So I have this consulting client who owns a handful of indoor cycling studios...

When he first approached me I was hesitant to take him on as a client because I assumed that my lack of appreciation for the world of cycling would hinder my ability to help him improve his business. I mentioned this wariness to my wife over dinner a couple of weeks back and I'm so thankful that she responded with the following:

"The art of good customer service in a small business setting is the same across multiple industries. You can help this guy."

She was right. She's almost always right.

I took on this new client and our bi-weekly calls have become as valuable for me as they are for him. He deals with the same problems with scheduling, client billing, and staff management that I deal with every day of the week here at CSP. This experience has reinforced my attitude that most of the best business insights I will ever collect will come from outside of the little bubble of strength & conditioning businesses we function in.

If you own a gym, you could probably improve your business just by talking to your barber about how he runs his operation. Maybe the guy who runs the coffee shop down the road has some insights for you on improving your client experience. There are more accomplished small business owners within a five mile radius of you than you can imagine, and the majority of them would love for you to demonstrate an interest in what they've worked so hard to create. All you have to do is ask.

Speaking of small business, I'll start this week's list of content off with a link to a blog I wrote yesterday about retention strategies:

• What Does the Term "Retention Strategy" Mean to You? - While I believe that retention strategies are useful in retaining productive employees, I think that the term should be phased out as it relates to how you deliver an experience for your customers. This 237-word rant gets right to the point.

• Marketing Over Coffee – Simon Sinek Considers the Infinite - I’m about half way through Sinek’s Leaders Eat Last and I am quickly becoming a fan of his work.  It appears that he is working on a new book discussing the concept of game theory and how it applies to business. This podcast serves as a bit of a teaser.  He tells a quick story about Microsoft and Apple in the first five minutes of this podcast that will change the way you think about competition and how you envision the future for your business.

• 5 Strategies of ‘Psychological Pricing’​​​​​​​ - There are a number of effective pricing strategies to employ in your fitness business and this piece does a great job of outlining your options. In case you’re wondering, here at CSP we utilize the “Charm Pricing” approach featured in option #1. I am of the opinion that there is no right or wrong option in this case.

• Singular Isn’t About Scale​​​​​​​ - Seth Godin’s blog format is actually the inspiration for my occasional short and to the point blog posts. My blog from this week is the perfect example. This post challenges you to think about whether your business needs to be scaled dramatically to leave a lasting impact on the field. His final sentence was perfect: “Singular might lead to scale, but popular is not enough.”

• 8 Secrets of Great Communicators - If there’s one message I find myself stumbling on time and time again, it is that I could stand to dramatically improve my leadership and management style. Effective leadership starts with effective communication, and this article helped me to realize that most of us think we’re better communicators than we really are. “When communicating with people we know well, we make presumptions about what they understand—presumptions that we don’t dare make with strangers.” This piece is packed with valuable and actionable tips.