How to Fill Off-Peak Classes in Your Studio Without Discounting

One of the best feelings for a boutique studio owner is looking around a packed room and seeing so many people working hard and getting healthier together. On the other hand, seeing four or five people in a room built for 20+ can be disheartening. If you’ve ever wondered how to fill off-peak classes in your studio, without discounting your pricing, we’ve got you covered.

It’s not uncommon at all for discounts to be a studio owner’s first instinct. The concept behind it is trying to make a class more appealing because it’s less expensive, in comparison to the rest of the schedule. But that only sends the wrong message, in more ways than one. And it’s actually the slowest route to filling classes. Let’s look at what’s really happening, and five ways to fix it.

Why Discounting Isn’t the Way to Fill Off-Peak Classes

When you start with discounting to fill off-peak classes, you’re sending two messages simultaneously. The first is that this time slot isn’t worth full price. The second is that if members wait, the price may eventually come down again. Neither message is positive, or something you want attached to your brand.

Further, discounts can attract the wrong clients as well. If you’ve owned your studio long enough, you might have already experienced the fact that price-sensitive drop-ins rarely become committed members. They show up once, take advantage of your deal, then disappear until the next one.

Meanwhile, your current clients are probably taking notice of your discounting trends. Over time, one of two things happens. They either wait for classes to be discounted, or they start asking for the same deal at prime time too. The result for you is watching your ARM (average revenue per member) start to slip.

5 Ways to Fill Off-Peak Classes in Your Studio

​When you fill off-peak classes with the right strategy instead of discounting, you fix the problem. Here are five ways to do that.

1. Introduce a New Class Format

Instead of trying to build demand in a slow timeframe for a class that already exists elsewhere on your schedule, what if you flipped the script? Offering a new format can bring fresh interest to that same time slot. You may have regulars from the busy classes suddenly be able to make this time work, which also frees up their spot during prime time.

But another option is to build the new class format based on the group that’s available. For example, you might consider one of these options:

• Mobility and joint-health class for the retiree crowd
• 45-minute strength session marketed to parents between school drop-off and pickup
• No-pressure beginner session run by your most patient coach
• Lunchtime circuit for remote workers who want to get in and get back to work

Specific programming that meets the demand of the attendees will always beat your most popular class format that only has two people in it.

2. Fill Off-Peak Classes by Making it Personal

Take a look at the following two messages and think about the impact that each would make for one of your regular clients:

• Option #1 – “Big news! We’re adding an 11am class to help with the overflow of the 5:30am and 6pm classes. Please consider attending if you can to open up more spots for other [Studio Name] clients.”
• Option #2 – “Hey [Client First Name] – it looks like Tuesday’s 6pm class filled up before you got a spot. I want to make sure you get your workout in, so do you want me to save you a spot in the 11am class that day?”

There’s a big difference between a mass marketing text and a personal conversation that truly shows you care about your clients. When you’re trying to fill off-peak classes, one sounds like you’re selling while the other is an attempt to help.

3. Highlight Unique Benefits of Off-Peak Classes

If you reposition the way people look at a specific class time, it goes from “the class we can’t seem to fill” to something a lot more unique. For example, if peak class times run 15-20 people deep, position your 11am class as “small-group training with more individual attention.”

Make it known as the class where the coach has even more ability to help clients work on technique or even kicks off the hour with a fun question of the day. Run a friendly Weekly Streaks challenge or special recognition for whoever shows up most during off-peak hours. Members will likely respond just as well to this as they would to a discount—if not better—and it costs you nothing.

4. Open the Door to New Members

As you explore options to fill off-peak classes, look at it like unsold inventory that doesn’t have to be sold to your own member base.

Two options we love are ClassPass and Wellhub, both of which are integrated with Wodify and simple to roll out. They’re a proven way to increase visibility and leads, and turn empty spots into revenue.

As an alternative to classes, here are a few other options to consider as well:

• Talk to a nearby office about midday corporate wellness sessions for their team
• Rent your floor to a physical therapist or nutrition coach during off-peak hours
• Run workshops of your own, like an Olympic lifting or HYROX skills clinic

None of these options compete with your core pricing, and some of them will brings in new faces who might not have found you otherwise.

5. Let Booking Data Help You Fill Off-Peak Classes

Before choosing an option for the list above, let your data guide you! Check out what your current schedule is already telling you, like which slots get waitlists and which might get canceled due to low attendance? Finding patterns can usually point you in the right direction, and helps you take the guesswork out of scheduling adjustments.

Pro Tip: Not sure where to start? Just Ask Wodify! Ask Wodify is your trusted AI partner that knows every single data point about your business and gives you fast, reliable answers to help you make smarter decisions.

Ready to Fill Off-Peak Classes? Start With One Slot.

Just like any major project at your fitness business, you don’t need to overhaul your schedule all at once. Start with the data to see where your biggest pain points are, then fill off-peak classes using any of the ideas listed above. Note that you might want to give each one a few weeks to see how it’s received before moving on to the next one. This will help you build momentum for the long run.

Don’t forget, the Wodify team is always here to help you find the tools to help you run a more efficient business. Book a demo with our team today to learn more!

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More reading: Looking to grow your gym so you have even more clients to fill your classes? Download the Gym Growth Game Plan, covering three key areas: marketing, client retention, and the KPIs (key performance indicators) that tie it all together.