SMART START: Enhancing Exercise Adherence with Top 5 Drivers, Lecture notes of Marketing

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SMART START

MARKETING

TOOLKIT

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

In this guide you will find an overview to the SMART START approach, advice on how to implement SMART START at your club and links to all the assets in the SMART START collection To download any of the SMART START assets you will need access to Brand Central.

You can register free for Brand Central access HERE.

PAGES 2-3: INTRODUCTION

An overview of the research behind SMART START.

PAGES 4-8: THE TOP 5 DRIVERS OF EXERCISE STICKABILITY

The top five drivers of exercise adherence and some ideas for how you and your team can help positively influence them – early on.

PAGES 9-15: SMART START IMPLEMENTATION

Top tips for implementing SMARTSTART at your facility.

PAGES 16-18: ROLE PLAY ACTIVITY

Top tips for implementing SMARTSTART at your facility.

PAGES 19-25: APPENDIX AND LINKS TO ASSETS

THE CYCLE

OF SELLING

MEMBERSHIPS

MEMBERS

LEAVE

GET NEW

MEMBERS

MORE

MEMBERS

JOIN

RUN AND

MAINTAIN THE

FACILITY

NO TIME TO

WORK ON

MEMBER

EXPERIENCE

SETTING UP NEW MEMBERS FOR SUCCESS starts by taking a close look at your sales process, from the value proposition to onboarding.

By making some simple changes to your approach, you can boost newcomers’ chances of exercise adherence or ‘stickability’.

Here are the top five drivers of exercise adherence and some ideas for how you and your team can help positively influence them – early on.

SELF-MOTIVATION

While this is largely determined by a person’s goals, your team can use the sales and onboarding process to boost the self- motivation of prospects and new members:

• Encourage newcomers to be explicit about their fitness goals.
• Show them how to transform daunting goals into a series of specific, achievable ones.
• Focus on results and behavior-oriented goals with an emphasis on behavior- oriented ones i.e. Committing to visiting your facility twice a week for the next 12 weeks – whatever happens – and exercising for at least 30 minutes on each visit.
• Ensure newcomers have realistic expectations about what they’re likely to achieve and the level of commitment required.
• Identify at-risk people at point-of-sale and provide specific recommendations and support for those with lower motivation levels.

THE TOP FIVE

DRIVERS

OF EXERCISE

‘STICK ABILITY’

ENJOYMENT

This one needs no explanation: the more anyone enjoys something, the more likely they are to do it. Be customer-obsessed and provide your members with the most motivating exercise options possible.

INTENSITY

Don’t go too hard too soon. Research demonstrates that for new exercisers, high- intensity interval training (HIIT) can actually reduce adherence. Instead, encourage new members to pace themselves, and save HIIT for down the track when they have been doing 3-4 workouts per week for six weeks.

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SMART AND SLOW IS THE WAY TO GO

Les Mills’ SMART START program is designed to get your members off to a great start by gradually introducing people with little to no previous experience to the ACSM-recommended level of exercise*.

It enables you to provide new members with a clear template for achieving a healthy lifestyle in just six weeks, while optimizing adherence and boosting the chances those first few weeks will turn into a lifelong love of fitness.

• The ACSM guidelines for health and fitness recommend a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate to high intensity exercise a week, ideally achieved through three to five 30 to 45-minute workouts and a mix of cardiorespiratory exercise, resistance exercise, flexibility exercise and neuromotor exercise.

LES MILLS

SMART START

• Discuss as a team how well you are currently delivering on these five drivers with new members. What you should start, stop, and keep doing to build a better exercise adherence with new members.
• Compare your team ideas with our suggested approach in this section, then adapt and finalize your own plan.

OFF TO A

SMART START

WHAT TO DO –

AND HOW TO

DO IT

WHOLE TEAM MEETING

Share the SMART START background and five key drivers of exercise adherence (see pages 4-8) with your team.

REVIEW YOUR EXISTING

MEMBERSHIP SALES PROCESS

AND ONBOARDING

1 Consider the purpose/job description/ mindset of your membership team. Are they just selling memberships, or coaching new members to establish exercise habits and a healthy lifestyle?

2 Does your sales process include a member needs analysis? See pages 17 & 18 for role play practice exercises.

GOALS & MOTIVATION

What does the member want to achieve and why is it important to them?

AVAILABILITY

When can they exercise and visit your facility?

EXERCISE PREFERENCES

Consider the member’s exercise preferences during the needs analysis. For example, do they prefer running or is dancing more their thing?

BARRIERS TO EXERCISE

Have they dropped out of an exercise plan before? Are they time poor? Do they lack support from family, have low self- motivation or any physical limitations?

IDEAL WEEKLY BUDGET

What are they prepared to invest in their health and exercise?

3 As a follow-up to the needs analysis, does your sales or membership team propose a solution? Do you help members navigate options by recommending a plan?

If yes, does your fitness ‘solution’ cover the following?

GENERIC GUIDELINES FOR HEALTH showing what a healthy lifestyle looks like, and what it will take for your prospect to achieve their goals in terms of frequency, duration, activity and intensity of workouts.

For example: Ideally, you want to exercise three to five times a week for 30 to 45-minutes at a moderate to high intensity, and include cardiovascular, strength conditioning and flexibility training in your weekly plan. Based on our experience, we strongly recommend you work out as often as possible with a coach and in a group rather than on your own. You will get the direction, coaching and motivation you need to achieve the best possible results from the coach and working out with others will help you stick with your plan and achieve your goals.

SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS about what they should do in your facility, when and why based on their needs analysis.

Remember to include LES MILLS On Demand workouts in your recommendation, these will help with easing newbies into group exercise and help them overcome intimidation.

For example: Factoring in your specific goals and availability, I recommend coming to the facility to do RPM® on Monday at 6pm because ...; BODYPUMP on Tuesday at 5:30pm because ... Then, given your availability I would complement this with the following at-home workouts:

• Try a BODYCOMBAT On Demand workout on Wednesday evening. This is a cardio-based workout you can do at home to build your fitness and health.
• Plus a BODYBALANCE On Demand workout over the weekend. This will provide you with the mobility and flexibility training components you need. It’s also a great strength and core workout.

EXPLORE LES MILLS’ SMART START

• Use the marketing resources available in the SMART START Collection in Brand Central.
• Highlight the Penn State University research recommendations for people who want to take their fitness level from sedentary to the level outlined in the ACSM guidelines for health and fitness. Share the value of:
  • Using group fitness as a base for new exercisers.
  • Building volume and intensity progressively i.e. recommending that to start with they attend classes for just the first few tracks only.
  • Mixing up different types of workouts/classes.
• Factor in the member’s expectations while being realistic – many members won’t want to commit to five-plus workouts a week, especially when they’re just considering getting back into exercise.

TAKE IT IN STEPS

When it comes to motivation, our brains are mysterious creatures. One minute you’re pumped, full of enthusiasm. A few weeks later the excuses start to creep in, and before you know it you haven’t been to the gym all week. The good news is you’re not alone. The thoughts you experience when you’re just getting started with fitness are part of a well-studied scienceare a few key things that will guarantee you keep coming^1. Research shows there back for more.

THE NEXT 12 WEEK CHALLENGE WEEKS CARDIO STRENGTH CORE/FLEXIBILITY 7-18 3 x 60 mins 2 x 60 mins 1 x 60 mins

WEEK CARDIO STRENGTH CORE/FLEXIBILITY 1 1 x 20 mins 1 x 20 mins 1 x 10 mins 2 2 x 20 mins 1 x 30 mins 1 x 20 mins 3 2 x 30 mins 1 x 30 mins 1 x 20 mins 1 x 25 mins 4 2 x 35 mins 1 x 20 mins 1 x 60 mins 1 x 40 mins 5 2 x 50 mins 1 x 20 mins 1 x 60 mins 1 x 20 mins 1 x 60 mins 6 2 x 60 mins 1 x 30 mins 1 x 60 mins 1 x 40 mins 1 x 60 mins

SIX WEEK WORKOUT SCHEDULE

CELEBRATE THEIMMEDIATE WINS Focus on the gains that occur as soon as you become active: increased energy levels, feeling more positive, or the endorphin high you get straight after a workout. These things happen straight away, and are much better to focus on than long-termaesthetic goals like getting a smaller butt.

1

CONTROLYOUR WORKOUT Take steps to actively manage both the duration and intensity of your training. Trying anything new can be intimidating and the key to success is to goeasy on yourself and start slow. If you’re heading into a fitness class, you don’t have to stay for thewhole workout. Give the first few tracks a go, and build up slowly from there. FREQUENCYBEFORE INTENSITY It’s more important to get into the habit of exercising, before you worry about how hard you’re working. Remember to take the easieroptions offered by your instructor and feel good about what you can do – not what you can’t.

2

3

FOLLOW A PLAN

The SMART START fitness schedule is proven by science and combines a fun mix of cardio, strength, core and flexibility sessions. CARDIO and important for your heart health. exercise is great for burning calories STRENGTHwith long-term weight loss. training builds lean muscle and helps CORE to create the best platform for all other exercise. strength is critical for building a strong body FLEXIBILITY mobility and improves your posture. reduces chances of injury, increases

SMART START BROCHURE

SEE APPENDIX FOR DETAIL

SMART START WORKOUT PRESCRIPTION

• Make sure the team understands they can:
  • Prescribe a mix of workouts both in your facility and at home, for example a BODYPUMP and CXWORX®^ class in your facility could be complemented with 30 minutes of jogging outdoors or with an online BODYCOMBAT class using LES MILLS On Demand.
  • Mix two programs in the same session, for example they can recommend that a new member does the first four tracks of an RPM class for the 20-minute component of their workout followed by a CXWORX class.
• Utilize the SMART START Planner to customize an exercise prescription for your members considering the programs you offer, when the member is available, and their interests.

FACILITY TOUR

Finally, discuss how you and your team could adjust your facility tour to build self-efficiency and establish social support for new members, for example, by introducing them to staff or to other members.

SEE APPENDIX FOR DETAIL

REVIEW YOUR GROUP

FITNESS SCHEDULE

Make sure you offer:

• High quality programs that you trust and can promote confidently.
• Variety – ideally your timetable will include a couple of strength options, three different cardio fitness options, and a couple of engaging flex and core options. For example:

STRENGTH: BODYPUMP®

CARDIO: RPM®^ / BODYCOMBAT® BODYATTACK®

FLEXIBILITY: BODYFLOW®

CORE: CXWORX®

• Intensity – participants won’t get results if classes are too easy or too hard.
• Highly motivating classes – do all your programs have great music? Are they delivered with mastery by well-trained instructors who have what it takes to get people returning again and again?
• Optional duration – ideally your timetable should include a mix of 30-minute, 45-minute and 60-minute classes.

3

MARKETING

SUPPORT

• Support your membership team with the right resources:

A Provide the team with the SMART START brochure. You can tailor this flyer with Adobe Acrobat.

B Utilize the six-week workout plan using your facility’s branding for your team to complete when people first join.

C Provide your team and members with Getting Started brochures for all Les Mills programs available in your facility.

• Launch to members using the Les Mills Social Media Plan.

REMEMBER: The SMART START approach is not just relevant for new members, it also provides a great opportunity to reach out to existing members (and their friends).

GET YOUR INSTRUCTORS

ON BOARD

• Explain the SMART START approach and benefits by using the education videos available.
• Discuss what SMART START means for them and their classes – what to keep doing, what to change:
  • Ideally instructors should encourage newcomers to take it easy through the first few weeks, starting with just a few tracks before progressively building up to full classes.
  • Some instructors may need help to shift from a ‘no pain, no gain’ mindset to the ‘step by step’ approach that’s fundamental to SMART START.
• Discuss the logistics – for example, where new participants should stand in class so they can easily pack up and go after the first four tracks, without any embarrassment.

REMEMBER: Les Mills Instructors all receive SMART START training as part of their quarterly release kits so they are prepared to communicate about SMART START. Instructors should use SMART START language to encourage newbies to leave the class at the appropriate time (after 20 or 30 minutes).

4 5

DOWNLOAD THE FULL

SMART START

COLLECTION FROM

15 BRAND CENTRAL HERE

SECTION 2:

ROLE PLAY PRACTICE

AVAILABILITY, SELF-MOTIVATION,

Q. PREFERENCES & BUDGET

1 Let’s first have a look at your availability to exercise and any barriers that could prevent you from reaching your goals and that we need to factor in.

2 What are all the opportunities you have in your usual week to exercise for let’s say 30 to 45 minutes?

I would like to use my lunchtime. It is hard in the evening with the kids..

3 And over the weekend?

I could find some time but, as discussed I live quite far away so would prefer to avoid coming into town.

4 That’s not a problem. We can provide you with a workout plan to use out of the facility over the weekend if you want. Or you could simply go for a walk or play soccer with your kids, it counts!

Exercising is not only about coming to the gym you know.

5 Ideally, you need a mix of three types of training stimulus in your week – cardio, strength and flexibility. We have a wide range of activities we can suggest here.

Are there types of activity that interest you? Or that you don’t want to do? Do you see yourself exercising with others, alone, doing cardio exercises, dancing, or maybe cycle ...?

6 Great, I will factor this in as well. Tell me, what stopped you from starting/ sticking to exercise in the past?

And today, it is not an issue anymore?

7 How motivated are you to achieve these goals and get back onto a helathy lifestyle?

What level of support do you think you will need to stick to your exercise routine? On a scale from 1 to 10?

8 Are you going to come alone or with a friend? Often, it is easier to stick to a plan when committed to somebody else.

9 Last, ideally, what type of budget were you thinking on spending on your goals per week?

10 Perfect. This gives me great clarity about your needs and I am confident we can help you get there.

Would you like me to show you how you can achieve your goals and get back on track with a healthier lifestyle?

APPENDIX:

SMART START ASSETS