Treat Your Business

Thrive Through Summer Bonus EP04: Summer Retention Strategies

• Katie Bell

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Welcome
Welcome to the final episode of the Thrive Through Summer bonus series! I’m Katie Bell, and it’s been such a joy to walk alongside you this month as we tackled everything from mindset shifts to pre-selling strategies and leading your team while you take a well-earned break. Today, we’re wrapping up with one of the most practical (and profitable) topics of all: how to keep your clients coming back, even when the weather’s hot, the kids are off school, and your diary feels upside down.

Episode Summary
Let’s be honest - the “summer slowdown” is real, but it’s not inevitable and it’s definitely fixable. In this episode, I share my tried-and-tested strategies to boost client retention during the summer months, so you’re not starting from scratch every September. We’ll cover why retention is the foundation of sustainable revenue, how to nurture clients who already know and trust you, and the exact scripts and processes I use in my own clinic to reduce cancellations, increase loyalty, and keep bookings steady - even while you’re enjoying a break.

Key Takeaways
🌞 Retention is gold - especially in summer. It’s cheaper than acquisition, builds loyalty and referrals, and stabilises your cashflow.
📅 Use the pre-book prompt: Get clients to book their return appointment before they go on holiday. Build this into your scripts and reminders for consistency.
📲 Re-engage past clients: Pull a list of those who haven’t booked in 3–6 months and send a warm, personal message (bonus points for voice notes or video!).
🎯 Celebrate progress: Keep clients engaged with mini milestones and check-ins, so they stay on track and don’t drop off until September.
💌 Stay visible: Schedule helpful emails, social posts, and “thinking of you” videos to keep your clinic top of mind—even when you’re away.
🎁 Reward loyalty: Surprise and delight your most consistent clients with a thank you, mini challenge, or giveaway.
⭐ Less is more: Focus on what will make the biggest impact for your clinic right now, don’t try to do it all.

Thank you for listening!
Here’s to a summer where your business works for you, not the other way around. I hope you’ve enjoyed this mini series and feel ready to put client retention on autopilot. I’d love to hear what you’re implementing, and as always, I’m here to support you in building a thriving clinic and a life you love. See you next week as we return to our regular episodes!

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

[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.pbsmedical.com and book your free trial today.

[00:00:43] Katie Bell: Welcome to the final episode of Thrive Through Summer bonus series. It's been a real joy to walk alongside you this past month as we've tackled everything from mindset shifts. To pre-selling strategies to leading your team whilst you take a well earned break. And today [00:01:00] we're wrapping up with one of the most practical and profitable topics in the whole series.

[00:01:05] Katie Bell: How to keep your clients coming back even when the weather's hot. The kids are off school, the diaries are upside down, and you're enjoying some well deserved time off. Because let's be honest, the summer slowdown is real. That's the narrative that we are all told, but it's not inevitable. It's definitely not unfixable, and I am here for you [00:01:30] to not just keep restarting from scratch in September if you are not ready to just allow your business to survive through the summer months.

[00:01:41] Katie Bell: If you are ready to stop starting from scratch in September, then just listen to this episode. It's 15 minutes of your time. I promise it will be worth it.

[00:01:51] Katie Bell: Welcome to the Treat Your Business Podcast with Katie Bell. I'm Katie, and this is the place where clinic owners like you learn the strategies, [00:02:00] 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.

[00:02:12] 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 drain it. So are you [00:02:30] ready? Let's dive in.

[00:02:31] Katie Bell: So let's start with a simple truth. Retention is the foundation of sustainable revenue. Yes, bringing in new clients is really exciting and really important, and we should always be growing our reach, but keeping the clients you already have, that's where the gold is, especially in the summer months because routines go out the window.

[00:02:54] Katie Bell: It's easy for clients to disappear temporarily. But it doesn't mean that they still don't need your support. It doesn't mean that [00:03:00] their problem is gone. It just means they need reminders, they need encouragement, and they need an easy way to stay engaged. So there three reasons.

[00:03:08] Katie Bell: Retention matters more than ever. Right now it's cheaper than acquisition. So you've got no ad spend, no chasing, no sales calls. It builds loyalty and referrals. Happy clients brings you more clients, and it can carry you through the quiet patches so it stabilizes cash flow when new bookings [00:03:30] may be lower.

[00:03:31] Katie Bell: So instead of pouring all your energy into new more, more this summer, let's focus on nurturing the ones who already know and trust you. So let's talk about summer retention strategies that you can set up today, and let's break it down into three simple ways that you can roll out right now to a reduce cancellations to increase loyalty and keep that diary ticking over nicely even when you are not there.

[00:03:59] Katie Bell: So [00:04:00] let's talk about the pre-book prompt. Before your clients head off on holiday, invite them to book their return appointment now. So if you've got a gap, you know when your diary is gonna be closed off for, or you've got team that you know are away using scripts like, let's get your post holiday session, the diary now, so you've got something locked in when you are back.

[00:04:22] Katie Bell: It's very light touch, it's very logical, but it creates certainty for both of you. You are planting the seed that you're, they're expected to return. [00:04:30] Their progress matters. They're part of something with structure. Not just a drop in service. Pay as you go service and even better build this into your front desk script or your appointment reminders texts.

[00:04:42] Katie Bell: And make sure that everybody in your clinic, whether you've got one member of staff or 10 or 20, they've got this process to follow. That either they are discharged because they are completely better, they are rebooked because they need to continue their treatment, [00:05:00] or they have a. A follow up call booked in to check in with them because they are 95% better, but you're not quite ready to discharge them.

[00:05:09] Katie Bell: So there is always three outcomes that you want for your clients, not this. Just see how you feel looking when you are ready. Narrative, which is a load of crap and does not deliver client results and client outcomes and profit. So make sure that you've got certainty for both you and the [00:05:30] client. And then that you pull reports on a weekly basis in the summer for those that have dropped off who have canceled and not rebooked, and that you've got your team quickly actioning any of those people that may have seen you in July and then not rebooked, or even in June you could go back to and rebook.

[00:05:52] Katie Bell: So summary is the perfect time to reengage past clients who've gone quiet. So pull a list of people who haven't booked in three [00:06:00] to six months. Send them a warm, friendly WhatsApp message of your face if you want to or your voice or a text. Hey James. I just wanna check in with you. It's been a little while since we saw you.

[00:06:12] Katie Bell: If you can be personal, great. Be personal if you've got a lot of these clients and you might need to send a more generalized message. But I've got a few summer slots available and I wanna make sure you get one. If you want one. We'd love to support you again with your shoulder problem. You could add a soft incentive in there, like priority booking or a [00:06:30] bonus check or a free session with a friend, whatever it.

[00:06:35] Katie Bell: Really for quite a little effort in my opinion. Get very big results from this because you are opening up the conversation. You could even send very simple ones to those who may be on your massage programs or not use their packages up or whatever it is, just it's time for your next massage.

[00:06:55] Katie Bell: Would you like us to get that booked in for you? It could be that you do [00:07:00] some mini progress milestones. So one of the best ways to keep a client engaged is to remind them of their next small win. So whether they're mid rehab, working through a Pilates program, building consistency, highlight their progress, and point towards what's next so that you are.

[00:07:18] Katie Bell: Keeping them engaged on the journey. Progress creates purpose, and purpose creates retention, and this is really powerful. During the summer when clients may lose momentum and say, [00:07:30] I'll just pick it back up in September, you can catch that thought before it turns into a no-show. So if you are getting it, I'll just pick it back up in September a lot then.

[00:07:41] Katie Bell: Let's put in a mini progress check-in. I'm gonna ring you or text you as part of our service to make sure that you are continuing doing X, Y, Z and therefore, when they come to September, they're more likely to show up for their appointment. So let's talk about visibility because we wanna keep clients warm.

[00:07:59] Katie Bell: [00:08:00] Even when you are away, you don't have to be in the clinic to stay in your client's mind, but a few small touches go a long way. So schedule a few helpful emails like. Three tips to stretch after a really long car journey. How to maintain your progress while you are on holiday. What to pack if you've got back pain when you are on holiday.

[00:08:17] Katie Bell: And that might be like a tennis ball or a cricket ball or whatever, or a mini hot water bottle so that they can maintain their progress whilst away. It could be back to school. Posture hacks if you work with kids. [00:08:30] So there could be some added value and ways of connecting with your clients that you are going to use during summer period to keep you in their mind.

[00:08:42] Katie Bell: If you use social media, you could keep this active in terms of show your team doing great work, client success stories, talking about the benefits of, training during the summer, keeping things, addressing problems now rather than waiting till September, create this data behind the scenes [00:09:00] content, even if you are not in it and record a short thinking of you video.

[00:09:06] Katie Bell: You could put something like. Hey, just a quick hello for me while I take a short break. I'll be back soon. The team are here to support you. We've got some great things happening over the summer. Click here to read our latest newsletter or something like that. Can't wait to see you soon.

[00:09:20] Katie Bell: It's very simple, it's very personal, it's very effective and you can use thinking of you videos to reengage past clients as well. [00:09:30] Use this season to strengthen loyalty with your clients. It can be a really surprisingly powerful time to deepen client relationships because you might find clients are on their phone a little bit more because they're sat by the pool.

[00:09:42] Katie Bell: And they're scrolling or they're catching up on things that they. Haven't. I know whenever I go on holiday, it tends to be the time that I like do life admin shit that I'm like, oh, I need to book that, and I've not booked that or make a list on the plane of things I need to do when I get home.

[00:09:57] Katie Bell: You can celebrate loyalty. [00:10:00] So you could choose three or five of your most consistent clients. You could do a little mini summer challenge. We have a lot of our clients in Pilates don't go away in the summer 'cause they don't have children. So we might recognize and reward that with a thank you message or a small gift or a, bring a friend for free voucher or something like that. You could run a surprise. Thank you giveaway. Everyone who attends three plus sessions in August gets entered into a drawer to win a free massage or a Pilates pack or whatever it is that you can offer within your clinic. [00:10:30] It's a great time to ask for feedback or reviews 'cause you can focus on your customer experience.

[00:10:36] Katie Bell: Building those Google reviews up, it's not just about offers, loyalty is about how you make people feel. You want 'em to feel seen, valued, supported, and encouraged. And when people feel like that, they come back time and time again. So I've gone through four really simple ways to put client retention on autopilot this summer.

[00:10:57] Katie Bell: I've given you. Loads of content over the [00:11:00] last three bonus episodes, and I don't expect you to be doing it all. If you're doing it all, you are never ever gonna do it all. You are never gonna achieve anything at a high level. I encourage you to really choose what is going to make the biggest difference to your business profit revenue right now.

[00:11:16] Katie Bell: Anything else? Put it on a later base. Less is more over the summer, If you wanna systemize, if you wanna simplify, if you want to finally get out of the chaos [00:11:30] of running your clinic, then I have two options for you. Head to the link in the show notes and book your clinic growth strategy call 60 minutes one-on-one, where we get really clear on what stage of business growth you are at right now and where you want to go and what things you need to be doing in what order to ensure that you are building a sustainable business that isn't gonna be one that burns out, that is not resilient, that is requiring too much of you with no boundaries and is not protecting your profits.[00:12:00]

[00:12:00] Katie Bell: The other option. If you are a clinic owner who is making between one and 5K in revenue, sales money in top line per month, then evolve is where you need to be because you're gonna get proven strategies, you are gonna get hands-on support. You're gonna get a mindset shift that helps you run your business like a CEO, not a burnt out practitioner.

[00:12:20] Katie Bell: And we kick off again in our Evolve program in September. This is the chance for 20 clinic owners at this level [00:12:30] to

[00:12:31] Katie Bell: Get the mindset support. Get the strategy. Understand your numbers. Introduce programs and packages. Price rise in your business, guarantee more bookings, get more profits and take home income from your business. What is not to love about that? And we do that into 12 weeks. It is a. Amazing program. It has been written by me, built by me, and it is built and delivered by me and my team who have all run very successful and are running very [00:13:00] successful clinics.

[00:13:01] Katie Bell: Head to the link in the show notes, go to the wait list, have a little Scooby at what everything says in there. There is no obligation to do anything when you are on the wait list, but it gives you early access, it gives you priority to grab a space when they become available because they are very limited and I will not compromise on quality.

[00:13:19] Katie Bell: So I hope to see you inside evolve very soon, or I love to hear that you are on a clinic growth call. And getting really clear on what needs to happen in your business. Next, [00:13:30]here's to a summer where your business works for you, not the other way around. I hope you've enjoyed this mini series, and I look forward to seeing you again next week as we resume our normal weekly episode.

[00:13:43]

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Katie Bell

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