TL;DR
- People are often concerned with adding new software because their athletes aren't as "tech Savvy".
- CoachNow squashes those concerns by making the onboarding and sign in process incredibly easy.
- Even if your athlete doesn't sign in, there are many benefits for coaches CoachNow
In a recent Q&A, a ConnectedCoach Blueprint member asked for my advice around getting their “non-tech-savvy” athletes into CoachNow.
Their concern was that, while ConnectedCoaching sounds great on paper, there may be some hesitation from their athletes to use new technology/software.
You can see my original answer to this question in the short video below:
In this week's post, I want to expand upon what I said here and give you 3 pieces of advice for how to help your athletes who might be a bit “techno-phobic”.
Let’s get to it.
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1. Encourage Them to Use the Web Application
In my view, too many platforms require you to download a mobile app to view content.
Honestly, it’s super annoying.
They take up free space on my phone, they get buried in folders, and I hate toggling between email, the app store, and a third party app to create accounts.
That’s why from day 1, CoachNow has featured a web-based application – you can access everything you need on the platform directly in any web browser.
Access to Spaces, Groups, Feeds, Posts/replies etc. are all there and fully up to date, with no need to download any desktop apps or plug-ins. Just head to coachnow.io, click “sign in”, and you are right where you need to be.
And your athletes don’t even need to download the app to view notifications. In settings, it’s super easy to enable email notifications for specific actions on the platform.
That way, your athletes always know when something needs their attention. All they have to do is click the link in their email and they’ll be taken immediately to the relevant post in the web application.
So, if you work with anyone who shares my gripes around downloading apps, it’s incredibly easy for them to use CoachNow without even downloading the app!
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2. Prioritize Getting Them Into CoachNow
Here’s something I’ve noticed when using CoachNow with my own athletes: once they’re on the platform, they understand it very quickly.
So as you’re onboarding a new athlete (be it virtually or in person), just include a brief CoachNow walkthrough as part of their orientation.
Explain CoachNow simply, focusing on WHY you use the platform and HOW it will help them grow as an athlete (see our recent blog post for more on this).
Create an account with them, send an invite to your shared Space, and have them accept that invite while you are together. Show them that it’s not complicated at all - in fact, it will actually make both your lives much easier.
Once they are in CoachNow, they will quickly see the benefits and make a habit of checking their account.
And, of course, be sure to hit the ground running communicating within the platform once they’ve accepted the invite into their Space.
Train your athletes to only communicate via the app (or web-app), post a “welcome video” in their space, and film your first Video Recap before the end of the first session.
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3. Give Them the Benefit of the Doubt
To put it bluntly: people aren’t as clueless as you might think.
Usually when I’m asked this question, it’s because the athlete in question is above 50 years old, and there is a persistent stigma that this population is not tech savvy.
I think this is wrong.
Many coaches are perpetuating a false belief that their older athletes aren’t capable. But in my opinion, they just aren’t giving them enough credit.
We have thousands of athletes over 55 that use CoachNow everyday. At this point, the vast majority of the population is well versed in using computers, smartphones, and apps. You’d be surprised how many of them are active on Instagram/Facebook etc. - CoachNow is just as easy (and way more productive for coaching).
And, as we covered in section 1 of this post, as long as they have internet access, all the relevant content on whatever device/ interface they choose is at their fingertips
Look, if your athlete created an email address, they can use CoachNow. It really is that simple.
Everything in CoachNow was built intentionally to lower the barrier to entry for both you and your athletes when it comes to accessing your coaching content and communication.
Trust me. They can check their inbox and click a link. You just need to make it clear how easy it is to take the initial leap!
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Before we wrap, I want to make one additional point: there are still benefits to using CoachNow, even if your athletes aren’t actively logging in.
The platform is just as much for you as it is for them.
First, using CoachNow will help you stay organized as a coach.
If you have tons of clients, keeping a record of what you have covered and what you haven’t can be invaluable when making coaching session plans.
Second, using the app gets you in the habit of capturing content that you can then repurpose in other ways.
You can use the videos from your sessions to show other athletes, share successes on social media, or even use it for your landing page (ideally with permission from the athlete). It’s always a good idea to get “action shots” of you coaching - no harm in recording as many successes as you can!
Lastly, you never know if they'll warm up to using the platform down the line.
If they get over their hesitation and finally log in after you have been logging their progress, they will have a wealth of historical content waiting for them.
This will likely be a massive confidence booster, and will help them retain the information they may have forgotten from months or even years back AND see the progress they’ve made working with you.
In short, even if some of your athletes are slow to adopt CoachNow, they may appreciate your diligence in the future.
Here’s to embracing new technology, and not fearing it!
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