step Two – Uncover Their Reasons People buy for their reasons, not yours. Even if you have the best programs and products in the galaxy, no one will buy into them if the reasons for doing so don’t resonate and relate to them on a personal and emotional level. Now that you are a trusted advisor, you will have permission to ask the questions necessary to determine what it is they really want and why it is important to them. Pay special attention to the “why it is important to them” piece as this will reveal their true reasons for wanting to achieve the goals they have set. Getting in better shape is typically not the true goal – the goal is how a person will feel (i.e. what it will mean to them) when they achieve it that inspires them to take action and motivates them to accomplish it. In addition, asking the right questions up front will also eliminate many future objections down the road. Here are some valuable sample questions you can use to uncover their goals and reasons. Be a sympathetic investigator who is here to solve for one of their greatest challenges. Get all the facts before offering solutions. • • Get clear about what they want o In order to best help you, we need to discuss all aspects of your goal and why you are here. Is that a fair statement? Great. You start. o What would you like to change or improve, if anything? o What were you hoping we could do for you? o What brings you in here today? Make sure their “what” is clear and specific. Never stop after a generic unspecific goal statement such as, “I want to lose weight” o Help me with this. How much weight would you like to lose? o I’m not quite clear on “x” (insert anything you need clarification on), can you tell me more about that? Page 2 of 6 dotFIT Certification Course 5 Steps To Better Selling Can you do me a favor? Paint me an exact picture – even down to the details – of what you would like to achieve. Reveal the emotional importance o How will your life be different when you achieve this goal? How will you feel once you’ve (restate their goal). o How long have you had this problem? How long have you been thinking about this? o How serious would you say the problem is today? Why is this so important to you? o What have you tried to turn things around? What did you like and what didn’t you like about that approach? (Take special note on the responses here so that when you present the solution later, you can reference their likes and how your solution solves for things they didn’t like previously) o How much is this problem costing you? (Physically, emotionally and financially.) What are some of the worst things that you are missing out on – or will miss out on – if a solution isn’t found? o • Step Three – Establish a Commitment At this point we should have a solid understanding of what pains they are trying to solve for, and why it is so important to them. In order to give them the best shot at achieving their goals, it is important to establish the level of commitment they will need to be successful while continuing to maintain the rapport we’ve built. • • • • So let me get this straight, you came here because you want to achieve “x, y and z” (insert their goals in their own words), is that a fair statement? If they don’t say yes, ask, “What is an accurate statement?” What is your timeline for accomplishing this? Why did you pick that timeframe? What would it mean to you to accomplish these goals? How would it make you feel? On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being reflective of an absolute commitment, where would you rate your personal commitment level right now as it relates to the accomplishment of the goals you just described? (Note: If they respond with less than an 8 say, “I appreciate your honesty. May I offer some insights? What we’ve found here in working with people over the years is that those who are successful find a way to get themselves to at least an 8 on the commitment scale. So that you have the best chance of achieving your important goals, what do you think it would take to get your commitment level to an 8, 9 or even 10?”) Page 3 of 6 dotFIT Certification Course 5 Steps To Better Selling Here are some other questions you can ask during the commitment phase to tease out any possible money concerns or decision-making ability issues: • • • • I believe we have a clear understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish, Mary, but just so that there’s no misunderstanding at a later date, let me know if I have this straight. You talked about the trouble you’re having with (problem #1), (problem #2) and (problem #3), and it sounded like what you’re hoping we can do is (solution #1), (solution #2) and (solution #3). Is that a fair statement? Do you have a budget set aside for this goal? Would you mind sharing it with me in round numbers? Assuming that we can do this for you, and that it fits into your budget and timeline, when do you see yourself moving forward with this, Mary? What is your typical decision-making process that you go through when deciding on a purchase like this? Step Four – Present Their Solution Assuming there are no other major concerns on the part of the prospect, as their trusted advisor you should now know very clearly whether or not your facility can solve their problems. In your presentation of the solutions you provide (nutrition guidance, personal training, memberships, group exercise classes, etc.), only focus on those that have a specific application to the problems they communicated to you. In other words, if their primary goal is to lose weight, and they don’t have much time to exercise, telling them about the 67 group exercise classes you offer each week will only overwhelm them. Find the 2-3 classes that fit with their schedule and ensure they have a plan for the other 165 hours a week when they’re not at the gym. Focus on what solves their problems specifically, and always start with the best solution to their biggest and most important pain. Anything you choose to show them must relate specifically to what they shared with you earlier. Let them see it, touch it, ask questions about it, and even give them sample experiences of it. Make the solutions real for them. Let them know what the costs are during the presentation of the solutions. Once you are finished, if you have done your up-front rapport building and questionasking homework right, your prospect should be ready to make a buying decision. • Get a pulse during your solution presentation: Mary, since we’ve gone through quite a bit together so far, and since there’s still more that we can show you, I’d like to ask you: On a 0-10 scale, zero meaning you have no interest in our service, and ten meaning that you’ve already decided to get started with our service, where are you? o If they are less than a 10, ask: Mary, what do you need to see in order to get to a 10? Remember some people want to analyze the information before making a decision. If this is the case, be sure to follow up with them within 24 to 48 hours. Page 4 of 6 dotFIT Certification Course 5 Steps To Better Selling • At the end of your presentation: Mary, are you 100% comfortable that our service will solve the problem(s) you shared with me today? Once you have the yes, share with them the next steps to get them started, and thank them for their business. Step Five – Overcoming Objections Regardless of how smoothly the sales process flows, objections are inevitable. Don’t view an objection as a “no”, but as, “I’m not comfortable yet” or, “I need more information”. The client is there for a need or desire that they have already thought through and settled on. The primary way to overcome objections is to make sure you have asked all the right questions. For example, if you ask an individual how much time is realistic for them to dedicate to their exercise program, a “not sure I have enough time” objection will not occur. Let’s take a moment to look at the most common objections: time, spouse/significant other, I want to think about it, and money. Time - This really should not be an objection if you asked the “time” question identified previously. Remember, obtaining health and fitness goals is not just about the “one hour” spent in the gym or exercising, it is about the other 23 hours as well. Everyone has the time; the question becomes, is the goal really important enough? Spouse/significant other - Now, this could be a legitimate reason for not buying today; however, it could also be used to delay the sales process. Your task is to find out if the spouse objection is legitimate, but to do so in a tactful way. Asking a question like, “Mrs. Jones, I can see you are extremely motivated to get started toward realizing your goals. You are without a doubt ready to change. Let me ask you a question, “Is your spouse as motivated as you are in this quest to reach your fitness goals? This journey you will embark on today will require support from the people closest to you, which in most cases are typically your friends, family and especially your spouse. Do you need to talk this over with your husband before you make a decision?” Mrs. Jones may say something like, “Are you kidding me? He spends way more money than this on golf!” Game over, that objection is no longer viable. If Mrs. Jones does need to consult with her spouse, wonderful, insert yourself in the process via telephone or set an appointment for the spouse to come in so you can properly represent your offering. You now have an additional prospect. I want to think about it - This objection, like the “time” objection, can be easily overcome by asking the right questions early in the process. For example, “Mrs. Jones how long have you been thinking about losing the 40 pounds you spoke of?” Follow that with, “On a scale of 1 to 10 how important is this to you? The answers to these simple questions will overcome such an objection and bring clarity long before the close of the sale. Page 5 of 6 dotFIT Certification Course 5 Steps To Better Selling Money - This objection is usually the easiest to avoid if you, once again, ask the right questions but is the most difficult to overcome if you have not. You need to determine where your prospect is currently spending money that could be allocated toward their health and fitness goals. Some of the most common areas for disposable income are hobbies (golf, water sports, tennis, quilting), social activities (night clubs, movies, concerts, eating out), coffee drinks, etc… Asking Mrs. Jones what hobbies she is involved with is part of building rapport as you become a trusted advisor and important in overcoming objections. People commonly spend $10 a day and often can’t remember where. If Mrs. Jones shares that she has a café latte three to four times per week, that represents approximately $60 per month. Mr. Jones could be spending much more than that on golf. So if, after representing the training package or membership that is in question, Mr. Jones comments about the cost, you could reply, “One less round of golf each week could fully fund your 40-pound weight loss. Do you feel that would be worth it?” It is much easier to show people where money already exists in their budget vs. feeling as though it needs to be found in addition. In conclusion, remember you are the expert in the mind of your prospects. A physician writes a prescription assuming it will get filled and it does. You need to function with the same mindset because, like the physician, you are not representing anything that won’t benefit your prospect. If you continue to receive these common objections, revisit your presentation and the questions you probably are NOT asking. Role-play with co-workers who are successful at getting people involved, and you will learn a great deal, but make the presentation your own. Your prospects need your help, the level of overweight and obesity in the U.S. attests to that. As a fitness professional you should understand that you have the tools that could literally mean the difference between life and death for your prospects. Practicing and refining your skills in sales isn’t only about money, it’s about helping people. Page 6 of 6 Member Fitness Orientation Today’s Date____/_____/__________ Fitness Professional________________________________________ I. Basic Member Data Last Name_________________________ First Name_____________________ DOB____/____/_________ Address_______________________________ City____________________ State_______ Zip__________ Home Phone_______________________ Day Phone___________________ Email____________________ Occupation__________________________________ Duration_____________ Prolonged sitting or driving Wear shoes with a heel Moderate movement High Stress Heavy lifting Repetitious bending lifting, or twisting Interests/hobbies_______________________________________________________________________ II. Pre-Exercise Questionnaire 1. What is your primary goal? Weight loss Muscle Gain Sport Performance Improve health/daily activity 2. Specific desires (lbs. weight loss/gain, sport dynamic, aspect of health, etc…)____________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Specific reasons (why?, why now?, time frame?)________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Past attempts in obtaining goal (formal/informal programs, successes, challenges, money spent)_______________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Goal outcomes (how will you feel when goal is obtained?, emotional/physical benefits?)_____________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Level of commitment in accomplishing the goal? (circle) Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High 7. Support/accountability? (Spouse/significant other)______________________________________________ 8. How much time do you have budgeted? _____________days/week; _____________hours/day 9. What is your monetary budget? $___________per week /month (circle) III. Exercise/movement Questionnaire 1. Are you currently involved in an exercise program? Yes No 2. Are you currently involved in a structured resistance training program? • If yes, how long (consistently)? < 6 months Yes No 6 mo. to 1 yr. 3. Are you currently participating in a structured cardiorespiratory program? > 1 year Yes No • If yes, ________days/week, ________minutes per day, using (mode)______________________________ 4. Other physical activities/interests (including frequency)__________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ IV. Food/nutrition Questionnaire 1. Typically, how many meals do eat per day? (circle one) 1 2 3 4 5 6 2. Typically, what time are these meals?_______________________________________________________ 3. Typically, how many calories do you consume per day?___________________________________________ 4. Do you know how many calories you should be eating to reach/support your goal? Yes No • If yes, how many and how was this determined?_______________________________________________ 5. Are you currently taking a multivitamin or any other dietary supplements? Yes No • If yes, what are you taking?_____________________________________________________________ • If no, why not?_____________________________________________________________________ 6. How would you describe your diet? 7. Regular Lacto-Ov0 vegetarian Vegan Typically, how many meals do you eat outside the home per week?___________________________________ • Would the majority of these meals be described as: 8. What is your favorite cuisine? American Fast Food (take-away) Mexican Chinese Seated Restaurants Japanese Indian Italian Other____________________________________________________________________ Additional Comments: ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ V. Beginning Statistics VI. Integrated Fitness Profile Warm-up The 4 Pillars of Fitness The 4 Pillars of Fitness are based on human physiology; the way the body works. The integration of all 4 pillars will allow you to achieve your goal while consuming the most food possible while performing the least amount of exercise. How these pillars are addressed are determined by fitness goal but will largely depend on your lifestyle. Your lifestyle must be able to support the necessary changes comfortably. The desired outcome is not just to arrive at your goal, but to be able to live there! The 1st Pillar: Food/diet Diet is the amount and type of food an individual consumes. It provides energy (calories) as well as nutrients (vitamins and minerals). The amount and type of food in one’s diet will affect how satisfies someone feels (satiety) and performance. For a weight loss goal, calories must be below maintenance to create a need to use stored energy (body fat). It has been repeatedly demonstrated that successful weight loss (long term) is accomplish with a balanced diet and without being too restrictive (food amount and foods that are palatable/desired). Calories __________ Protein % ________ Carbohydrate % ________ Fat % ________ The 2nd Pillar: Exercise/movement Exercise burns calories and provides a myriad of health benefits, but exercise is not just about resistance and cardiorespiratory training. Depending on the goal, these traditional elements are certainly required to perform well (athletics) or to enhance goal attainment. But, just as with the 1st pillar, the amount and type of exercise/movement utilized to obtain the goal must be conducive to the lifestyle; it has to fit…long term. The more exercise/movement incorporated, the higher the nutrient needs; the solution is to provide the body with caloriefree nutrients. Exercise Frequency ___________ Intensity ___________ Time ___________ Type ___________ The 3rd Pillar: Supplementation Vitamin and mineral supplementation can satisfy the above-maintenance level of nutrients needed by the body from the addition of exercise/movement without adding calories. Dietary supplementation can create the “ideal environment” to realize optimal health and to hasten results. Supplementation can accomplish these goals if you are taking products that you can depend on, that consider your medical history, that match how you eat, your age, gender, activity level, fitness level, etc… Vitamin & Mineral Profile _____________________________________ Amount ______________ Exercise/Goal Supplementation _________________________________ Amount ______________ The 4th Pillar: Coaching/accountability Individualizing the above three pillars and making the necessary adjustments can allow anyone to reach their fitness goal(s) in a manner that is most realistic as long as the commitment is true. As a complete system, a Fitness Professional can deliver all of the tools, education, and accountability required for an individual to, in time, not just reach their goal but live there…never to look back. Suggest__________ sessions/week for__________ weeks to begin. Trainer Resource ~ Enrolling a New Personal Training Client Enrolling a new Personal Training Client into dotFIT Me Program Note: All necessary qualifying, rapport-building, pain-solving and commitment steps have already taken place. Mary has committed to investing in a personal trainer. Assume the commitment based on their needs: Mary, now that I fully understand what you came here to achieve, our next step is to get you started on your program. Since we both agreed that neither exercise alone nor diet alone will ultimately help you attain and maintain your goal, it is important that we now create your plan for when you’re at the gym (the exercise part), and for when you’re not at the gym (the nutrition and coaching part). In fact, since you were honest enough to tell me that you really only have about 2-3 hours a week to workout consistently, it will be even more important for you and me to maximize every minute of your workouts, as well as the other 165 hours a week when you’re away from here living your life. Are you comfortable with that, Mary? Here are our next steps: After we complete the necessary paperwork and payment, we will create your dotFIT account and schedule your very first session. If time allows today, we can begin creating your entire program before you leave, or we can dive into it during our first session together. And, if you just can’t wait to start (losing weight, getting in shape, getting healthier, etc.), you can log in to your program when you get home and our dotFIT wizard will guide you through the process. Either way, we will definitely spend some time during each of our sessions here at the club to ensure that you make the most amount of progress each and every day. The only remaining decision you need to make is whether you want your dotFIT program to be monthly, quarterly, or annually (give prices of each), and whether you want your family to also have access to create their own individualized programs as well (give prices). Whichever you choose, we are going to give you your first 30 days for free. In addition, you will also receive a VIP 20% discount on products, free shipping options, and full access to your complete exercise and nutrition plan. It’s our gift to you to help you build momentum. And of course, you can cancel your program at any time. Although once you start seeing the progress that results from your dotFIT program recommendations, you may find, as most people do, that it becomes easy to get addicted to living a lifestyle that allows you to look and feel the way you’ve always wanted to. Plus, the VIP discounts and resources make it well worth it. So let’s get started. • Alternate closing strategy if Mary does not have a credit card with her: That’s quite alright, Mary. That happens on occasion. We have two options at this point, so let me know which one you prefer. Option A is to create an interim account here today and then when you go home, simply complete the credit card information section and choose your program length (monthly, quarterly, annually) and type (single or family). Just make sure you complete it within the next 14 days or you will lose access to your program, which will make it difficult to maximize your progress and you’ll lose your discounts. Option B is to wait until your first session. Simply bring your credit card information to that session and we’ll create your dotFIT program right then. We’ll try schedule it as soon as possible so that you don’t miss out on too many days where you could be progressing. Which do you prefer? Trainer Resource - Enrolling a New Personal Training Client 1 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Enrolling a New Personal Training Client • Alternate closing strategy if Mary prefers not to enter her credit card information: That’s quite alright, Mary. Out of curiosity, may I ask why? (Oftentimes, their concerns will be tied to the security of their credit card information, inability to cancel their program easily, or they just don’t see themselves using it. Validate their desire to avoid making a bad decision, and then present two options.) That’s not an uncommon concern. While I can tell you that we use the highest level of internet security available, that our cancellation procedure is very user-friendly, and that the results you’ll see from the program will keep you coming back for more, it is always best if you experience it for yourself. With that said, may I offer two different options to you, and then you can let me know which one you prefer? Option A is a mini test drive. By taking the mini test drive, we’ll give you complete access to your program for fourteen days. At any time before the fourteenth day, you can enter in your payment information and select a program length and type to continue. I must tell you that this time goes by very quickly, so it will be important that you start working your plan immediately in order to get the full benefit. Option B is a full test drive. You’ll get complete access to your program for a full month on the house. It does require that you enter in your payment information and choose a program length (monthly, quarterly, or annually) and type (single or family) up front, but if there’s anything about your dotFIT program that fails to meet your standards, you can cancel it before the first payment in 30 days. Or you can cancel it anytime thereafter as well. Which option do you prefer? Trainer Resource - Enrolling a New Personal Training Client 2 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Club Resource ~ Enrolling a New Member Enrolling a New Member into dotFIT Me Program at POS Note: All necessary qualifying, rapport-building, pain-solving and commitment steps have already taken place. Mary has committed to investing in a membership at the club. Assume the commitment based on their needs: Mary, now that I fully understand what you came here to achieve, our next step is to get you started on your program. Since we both agreed that neither exercise nor diet alone will ultimately help you achieve and maintain your goal, it is important that we give you access to your plan for when you’re at the gym (the exercise part), and for when you’re not at the gym (the nutrition and coaching part). In fact, since you were honest enough to tell me that you really only have about 2-3 hours a week to workout consistently, it will be even more important for us to maximize every minute of your workouts, along with the other 165 hours a week when you’re away from here living your life. You’ve already done the hardest part, Mary – you took the first step and decided to improve these areas of your life. Congratulations! Now it’s time to ensure that you have all of the tools you need to be successful. In fact, 61% of all new health club members nationwide who failed to have an exact plan like the one we’re about to create for you quit going to the club because they didn’t see any results. By the time you leave here today, you will have an exact plan for success that fits perfectly into your unique lifestyle. Are you comfortable with that, Mary? Here are our next steps: After we complete the necessary paperwork and payment, we will create your dotFIT account and schedule your session with one of our Fitness Professionals. If time allows today, we can begin creating your entire program before you leave, or you can dive into it during your session. And, if you just can’t wait to start (losing weight, getting in shape, getting healthier, etc.), you can log in to your program when you get home and our dotFIT wizard will guide you through the process. Whichever way you choose, our Fitness Professional will definitely spend some time during your session (which is included with your membership) here at the club to ensure that you make the most amount of progress each and every day. The only remaining decision you need to make is whether you want your dotFIT program to be monthly, quarterly, or annually (give prices of each), and whether you want your family to also have access to create their own individualized programs as well (give prices). Whichever you choose, we are going to give you your first 30 days for free. In addition, you will also receive a VIP 20% discount on products, free shipping options, and full access to your complete exercise and nutrition plan. It’s our gift to you to help you build that all-important momentum. And of course, you can cancel your program at any time. Although once you start seeing the progress that results from your dotFIT program recommendations, you may find, as most people do, that it becomes easy to get addicted to living a lifestyle that allows you to look and feel the way you’ve always wanted to. Plus, the VIP discounts and resources make it well worth it. So let’s get started. • Alternate closing strategy if Mary does not have a credit card with her: That’s quite alright, Mary. That happens on occasion. We have two options at this point, so let me know which one you prefer. Option A is to create an interim account here today and then when you go home, simply complete the credit card information section and choose your program length (monthly, quarterly, annually) and type (single or family). Just Club Resource - Enrolling a New Member 1 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Club Resource ~ Enrolling a New Member make sure you complete it within the next 14 days or you will lose access to your program, which will make it difficult to maximize your progress and you’ll lose your discounts. Option B is to wait until your session with the Fitness Professional. Simply bring your credit card information to that session and we’ll create your dotFIT program right then. We’ll try schedule it as soon as possible so that you don’t miss out on too many days where you could be progressing. Which do you prefer? • Alternate closing strategy if Mary prefers not to enter her credit card information: That’s quite alright, Mary. Out of curiosity, may I ask why? (Oftentimes, their concerns will be tied to the security of their credit card information, inability to cancel their program easily, or they just don’t see themselves using it. Validate their desire to avoid making a bad decision, and then present two options.) That’s not an uncommon concern. While I can tell you that we use the highest level of internet security available, that our cancellation procedure is very user-friendly, and that the results you’ll see from the program will keep you coming back for more, it is always best if you experience it for yourself. With that said, may I offer two different options to you, and then you can let me know which one you prefer? Option A is a mini test drive. By taking the mini test drive, we’ll give you complete access to your program for fourteen days. At any time before the fourteenth day, you can enter in your payment information and select a program length and type to continue. I must tell you that this time goes by very quickly, so it will be important that you start working your plan immediately in order to get the full benefit. Option B is a full test drive. You’ll get complete access to your program for a full month on the house. It does require that you enter your payment information and choose a program length (monthly, quarterly, or annually) and type (single or family) up front, but if there’s anything about your dotFIT program that fails to meet your standards, you can cancel it before the first payment in 30 days. Or you can cancel it anytime thereafter as well. Which option do you prefer? Club Resource - Enrolling a New Member 2 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. dotFIT Certification Basic Coaching Skills Helping your clients achieve their goals requires effective communication and active participation. Your role as the Fitness Professional is to guide your clients’ decisions because they will ultimately have to make changes in certain behaviors to reach and maintain their goals. Effective change and problem solving happens through active listening, communication, and education. It is a learning experience for each person and as they gain new knowledge, skills and insights, they will begin changing behaviors. Listen Actively One of the most important coaching skills is active listening, which helps develop rapport and trust between you and the client. Active listening is more than just hearing words. Pay attention to the person speaking, to their facial expression, voice tone and body language to gain insight to how they’re feeling. Use eye contact to let your clients know you are listening to them and avoid the temptation to interrupt while they’re speaking. When finished, ask questions if you do not understand or want to clarify what is being said. You can also help your client feel more comfortable by not folding your arms over your chest or multitasking– both can be interpreted negatively. Try to make your client feel like they have your full attention. Communicate Effectively Effective communication can be the key to your clients’ success. Communication skills are essential for strengthening relationships and motivating the individual to successfully complete the program. Communication is defined in many ways, but in a broad sense communication includes all methods that can convey thought or feeling between persons. First, communication is the process of sending and receiving messages. Second, for the transmission of ideas to be successful, a mutual understanding between the involved parties must occur. When you’re speaking to clients, it’s important to be aware of both your verbal and nonverbal communication. Verbal communication would be the actual words you speak. Some positive, supportive verbal communication skills include 1 dotFIT Certification Basic Coaching Skills • Stating the facts in a descriptive rather than judgmental manner • Focusing on what the client has accomplished • Offering solutions to challenges rather than criticizing or giving orders • Being respectful and treating the receiver as an equal, AND • Being empathetic rather than neutral toward the receiver Nonverbal expression refers to the manner and style in which you deliver the message. The most important nonverbal cues are facial expression, tone of voice, eye contact, gesture and touch. Social scientists believe that the image a person projects accounts for over half of the total message conveyed at the first meeting. You’ve heard the saying – you only have one chance to make a first impression, and often your body language speaks louder than your words. Try to have a relaxed facial expression, make frequent eye contact and avoid appearing closed off by crossing your arms across your chest. Clients will often mirror your energy – so make it a priority to be positive and upbeat. Keep in mind that as you speak clients often listen to what is being said and also think about how they are going to respond. They could also be reacting physiologically to the message. As you coach your client, be aware of their appearance and demeanor and adjust your communication accordingly. For example, if your client makes a negative facial expression - that would be a cue for you to adjust your tone, make eye contact or use simpler language or rephrase what you said. Engaging your client in the discussion by asking them questions often creates a more positive response. Question Productively Productive questioning is one of the tools that can help you become aware of your clients’ behaviors and challenges and to help solve problems. The way questions are stated can either successfully or unsuccessfully illicit a beneficial response towards constructive change. Why Using the word “why” implies judgment or a negative connotation. 2 dotFIT Certification Basic Coaching Skills Here are some examples: Why aren’t you exercising? Why did you eat the whole bag of chips? Why don’t you weigh yourself? As you can probably sense, stating why can make a person feel defensive and rarely leads to behavior change. What or How “What” and “how” are less judgmental, more probing, less intimidating, and more thought provoking. Knowing what has happened and how it happened is much more conducive to the process of change than why it happened. For example, you could ask • What are some of the obstacles that are preventing you from exercising? • What happened that caused you to eat the bag of chips? • What is keeping you from weighing yourself? Wording your questions in a telling way can help you and your client explore the reasons that destructive or unconstructive behaviors occur. By identifying the cause of behaviors “what” and “how” they happen, the process of problem solving can take place and lead to productive change. Goal Setting Setting proper long term objectives and short term goals are necessary skills for your client’s success. It is important to distinguish the difference between objectives and goals. Objectives are the end result, like a target weight or finishing a marathon, while the goal is the process or how the objectives will be accomplished. Several key characteristics make up effective goals. Short term goals should be • Realistic • Specific • Flexible and forgiving 3 dotFIT Certification Basic Coaching Skills Realistic means within reach or attainable. For example if a person is sedentary, maybe a realistic goal would be to walk 10 minutes a day. Many times when clients are trying to lose weight they set goals that are too strict or difficult to comply with. Specific would be a clearly defined, measurable goal such as a time. Walking everyday at lunch for 10 minutes would be a specific, measureable goal. Often areas of improvement are identified as goals but they are vague and nonspecific. An example of a nonspecific goal would be, “I need to exercise more”. Flexible and forgiving allows for re-evaluation of established goals. Despite the best intentions, circumstances sometimes prevent successful execution of the goal. This characteristic enables the client to realize that no one is perfect and to set the goal that is more reasonable. Summary Your most important job as a Fitness Professional is to communicate effectively with your client to help them achieve their goals through their active participation. Let them know that you understand how difficult and challenging changing lifetime habits can be. Exercise and changing eating habits requires constant attention and self regulation of behaviors. Be understanding and explain that you do not expect them to be perfect nor do you expect them to change everything overnight. Instead you expect them to take an active role in their personal weight control program. Being active means they will decide, with your help, what goals to set, what behaviors to target, and what plan of action to take. They should be confident that you will not judge, ridicule, belittle, or insult them in their journey. 4 dotFIT Certification Basic Coaching Skills References Communication and Education Skills: The Dietitian’s Guide, Betsy B. Holli, Ed.D, RD.; Richard K Calabrese, Ph.D.; Lea & Febeiger 1991 The Lifestyle Counselor’s Guide for Weight Control, Steven N. Blair P.E.D., Kelly D. Brownell Ph.D, David L. Hager, C.P. A. , MBS, G. Alan Marlatt, Ph.D, Patrick Mahlen O’Neil, Ph.Dl; Susan K. Rhodes, Ph.D; Sachiko St. Jeor, Ph.D, R.D., Brenda L. Wolfe, Ph.D.; American Health Publishing Company, 1996 Counseling Tips for Nutrition Therapists, Practice Workbook Volume 1, Molly Kellogg, RD, LCSW KG Press 2006 5 dotFIT™ Me program - Four Session Outline Pre-Session 1 Notes We recommend that you contact the client within 24-48 hours prior to their first session if possible. The first session can range from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how “deep” you decide to dive into the program with them initially. Our recommendation is that you keep the first session limited to program creation (7 mins), showing the client how to log food (5 mins), and initial supplement recommendations (5 mins). During the follow-up sessions, you will have time to customize meal plans, exercise plans and build on the foundations established during the first sessions. Each follow-up session will last approximately 15 minutes each. Keep in mind that each Me Program coaching session can either be “baked” into the first portion of a client’s personal training session, or as a standalone appointment. It is also important to remember that while you should stick as close to the outline as possible, some client’s needs will require that you focus on certain aspects of their program more than others. For example, you may focus on an athlete’s pre- and post-workout nutrition and supplementation more than an overweight novice client. So use the outline, but be flexible where it is needful. Confirm the appointment 24 hours prior to the session. Check the day before the session to make sure the client’s program has been completed and the client has logged food. Note: If the client has not been using their program, you may reschedule the session or offer the session as a set-up session only. Session 1: Introduction to the dotFIT Me Program (15-30 minutes) Ask client about his/her specific goal (you can also reference the dotFIT Fitness Orientation form and 5 Steps to Better Selling for additional questions and strategies to use with your client). If you haven’t done so already, log into your Trainer Console and add the client as a Member. After creating the account, have the client log in to their Member account and click on “Orders and Subscriptions” from their My Account page to purchase a monthly subscription. Click on the program button from the Member’s My Account page. Create their Program (7 mins), giving brief explanations about why each bit of information about the member is important in customizing their Program. Begin teaching your client the basic math of weight loss. 1 pound of fat=3500 calories and approximately 2200 steps=1 mile. Address muscle gain if needed. Males can set a maximum weight/muscle gain goal of .5 lbs/wk and females .25 lbs/wk. This requires a daily calorie surplus. 1 dotFIT™ Me program - Four Session Outline Click on the Summary Tab and discuss daily goal numbers, expected calories burned, consumed, deficit numbers and expected daily weight loss. Discuss overview and current program tab and daily current progress numbers and remind the client that they will always receive daily feedback from today's goal numbers and current daily progress numbers. Inform the client that they will be prompted to enter their weight every 7 days or body fat every 14 days and they will get feedback to stay on track. Also show the client by clicking on the Periodic Body Measurement tab can enter their weight daily. Also show them the New Program, Program Printout and Calendar functionality. Click on the Nutrition Tab and discuss Food Logging. Note: for some clients you may need to show them how to use the food log (Favorite Foods, My Meals and My Food). Discuss the Menu and Preference tabs (on the preference tab make sure you show the client how to set up the detailed view and create new foods) Also highlight dotFIT's eight menu choices and how to use nutrition dotFIT meal replacement bars and drinks daily. Click on the Supplement Tab and review client’s history of supplement use and discuss recommendations. It is imperative that you discuss the recommendations in detail and get the client "excited" about using dotFIT products. For instance, if the client is on a weight loss program you would want to direct them to our weight loss dotFIT tab. You will also want to set up a recurring order for your client and point out the discount that they would receive. Also mention that dotFIT offers an in depth video on each supplement and that our supplements are manufactured in a FDA-registered facility Note: highlight what sets dotFIT apart from the rest. Click on the Exercise Tab and review the Exercise Calendar and the New Exercise Program tabs. Click on the Learn Tab which will take you to our Fitness Vault. Inform the client that new material is added daily. Click on the My Info Tab and review the personal stats tab showing the client how to add periodic and advanced body measurements. Briefly discuss the Par-Q, Medical Questionnaire and Program Summary tabs. Encourage your client to utilize the dotFIT home page which includes: Ask the Expert, OnDemand Exercise and our Fitness Vault (which can also be accessed from the Learn tab). Schedule Session 2 during their second week and after one progress check. Their homework between now and then is to log their food every day to gain awareness of how their food choices impact their rate of progress. You will review their progress and answer any questions that they may have. Note: Send Session 2 confirmation email. 2 dotFIT™ Me program - Four Session Outline Session 2: Progress and General Q & A (15 minutes) Review the following tabs: Summary, Nutrition, Supplements, Exercise, Learn and Vital Stats. Summary tab: Review daily goal numbers, expected calories burned, consumed, deficit numbers and expected daily weight loss. Discuss overview and current program tab and daily current progress numbers and remind the client that they will always receive daily coaching feedback from today's goal numbers and current daily progress numbers. Review weight/body fat numbers and remind client of weekly or bi-weekly progress checks. Nutrition tab: Review food logging and breakdown (remember – they should have been logging food since Session 1). Review menu choices. Supplement tab: Q & A and recommendations. Exercise tab: Q & A and review. If not already done, create appropriate weekly exercise programs using the Resistance, Cardio and Walking programs. Let them know that as part of the personal training services you provide, you will customize the workouts based on their unique needs, ensure proper weight selection and exercise technique and make appropriate adjustments along the way. Their homework assignment is to review their next Resistance Training workout, watch each video, and come prepared with any questions they have prior to the training session with you. The Exercise Calendar you will customize for them will let them know what they should do during any weekly workouts they train on their own. Learn Tab: Q & A and review. Vital Stats: Review graphs and Q & A. Schedule Session 3, this session should be scheduled during week three of their program. This session will cover our Fitness Vault, Supplements, Meal Replacement, Recipes and Dining out. Note: Send Session 3 confirmation email Session 3: Q & A, Resources, Supplements and Meal Replacements (15 minutes) Quickly Review the following tabs: Summary, Nutrition. Remind client of weekly progress checks if they’re tracking their weight only and bi-weekly progress checks if they’re tracking weight and body fat. 3 dotFIT™ Me program - Four Session Outline Review all supplement use including Meal Replacements on the Shop tab. Verify that your client has a recurring order set-up and if not offer to set one up for him/her. Review Learn tab and highlight the following: Resources, Ask the Expert, On Demand Exercise (Video fit) and our Fitness Vault. Review the recipes section and keep the focus limited to topics they are currently interested in. If your client has a specific topic that they cannot find they may email questions to [email protected]. Schedule Session 4: this session should be scheduled during week four or at the client’s discretion. If this is your last paid session with the client, you will discuss how to maintain weight loss/gain and encourage future coaching sessions. Otherwise, simply repeat the Session 3 format for as many remaining weekly sessions you have with the client. Note: Send Session 4 confirmation email. Session 4: Q & A , Maintenance, Supplements, Future Coaching options (15 minutes) General Q & A . Review of progress. Direct client to the Fitness Vault for maintenance articles. Reevaluate supplement use (advise of 12 week cycles). Remind client that they will receive a follow up call/email to check progress and answer questions. Discuss future coaching options – personalized coaching helps people succeed. Present any coaching and training packages. 4 90 Day Weight Loss Solution Outline Week 1 • - • • • • Discuss basic weight loss rules - Energy in vs. energy out - 3500 calories in 1 lb. of fat - Set a goal and write it down (pg. 2) Discuss ways to eat less and have client choose a strategy (pg. 3) - Food logging (pg. 42) – reiterate this is the number one weight loss tool aside from meal replacements; they can choose to write it down in the weight loss planner or subscribe to dotFIT’s NFP to log online. - Menus (pg. 5-14) - CalorieKing™ book to learn calorie content and make better choices - Reduce portion sizes Take beginning stats Product information on FatReleaser™/multivitamin/meal replacements dotFIT online resources in the Fitness Vault; discuss available product discounts Menu options Week 2 • • • • • • Affirm any positive action the client is taking – food log, activity, steps, etc. o Review food log/step log if client is tracking Weekly weigh-in Discuss results. Discuss weight loss trends if needed. (True results appear over 2-3 weeks; not week to week because of fluid fluctuations.) o Suggest “Weigh the Weight Away” email coaching program to stay on track to goal. This is another tool fit pros can leverage to help their clients get results. Select movement or eating strategy to stay on goal o Have client pick an adjustment s/he will make Moving more in and out of the gym - interval training (gym) - active rest periods (gym) - increase intensity of workout (gym) - add time or days to your workout (gym) - purchase a pedometer, track steps (gym/home) - household chores during commercials (home) - cook at home vs. going out (home) - create weekly/monthly projects (home) Menus 1 Week 3 • • • • • • Affirm any positive action the client is taking – food log, activity, steps, etc. o Review food log/step log if client is tracking Weekly weigh-in Making adjustments to avoid plateaus - Adding steps - Increase activity in gym - Subtracting (calories) Utilizing the CalorieKing™ book Review the dotFIT multi and meal replacements (almost time for more!) Menus Week 4 • • • • • • • • Affirm any positive action the client is taking – food log, activity, steps, etc. o Review food log/step log if client is tracking Weekly weigh-in Goal review (where is the client?) Building your own menus/address Eating-on-the-Go if client has a busy lifestyle - Timing - Balancing - Healthy choices/healthier choices Utilizing the dotFIT platform to assist with food Tracking food intake CarbKiller™ discussion (how and why) Menus Week 5 • • • • Affirm any positive action the client is taking – food log, activity, steps, etc. o Review food log/step log if client is tracking Weekly weigh-in Grocery shopping (great time to meet a group of clients at the grocery store!) - Label reading - Calorie guessing game - Portion/calorie control through volume Menus 2 Week 6 • • • • • • Affirm any positive action the client is taking – food log, activity, steps, etc. o Review food log/step log if client is tracking Weekly weigh-in Why supplement What to look for when purchasing supplements Supplement buying made easy! (home delivery) Menus Week 7 • • • • • Affirm any positive action the client is taking – food log, activity, steps, etc. o Review food log/step log if client is tracking Weekly weigh-in Eating out - Better bad food choices - Review example of “Healthy Fast Food” menus - Estimating calories at a restaurant - Review CalorieKing™ book Building a “going out” game plan (movement and food strategies) Help your client build another “eating out” menu Week 8 • • • • • • Affirm any positive action the client is taking – food log, activity, steps, etc. o Review food log/step log if client is tracking Weekly weigh-in Goal review (Where is your client?) ThermoShock™ introduction Manipulation of exercise (utilizing the dotFIT platform if applicable) Menus Week 9 • • • Affirm any positive action the client is taking – food log, activity, steps, etc. o Review food log/step log if client is tracking Weekly weigh-in Vacations and weight-management - To lose or not to lose 3 • - Walking 2 hours = 1 hour of moderate weight training & cardio - Pedometer - Pack healthy dotFIT snacks - Schedule meals every 3-4 hours, DON’T GET HUNGRY! - Car travel tips - Plane travel tips - Eating out (chose one meal to “cheat”) Menus Week 10 • • • • Affirm any positive action the client is taking – food log, activity, steps, etc. o Review food log/step log if client is tracking Weekly weigh-in Weight gain and satiety (control that MONSTER… your appetite!) - Chose foods less dense in calories and have more volume (BIG salad w/chicken vs. pepperoni pizza) - Never watch T.V. or any other entertainment while eating - Eat & drink from small plates and cups. (Play tricks on your appetite!) - Wait 30 – 40 minutes after your meals to have dessert. (Give your brain time to catch up to what’s in your stomach) - Brush your teeth immediately following meals (This sends a subliminal message that “meal time is over”.) - Don’t forget the basics… Eat small meals every 3-4 hours to assist in avoiding hunger Menus Week 11 • • • Affirm any positive action the client is taking – food log, activity, steps, etc. o Review food log/step log if client is tracking Weekly weigh-in How to cheat without weight gain! - Review energy in vs. energy out - Plan the cheat… adjust movement/food the day before and after to offset the calories - Increase movement an hour per day during “likely cheat times” (holidays) - Remove calories earlier in the day on your cheat day to “save up” (increase protein) - Avoid going on your cheat date hungry - Client gains 2 lbs. (true weight vs. water), break down the math… 1 pound = 3500 calories x 2 lbs =7,000 7 days… must average 1000 deficit per day. 500 calories from movement/500 from food 14 days… must average 500 deficit per day. 250 movement/250 food 21 days… 30 days… 4 • • Review dotFIT online (examples of sample menus); www.dotFIT.com/90dayweightloss Menus Week 12 • • • • • Affirm any positive action the client is taking – food log, activity, steps, etc. - Review food log/step log if client is tracking Final weigh-in! (weight, circumference measurements, body fat, pant/dress size) Developing a support system – - Who should you spend more time with (who will support you?) - Who can you ask to give you a “gentle nudge” when they see you falling off-track a bit? - Who should you be cautious of when you spend time with them (who can “infect” you with their bad habits?) - Using the dotFIT Fitness Community for support - Get a trainer Which dotFIT product recommendations would be appropriate to continue during their pursuit to their ultimate destination? Final evaluation… Has the client reached their goal? Can they reach this goal without your weekly support? 5 Trainer Resource ~ 14-Day Program Trial Enrollment Use these step-by-step instructions to enroll a new member in to a 14-day dotFIT Me Program trial. Go to www.dotFIT.com and click LOGIN in the upper right corner. Enter your dotFIT username and password. Trainer Resource – 14-Day Program Trial Enrollment 1 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ 14-Day Program Trial Enrollment Click on Consoles to access the console options. You’re now in your Trainer Administration Console. To add a member or view your current client list, click Members. Trainer Resource – 14-Day Program Trial Enrollment 2 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ 14-Day Program Trial Enrollment To add a new client, click “Add New Member” and a new window will appear. Complete the fields in this pop-up window to add a new member. The CLUB and TRAINER fields will be completed for you. Not all fields are required, but you need to include an email address for your client. When finished, click Save. Then click Close and your new client will appear in your member list. You may need to refresh your page. Once your client has been added, dotFIT will send them an email with their username and password. Trainer Resource – 14-Day Program Trial Enrollment 3 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ 14-Day Program Trial Enrollment To enroll the client in to the trial, click “Give 14 Days dotFITme Trial”. This will activate the trial and the access will appear in the Manage dotFITme Program column. Click “Manage dotFITme Program” and a new window will open to create the program. This is the same way to access a member’s program at any point from your console. Trainer Resource – 14-Day Program Trial Enrollment 4 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ 14-Day Program Trial Enrollment To create the program, start by clicking on the client’s goal. To reference how to create a program and the functionality, see “Using dotFIT Me Creating a New Program”. Trainer Resource – 14-Day Program Trial Enrollment 5 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Creating a New Program Use these step-by-step instructions to help you create new programs and explain how the dotFIT Me Program works. To create a program, clients must have purchased a subscription or be enrolled in a trial subscription. Go to www.dotFIT.com and click LOGIN in the upper right corner. Enter your dotFIT username and password. Trainer Resource - Creating a New Program 1 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Creating a New Program Click on Consoles to access the console options. You’re now in your Trainer Administration Console. To add a member or view your current client list, click Members. Trainer Resource - Creating a New Program 2 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Creating a New Program For the client you need to create a program for, click “Manage dotFITme Program” and a new window will appear. To create the program, start by clicking on the client’s goal. Note that all goals will likely lead to positive health changes, but the “Improve Health” goal is for those who do not want to change their weight or body composition. Trainer Resource - Creating a New Program 3 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Creating a New Program Once you select a goal, the New Program wizard will walk you through the set up process. Click Begin Now to get started. The Personal Stats page requires the client’s basic information. All of the fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required. If you or another fitness professional will be coaching this client or providing sessions on this program, be sure to select “Yes.” If clients will be using this program on their own, select “No.” Trainer Resource - Creating a New Program 4 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Creating a New Program If you’ll be tracking your client’s weight only, select Weight Only. Progress checks will occur every 7 days and you will be prompted to enter the client’s scale weight. This is followed by feedback on how to stay on track. The feedback is based on changes in total body weight only. If you’ll be tracking your client’s progress by using body fat percentage, select Weight and Body fat. You’ll be prompted to enter the client’s weight and body fat percentage every 14 days. The feedback is based on changes in pounds of fat if the goal is weight loss, or changes in pounds of lean body mass/muscle if the goal includes gaining weight or building muscle. The medical history questionnaire helps 1) determine the health status of the client – low, moderate or high risk and 2) establish proper use of dietary supplements. Clients should fill this out on their own or be present while you’re creating their program. Only conditions that currently apply to the client should be selected. Trainer Resource - Creating a New Program 5 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Creating a New Program The physical activity readiness questionnaire is designed to assess whether exercise is appropriate for your client at this time. Clients should read and answer each question themselves. The next set of questions relates to exercise experience, physical activity level and diet type. These questions also help determine dietary supplement recommendations. When selecting the activity level of the client, please note that most people who have a sedentary occupation the first or second fall into level. Trainer Resource - Creating a New Program 6 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Creating a New Program Choose the type of diet the client follows. A lactoovo vegetarian consumes eggs, cheese and other dairy products while a vegan does not consume any animal products. The appropriate multi-vitamin will be recommended according to the diet type, activity level, gender, age and other factors. If you chose to track “Weight only” and the goal is weight loss, enter a goal weight and the number of weeks to achieve the goal. The recommended weight loss rate is one to two pounds per week, but a faster rate may be set based on the client’s starting weight. NOTE: The minimum calorie intake target allowed is 1000-1500 calories per day depending on starting weight. Trainer Resource - Creating a New Program 7 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Creating a New Program If you chose to track weight and body fat to measure progress and the goal is weight loss, enter the goal body fat percentage and the timeframe. For weight or muscle gain goals, simply enter the amount of muscle the client wants to gain and the timeframe. Keep in mind, feedback will be given only on changes in lean body mass, which are calculated from the client’s weight and body fat percentage. Clients who have moderate or high health risk will not be able to proceed with the program until they complete the following steps: • they print and sign one of two forms • they give the form to you to keep in your official club records • you or a designated personnel gives them access to the program Trainer Resource - Creating a New Program 8 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Creating a New Program There are two different forms the client can chose from - they can to their doctor to be print and take a Physician’s Release Form completed and signed or they can choose not to see their physician and sign a Waiver of Physician Permission. Clients with moderate or high health risk should be encouraged to see their physician. Either form must be kept on file in your club records to be in compliance with safe weight control guidelines. The Informed Consent is the final step. Each client should read this form in its entirety. To proceed, the client needs to check the box at the bottom, indicating he or she agrees with the terms of the program. Trainer Resource - Creating a New Program 9 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Creating a New Program Once the program is created, you can view the program Summary Page, create an program or view their printout. exercise Be sure to explain how the program works using the Summary page (below). Trainer Resource - Creating a New Program 10 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Creating a New Program The Summary page contains the critical information your clients need to reach their goals. The bar graph is a visual representation of your calorie burn at any time of day, your daily targets and whether you’re on track to meet your goal that day as long as consumed. you’re logging what you The Expected Burn is the average number of calories you burn each day. The Overview tab displays your daily Calorie Deficit or Surplus goal and your expected weight loss or gain if you hit your calorie intake target. The red line is your average calorie intake target, or the average number of calories you should consume each day to reach your goal. The calories you’ve logged are displayed next to the Log Food button. The flame represents the number of calories you’ve burned up to this time of day. Your Current Daily Progress displays your calorie balance based on the food you logged. The dotFIT Me program displays the calories you’ve burned at any time of day - and as long as you log food, you’ll see the calories you’ve consumed compared to your burn. To lose weight, keep your calorie intake below your burn. To gain weight, do the opposite and to maintain your weight, eat the same number of calories as you burn. By using the dotFIT Me program, you have the information you need to adjust your food choices and activity so you achieve - and more importantly, maintain your goal. Trainer Resource - Creating a New Program 11 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Creating a New Program The Current Program tab on the Summary page displays your results, goals and a summary of the current program. Here’s where you are displays your results since the start of this program until your last progress check indicated by the date range. You’ll also see your predicted results since your last progress check up until this point in time. These results are based on your food log, so be sure to encourage clients to log regularly. Here are your goals displays your expected results based on the goal date you set. The first date range reflects the start of your current program until the last progress check. The second date range includes your expected results since your last progress check until this point in time and your daily calorie intake target (the same dates as above). This makes it easy to compare where you are to where you should be. Trainer Resource - Creating a New Program 12 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Improve Your Success with Food Logging Managing your weight ultimately comes down to managing calories. Once you’ve set up your dotFIT Me program, you’ll be able to see the information you need to know to achieve your fitness and weight control goals. Use these step-by-step instructions to become familiar with food logging and eliminate all the guesswork. On the Summary page, click the Log Food button. Type in the item you’re looking for and click the Search button. All items will appear below. Improve Your Success with Food Logging 1 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Improve Your Success with Food Logging Drag and drop the item you consumed into the appropriate meal. In this example, “Oats” was placed in Early Morning Snack. Click on the item to change the time you ate the meal, the amount or serving unit. Click the Update button when finished. Improve Your Success with Food Logging 2 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Improve Your Success with Food Logging If you consume an item frequently, click on the grey star and it will turn purple, indicating it’s marked as one of your favorites. To view your favorites, click Favorites under the search box and all of your marked items will appear below. Now you can quickly find your favorites without having to search for each one every time. Improve Your Success with Food Logging 3 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Improve Your Success with Food Logging To save a meal you eat frequently, click the plate and utensils next to the meal name. A new window will appear. Type in a name for the meal, select the items you want to include and click the OK button. To view your Saved Meals, click My Meals below the search box and your items will appear below. Now you can quickly log your commonly consumed meals. Improve Your Success with Food Logging 4 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Improve Your Success with Food Logging To add an item not contained in the food database, click the Nutrition button at the top, then Preferences on the left and then My Food. Click Create New Food Enter a name for the item and fill in the fields found on a food label. Click Save when finished. Improve Your Success with Food Logging 5 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Improve Your Success with Food Logging To view your custom foods, click My Food under the search box and they will appear below. Now you can easily log your custom foods. The calories you logged are now updated and you see how much you’ve consumed in relation to the calories you’ve burned so far. In this example, 454 calories were consumed and 1323 calories were burned. When you’re finished logging, click the Summary button. Under Current Daily Progress you’ll find • your current calorie deficit or surplus. • your expected weight loss if this is your last meal of the day. By using dotFIT Me to log your calories, you’ll SEE your results any time of day. Now you can make any needed adjustment to stay on track toward your goal. Improve Your Success with Food Logging 6 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Product Home Delivery Enrollment Use these step-by-step instructions to assist your client with creating a home delivery order that meets their unique needs. Go to www.dotFIT.com and click LOGIN in the upper right corner. Enter your dotFIT username and password. Trainer Resource – Product Home Delivery Enrollment 1 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Product Home Delivery Enrollment Click on Consoles to access the console options. You’re now in your Trainer Administration Console. To create or access a member’s shopping cart, view your current client list by clicking on Members. Trainer Resource – Product Home Delivery Enrollment 2 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Product Home Delivery Enrollment After the client is already enrolled as a subscriber or 14 Day Trial member, your Member List will show you which members have Recurring Product Orders. You can also add products to your client’s shopping cart by clicking on “Recommend”. (Their dotFIT Me Program will automatically recommend products, but will not add them to their shopping cart.) After clicking “Recommend”, you will be able to begin adding appropriate products to your client’s shopping cart. Along the way, you and your client will also be able to view related products and product videos. Trainer Resource – Product Home Delivery Enrollment 3 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Product Home Delivery Enrollment After adding all appropriate products to your client’s shopping cart, click “View Cart” at the top of the page. While in the Cart, be sure to adjust the needed quantities and frequency of shipment. Each product has the option of being added to a recurring order with customizable order frequency to match the client’s needs. All recurring orders for a particular month will be sent as one shipment and the client will receive free ground shipping. They can cancel at any time (at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled ship date). If your client is not going to complete their order with you, you can save your recommendations by clicking on “Save to Cart” and label it with an easy to identify name (i.e., “John’s Products”). If your client is ready to place their first online order, they can do so here. They will need to re-enter their login information to ensure their account privacy and security. They can access your recommendations and complete their order by clicking on “My Account” > “Saved Carts” from their home page at any time. Trainer Resource – Product Home Delivery Enrollment 4 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Trainer Resource ~ Product Home Delivery Enrollment From a Client’s Home Page: Frequentlyasked questions about product orders (shipping, discounts, etc.) can be found here under “Help” Their dotFIT Me Program is also accessible from this home page. Your clients are responsible for managing their recurring orders from their “My Account” home page. They can also access their “Saved Carts” here. Helpful Trainer Hint: Never assume that your client is 100% comfortable with the order set up and management process without having them demonstrate it to you. While assisting them with their first and even second order, encourage your client to actively participate in clicking on products, videos, and adding them to their Shopping Cart. Have them practice editing and placing their order with you present whenever possible. This will build their confidence, minimize or even eliminate future confusion and most importantly, it will show that you care enough to take extra time with them to ensure their happiness and success with the home delivery service, as well as the Me Program. Trainer Resource – Product Home Delivery Enrollment 5 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Club Administrator Resource ~ Establishing Trainer and Staff Accounts Use these step-by-step instructions to create Staff and Trainer Accounts for your team. Go to www.dotFIT.com and click LOGIN in the upper right corner. Enter your dotFIT username and password. Club Administrator Resource – Establishing Trainer and Staff Accounts 1 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Club Administrator Resource ~ Establishing Trainer and Staff Accounts Select the “Club Admin” for a single club location, or “Org Admin” for multiple club locations Click on Consoles to access the console options. You are now in your Club or Org Console. Click on Trainers to create Trainer Accounts. Or click on Staff to create Staff Accounts. Club Administrator Resource – Establishing Trainer and Staff Accounts 2 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT. Club Administrator Resource ~ Establishing Trainer and Staff Accounts To add a new Account, simply click “Add New Trainer”. The same process can be applied to adding a Staff Account in the Staff Account section on the previous screen. Complete the fields in this pop-up window to add a new account. The CLUB field will be completed for you (each Trainer and Staff Account will be linked to your “Default Trainer” for reporting purposes). Not all fields are required, but you need to include an email address for your client. When finished, click Save. Then click Close and your new Trainer Account will appear in your member list. You may need to refresh your page. Once the account has been added, dotFIT will send them an email with their username and password. Club Administrator Resource – Establishing Trainer and Staff Accounts 3 Need help? Email [email protected] or call 877.4.dotFIT.