Pilates Business Podcast

Turn Every Client Into a Raving Fan: The Boutique Fitness Owner’s Guide to Word-of-Mouth Marketing

• Seran Glanfield • Season 25 • Episode 243

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In this episode of The Pilates Business Podcast, host Seran Glanfield shares the secret to turning every client into a raving fan — without spending a dime on ads. If you’ve ever wondered why some studios seem to have a never-ending stream of referrals while others struggle to fill classes, this episode is for you.

Seran breaks down the difference between simply teaching classes and crafting experiences that leave clients eager to tell everyone they know about your studio. You’ll learn how to design intentional client touchpoints, create emotional connections, and develop simple systems that keep your members coming back (and bringing their friends, too!).

✨ Whether you’re running a Pilates studio, barre studio, or any boutique fitness business, this conversation will help you refine your client journey, boost retention, and grow your revenue — all through the power of exceptional experiences.


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SPEAKER_00:

What makes a client walk out of your studio and immediately tell three of their friends about it? What turns a new visitor into a lifelong loyalist who won't stop raving about your classes everywhere they go, on Instagram, in the school pickup line, at Brunch with Friends? It's not just about the workout, it's all about the experience. So today I'm diving into what really drives word-of-mouth marketing and that five-star client experience that turns your studio into the talk of the town. So if you know your classes are amazing, but your growth feels slow, this episode will help. Let's dive in. Well, hi there, I'm Sarah Glamfield. I'm a business and marketing strategist just for boutique fitness studio owners like you. If you're ready to be inspired and make a bigger impact, you're in the right place. All you need are a few key strategies, the right mindset, and some support along the way. Join me as I share the real life insights that will help you grow a sustainable and profitable studio. This is the Pilates Business Podcast. Well, hey there, and welcome back to the Pilates Business Podcast. This is where I blend the business side of studio ownership with the passion that fuels your teaching. I'm Saren Glamfield and I am an ex-Pilates teacher and currently coaching studio owners around the world on business and marketing and growth in their business. Now, if you've ever wondered, like so many, why some studios seem to have raving fans lined up around the block, while others seem to struggle to just get a few repeat bookings. Even though their classes are just as good, their teachers are just as experienced, then you're in the right place. Because today we're diving into something that often gets overlooked in marketing and operations. It's often the thing that gets pushed to kind of the bottom of the list of focus. And that is the client experience. And that is a lot of different things to a lot of different people, which is why I think we should talk about it today. This isn't just about the service. This isn't just about your teaching quality. It's the entire journey that your clients go on from the first time they hear about you, their first click on your website, to how they feel when they walk out of the doors of your studio after class. Now, the reality is that in today's world, your studio isn't just offering a workout class. In fact, I don't think you ever have only offered workouts. You're creating more than that for your clients. It's a moment that they look forward to it. It's an emotional imprint, it's an experience that shapes their day. And when you get that right, you don't have to beg for testimonials. You don't have to offer massive discounts and free anything to get those referrals because you create an experience that your clients want to talk about. They brag, they bring friends, and they come back over and over and over again. And that right there, that's how you build sustainable growth. And I'm all about sustainable growth, consistent growth and sustainable growth. So if you're feeling like your classes are strong, your team is great, you know you have the talent, but the buzz just isn't building the way that you want. Well, let's take a step back and have a look at the experience that you're delivering. Okay. Because I want to dive into what it really means to offer a really good service, right? Um, to offer a good experience and perhaps explore how you can create a really five-star experience that really gets people talking. Now, I think to get down to the crux of the issue here, right? It's which is that it's not enough anymore to have great classes. In fact, I don't think it was ever enough. I was, I've been teaching branding and marketing for well over a decade to studio owners. And from the very beginning, from day one, I remember sitting in a studio in New York City, my really good friend um hosted me to come and work with some of the teachers that were in her studio and some of the teachers that she knew in the area. And we were talking about branding and marketing. And this was what I was sharing with them way back when. And that is that I know that your classes are the best. I know that you put a lot of effort into uh creating that um have oh deliver delivering great classes, but also investing in your continued education. You've got years of training, you've got the passion for what you do, you love it. That's why you do what you do. You care about your clients and you want to do it right. You want to give them the best that you can give them. And that in today's world and in any experience where you have a business, I think that's a given, right? And the reality is that in today's world, that is the bare minimum. And now that we have more and more competition around us, perhaps opening, perhaps you are the competition, perhaps you are becoming a competition for others. It's all good. There is plenty of space for everybody in this, in this, in this world right now, for sure. There is more demand than we know what to do with. But um, it is important that we uh are focused on how we can improve what we are doing and upgrad up level and refine our experiences as well. The boutique fitness industry has exploded. The clients have more choices than ever before. And the problem is that perhaps we were sort of stuck in a mindset where the class is the product, right? So, you know, we think about what are we selling? We're selling a class, we're selling a private, we're selling a small group class, you know, if you're in a different business, maybe you're selling an ice cream or a vacuum, right? Um, that's the product, right? And I think the that we have often found ourselves stuck in this mindset where we're selling a class and that that is the product. But in reality, the product is actually the entire experience. Okay. And I think that there, for those who have discovered how uh how fruitful this is, um, they have they tapped into this uh this very early on. Because when you see what you do as an entire experience, a lot of things can shift. And what that also means is that there is a tremendous amount of opportunity. So if a client walks in and you know isn't unsure about where to put their stuff, feels awkward, gets a generic welcome or no welcome from a distracted instructor, it doesn't matter how good the workout is, they won't come back. And worse, they for sure won't bring anyone with them if they do. I've seen this over and over and over again. You know, I keep my ear close to the ground in my town and I hear people talking about, you know, where they work out and what they do. And it's amazing to hear the differences in experiences between different people going to the same studios. And this consistency is really important because people talk, right? And I will tell you, like I've told my studio owners inside of Thrive many, many times, which is that people like to complain more than they like to praise. And so if there is something they can, you're gonna give them something to complain about, let me tell you, they will tell their friends if they've had a bad experience or were we not so keen. So it's really important to shift our perspective from thinking about, oh, how good is my teaching, how good is my class? Yes, that is absolutely 100% required and important. But your your community, your clients, your current clients, and your next clients are evaluating how your studio makes them feel at every touch point. And the big thing is that the client journey, right, that first touch point, that first impression probably starts way sooner than you think. It actually happens a long time before they step into your studio. Their first impression is how they see you show up wherever they find you. So that could be your online presence, that could be your website, that could be your Google reviews, that could be your Instagram feed. That is all a part of how their perception of you is shaped. If it's hard to book a class, if it's confusing, if if it's not clear where they should click or what they should buy first, then you've already probably lost a little bit of trust before they've even tried a class. Now, when you flip that and you create an experience that is really well designed, that is super intentional, with specific touch points along every part of the customer journey that is designed specifically to build a relationship and create long-term loyal clients, then a whole lot of things start to shift. This is what we talk about inside of Thrive every single week. Where is that opportunity to improve along in my customer journey? And the tactics and the tools that we have inside of Thrive help every single one of our members to do just that. And this is where we are building that machine. We're building that machine that really drives demand for what you do without it being this huge amount of effort for spending ads or chasing clients and so on. So when you create that customer journey and you design it to be impactful and intentional, your clients are gonna go along that journey with and experience the exact experience that you want them to experience. You're gonna help them to feel what you want them to feel about your business. You're gonna help drive that perception they have of your brand. All of this is important to that long-term retention, right? And it also supports, of course, that short-term conversion as well. So everybody's a winner. That first impression stays with people. It really, really does. It's super, super important to get right. Now, the reality is that I think for many studio owners, um, they feel restricted. They feel that they don't have a budget for, you know, fancy towels or juice bar or these, you know, extras that, you know, perhaps might we might think of when we think of giving our clients a five-star experience. Um, but the reality is that you don't need all of that. The magic truly is in these small moments. The biggest complaints that I hear, you know, from people all over that I speak to, because I speak to people all over about their fitness and movement. It's the first thing I ask people when I haven't seen them for a while and catch up with some old friends is what are you doing right now in your workouts? They'll tell me, you know, they'll be very open and honest with me about their experiences and what they like and dislike. And it's amazing how often people complain about not being welcomed into a studio, um, perhaps team members and not being as friendly as people would like them to be. Um, and these this goes for people who've been going to a studio for a long time or for the first time. So it's important to make certain moments very, very, very intentional and very consistent for all of your clients, whether they are new, current, past, loyal or not loyal, um, that everyone has this very consistent experience. And that means things like knowing your clients' names, greeting them warmly with a smile when they walk in the door, perhaps recognizing a milestone or telling them or letting them know how long they've been coming, acknowledging their progress, all of this helps because it helps to shape that relationship and what they really think of you. Ideally, you want to have an environment where your team knows how to interact with clients, not just as a teacher, but as a host as well. Because to some degree, that's the role that they have in your business. They are the face of your business. They are certainly delivering that amazing session, private session, small group class or large group class. And it's those interactions that they have with every person that comes in that that represents your studio that drives the perception of your business. And it's these small interactions, truly. This is really what matters. This is what clients remember because this is what they're going to talk about. This is what is going to make them feel oh, this place is so welcoming, or this place is everyone's so friendly, or everyone's so nice, or this place totally gets me, right? So we have to shift this mindset from I'm selling a class or running a studio to thinking about how you are hosting an experience for your clients. That is, yes, teaching movement, but you and I both know there is so much more to what you do than just a workout. So it's not just about these um big sweeping gestures, that it's about these small micro moments, as I like to call them. That's where the magic really, really lies. And in inside of that, and as you've heard me mention as well, that consistency is important because it's that consistency that builds reputation. If you nail the basics every single time, that's gonna be way more impactful than an occasional giveaway or a super deep discount on your pricing. Is that what is really gonna help to build that relationship and keep people um excited about your business and talking about your business in a positive light? When you think about a brand that you love, right, you it's probably not because you got a discount, right? It's probably because you bought something and you liked it, because you had a nice experience when you bought it, because it made you feel good when you wore it or when you, when you when you carried it. Um it's it's because it of the way that it makes you feel, right? And we know many, many, many, many research studies have shown that people are more likely to buy when they feel good about something, right? And so that reputation that you have, that consistency and experience, when people feel seen, valued, and taken care of again and again and again, that is what keeps people engaged. So that means that your systems, your team, and your ongoing communication with all of your members, it all needs to happen with intention. And I think that the entire experience is only really as strong as the system that backs it up. And this is one of those areas that we work on inside of Thrive and think through very, very deeply exactly what it is that we want our clients to feel at every single step of the process and what we can do to connect with them at various points in their customer, in their journey. And so if you're thinking, oh my gosh, this is already feels like a lot of things I could be doing, but I'm already stretched, I totally get it. I don't want to add more to your plate at all. And that's not what this is about. It's about saying, okay, this is what I want to have happen in my business. This is how I want my clients to what I want my clients to feel. And then saying, okay, how can I make this a system? How can I delegate parts of this? How can I lead my team, my community? How can I facilitate this happening in my studio? Because if it does rely on you doing everything, then it probably isn't sustainable and you won't get the benefit from it at all. So sustainability is important. So is consistency, which means we have to have systems, right? Now, it's when it comes to uh this experience, right? It you're when you have when you have nailed this, what I've seen over and over and over again, and this is the part that gives me chills, honestly, is that when your client experience is five-star, your marketing happens organically. So what happens is that when you create that experience that is shareworthy, where that people want to talk about, that people are excited about because they enjoy the experience so much, then you'll find that people might start posting about your studio, about their experience at your studio without being asked. Maybe they'll snap a picture and and be excited to share that they came to your studio. They might write reviews more often just because they genuinely want to, not because you are giving them a super deep discount or a free sweater or a free class. And you find that they bring their friends because they're telling their friends about their experience, because maybe, just maybe, it was the highlight of their day. And that's the kind of marketing that money can't buy. That's the kind of marketing that we love as studio owners, because when your clients are doing marketing for you, right, they're going to keep bringing more people just like them into your studio, which means that you're going to have a very engaged and energized and an amazing group of clients in in your studio that that adds to that fabulous energy and atmosphere that you already have. So if you've been worrying about should I be paying for ads on Meta or Instagram or Facebook, whatever you want to call it, um, or if maybe you're wondering why is that discounted or freebie that that I'm using as my referral program isn't working, then maybe it's time to reflect on whether the experience you're giving your clients is uh remarkable enough to create that word of mouth momentum. Okay. So your most powerful marketing tool is not AI, it's not gonna be your that many chat, it's not gonna be that Instagram post. It truly is your reputation. It is truly is the which is based on the experience that your clients have. Okay. So let's just quickly recap because I've talked about a lot of different things here today. But it comes down to this, and that is that, you know, it's critical to think about what you offer in your studio and what you sell as an experience. And creating that five-star experience isn't about bells and whistles and more and giveaways and extra stuff. And it's about seeing that complete client journey, that entire experience as the product, as what you are selling. And fine-tuning these micro moments that really, really matter to help your clients to feel really good about their decision to be your client. And that helps when it helps a lot when you're able to be consistent with the experience they're getting, because that really, really helps to build trust. Okay. And what we know is that you can't do it all. So if we know we want to have these little micro moments of magic that along that customer journey, then we need to build out some processes, um, some procedures, some systems there to empower your team so that they can also represent your brand and your business in the best possible way so that you're not burnt out and you can show up energized and enthusiastic as well. All right. So that experience truly is your brand. And when you elevate the client experience, a lot of other things become easier because you're not chasing, you're not discounting as much, you're not feeling like you're on the back foot. You'll find that retention improves, referrals increase, and ultimately revenue grows. And you get to stop feeling like you're on a hamster wheel, just constantly trying to force growth. So if this episode lits something up inside of you and you're realizing that maybe your studio needs a bit of a deeper dive into your customer journey and into that client experience. And you're looking for tools and you're looking for strategies and you're looking for tactics to help you to refine that customer journey so that you can drive retention, so that you can boost revenue, then Thrive might be exactly what you're looking for. Inside my business coaching program, Thrive, I help studio owners just like you to build those systems, to implement those strategies, and to develop their leadership skills that they need to deliver that five-star client experience without working 24-7. So if you're ready to increase revenue, to grow your visibility, and build a business that truly works for you, not the other way around, then head over to spring3.com forward slash thrive and let's talk. You will also get the link in the show notes below. So thank you so much for listening in today. I hope you found this episode helpful. And now I encourage you to go and think about creating an experience that is truly worth bragging about. Did you love this episode and want more? Head to spring3.com and check out my free resources that will help you run a profitable and fulfilling studio business. And before you go, one last reminder. There is no one way to do what you do, only your way. So, whatever it is that you want to do, create, or offer, you've got this. Thanks again for joining me today and have a wonderful rest of your day.