Revitalize your offerings: Engaging members and attracting new clients

When was the last time you reviewed your offerings? If someone asked you what classes and sessions were most successful and which were not, how would you answer? Do you envision your future menu and a plan for trialing, adding, or removing offerings? 

To retain current clients and attract new ones, you must stay on top of engagement for the classes and services you offer now, as well as trends and opportunities for change that align with your current and ideal client needs.

Let’s discover ideas to freshen up your offerings, review essential steps for success when adding something new, and design a plan to evaluate and fine-tune for the future.

Here are some options to consider when updating your lineup:

Tweak current classes and services

Seek opportunities to make small changes to your ongoing menu of classes or sessions. When was the last time you reviewed and updated your facility's class and service descriptions? Is there something current clients are asking for that’s not on the schedule and could easily replace a less successful program? Can weekend yoga or boxing happen outdoors for part of the year?

Enrollment classes

These are paid and specific programs that evolve in intensity or complexity with a pre-determined start and end date. An example might be “6-weeks to headstand”, with a series of classes to help participants accomplish a headstand by building upper body strength and understanding poses to get them there. Another idea is “10-week strength development for hiking” to help clients cross-train the right muscles before the summer months.

A big benefit of enrollment classes, besides additional revenue, is that they can help current clients accomplish a specific goal and give trainers a unique opportunity to share expertise without committing to the class long-term. If the program does exceedingly well, your facility can always offer it again!

To retain and attract clients, stay on top of engagement for the services you offer now, as well as trends and opportunities that align with your ideal client's needs.

Workshops

A workshop is a 2 to 3-hour specific and informative session designed to help new clients learn more before joining classes, or veteran clients get a more advanced session. Examples include yoga, cycling or self-defense for beginners. Consider timing these when you tend to have an influx of new clients. Advanced Pilates workshops can serve as a place for clients to explore exercises they don’t get to do in a large group, encouraging them to consider private sessions. 

Events

These are large, celebratory experiences with a theme, unique venue, food, swag, and entertainment. Along with being a great time for both your clients and your team, events can double as a promising referral opportunity. Clients love to invite friends to special events, and it feels much more authentic than inviting them via a referral program.

Here are some ideas for events:

• Fitness/Wellness sampler
• (Insert holiday) Workout & social
• Family field day & food trucks.

Look at your annual offerings and see if there’s room to add or change at least one of the above each year.

Workshops allow clients to explore exercises they don’t get to do in a large group, encouraging them to consider private sessions. 

If you feel overwhelmed trying to come up with all the ideas yourself, there are many resources right at your fingertips to help get inspired. Here is a list to get you started:

• Reach out to your team of instructors and other employees for ideas. Be careful not to send the whole team a mass email with the vague ask of “share your ideas” because you may not get ideas for which anyone is qualified. 
• Get to know the unique skills, experience, and credentials your team has and may be able to share. Maybe someone on your team has a self-defense background or a sound bowl certification and equipment. Think how you can turn those into a workshop or program. 
• Survey your clients by asking questions about the activities they engage in outside of your facility to learn more about their interests. 
• Research upcoming non-denominational holidays that land throughout the year and plan ahead for what you’d like to do. 
• Look around your area for wellness services or food vendors you could partner with.

Now that you have some ideas to set your offerings apart from the competition, follow these steps to ensure their success:

1) Consider the audience.
Does the new class, service, workshop, event, or program serve your current clients or attract new like-minded clients? If most of your clients are single and childless, offering a family event may not hit home—but if they have pets, dog yoga might!

2) Define a vision.
If any of the above offerings need to be added to your annual calendar, make a conscious decision to get innovative with how you offer them so they support one another. For example, before launching a new program, prepare a workshop or showcase it in an event to gauge interest, develop an enrollment program to build a following, and then launch the program. 

3) Set team expectations.
While the initial excitement of something new might attract eager participation among your team, make sure expectations are set. If you’re offering a new event, explain to the team expectations on when to arrive before it begins and any additional tasks like setup, checking in participants, and takedown they may need help with. Be clear on their role as a teammate and the importance of their support and encouragement, even if they aren’t leading the new offering.

4) Educate everyone.
Whatever the offering, new or old, your front-line team must be aware of and eager to discuss everything happening in your facility. This team includes every staff member, from the front desk to the facility ops team, the provider team, and everyone in between. If you send a monthly newsletter to your clients about what’s happening, send an even more detailed message to the front desk team. For example, which classes are available to non-members? How much do non-members pay? What are the age ranges? Where exactly is the program located? How do participants sign up? Do they need to enroll for the entire series of classes or can they drop in? Does the price marketed include tax? If you’re unsure what questions the front-line team might need answers to, ask them! I can guarantee they might have more suggestions for information than you ever would have thought of.

5) Get the word out.
Announce and promote what you’re doing to keep your offerings new and fresh. As soon as you know the start date or event date, work backward to ensure you have at least 6-8 weeks to spread the word. Utilize internal marketing like your monthly newsletter, SMS messages, and studio signage to share what’s new and upcoming with existing members. Be clear on the steps clients can take to invite friends and family to try or join. Film short videos as teasers for the event or interview the instructor and embed them in landing pages on your site or as a social media campaign. Hold instructors accountable for telling clients anything new and upcoming after their classes and sessions. 

6) Evaluate and improve.
As the legendary leadership writer and presenter Peter Drucker once said, “You can’t improve what you don’t measure.” Schedule time for yourself to pull and review reports of overall attendance and conversion rates to becoming a member or enrolling in additional programs and services. Meet your team to discuss how the format, marketing, or experience could be improved. Survey participants for feedback and suggestions. Getting innovative is brave and exciting, so looking at the results can be disheartening if they aren’t what you expected. Keep a positive outlook knowing whatever data you collect will only help educate you to improve the next offering. 

In conclusion, keeping your offerings fresh and engaging is vital for the sustained success of your business. By regularly reviewing and updating your classes and services, exploring new ideas such as enrollment classes, workshops, and events—and involving your team in the process—you can ensure that you're meeting the evolving needs of your clients while staying ahead of the competition. 

Remember to set clear goals, communicate effectively with your team, and continuously evaluate and improve based on feedback and data. By following these steps, you can create a dynamic and thriving environment that keeps clients coming back for more and attracts new ones along the way. Take the initiative to refresh your offerings and watch your business flourish!

Check out our guide on Generating Income with Retreats and Events for more detailed ideas that could be profitable for your business.

Staci is committed to helping fitness managers and club operators elevate their programs, instructors, and leadership. As an experienced consultant and strategic planner for digital and in-person offerings, her clients range from large luxury health clubs and international companies to small studios. She has designed world-class studios on a tight budget, launched signature formats, and built turnkey solutions for enhancing systems, leaders, and talent. Staci is also a master instructor and established presenter, podcaster, writer, and YouTube influencer, regularly interviewing and collaborating with industry thought leaders.

Click here for more information on working with Staci, or email her at contact@stacialden.com for more information.