Marketing Tactic For Pilates Teachers: 3 Steps To Build Student Loyalty Using A VIP Card
VIP Card Strategy Overview
The VIP Card works exactly like the cards you receive from your local “coffee shop”. Usually, a coffee shop will give their customers a “VIP Card” which has 10 boxes. When you’ve had 10 drinks, and had 10 boxes stamped, you’re given a VIP reward (a free coffee!).
This VIP Card strategy for Pilates teachers is exactly the same concept, but a bit more proactive.
The best part is that students will think you’re a God or Goddess. That means they’ll come to your classes for longer. That means you don’t need to advertise your classes as much. And that means a win-win for you and your student. We all love win-wins!
Step 1: Pick A VIP Card Template From Vistaprint
You can use the Vistaprint Loyalty Card Templates. I couldn’t believe how well this strategy worked. My students love it. If you’re using the loyalty card, you will need to initial a box on their card each week, until they have 10 boxes filled in. It’s also a great way to chat and get to know your students because they have to bring their loyalty cards to you to get signed.
I find in my classes that 1 out of 10 students are really shy and find it hard to approach me (the loyalty card gives them the courage to approach me). This option obviously takes more time than option 1, but people love being rewarded for loyalty.
Loyalty Card Layout
Name Of Your Yoga Business
VIP Member
Name Of Your Website
Email Address
Telephone Numer
Step 2: Get Discounts From Local Businesses
Now you have your lovely new VIP Cards from Vistaprint, it’s time to do a bit of networking.
Your mission is to set up as many “discounts” for your students as possible.
So, use your car, bus, bike, feet, or whatever mode of transport that rocks your boat and go to businesses in your local area that you think your students would like to frequent. Ask the business owner for a “special discount” for your students. Most business owners will fall over themselves to get business from a group. A group has purchasing power!
What Business To Approach?
You could approach the following local businesses…
- Acupuncturists
- Alternative Health Practitioners
- Cafes
- Chiropractors
- Complementary Therapists
- Dieticians
- Hair Dressers
- Health Food Shops
- Herbalists
- Homoeopaths
- Hypnotherapists
- Fair Trade Businesses
- Flower Shops
- Masseuses
- Nutritionists
- Organic Cafes
- Physiotherapists
If you have a website, set up a page called: VIP discounts.
Now all you need to do is add all the local businesses who offer discounts to that page (e.g. a local health food shop that offers your students a 5% discount). Make sure you let your students know about the VIP discounts page on your site.
Step 3: VIP Card Announcement
Take your VIP Cards to class and give them to your students and announce how it works.
For example, you could say:
“Hi everyone, here is your VIP card (walk around the room handing them out). There are 10 boxes on the card. Each time you come to a class, I will put my initials in the box. Once you’ve come to 10 classes and had 10 boxes filled up, you get a free class. But that’s not all. I’ve also hounded lots of local businesses in the area to get you group discounts. If you go to the VIP discounts page on my website, you’ll see a list of local businesses that offer discounts. For example the XYZ organic cafe on the high street will give you a 5% discount off all drinks.”
Final Thoughts
For very little effort, this VIP Card marketing tactic could fill up your Pilates classes.
You’ll also “accidentally” gain more students to your Pilates classes because several of the “business owners” that you approached (see Step 2) will be interested in coming to your classes. You’ll probably discover it was worth doing the VIP card marketing tactic just to touch base with a bunch of local business owners in your local area.
When you provide your students with VIP Cards, more of your students will become raving fans of your Pilates classes, and recommend your classes to friends and family.
George Watts
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