The Three Client Moments That Matter Most in the Holiday Season

The Pilates Business Podcast host Seran Glanfield breaks down The 3 Client Moments That Matter Most in the Holiday Season—the key touchpoints that can make or break a boutique fitness studio’s momentum during December and beyond. 

As studio schedules shift and client routines derail, Seran reveals how to strategically nurture connection, encourage consistency, and position your studio for a powerful January rebound. 

This episode delivers clarity, confidence, and practical strategies Pilates, barre, and yoga studio owners can implement immediately to maintain revenue, deepen loyalty, and set the stage for strong growth in the new year.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Why Holidays Threaten Studio Revenue
• 1:12 Meet Sarah And The Mission
• 2:25 Rethinking December: From Fear To Focus
• 5:16 Moment One: The Holiday Drop-Off
• 9:05 Keep Connection Alive When Attendance Dips
• 14:45 Moment Two: Pre-New-Year Positioning

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

The holiday season can be a make or break moment for your studio. Between packed schedules, travel, and endless distractions, your clients' routines are at risk of falling apart. And honestly, perhaps so is your revenue. But the thing is that not every moment this season matters equally. There are three very specific client moments that can really carry the weight for your studio's growth, for your studio's loyalty, for your clients, and for your profitability. And if you know how to leverage them, you'll not only survive the holidays, but you'll set yourself up for a strong, unstoppable start to the new year. Well, hi there, I'm Sarah and Glanfield. 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. Welcome back to the Pilates Business Podcast. I'm Sarah and Glamfield. I'm your host here and founder of Spring 3 Studio Business Consulting, where for the past decade plus, I've been supporting Pilates studio owners around the world, helping them build profitable and sustainable businesses that they love. And so this is not the first time we've been through the holiday season. And it's something that we know every time it comes around, you're always wondering, okay, what is it going to look like? How are people gonna, how busy are people? How busy am I? What else is going on at this time of year? And so I think this is something that, you know, we want to make sure we're we're thinking about. Um, and obviously thinking about in the context of this season that we're in right now. Here we are in mid-December. Um, there's obviously, I'm sure, a lot happening in your life, uh, especially if you've got young children you're caring for or uh friends and family around you that, you know, there's a lot of different events, a lot of you're being pulled in a lot of different directions, but you're also probably being pulled in a lot of different directions in your business as well. And not only that, but you're probably thinking ahead to January. And, you know, honestly, one of the things that I always want to think about is when I'm supporting the studio owners that I work with inside of Thrive, it's something we've been talking about for weeks now. Is how do you navigate this season without losing momentum? And I know this kind of can feel like a bit of a double-edged sword, right? On the one hand, um, your clients are, you know, in the there's a little good energy around, right? This is often a season for for many, which is fun and exciting and festive and perhaps a little bit more open to trying new things and doing some new things. But on the other hand, you know, we see that calendars are full. We're seeing that routines get disrupted. And suddenly you might see your studio start to feel a little bit quieter, especially in some classes that perhaps were previously, you know, one of your one of your fullest or your waitlisted. And so we often feel like we are things start to slip a little bit in December. And and and, you know, obviously that can lead in some cases to perhaps revenue dips. Perhaps that leads to you perhaps questioning a lot of things, concerned about revenue, perhaps leads to some energy lags as well. And maybe you then start to take that energy into January, which is obviously not a good thing. So instead of perhaps taking this, you know, thinking of this time and being concerned and worried about, you know, what the holidays might do for your studio, what about if you instead we leaned into them? What about if we could perhaps um get really clear on some very specific moments that matter right now? Um, the touch points where your presence, where your leadership, where your enthusiasm and what you're saying about your studio and what you do could have the biggest impact. And so this is really what I want to talk about with you today, because when we think about these particular moments, we can stop trying to scatter ourselves and perhaps um we stop that anxiety breeding itself and focus our energy on the things that are actually gonna help us to move the needle in December, but also um be strategic about showing up in your business and your studio that will help to maintain that level of energy and momentum through the next couple of weeks and well into the new year. Because what I really want to see you do is shift the way that you think about the holiday season, not as a season as scarcity and hustle and busy and bustle and busyness or even just survival, but actually a season of fun and light and connection, right? Which is what we all probably are wanting it to be. So let's talk a little bit about some of these key moments. And I think we should start with, you know, that that real moment, um, which is when we start to see people dropping out of classes, dropping off the schedule. You know, this is the moment where your clients start ghosting. They uh they they they perhaps skip class a couple of times. This is because of travel. We've already seen it um a little bit probably begin, especially over some of the holidays we've already seen, such as Thanksgiving. Um, but you know, there's also parties for work and family and friends and school and all of the things, as well as the natural addition to, you know, the the the routine that we see at this this time of year. And so suddenly that client who comes three times a week is just showing up once, maybe if at all. And the the danger here is not necessarily that they miss a couple of classes here and there at all. That is not the biggest deal here. But really, what we are more concerned about is that this sort of short break here and there can turn into a more permanent drop-off, right? And so what we know about what we do is that if folks stop coming, if they fall off the schedule, they come more sporadically, then their connection is not as deep with your studio and your brand. They also don't feel um as strong in their movement practice. They don't feel like they're as good at it or getting results that they they want to get because they're not coming as often, right? It's sort of the two go hand in hand. And that sort of leaves them often questioning whether it's worth it at all, perhaps a little bit down on themselves about their movement practice, which often is a bit of a downward spiral and often is sort of the the slow exit, as it were. And we don't want that. So we want to make sure that we are A, we're aware of this potential issue. So instead of fighting it or resenting it, we want to think about it as actually it's predictable. Uh, actually, this is probably what's going to happen. And if we know it's coming, we can get ahead of it. And it's not about shaming people into showing up, it's not about putting pressure or bullying people into showing up. It's about keeping that connection between you and your clients, keeping that connection alive so that even if they step away, they still are gonna come back, right? They're tethered to your studio. So, what I guess I'm trying to say here is that it's not just the classes that they miss that you should be focused on. It's about getting focused on the relationship that you're maintaining. So if they still feel seen and connected to you during their busiest weeks, then they're 10 times more likely to bounce back in January, right? And as much as you can celebrate their efforts during this time when it's more challenging for them to come in, the better they will, the better perspective they will have around their workouts and the better they will see you as their sort of uh go-to for enthusiasm and for um encouragement. So, yes, your clients may not be as consistent during the month of December. And even sometimes this falls a little bit into the beginning of the new year as well. But that doesn't mean that you should step back. It means that you should lean in and encourage and support your clients and recognize where they're at. Okay, so that's the first moment is the inevitable holiday drop-off. Okay, the second moment is going to be right around that new year. This is a really important time. So once we see that calendar turn, in fact, we're already starting to see this happen now, where folks are sort of thinking to themselves, okay, in the new year, I'm gonna start fresh, I'm gonna recommit, right? And we know that um this is obviously, I mean, you know, decades and decades and decades of of New Year's resolutions, right? Hundreds of years of New Year's resolutions are focused on committing to wellness, well-being, and movement, right? And often we just rely on that happening naturally and organically. And typically, you know, it does. January is one of the strongest months in our industry. There's a lot of hype, there's a lot of buzz, there's a lot of people who are who are kind of recommitting, right? But you might find that you don't need to wait until January 1st to launch that sort of fresh push, right? Because often by then your clients may have already decided what it is they want to do in January, or how often they want to come, or what they want to commit to. And that may or may not be your studio. So if we wait until January 1st, perhaps we're missing some opportunity, right? And I'm all about making sure that we are, we are optimizing every potential opportunity uh that we can we can, which means that now might be the re the time to get thinking about the January plan for your clients, right? So if your clients are flooded with messages, resolutions, and competing offers come January 1st, you may be on the back foot. So you're showing up late and then you're kind of fighting amongst the noise, and that just makes your life a bit harder. So perhaps the real opportunity uh is before the new year. Perhaps the real opportunity is right about now. You know, when your clients are already thinking, oh, shoot, I didn't make it to class this week, or I'm gonna double up in January, right? Um, and they're already thinking about what they're gonna do in January. They're quietly making those decisions now about what they're gonna commit to. And you want, and I want for you, for your studio to be top of mind in those decisions. So this is about positioning yourself right now as that go-to in January, right? It's about seeding the idea that your studio is not just another resolution option, but is a supportive environment that is offers great classes that's going to really make them feel good come January. And this is an opportunity for you to have and encourage and perhaps even invite your clients to commit to their perhaps new new year uh movement practice earlier, right? So that they can feel good about themselves now, even if they miss a few classes here and there. So the energy that you put into that right now is gonna really impact in January and gonna make January a lot more predictable for you. Okay. So that's the second moment. The second moment is the this anticipation of the new year and ensuring that at the moment where you know your client to start and think about that. For some of you, it might be now, for some of you, it might not be. It really depends on your client base. So be observant, listen, watch, um, and be aware of where their heads are at and what they're thinking about. Now, the third moment is that post-holiday re-entry. Okay. And we know that January is a bit of a reset for everybody, right? Um, but it can also be overwhelming. Often the clients are juggling resolutions, right? They're trying to be better, perhaps uh be a better, be better parent or be uh better at cooking or be better at their movement. It's not just one thing that they're focused on. Often people make more than one resolution, which means that there's often a tremendous amount of pressure they're putting upon themselves, which is why we often don't make it past January with those resolutions. But it's another topic for another day. Um, but we're also juggling often, you know, back to work, uh pressures perhaps, uh, back to school, uh, family routines and so on. And so these sort of resets um that we we sort of anticipate heavily in December can quickly burn out and disappear. And so what do we've seen, and and every year is slightly different, um, often it's to do with the timing of the holidays and so on, but we don't always see clients come back in full force January 1st. In fact, it's very rare that we do. Typically we see a often we see, I should say not typically, but often we'll see a slow, gradual return with often sort of the sort of the full force of that sort of January reset or renewal recommitment to themselves really sort of show up towards the end of January. Um, so instead of expecting people to be there January 1st and perhaps feeling a little deflated if they're not, anticipate that they might need um a little bit of encouragement, um, a little bit of structure, a little bit of support that perhaps would help them to hit some small wins along the way in January. Because your role as a business owner is not just to offer classes, but to actually lead them through this sort of process of coming back into movement after perhaps taking a few weeks off, overindulging during the holidays and so on. So think of this sort of beginning of the new year for some, not for all, but for some as a bit of a bridge where you're helping your clients to cross from that chaos of December in the new year into that rhythm of January and what it holds. And if you really are intentional about how you support them, the words you're using, how you're reaching out, and you're intentional about that in the first few weeks, you'll find that you're not just filling January classes, you're actually really locking in that loyalty for the next several months and beyond. So let's pull this together. Um, you know, I think, you know, having been through this season many, many times as a studio business consultant and supporting hundreds of studio owners around the world to make sure that they have strong growth year after year, what I've seen is that the holidays don't have to mean unpredictable revenue and empty studios. It can be a real opportunity for you to get really focused on the moments that matter most. And so instead of being reactive and perhaps feeling down and glum in the holidays, which I don't want for you, I want you to get focused on being proactive and what you can do. And there are these three sort of key moments where you can position your studio in a really strong way to anticipate uh your clients' needs, which only improves your relationship with them and deepens that connection and makes them feel more connected to you. So the first is that holiday drop-off. We are probably starting to see that already. Um, and that means that you know you can keep that connection alive even when attendance dips with the right kind of messaging and the right kind of marketing. The second is that into anticipation of the new year, depending on where your clients are at, what they are focused on. Again, you might have an opportunity even today to have your clients commit now for their new year sort of reset. Or this might be something that you look to do towards the end of this month into early January. So you're positioning your studio as the obvious choice before the rush begins. And then we have that sort of post-holiday re-entry. So some clients won't be ready to even think about January and wellness and movement until the middle or the end of January. And in that case, you want to make sure that you're guiding your clients into a really nice rhythm for the new year and be thoughtful about how you can message and communicate in a way that feels energized, but but possible for them. And I think I what I want to sort of perhaps draw your attention to is that, you know, none of these are about hustling harder or super discounts or, you know, spending thousands and thousands on digital ads, or about adding more chaos to your plate. It's about being really strategic, about focusing on the right moments, about being intentional, about seeing the bigger picture, and about leading your clients and your business forward. And so if you are you with like a little bit more of this type of thinking in your world as a studio owner, to perhaps stop scattering your energy and start building a business that really works for you instead of against you, I would love to invite you into my business coaching program, Thrive. Thrive is where we take these kinds of insights and turn them into step-by-step strategies that helps you to build the business that you really want, that simplifies your business, that amplifies your the impact that you want to make and give you gives you back both more profit and what I'm really always focused on is a little bit more freedom for you too. So you can learn more about that at springthree.com forward slash thrive. So as we wrap up today, just remember the the holidays aren't a threat to your business. They truly are an opportunity if you know how to leverage the moments that matter most. So I hope this is helpful to you as you go about building your boutique fitness studio business in the holiday season. And if you loved what you heard today, it'd be so appreciative if you could go to wherever you're listening to this, take a quick minute and rate and review this podcast. It would mean so much to me and help make sure that this podcast gets out into our community so that more teachers and business owners just like you can feel encouraged and supported on their journey in our industry. 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.