Retaining Clients

Chapter 1

Introduction

I'm Lisa Logan and this course is for teachers and studio owners. It's about retaining clients and staying busy. Studio owners pay attention the whole way through because I have something special for you at the end,

Chapter 2

Now What?

so you got them to buy a package. Now what? Well, the truth is is that that first package does not guarantee you have a client for life. In fact, you are pretty much still selling holidays to them. Their first package every time they come in is another opportunity for you to show them how Polonius is going to help them with their goals and with their needs. This is not a time to show them everything you know about polarities. It's just a time for you to reiterate how good pies is for their body.

You have to keep them consistent. If they're not showing up for their sessions, don't wait for them to call you. You need to call them. You need to stay on top of them. This is their first time, usually in this environment, so telling them when to come in, how often to come in and making sure they don't cancel early or late. They're coming in regularly. So they filled the benefits of [inaudible]. This ensures are going to buy that second package. And now you're well on your way to having a client for life

Chapter 3

Progressing Clients

when progress in a client, it can be enticing and even exciting for you to show them everything you know.

In fact, it's often more easy to show them new things every time because it feels like it's spicing things up. It makes it feel like they're getting something new every time they feel interested in [inaudible]. But the truth is, so they really need to have a foundation in place before they can progress. So giving them too much too soon just overwhelms them and actually doesn't make them want to come back to place because they never feel like they're actually getting it. So it really does take 10 sessions just to get the lotteries, allow them that opportunity and allow them that time. If you keep them consistently coming in on a regular basis, give them a strong foundation. It's okay to repeat the same things every session.

They'll start to get it. You'll have more time to add things in. So as you notice, oh, we got through the reformer quicker from the mat quicker and they're getting it. The Newton give them more of what they need and a little bit of what they want. Often we have to be like that Trojan horse to get them to come back to [inaudible] on a regular basis. We have to give them a little bit about what they want.

Why did they come to [inaudible] in the first place, but still show them things that their body needs and how Polonius is helping them. When you progress a client, give them something that they're ready for. You may love overhead. It's my favorite exercise. However, my client isn't ready for it yet, but what are the things I need to do to get them ready for it? So map out what their Polonius journey is going to be, especially those first 10 sessions, that second package so that you're properly progressing them without overwhelming them. They'll feel the benefits of [inaudible] and they'll keep coming back to you. And again, if you do this, you'll have a client for life.

So they have their whole lifetime to get to snake and twist. They don't need to get to it right away just so they come back again, cause they might not, if they feel like they can't do Pisces.

Chapter 4

Scheduling

When you're creating your schedule as applies instructor, it's important that one, you know what your schedule is and two, that's what you offer your clients and your future clients telling them, oh I'm available anytime. There's only gonna make you have a Swiss cheese schedule. You know the cheese with all the holes in it.

That's what your schedule look like. If you just say yes whenever. The other thing is, it's actually not that attractive. If you're available anytime, then why is no one working with you or is anyone working with you? People like a busy restaurant, I mean go down the street, you'll see people lined up for one restaurant where the wait is over an hour and across the street the tables are empty. Guess which restaurant I'm going to, the one everybody else wants and obviously is a good thing. And if you're like, but Leslie, I have no clients so I don't have this busy restaurant. Well, there's a way to create that. When someone asks you for a plotty session, you just simply say, I have this time, or I have this time. Which would you prefer? If you give them two options, they're more likely to choose one. If you give them too many options, it's overwhelming and they're not going to choose any, so give them two times and don't be afraid. If they can't do that, they'll usually come back with, oh, I can't do that day, but I can do this day.

And you can say, well, I'm booked, but let me see what I can do, and then you can come back to him and go, I was able to move someone around. Here's this opportunity for you. Or if it's your day off, say that's my day off, but here are these other options. Once you get a client past that first session scheduling,

Chapter 5

Advanced Scheduling

now it's time to advanced schedule. Knowing when you're working in advance ensures that you have a life that you love because you'll be able to plan all your other things around sessions. Taking a sharpie is super important to your schedule.

First Outline all the times that you're available to teach and then when you teach a client a first session, if they came in at 10:00 AM on a Tuesday, they're more than likely going to be available the next Tuesday at 10:00 AM. So offering that option if you have it or times that are similar to that and say, I have these times available each week. I like to see my clients two to three times a week, so let's get your spot saved so that no one else can have them. And then you can say, this is a time we can keep week to week so that they can plan their entire life around plots as well. If they have their Pilati scheduled in their schedule with a sharpie and you have them, and with a Sharpie, everyone keeps coming because again, they're going to build their life around [inaudible]. But if you let them go, Oh, let me get back to you. Oh, next week I'm going to do this.

I have to talk to you about next week. It's all over the place. Guess what? They're probably only gonna get one plotting session in if you're lucky, maybe less. And if you want to retain a client, they have to be filling the benefits of bodies so they have to come in on a regular basis, have them schedule at least a month in advance. Sell the spot. This time is available every week. I'm going to save it for you. If you need to reschedule, just let me know. I have a 24 hour cancellation policy, so if you let me know before this date, then you don't lose out on the session.

They're more than likely able to get into the habit of rescheduling with you early and often and never missing a potty session, which means you have a consistent business and that means you know when you're working and how much money you're making. Wouldn't it be amazing if all of your clients plan their vacations around yours?

Chapter 6

Planning Vacations

Well, it's totally possible. It just takes a little planning on your part. If you train your clients to know when your vacations are and you give them those dates in advance and you say things like, next month I'm going away for a week. I normally see you three times a week, so let's get that extra session in each week before I go so you don't miss out on your [inaudible]. What this will do is one, you're not losing any money. The studio that you rent from or work for isn't losing any money.

They're not losing on their plotting sessions, and then they'll either go on vacation when you're gone or if they have a vacation coming up, it's opens up the conversation for them to tell you, oh, but I'm going on vacation this time, so let's do the same thing for the following month. Everybody wins. There are many other things that happen in people's lives besides vacations. There are holidays that come up and they usually come up at the same time every year. There are kids that go back to school and get out of school and lost coming into town. Everything is happening all at once sometimes, but if you can take your calendar out and you can look at these things that happen on a regular basis, year after year one, you can plan other things in your life around them, but two, you can actually suggest things to your clients. For example, if they have kids, we're going back to school, why don't you say, you know what, that week they go back to school. What if we did one extra session this week and one extra session the week after so you can be available to them that entire week.

Or if you know the holidays are coming, just schedule things in advance. They come up every year. If someone has an awesome Halloween party every year, they're probably not going to come into their session the next day, so get them to plan it in advance so they don't miss out on their plots. Again, the more they are consistent with their Polonius practice, the more you can rely on their business, rely on your business and plan everything around it. It can be hard to say no when your applies instructor because saying no means

Chapter 7

Saying No

say no to money. I get it. If you have a day off on a set day and someone can only come in on that day and you're going to lose that session no matter what it stinks saying no. But besides that, you have to protect a day off because you deserve it.

It creates a habit if you allow them in your schedule during a time that you don't normally teach. So it's important that one, you know the Times that you don't normally teach and you honor those which goes back to I have this time or I have this time, continue to do that. If they offer a time that is on a day off and you want to break that rule for whatever reason acknowledged, you're breaking that rule. Say, I normally don't teach it this time, but I really want to get you in for your Pilati session so this time we'll do it justice once. Doing. This allows you to get them in for a session, but it also gives you permission to not do it again and then they won't ask for a session on a Saturday if that's your day off because they'll know it. If you say yes without ever telling them that you're breaking your own rule, then when they ask for another Saturday session, you're going to get a little resentful and go, oh, that's my day off. But you didn't tell them you were breaking this rule, so how do they know it's important? Again, that you know your schedule. You offer times in that range and if you're going to break a rule to get them in, you just let them know.

And this goes with other tough conversations like late cancels. Sometimes we just want to help someone out and we don't want to charge them. They were in a car accident on their way there. It's their first time. They're just getting into their [inaudible] practice. If you and the studio owner are okay with the certain situation and changing the rules, then go for it. But you have to let them know you're doing it.

They don't know that you didn't charge them this one time cause you were being nice and giving them this gift. They might assume, oh, the cancellation policy just doesn't matter that much, so be sure if you break a rule that you have that you acknowledge that you're doing it, you let them know that you're doing it and it's just this once and then you won't have to have that tough conversation in the future studio owners, what's great about all of these things is if you have a teacher who's asking for

Chapter 8

Studio Owners

a raise promotion more clients, you can simply go through all of these things and see where they might need to have more work. Do they need to work on how fast they progress the client? Do they have to work on how much they retain a client? If they're coming to you and saying, I'm losing these clients, can you look at their schedule and how they're teaching and see, oh they're letting the client schedule the session instead of instead of them scheduling the client. It's important as a studio owner, especially if you employees, but even if you have renters that you're aware of the practices that your teachers are doing in the studio and if they're doing all the things right, they won't even be having this questions with you. They won't have to have this conversation. You can easily give them a raise or promotion or rent incentive.

But if they're struggling on building their business, you're seeing clients come in for a first time session or buying a first package but not getting a second package. Take a look at it, what's going on? Are they being with getting their clients in? Are they talking too much and giving too many corrections and progressing them too quickly? They overwhelming their client. It's okay to take them aside and say, you know, I noticed that So-and-so is not buying a second package, and when you were teaching them, you really just progressed them very quickly and here are some ways that you can do this in the future with this other client so it doesn't happen. Again. These are coaching opportunities and important for your business, whether you have employees or they rent space.

Because if those clients continue to come back, your business continues to thrive. Your teachers continue to thrive. And remember, it's hard to find good teachers, so if you can take the time to address any of these things and how they're teaching their clients, their business will grow and your business will grow.