Thrive Through Summer Bonus EP02 - Summer Retention Strategies You Can Set Up Today

✨ Welcome back to Thrive through Summer!

I’m Katie Bell and this is your second bonus episode, crafted to help you stop simply surviving the summer months and start thriving—financially, mentally, and energetically. Whether you’re a clinic owner heading off on holiday or just craving a calmer, more profitable summer, this episode is for you.

💡 Episode Summary

Have you ever gone away thinking you’ll sort everything out when you return, only to spend your holiday worrying about money, your team, or a messy clinic? I’ve been there, and it’s anything but restful. In this episode, I’m sharing how to put a plan in place before you even pack your suitcase, so you can take time off without panic.

We’ll cover why pre-selling, promoting, and protecting your revenue is the secret to a stress-free summer. I’ll walk you through practical strategies like summer session packs, mini reboot programmes, and creative membership offers. You’ll hear how to use deadlines, booking bonuses, and simple marketing tactics to keep your diary full and your mind at ease.

🌞 Key Takeaways

• Pre-selling isn’t just about cash upfront, it’s about peace of mind and reducing stress.
• Packages create commitment, increase retention, and make marketing easier.
• Launch your summer offers before the school holidays for the best results.
• Use simple, benefit-led messaging across WhatsApp, email, and in-clinic signs.
• Less is more—pick one or two ideas and do them brilliantly.
• Proactive planning means you can relax on holiday and return to a thriving clinic.

📣 Resources & Links

• Join the waitlist for the Evolve programme reopening in September for exclusive bonuses and a spot at our big November strategy day and Christmas party.
• For more support and community, check the show notes for links to our Thrive community and coaching programmes.

Before you check out for the summer, pick one strategy to protect your revenue and give yourself peace of mind. If you’re ready to transform your business and want to be first in line for Evolve, hop on the waitlist now. Let’s make this your most strategic, successful, and spacious summer yet.

Series Sponsor

Thrive Through Summer is Sponsored by VBS Medical Ltd, exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland of K-Laser Therapy & Indiba Radiofrequency Therapy.
To learn more about K-Laser Therapy, visit: https://klaseruk.co.uk/why-klaser/
To learn about Indiba Radiofrequency Therapy, visit: https://vbsmedical.com/product/indiba-radiofrequency/
Book your free trial at https://vbsmedical.com/contact/ – quote "THRIVE" to receive a free set of goggles or Indiba cream with your equipment purchase.

• 🔗 If you are ready to get ahead, you will find all the essential resources and links you need right here: our Linktree
• Leave a review!: https://ratethispodcast.com/tyb
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Chapters

• 0:00 Sponsor Message – VBS Medical, K-Laser and Indiba
• 0:43 Welcome and Purpose of the Episode
• 1:16 The Holiday Worries Clinic Owners Face
• 1:52 The Treat Your Business Podcast Introduction
• 2:33 Metaphor: Preparing for Holiday vs. Business Revenue
• 2:54 The Power of Pre-Selling and Planning Ahead
• 3:34 Strategies for Summer Pre-Sale Offers
• 4:30 Summer Session Packs and Mini Reboot Programmes
• 5:24 Membership Models and Protecting Revenue
• 5:59 Creative Summer Promotions and Limited Slots
• 6:19 Packages: Commitment, Retention, and Outcomes
• 6:44 When to Launch Summer Offers
• 7:22 Using Deadlines and Booking Bonuses
• 7:43 Post-Holiday Reentry and September Planning
• 8:04 Keeping Marketing Simple and Consistent
• 8:31 Repeating Your Message Across Platforms
• 8:56 Choosing Your Summer Marketing Strategies
• 9:21 Taking Proactive Action for a Calm Summer
• 10:11 Booking Clients Ahead for September
• 10:33 Inviting Listeners to the Evolve Waitlist
• 11:18 Evolve Programme Overview and Who It’s For
• 11:40 What to Expect from the Evolve Programme
• 12:05 How to Join and Community Benefits
• 12:31 November Strategy Day and Christmas Party
• 13:22 Episode Wrap-Up and Next Steps

Transcript

[00:00:00] Katie Bell: Today's episode is sponsored by VBS Medical Limited. It's the exclusive distributor of K-Laser therapy and Indiba radio frequency therapy in the UK and Ireland. K-Laser and Indiba are non-invasive therapies that enhance and accelerate the healing process complementing standard of care. Broadening therapeutic opportunities, improving clinical outcomes, generating new profit, and distinguishing your clinic from the competition.

[00:00:27] Katie Bell: K-Laser and Indiba have a medical [00:00:30] device regulation approval, meaning they have scientific publications to validate their clinical applications in practice. To learn more, visit www.vbsmedical.com and book your free trial today.

[00:00:43] Katie Bell: Welcome back to Thrive through Summer. This is the second bonus episode designed to help you stop simply surviving the summer months and actually start thriving not only financially but mentally. And energetically. So let me ask you a question. Have you ever gone on [00:01:00] holiday thinking I just need to get away.

[00:01:02] Katie Bell: I'll just have a break and then I'll deal with everything. When I come back. I'll get my shit sorted in September. Then you do, you go away. You try to relax, but there's always a voice inside your head that's saying. Oh my god, there's not going to be any money coming in. What happens at the clinic?

[00:01:16] Katie Bell: Are my staff doing what they should be doing? Am I going to come back to, the place being in the shittip? 'cause they've not followed a process. Will we be even busy next month and , will we have a knock on effect? When will we bounce back from revenue? How am I going to pay myself?

[00:01:28] Katie Bell: I'll have to pay myself less [00:01:30] next month 'cause I'm away. We've all been there. It's not restful. It's extremely stressful. And this is about why today's episode is about putting a plan in place before you even pack your suitcase. So I'm going to talk about pre-selling, promoting, and protecting your revenue on purpose so you can take time off without panic.

[00:01:50] Katie Bell: So let's get into it.

[00:01:52] Katie Bell: Welcome to the Treat Your Business Podcast with Katie Bell. I'm Katie, and this is the place where [00:02:00] clinic owners like you learn the strategies, tools, and mindset shifts needed to transform your clinic into a thriving business. One that gives you more time, more money, and more freedom. Born from a passion to challenge the idea that average is normal.

[00:02:15] Katie Bell: We empower clinic owners to create extraordinary businesses, incomes, and lives through our world class coaching programs. We help you step out of overwhelm and into confidence, turning your clinic into a business that fuels your lifestyle, not [00:02:30] drain it, it. So are you ready? Let's dive in.

[00:02:33] Katie Bell: Okay, so here's a little metaphor for you. You wouldn't go on holiday without packing your bag. You wouldn't head to the airport without checking your passport, right? So why do we as clinic owners head into the summer without knowing where our revenue is coming from? Pre-selling is your business version of being prepared.

[00:02:54] Katie Bell: So it's not just about generating cash upfront, although that is a massive bonus. It's about [00:03:00] giving yourself peace of mind. It's about reducing stress. It's about knowing I've got money banked sessions booked and a plan in place. And when you've done that, you can stop firefighting. Your team can deliver with more confidence.

[00:03:16] Katie Bell: You can avoid that horrible post holiday panic of how do I fill the diary? Now we need to do double the amount in September to make up for the lack of revenue we made in August. And the best part, it only takes a little bit of planning in [00:03:30] early July to make the rest of your summer run 10 times smoother.

[00:03:34] Katie Bell: So what can you pre-sale? Let's talk about your strategy. Think of your summer services, like a menu. What do your ideal clients want and need right now? They're hot or is this just me? They're tired. It's definitely me. They're juggling school holidays. That will be me in the future. And they might be heading off or just getting back from a trip.

[00:03:57] Katie Bell: We see don't wait. People are doing more [00:04:00] gardening, they're playing more golf. If anybody lives in Sheffield, they're going absolutely fucking wild for Paddle. They are doing things that their bodies aren't used to. They're scrambling around after kids, grandma's grandparents are having to do lots of, babysitting and looking after children. And it's just a constant juggle. So think about the main pains and problems that they're experiencing right now and offer them something clear and easy to commit to and results focused. Like a few ideas that you could tweak like a summer session [00:04:30] pack. So there might be a pack of five or six Pilates sessions, physio sessions, whatever valid between x June and August or July and September.

[00:04:40] Katie Bell: It creates commitment and structure for your clients and revenue for you now. Before they even step into the room, it could be like a mini reboot program. So it's like a short transformation journey, like holiday ready or posture, reset or recharge your body after a busy term. If you see lots of teachers, you could [00:05:00] theme it around energy movement, pain relief, whatever suits your audience.

[00:05:06] Katie Bell: It could be we're doing something that we're doing in our in our Pilates is that we now, we have protected revenue in Pilates because we run a membership. So in the summer, for us, our revenue does not change. Who knew that could be a thing in your business? Because we collect payments 12 months of the year.

[00:05:24] Katie Bell: Irrelevant of whether they actually come to classes or not. But we split their payment terms. We know that there [00:05:30] will be naturally more space available. So we are doing like a bring a friend for free voucher. We are doing a small bolt on pack of classes that people can do extra, they can bring their.

[00:05:41] Katie Bell: Teen to class with them. They can gift their sessions to their teenagers, so they're going to get them moving more or whatever it is that, that you wanna do. So some ideas there. You could, if you're going away, you could open up a few prepaid assessment or treatment slots in the two weeks before or after.

[00:05:59] Katie Bell: People love a [00:06:00] clear deadline. They love a limited spot, especially if you're promoting it as a, before I go or before September hits. And here's your golden rule packages create commitment. They're easier to market, they increase retention, and best of all, they reduce admin chaos and they create better outcomes for your patients.

[00:06:19] Katie Bell: So think about what is it that your clients are struggling with the most right now, and what could you do in an offer, in a [00:06:30] promotion to satisfy their needs right now to create flexibility, but also allow them to deal with the problems and the injuries and the pains and the anxieties and all those things that they have got going on.

[00:06:44] Katie Bell: Now you might be wondering when shall I launch these offers? And you've got, I think, golden windows to play with. You've got before the school holidays start. Like right now as you're listening to this podcast get ahead of the chaos. July is a great prime time to launch and promote anything summer related.

[00:06:59] Katie Bell: 'cause people [00:07:00] are still in a routine. They're still fairly receptive. Brilliant. If you work with kid parents who've got children who have picked up injuries and niggles, they're sports players and they've got the summer to actually deal with it. Pre-holiday urgency window. So using languages like 10 slots available before we pause for the holidays or last chance to book your pre-summer reset.

[00:07:22] Katie Bell: Deadlines, drive those decisions, and then you've got a kind of post holiday reentry. This is gold [00:07:30] because everyone comes back in September feeling a bit sluggish. They're off routine. They cannot wait to get their routine back. So you could offer them something in July or early August that gets them booked in for September priority.

[00:07:43] Katie Bell: Booking bonus sessions, exclusive September Challenge. You are in control of your calendar. Don't let it happen to you, but build it on purpose. Think about the type of clients that you work with and what people need from you right now. You don't need to [00:08:00] create a pretty complex funnel or a slick tech stack or anything To do that.

[00:08:04] Katie Bell: You just need to have clarity. You need to have consistency, and you need a message that's relevant and repeated. So you literally could just have a.

[00:08:13] Katie Bell: 20 clients that you specifically select and then you send a follow up WhatsApp message to keep it benefit led. You could have a simple booking form or a landing page with how people can book. You could have some in-clinic signage or team scripts for your front desk so that everybody's [00:08:30] talking about it.

[00:08:31] Katie Bell: You can have a WhatsApp broadcast or a text to reach your loyal clients directly with a friendly message. We need to say things several times before people start listening. So don't be afraid to repeat yourself across different platforms or on the same platform several times, because it often takes a few touches before people take action.

[00:08:56] Katie Bell: So thinking about before you check out of your business for [00:09:00] this summer. What's the one or two marketing strategies, sales strategies you could do now that gives you confidence, clarity, and calmness to go away? Because when you've got money booked in and clients committed, you'll be able to relax fully and lead more powerfully when you return.

[00:09:21] Katie Bell: So if you're thinking, I really love this idea, but I don't know where to start, then. I would start with the [00:09:30] lowest hanging fruit. Who are your ideal clients? The people that you love to work with. The people that spend most money with you, the people that have the biggest pains and problems in your community right now, and think about what it is you need to do to address those client needs.

[00:09:44] Katie Bell: Less is more. If you try and do five of these ideas, then they're just going to be really average. Take one, maximum two. If you've got a team that can also help you implement these and. Makes it [00:10:00] happen. If you are a sole trader and you are thinking, I've got four weeks off with the kids in August and I don't want my September diary to be really inconsistent, then act now.

[00:10:11] Katie Bell: Get an email out to all of your clients to say, I am now booking for September. I have very limited places available and thinking about you as one of my lower clients. Can I get you booked in you? Taking proactive action to protect your revenue and drive profit over the summer. Now for [00:10:30] some of you. You are going to have things in place.

[00:10:33] Katie Bell: You, some of you're going to be trying to do too much absolutely off the back of this podcast, but some of you might not know where to start. And I'm going to now do exactly the same. I'm going to personally invite you to join the wait list for my Evolve program that reopens in September. So if you wanna go away on holiday, knowing that in September we are going to radically transform your business.

[00:10:55] Katie Bell: Then jump on the wait list. Now you don't have to do anything about it, but you just gotta be on the wait list. It [00:11:00] gives you exclusive access to various bonuses, blah, blah, blah. You know the score. It's for clinic owners who are ready to shift from this overwhelmed and reactive state to a clear structured support with a fraction of the investment so you can really test us out and see how great we actually are.

[00:11:18] Katie Bell: And it's clinic owners who are not making. Huge amount of revenue yet in your business because it might just be you or a very small team, and you need to just step in and immerse yourself and put [00:11:30] some actions in place and put those foundations in place to drive more revenue so that you can then really work on your strategy, your marketing, and your sales.

[00:11:40] Katie Bell: We are going to, in this program, it's an online program. It is 12 weeks, so it's a really short, immersive program with serious results very quickly in your business, you're going to get strategy, you're going to get mindset, you're going to get tools. You're going to get coaching to build a clinic and a business that runs without you in the middle [00:12:00] of every single thing, without you having to work more to just make more money.

[00:12:05] Katie Bell: Go to the link in the show notes to join our wait list. There is more information on there. There's absolutely no commitment, just priority access and the chance to be part of our fabulous community. And I have to say, my Thrive community is like no other. They are amazing people. And anybody that's joining us in September, you are getting a juicy bonus in that you are going to be [00:12:30] attending.

[00:12:31] Katie Bell: November strategy day, almost as your last week on program with us. So you are going to leave with a full 2026 strategic plan. You are going to immerse yourself live with all of our Thrive community on our big live event in November, where we have a massive Christmas party afterwards. And it isn't just me, Philippa, and Nicola pretending to be Abba doing karaoke.

[00:12:56] Katie Bell: We actually have some live entertainment. Oh. We have [00:13:00] drinks, we have food going on. We have loads of clinic owners in a room. There will be 80 plus of us all having a fabulous time, and you as an evolve member will be part of that in November. I'm super excited for you. I hope you are to grab a spot on the wait list right now, and let's make this your most strategic, your most successful, and your most spacious summer yet.

[00:13:22] Katie Bell: See you in the next episode.

[00:13:24]