Without a team of individuals who can effectively chase leads, nurture customer relationships, and close a sale, most fitness businesses would fail to survive for the long term. Therefore, there is no question that developing a high performance sales oriented personal training team that will support your growth should be at the top of your list. As a manager or club owner, there are several steps you can take to develop such a team.

The first, and the most important step, is to hire the right people for the job. This sounds like common sense, but you would be surprised at how many times someone has ?settled? on a candidate because they needed someone to start right away, or believed that they could ?mold? that individual into what they needed. This is definitely the wrong path to follow.

Before you even start the interview process, be specific on what type of characteristics and skills the ideal candidate should have. Then, make a similar list of characteristics and skills you prefer they possessed. Once you have established this guideline, incorporate it into your advertisements, and follow it throughout the interviewing process. Don't waste time and money on trying to train someone to do a job they aren't suited to perform. It's not fair to either of you.

After a suitable candidate has been hired, they will need the right tools to perform their job. This includes providing the necessary training and tools that will allow them to succeed. Training should extend beyond the basic orientation period. It should be an ongoing process with opportunities to improve their skills through seminars and workshops. Remember that as they improve and grow, so will your sales.

Next, provide your staff with clear expectations and goals. This holds true of any employee you may have. No one can be expected to thrive and succeed if they lack a clear understanding of what is expected. Write it down, discuss it frequently, and make sure there is little room for misinterpretation or misunderstanding.

Communication is another essential component to success. One-on-one and group meetings to discuss expectations track sales performance, and/or any issues or concerns that anyone may have are a must. Allow everyone an opportunity to not only voice their concerns, but to share their ideas and experiences. This empowers your employees and sends them the message that you care about what they have to contribute.

Finally, invest time in building a solid team. While everyone has individual goals they must meet, they also need to realize that they are part of a team that depends on each other to achieve success. Your company may include departments devoted to sales, personal training, and administration. Or, it could be made up of a select few who perform multiple responsibilities. Either way, the size of your organization doesn't matter. What does matter is that everyone involved understand that they are part of this larger team. As the team leader, it is up to you to lead by example. They will be watching you for direction.

By incorporating these guidelines, you can increase your chances for success in developing a cohesive, high-performance team devoted to increasing sales and improving the overall financial health of your organization.