It’s Not about the Coffee.
Improve the Gymnastics Experience.
I am a big fan of Coffee. I prefer to go to my local cafes. rather than to a Starbucks. Although I can barely tell Sumatra Plus from instant coffee, I do know one thing about the cafe I frequent, BREAKING NEW GROUNDS (BNG), it is all about the experience.
The joke among friends and family is that BNG is “my office”. A few other business owners also frequent the cafe and we all refer to it as “the office”. Lets face it, we can get a change of scenery out of the gym, the terms of the lease are quite favorable, and I can hear what is going on around town. It is important to have a Third Place.
At my office they know me. A friend once had a birthday present delivered to me there. (By the way if you are ever in Portsmouth give me a call and I will meet you at the office.) Usually when I walk in they know I want a House roast for here. No room for milk or cream. It costs $1.95.
I know I can get twice as much coffee at McDonalds for $1.07, so why BNG? Plain and simple it is about the experience. The baristas are friendly, the music is great,free Wi Fi (which works most of the time) and I actually like it that the tables are close together. It is about interacting with the community and with the tables close, you can talk with the people at the next table without feeing awkward. I know McDonald‘s has free Wi Fi also and it may be faster; but it’s just not the same. I usually can find other local cafe’s with a similar experience and with some minor variations anywhere I go in the US and in the world. (I just returned from Whitehorse in The Yukon in Canada and had a great experience at BAKED.) Heck I even like the smell the smell of the brewing coffee (I know you coffee aficionados say they burn their coffee hence the smell) but it sure beats the smell of greasy burgers at MacDonald’s.
So what does this have to do with coaching or your Gym Business? To me it is a clear message to us as coaches, it’s not about the wins or losses, it’s not about the sets and reps, or the volume of running, it’s about the process and the process comes from the experience. We must give our athletes daily experiences that instill in them a desire for excellence in everything they do. We, the coaches are responsible for this. It is not about facilities or technical knowledge; it is a clear focus on people and relationships. Before you start training today look closely at the experience you are giving your athletes – How do you greet them when they arrive at workout? How do you correct them when they have done something incorrect? You, yes you the coach, can create an atmosphere where champions in sport and life are inevitable. Remember it is not about the coffee!
