Sales process? But I’m not a salesperson – I’m a yoga instructor! One of the best ways a yoga or fitness studio can grow their bottom line and increase client retention is to have a formal and refined sales process in place. Many studios don’t have a sales process in place because owners, instructors and teachers don’t see themselves as salespeople. Think of the sales process not as sales, but rather educating or informing the client of the pricing options available to them. New clients are often overwhelmed with a new studio or workout routine. The formal sales process is your opportunity to show them what their options are, and along with a strategic pricing structure you can help them to choose the pricing option that works best for the client.
Clearly communicate what options are available to clients during their introductory period. We’ll talk more about the introductory offer in another article! Know what you want clients to purchase after their introductory offer and then form a plan to help them make that decision. In many cases an auto pay option is the goal, and it can be priced at a special rate that is only available if purchased before a client’s introductory offer is over, to make that option even more appealing.
Once you’ve planned your goals for your sales process, you’ll plan out a detailed process to reach out to each client 4-6 times during their introductory offer. This process will look a little different for each business, and is usually a combination of phone calls, text messages, and emails.
An example of the sales process for a 30 day intro offer would be:
Week # 1: Welcome phone call to client.
Answer any questions, ask them about their first visit/s and offer to book them in future classes.
Week #2: Upsell email/text to client.
This message informs clients about your upsell offer and other pricing options after their intro period is over.
Week #3: Upsell phone call to client.
Using the client’s visit history, talk to them about their options after their intro period is over.
Week #4: Upsell email/text to client.
Remind them that their intro offer is almost over. Let them know again about your upsell offer and other pricing options after their intro period is over.
You may need to adjust your sales process (or change your pricing structure) a little based on the results that you are seeing with your KPI (key performance indicators) retention, attendance and revenue numbers. It takes about ninety days to see the full effect of a well-defined sales process.