Picture two gym members—let’s call them Brianna and Kaye.
Both of them begin their day excited at the idea of working out. It’s because they’re determined to finally work on their fitness goals after years of slacking, binge-eating, and procrastinating.
So, Brianna and Kaye show up at the studio for the first time, both dripping with excitement. Determined to have an absolutely great time, they each give their all during their 45-minute workouts. But towards the final set of their sessions, their moods begin to diverge.
When the buzzer goes off, signalling the end of the workout, Brianna leaves the gym in high spirits. Smiling ear to ear, she gives out high-fives and heartily says goodbye to the trainers and other studio-goers. She even tells them, “See you tomorrow!”
Meanwhile, Kaye speed-walks to the exit with her shoulders slumped… and she goes home without a smile or even a quick goodbye to the trainer.
Now, a question…
Between Brianna and Kaye, who do you think is more likely to return to the gym the next day?
Brianna, of course!
She left the studio probably feeling the best she’s felt in years. So, why wouldn’t she show up for another session?
Meanwhile, it didn’t seem like Kaye had a great first day. At the very least, that means it’ll take a LOT of effort and self-discipline for her to come back… if at all. And she will most likely spend the rest of her day dreading her next session, which means she might not show up at all!
This story shows the importance of ending your sessions with a bang.
You never know who among your members is contemplating the idea of never coming back to your studio. But if you can provide that explosive finish to your sessions, you can give them some fuel to keep coming back.
And not only does that do wonders for your attendance and churn, but it also provides a more lasting impact on your studio members’ lives.
So, what exactly do you need to end your studio’s sessions with a bang?
The 5 Things
#1. A Set of Expectations
Delivering that explosive finish that spells the difference between high and low churn, it falls squarely on your and your trainers’ shoulders. And as the studio owner, the onus is on you to remind the team about what you expect from them.
During your team meetings and pre-session huddles, tell everyone that you can’t have a session that goes all the way through and just peters out. You don’t want members looking around at the end of the session feeling like, “Oh, it’s done?”
They have to feel pumped up, accomplished, and raring to go back for another round!
So, lay some ground rules. And make sure everyone’s on the same page about what you want to happen.
#2. Quick Feedback Loops
Along with setting a set of expectations, you have to implement quick feedback loops to make sure your expectations are met. Know that 45 minutes in each session are long enough to turn around a session that started badly.
If you notice that your members are not that engaged in the workout or if the energy seems low, step in and intervene. You can have another coach work with your lead trainers just to pump up the energy. That way, you can still end that session with a bang.
Whatever you do, don’t let a session go just because it seems like it won’t end well. It IS your responsibility to make sure it does.
So, don’t hesitate to pull your team together for quick feedback huddles whenever something isn’t going well.
#3. A Showrunner
In every single session, you should have one person in charge – a coach who is running and controlling the room. That way, if a trainer leads the warm-up and the vibe’s a little low, then the showrunner can do something about it.
For instance, they can say, “Let’s get everyone to drop their weights mid-session because the vibe’s really low. We’re all just going to do the same tempo squat for the next three sets to bring everyone together again.”
Your showrunner should know they’re in control and that they can totally own the outcome of the session.
#4. Self-Awareness
Another thing you need to end your sessions with a bang is a self-aware team of trainers and coaches.
Each and every member of your team should have enough awareness of the atmosphere in your studio. That way, they’ll know if they have to work extra hard to create that explosive end to your sessions or just keep doing what they’re doing.
#5. A Build-Up to the End
Now, let’s get a bit more practical.
You want to build up tension and energy towards the end of your session, right?
One trick to do is to turn the music down a bit halfway through the session, then turn it up in the last few sets to get the members’ blood pumping.
Another thing you can do is start screaming out countdowns to let everyone know there’s one minute left to their workout. Then, continue counting down the last few seconds in a loud, booming voice to create that massive energy.
And once the buzzer goes off, go around and give high-fives, fist bumps, toe taps…whatever you feel like doing to create that explosive vibe. Make sure everyone feels they’ve just accomplished something great – and that they should be proud of themselves for that.
If you can send your members home feeling the best they’ve felt in a while, you can almost guarantee they’ll be coming back for more sessions in your studio.
Start and End Studio Sessions With a Bang
Finishing with a bang.
Sometimes, it’s all you need to turn a so-so kind of session into a 5-star experience for your members. And now that you know what it takes to end your sessions with an explosive bang…
The only thing left is to go out there and make it happen.
Do it right and you can expect to keep record attendance in your studio, contributing to lower churn. And ultimately, you’ll have a more impactful studio!
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