How to plan an amazing open house
(that actually brings in new clients) pt.1
I know it's not even Christmas yet, and I'm already asking you to think about ideas for gym events you want to run in January. I promise I have a good reason- it's time to get your open house on your schedule if you're planning to run one this year. You can finish your holiday, but then we're going to want to hit the (January) ground running in order to be heard above the marketing storm that is fitness in the new year. I had so much to say about this topic, I had to split it into two parts. We’ll talk about how to design your perfect open house first, and then how to market it in part two. Before we start, depending on where you live, your open house might look very different than another part of the country’s, or even from the ones you used to do pre-pandemic. If that's the case, you can decide whether an open house is right for you and your studio right now. If your events look a bit different, that's okay, too. We'll troubleshoot in part two.
What's an open house?
I bet you've been to one before. These can look totally different depending on the industry and the studio culture, so here's my favorite way to run an open house as a studio owner and as a studio coach. At its core, an open house is a free or inexpensive marketing event targeting new or inactive clients. We teach free 30-45 minute taster classes instead of our usual 60 minutes, and we have a rehearsed sales process running behind the scenes to make sure anyone who comes in that day leaves with something that will bring them back in the door.
Important note: If you're running free classes without a clear plan for how you're going to sell packages and follow up with new leads, you're just providing a free public service. My coaching clients already know that I hate "free" anything in our industry- I say it every day. In no other industry would we say, "actually, I'm not sure I'll like it. Can I try my first one free?" at checkout. Can you imagine asking a restaurant owner that after you ate lunch? Your doctor during the exam? Your massage therapist while you're on the table? Why first class free is so prolific in the fitness industry is a rant for another time, but- just for this occasion (okay, and one other), we're going to bend my cardinal rule. BUT- it has stipulations. If you offer free classes, you must have a solid sales process follow-up, including touchpoints, tracking, and strategy. (Don't panic. If that sounds like gibberish, book a single strategy call, and we can do it together). First, let's talk about creating an open house that actually brings you new clients and revenue.
Pick a weekend.
The date you choose is crucial. Too close to January 1, and your potential target clients are still in holiday mode (read, not ready to start their resolutions yet). Wait too long, and your competitors have already enticed your future clients to their studio with their own marketing. My favorite time? The second or third weekend of January. This year we'd choose anywhere around the 15th. Once you have your weekend, decide whether you will run your event all day or just one of them. I prefer to cancel all of your normally scheduled classes and replace them with teaser classes that are shorter and/or different than you usually do that day. If you run your usual schedule, you risk your regulars signing up and filling all of your new clients' spots—more about your current clients in a bit.
Choose your classes.
As always, let's start with your goal. Are you targeting clients who are new to their fitness journey? Make sure you have beginner-friendly classes like yoga 101, barre basics, intro to weightlifting, etc. If you're multi-modality and want to fill just one of your offerings, focus on those during the weekend. For example, if your yoga classes are completely full, but your newly released pilates classes are still growing, make sure your open house is pilates heavy to attract a different type of client than your current yogis.
Schedule your best.
Selecting your instructors has the potential to be a little sensitive, but it's so important to put your best grippy-socked foot forward. You want to make sure the instructors teaching your open houses can juggle multiple balls simultaneously. At my studio, it's always been a big deal to be asked to teach on an open house day, and our staff knows that open house is a different schedule and program. Your teachers need to be able to:
Remember new names and make newbies feel comfortable.
Teach a beginner-friendly class that also challenges veterans.
Connect with the new clients while ensuring existing clients don't feel like they're trespassing in their own gym.
Cleverly sprinkle in what I call "When Statements" while teaching. Possibly the most critical part of an open house class, When Statements could sound like:
"When you're here next week."
When you come to the Valentine's party."
"When you sign the 100 class barre."
"When you graduate to level 2" or anything that subliminally whispers to the client, "you're going to stick around." This is also known as an Assumptive Close
Plan the experience.
What do you want your potential new members to experience during your open house? What kind of culture and energy are you promoting? Do you want it to be bustling and exciting? Pack your schedule with classes, activities, and snacks to keep your clients at your studio before and after class. Does serene and calm more closely match your mission? Space out your classes, partner with holistic teachers, massage therapists, or sound healers, dim your lights (and your voice), and turn your spa music up just enough to cover low conversations. Going for more of a high-end and exclusive vibe? Charge a drop-in rate for your open-house classes, call or text new clients the day before to welcome them, consider having a co-teacher provide one-on-one attention, and cap your classes under capacity. Your open house should look nothing like your competition's, so don't just throw free classes on the schedule and send out an e-vite. Plan your event from the ground up by starting with the goal to make the most significant impact on future clients.
Prime your audience
I see carefully curated open houses fall flat in two areas—the first is client communication both before and after the event. On average, fifty percent of people don't show up to free events. Fifty percent! The best way to ensure you're not looking at empty mats at your open house is to communicate beforehand- possibly more than you think you should. That could look like:
Reminder emails 48 and 24 hours in advance.
Pre-class phone calls that set the tone of attendance
"Hi, Jane. We can't wait to meet you tomorrow! I'm calling to remind you to bring your yoga mat. Is there anything we should write in your account before you take class?"
Use your point of sale or CRM's auto-text capability to send texts 2 hours before the class with a "see you soon!" message, so your client knows they are expected to show up, and you'll notice if they don't.
After your event, your follow-up is just as meaningful.
Send an automated "sorry we missed you" to all no-shows offering a free or discounted class that week (if they pre-book using a discount code).
Send a semi-templated email to all attendees who didn't purchase an offer day of that mentions something personal you talked about so they know it's not a mass email,
"Hey, Ashley. It was so great meeting you on Saturday, how funny that our kids go to the same school! I hope you're feeling great after your yoga sculpt class. All those Chatarungas made it difficult to wash my hair on Sunday-please tell me I'm not alone there. I hope we get to see you in a future class at [studio name]. Don't forget, you can still get [insert offer] until Wednesday. It's the perfect time to start a yoga practice! I'll send a text over to see how your class went, too, but click below if you'd like to get started right away."
Add everyone to your automated new client email sequence so they can learn about your studio.
If it was an intimate event, send handwritten thank-you notes to those who bought or anyone who came.
Be ready to sell
The second area I see studio owners trip is in the sales process. Don't forget why you're hosting this event in the first place. Effectively operated, open houses can bring you thousands in revenue and tons of new clients in a short amount of time- but you have to ask for the sale and prime them to purchase. Start by referencing the discount in your marketing and approach your sales strategically. I like to offer two discounts on open house day (remember, clients who signed up for a free class are usually bargain-hunters.)
A special intro offer. Maybe it's half off the regular price, a BOGO special, or get three weeks for the cost of two. Make sure it's attractive but not so discounted that it won't easily convert to a membership or package.
A long-term offer. My favorite is the second month free on a six or 12-month offer (second month free ensures you have a credit card on file for the first month). You could also discount a paid in full membership, like 20% off three months unlimited or $50 off a ten pack. Pick one of each category, or you risk choice paralysis.
I love having something the client can take to sweeten the deal. Our intro clients get to choose a branded plastic water bottle with studio information inside, and our members get to choose a branded tank top from the rack. I've found that getting to leave with something tangible increases our sales rates. The best part? The retail on the freebie rack is all merchandise we've had on hand and would like to move.
Be strategic
Your sales strategy doesn't have to be high-tech. My best desk gal, one of my managers, and I work open houses together. Two of us are behind the desk, signing clients in and purchasing memberships, and the other is out in the studio helping new clients meet their teachers, put their shoes in lockers, and ensure a perfect client experience. When class is in session and the studio is quieter, we go through the new clients and plan our after-class strategy. We're a techy studio, but we keep it basic for these events. We draw a line in a whiteboard journal with Intro and Member at the top. Anyone brand new goes on the intro column, and we'll approach them after class to sign them into a new client special. If we've seen the client a few times and they haven't purchased yet, they're going to get a "why you should buy a membership today" spiel. Both sales strategies remind the client that today is the only day these offers are valid and lead with the value of our studio first. Neither of them feels like an uncomfortable high-pressure pitch. You'll want to practice these conversations and keep it short- you won't have more than a few moments to sell the client, so make sure it's perfect. We sold $13,000 in new memberships and intro specials at our best open house. Practice and role-play to make sure you're ready to convert.
