Podcast Summary: Pilates Business Podcast

Host: Seran Glanfield
Episode: "Your Software is More Than a Scheduling Tool: How to Use It to Boost Conversions & Retention"
Date: October 13, 2025

Episode Overview

Seran Glanfield explores how boutique fitness studio owners can leverage their business management software as more than just a scheduling or admin tool. She emphasizes the software's crucial role in shaping the client experience, boosting conversions, and retaining clients. The episode offers actionable strategies to harness underutilized features, automate important touchpoints, and use data for smarter business decisions—ultimately helping studio owners build a seamless, brand-aligned journey that keeps clients coming back.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rethinking the Role of Studio Software

• Software as a Customer Experience Driver
  • Studio software is not just for admin—it is the backbone of the client journey.

    "Your software isn't just an admin system anymore, it's actually one of the most powerful touch points in your customer journey." (04:05)

• Front Desk Extension or Replacement
  • Whether or not you have a real front desk, your software often IS the front desk—making first and lasting impressions.

    "If you don't have a front desk team, it is going to be probably your front desk team." (08:19)

2. Reduce Friction in the Customer Journey (10:15)

• Friction is a Silent Business Killer
  • If booking or onboarding is confusing, clients drop out before they even try your class.

    "Many clients leave your studio... not because they didn't like the class…it's the process to get to that point was perhaps a little clunky." (11:10)

• "Don't Make Them Think" Principle
  • Borrowing from old web design thinking: every digital interaction in your studio should be effortless for the client (clear, quick, intuitive).

    "They don't want to wonder or question which direction to go in or what button to click next... they want to be guided forward." (10:45)

3. Unlock & Utilize Hidden Software Features (15:20)

• Beyond Basics: Use What You’re Paying For
  • Most studio owners underuse features—missing out on tools that streamline client experience and boost revenue (e.g., one-click booking, waitlists, branded communications).

    "There are probably quite a few other features that you are paying for that you might not be using...when you don't use these...you're leaving money on the table." (15:45)

• Stay Informed & Adapt
  • Software evolves rapidly—regularly review feature updates to stay competitive.

    "If it's been a while since you had a deep dive...then please consider this to be the time." (18:30)

4. Automation: The Key to Efficient, Consistent Touchpoints (19:35)

• Automations Need Maintenance & Personalization
  • Set it and forget it doesn't work—revisit automations as your business and brand evolve.

    "Too often what we find is that studio owners either don't use the automations...or...they've forgotten about it." (20:10)

  • Automations must sound authentic and human.

    "That doesn't mean that they have to sound robotic. In fact, I would really like it if you made them not sound robotic." (21:05)

• Impact on Retention
  • Smart, meaningful automations nurture relationships and keep clients engaged.

5. Data: The Roadmap to Better Decisions (25:11)

• Become Comfortable with Your Numbers
  • Data tells the story of your client experience and highlights areas for growth or repair.

    "Your numbers are telling you a story about your business...it becomes sort of like your GPS system, right?" (26:05)

• Look Beyond Top-Line Revenue
  • Consider granular data points (like conversion rates, retention, client drop-off spots) to guide tweaks in the journey.

6. Integration & Brand Consistency (31:30)

• All-in-One Branded Experience
  • Multiple systems create a patchy client experience; aim for integrated tools that reinforce your brand.

    "If you've got different software for doing different things, then we see a lot of inconsistency and sometimes it can even seem unprofessional." (31:55)

• Consistency Builds Trust & Loyalty
  • Cohesive communication, branding, and user experience all contribute to client retention.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Client Experience Expectations:

  "All of our expectations of the way that we interact with anything digital is higher than they've ever been before...your clients expect that from you and your software." (09:45)

• On the Power of Automations:

  "When you do it right, it truly deepens that connection that you have with your clients." (22:05)

• On Data and Analytics:

  "Once you crack it, it's not that hard...just a few months later, they are the ones who are like, all right, it's the first of the month. Let me check my numbers from last month." (26:25)

• On Aligning Software and Brand:

  "We want to make sure that what your clients are experiencing is an incredibly consistent experience because it's that consistency that your brand is represented by." (32:10)

• On Experience Over Class Quality:

  "Your classes are amazing, but it's the experience around those classes that keeps clients coming back." (36:05)

Timestamped Breakdown of Key Segments

• 04:05 – Software as a customer journey driver
• 08:19 – Software as the virtual front desk
• 10:15 – Friction in customer journey, "Don't Make Them Think"
• 15:20 – Underused features and staying informed
• 19:35 – Automation: why it matters and how to refresh
• 22:05 – Effective automations deepen connection
• 25:11 – Getting over data anxiety
• 26:25 – The empowering effect of tracking numbers
• 31:30 – The importance of integration and branding
• 32:10 – Consistency as the heart of brand trust
• 36:05 – Why experience (not just classes) drives retention

Actionable Takeaways

• Regularly audit your software usage for new features impacting client experience, conversion, and retention.
• Remove points of friction in your booking and onboarding process—aim for guided, seamless paths.
• Leverage automations thoughtfully, keep them current, and ensure they match your brand’s voice.
• Embrace your business data to guide decisions and identify areas for strategic improvement.
• Integrate and brand all customer touchpoints for a smooth, trustworthy experience.
• Remember: The experience around your classes is as important (or more) than the class itself for client retention.

Final Thoughts

Seran Glanfield encourages studio owners to see their business software as a central piece of the brand puzzle. By intentionally using available tools, refining digital touchpoints, and paying attention to data, owners can create an experience that converts leads, retains loyal clients, and ultimately grows their boutique fitness business—without feeling overwhelmed or duct-taping solutions together.

If you want hands-on help in this area, Seran mentions her Thrive business coaching program and offers more resources at spring3.com/thrive.