Pilates Business Podcast

Host: Seran Glanfield
Episode: Stop Leaving Money on the Table: The Hidden Link Between Pricing and Client Retention
Date: September 8, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Seran Glanfield tackles a critical but often overlooked driver of profitability and long-term success for boutique fitness studios: the strategic impact of pricing on client retention and lifetime value (LTV). Rather than focusing solely on filling classes or chasing every new intro offer client, Seran makes the case that smart, value-driven pricing – not just being competitive or “fair” – is the key lever for sustainable growth. She explains the pitfalls of common pricing habits, the psychology behind client decisions, and offers actionable shifts studio owners can make to align their business with higher LTV and stable, recurring revenue.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Hidden Power of Pricing Beyond the Numbers

• Many studio owners treat pricing as a numbers game (covering costs, “not too high/low”, matching competitors).
• Seran: “Pricing isn’t just about numbers on a website. It’s actually what I consider to be a powerful marketing tool…a lever that you can pull that can influence the way that people interact with your business.” (03:27)
• Non-strategic pricing – especially solely matching competitors – leads to being interchangeable with other studios and attracts short-term, price-sensitive clients.

The Pitfalls of Competitive Pricing

• Undercutting or copying local competition often backfires:
  • Discourages loyalty, encourages “studio hopping.”
  • Over-fills classes with discounted intro offers, reducing average class revenue and making income unstable.
• Seran: “If you only talk about your studio and draw clients in with your price ... we see clients hopping from one intro offer to the next ... you're left working harder to replace them.” (04:08)
• Relying on discounts creates revenue fluctuations and planning anxiety. Instead, pricing should communicate the studio’s unique value.

Understanding Lifetime Value (LTV)

• LTV = the total revenue a single client brings over the entire relationship.
  • Studios with the best revenue consistency have high LTV – clients move quickly into recurring memberships/packages and stay for years.
• Most owners only focus on the “front door” sale, neglecting the big profit found in retention.
  • Seran: “Maybe the question to ask is, how do I keep the right people in the studio longer?” (11:25)
• Constantly chasing new clients is exhausting; nurturing existing clients is the real opportunity.

How Pricing Shapes Client Behavior

• Pricing packages influence how often and how long clients attend.
  • Drop-ins and small packages foster casual, inconsistent attendance.
  • Higher-commitment options encourage frequency and community – better for client results and studio LTV.
• Seran: “Pricing isn’t passive ... it can be a silent salesperson ... nudg[ing] clients towards the behavior you want, like upgrading to a larger package or coming more often.” (13:21)
• Many studios miss opportunities by being overly linear with pricing (e.g., not creating incentives for larger packages or commitment).

Align Pricing with Value Delivery

• When clients commit, they show up and get better results, which reinforces loyalty.
  • The right pricing structure should “keep people engaged long enough to experience real change.” (16:26)
• Misaligned pricing leads to over-teaching, lack of early client commitment, and lower retention.
• Seran: “Start to think about [pricing] as part of your client journey.” (16:12)
• Design pricing to lead to the outcome you want: high engagement, great results, long-term retention.

Shifting from Reactive to Strategic Pricing

• Constant sales and discounts condition clients to only buy on promotion, undermining profitability.
• Instead, strategic, value-based pricing leads to stable, predictable income – freeing up owner energy to focus on business growth.
• Your current pricing is not set in stone; it can (and should) evolve with your business.
• Seran: “When you're more strategic, you have more stability, more predictable revenue, and more freedom to focus on other areas as you grow.” (18:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the emotional knot of pricing:
  “There is a lot of emotion often tied to [pricing]. It's often tied to our sense of value. And sometimes it can actually be just a complete guessing game.” (03:04)
• On being a unique studio:
  “When we price purely on competitive, comparable price point, it actually communicates nothing about the unique value of your studio.” (04:05)
• On the power of LTV:
  “The studios that are really successful … have typically a higher LTV. So their clients are coming in, converting into a membership or a package on a long term basis ... and have been clients for many, many years.” (10:22)
• On “quick sale” vs. strategy:
  “When pricing is super reactive ... you're always scrambling. Instead of scrambling, I want you to be more strategic.” (17:02)
• On redesigning your strategy:
  “Your prices are not set in stone... [They] are an amazing tool ... to design that business that you want: higher lifetime value, higher retention, more engaged clients.” (18:54)
• On the core message:
  “Your pricing is not about what's fair necessarily or what's competitive. It's actually about helping you shape your client's behavior, encouraging commitment, and ultimately maximizing the lifetime value of every client who walks into your studio.” (19:36)

Important Timestamps

• [01:08] – Intro to the episode’s topic: Pricing as a tool for lifetime client value
• [03:27] – How emotional and reactive pricing hurts your studio
• [04:08] – The problem with matching competitors and price-focused clients
• [10:22] – Understanding LTV and why it matters for growth
• [11:25] – The exhaustion of chasing new clients vs. nurturing loyal ones
• [13:21] – Pricing as a “silent salesperson” and behavior driver
• [16:12] – Pricing as part of the overall client journey
• [17:02] – Danger of always relying on discounts/sales
• [18:54] – Encouragement that pricing can and should evolve strategically
• [19:36] – The essential shift: Pricing to maximize client retention and LTV

In Closing

Seran Glanfield drives home that transformative results come not from being the cheapest or most available studio, but from thoughtfully structuring pricing to incentivize commitment, reward frequent attendance, and help clients experience real value – making them loyal, long-term clients. With practical frameworks and mindset shifts, she challenges owners to stop leaving money on the table and start consciously designing their pricing for the studio (and lifestyle) they want.