Convert Your Free Trials Into Paying Customers

Account Manager at SportsEngine

October 18, 2023 | 3 minutes, 29 seconds read

There are plenty of great strategies out there on how you can convert your free trials into a recurring revenue stream for your business. Fortunately, SportsEngine Motion has narrowed them down to five simple steps to increase your gym, studio, or facility’s free trial conversions.

Market your Free Trials

First and foremost, it is important to have all of your free trials posted on Google, Facebook, and your Social Feed - you want to be EVERYWHERE! By thoroughly posting your free trials, Google will pull your posts towards the top of the search results if someone searches for “free trial gymnastics near me.” Having a presence towards the top of Google searches makes it easy for guardians to find you quickly and get signed up right away. Additionally, it is just as essential to let your current members know free trials are something you offer. Posting sign-ups in the gym or including them in your monthly newsletters might mean they will tell a friend, who will tell a friend, who will tell another friend! 

Make it easy for people to find the information they need

Having an informative website and easy-to-find registration links will assist you in bringing free trials in the door.  By simply filling in the Class and Program description, you provide each family with important information they will need to know before signing up for your program.  Along with using SportsEngine Motion’s Command Buttons and straightforward website navigation, everyone will know exactly where to sign up. 

Create a Personal Experience

If you have an athlete dropping in for a free trial, make sure your front desk staff and all of the instructors know. That way, everyone will have an eye out for these parents who may ‘look lost’ as they walk in the door, and they can greet these families by name and provide a top-notch experience right off the bat.  Preparing a Welcome Sheet is a great idea too. You can hand this information directly as they come in to share all the information they need about class, pricing, and what comes next. 

Create a Sense of Urgency 

Offer a same-day discount that is only valid while they are still in your doors. It could be 10% off or a waived annual registration fee.  After class is over, have your instructors bring the student and their guardians straight to the front desk. The child just had a great time, and the guardian will see their smiling face. Use this critical moment to review the information you had provided them on your Welcome Sheet, and answer any additional questions they may have.  Plus, with a sense of urgency of the savings offered, this is a sure-fire way to convert a free trial into a customer. 

Send a Thank You Email

Don't forget to send your Thank You Email, no matter if they sign up immediately after class or not. Let the family know you appreciate them for attending your program and that you look forward to seeing them again. This interaction creates a fantastic opportunity to let everyone know they are a valued part of your business. 

No matter what steps you choose to utilize to convert your free trials, having a set plan is important to maximize the success and the growth of your business.

Kristin Weingarden

About Kristin Weingarden

Account Manager at SportsEngine

Kristin was a competitive gymnast for 15 years and an NCGA Qualifier from 2002-2005 while at Hamline University in Minnesota. She has coached at Mahtomedi High School since 2005—winning Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2012, 2014, and 2019—and also coached at Hamline University from 2012-2014. Kristin is a current USAG judge. Kristin now lends her experience as an Account Manager for SportEngine Motion.

Connect with Kristin Weingarden


Request your demo

Fill out this form for a personalized demo of SportsEngine Motion. We'll show how we can take your organization to the next level.

 
 

Monthly vs. Session-Based Tuition

Account Manager at SportsEngine

October 18, 2023 | 2 minutes, 54 seconds read

Let’s discuss the pros and cons of both monthly and session-based tuition so you can make the most informed decision possible to run your business to the fullest.

When deciding between monthly or session-based tuition, the age-old question is: how do you structure your program? Well, there is no wrong answer or one-size-fits-all solution. And it’s possible to use both with great success. 

Monthly Tuition

While monthly tuition is most common for competition-based programs, it can also be great for recreational classes, making familiarity a primary benefit to your customers. It is similar to how they pay for many things in their everyday lives - like subscription fees for a streaming service or monthly dues at a fitness gym.

Another benefit of monthly tuition is the consistent flow of money collected every month. Some other things to consider with this option are that it can be harder to adjust class days and times if your staffing situation changes or if you raise tuition rates during the year. Pro tip: if you’re charging tuition monthly, make sure to charge everyone on the same day of the month to make it easier for you and other admins to stay on top of payments and track if dues are late.

Session-Based Tuition

Session-based tuition is a great option for many families.  It allows them to register with your program but also have the flexibility to easily change levels or class days or times to a new block. Additionally, this option allows for a more flexible class schedule when your coaching availability fluctuates. Businesses often say it is easier to manage their memberships with this method because it keeps their accounts more active with registrations and allows for more consistent profile management.

Frequently, there is a misconception that a session-based system makes it ‘easier’ for families or athletes to leave your program since they commit to a specific time block.  Instead, as long as you provide exceptional service, they will be happy to re-register with your program. Do not assume that just because an athlete played a Summer sport, they are automatically enrolled in the Fall program - there is no need to treat your payment option any differently.

SportsEngine Motion works with many organizations that will offer monthly tuition for some programs and 6-8 week sessions for others. So, it is possible to have a mix-and-match approach with both of these options. No matter what option you choose, we always recommend that you have a ‘new season signup’ at least once per year to make the necessary changes to your business and gather updated account information and waivers for continual success. 

Kristin Weingarden

About Kristin Weingarden

Account Manager at SportsEngine

Kristin was a competitive gymnast for 15 years and an NCGA Qualifier from 2002-2005 while at Hamline University in Minnesota. She has coached at Mahtomedi High School since 2005—winning Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2012, 2014, and 2019—and also coached at Hamline University from 2012-2014. Kristin is a current USAG judge. Kristin now lends her experience as an Account Manager for SportEngine Motion.

Connect with Kristin Weingarden


Request your demo

Fill out this form for a personalized demo of SportsEngine Motion. We'll show how we can take your organization to the next level.

 
 
Take a demo

See SportsEngine Motion in action

Ready to save time on administrative tasks and connect with families like never before? Look no further.

Request your free SportsEngine Motion demo and see why leading studios, gyms, and clubs count on us.

 

Request a demo  Start now



Request your demo

Fill out this form for a personalized demo of SportsEngine Motion. We'll show how we can take your organization to the next level.

 
 

Frequently asked questions

What are all of the costs associated with SportsEngine Motion?

Getting started is easy and only costs $295. 

After that, you only pay us when you get paid with a 1% technology fee applied to each transaction. Online transactions (credit card and ACH) also have a standard market rate of 2.9% + $.30 processing fee applied to each transaction.

If after 90 days you have yet to use SportsEngine Motion for electronic payment processing, we reserve the right to disable access to the platform. 

How do I get started?

It’s super quick and easy. You start the process online and you will receive an email follow-up with next steps and instructions on how to access your platform within one business day. After that, your new personal SportsEngine Motion coach will call you to help get everything working smoothly for you.

How do I get help if I need it?

We know jumping onto a new platform seems daunting. But we’ve got you. 

To start, you'll get proactive, dedicated support. We’ll make sure you’re up and running—and, most importantly, feeling confident going forward. 

You’ll also get live chat customer support standing by with answers to even the trickiest questions. 

Can I cancel my SportsEngine Motion subscription?

Sure. We want to make sure you feel good about using SportsEngine Motion and keep adding value to your organization. That’s why we never require long-term subscriptions of any kind. To cancel, just give your account manager a 30-day notice. 

Member Management Software

Increase connection. Reduce confusion.

Engage with families on a personal level to increase loyalty and eliminate time spent on the back-and-forth with the platform that keeps everyone informed.

Pricing  Request a demo

Foreground Media
THE EASY WAY TO STAY CONNECTED

Manage accounts and engage families—all in one place

SportsEngine Motion makes it easy for you to access information and simple for families to pay bills, sign up for programs, receive messages, and more.

  • Filter data & run reports

    Find information, fast

    Run intuitive reports and filter information to view schedules, attendance, payments, member data, and everything else you need to know.

  • Communicate with families

    Stay in touch

    Send unlimited, free text messages, emails, and push notifications to individuals or groups. Plus, every email is tracked, so you know who received your message and who didn’t.

  • Send & monitor invoices

    Request and track payments

    Easily send bills to individuals and groups for anything, then track their payments in real-time.

  • Access member profiles

    All their details. All together.

    Securely store member and athlete information in detailed profiles.

  • Collect volunteer signups

    Make it easy to volunteer

    No more paper signups! Let volunteers find tasks and sign up fast online.

Private account access

Give families secure access and ability to update their information.

Registration notifications

Alert staff of new athlete class registrations.

Costume sizing

Collect and export sizes for all styles of costumes and uniforms.

SportsEngine Motion app feature spotlight

Your desk, on the go

Need to relay a message or forgot to send out a batch of invoices after heading home? The SportsEngine Motion app has you covered, putting your entire organization in the palm of your hand with built-in messaging and billing capabilities.

Discover more app features

Foreground Media
Customer service and resources

People you can count on

Onboarding coach

Your dedicated expert will get you started fast and easy on the platform in as few as three business days.

Help center

Access helpful articles, videos, interactive walkthroughs, and resources 24/7/365 to help you get the most from your platform.

Live tech support

Getting the answer to your question is always just a click away—our team of experts is standing by to help.

 

IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE FOR YOU 

The ultimate teammate

4.8/5

star rated mobile app

$2,000+

saved per year on operational costs

3 days

is how fast you can get up and running

Let's team up

Get started with SportsEngine Motion

 

Pricing  Request a demo



Request your demo

Fill out this form for a personalized demo of SportsEngine Motion. We'll show how we can take your organization to the next level.

 
 
Event Management and Schedules

Easy to create. Even easier to sign up.

Classes, meets, lessons, and everything in between—SportsEngine Motion makes it easy to create schedules, collect signups, and run events.

Pricing  Request a demo

Foreground Media
easy class creation and payments

Sometimes simple is best

Save time and eliminate paperwork by collecting signups and payments, creating search-friendly program listings, and tracking athlete attendance—all easily, all online.

  • Quickly create schedules

    Fast and conflict-free

    Generate schedules fast for classes, lessons, meets, practices, and anything else. Publish them right on your website for easy registration.

  • Collect signups & payments

    All online without the spreadsheets

    Accept signups and payments on your website for any event with the ability to apply discounts, class proration, makeup credits and more.

  • Offer automatic payments

    Save effort with recurring payments

    Payment requests are automatically generated and sent right to the inboxes of your members—giving them the ability to pay with a credit card or ACH/bank draft.

  • Track attendance & makeups

    Provide more flexibility to families

    Simply mark students as “in” or “out” of class on the mobile app to track attendance and automatically assign students that aren’t present a class makeup credit.

  • Clone classes

    Save even more time

    Easily clone an existing class or event and quickly make changes to significantly cut down on set up time.

 

 


 


Flexible discounts

Offer a variety of discounts to help families on a budget.

One-time signups

Give prospective families a taste of what you offer with one-time signups and payments.

Skills tracking

Track and share athlete progress with families right in the mobile app.

Messages and alerts

Keep everyone up-to-date with free unlimited email, text, and push notifications.

Bookings management

Let members book your facility for private lessons, birthday parties, and more to generate revenue.

SportsEngine Motion app feature spotlight

Create and share fun athlete videos

Give families an inside look into practices, classes, and events by producing videos right on the SportsEngine Motion mobile app. Easily record, edit, and share videos with individual accounts or the entire organization on your website and social feeds.

Discover more app features

Foreground Media
Customer service and resources

People you can count on

Onboarding coach

Your dedicated expert will get you started fast and easy on the platform in as few as three business days.

Help center

Access helpful articles, videos, interactive walkthroughs, and resources 24/7/365 to help you get the most from your platform.

Live tech support

Getting the answer to your question is always just a click away—our team of experts is standing by to help.

 

IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE FOR YOU 

The ultimate teammate

4.8/5

star rated mobile app

$2,000+

saved per year on operational costs

3 days

is how fast you can get up and running

Let's team up

Get started with SportsEngine Motion

 

Pricing  Request a demo



Request your demo

Fill out this form for a personalized demo of SportsEngine Motion. We'll show how we can take your organization to the next level.

 
 
Mobile app

The one app that does it all

Organization owners, staff, and families alike love the free SportsEngine Motion app. It keeps you in control of everything while keeping families connected—for no extra cost.

Download on the Apple App StoreDownload on the Google Play App Store

 

Foreground Media
Features for organization owners and directors

Check off your to-do list on the go

  • Access member accounts

    Secure, easy access

    Quickly view detailed athlete and member information with participation history, account balances, payments, and guardians.

  • Sell apparel & supplies

    From the palm of your hand

    Use your phone or tablet as a complete POS system to sell goods and manage inventory.

  • Send unlimited messages

    Communicate for free

    Send free, unlimited app push notifications, text messages, and emails to individuals and groups.

  • Check invoices & finances

    Your on-the-go office

    Send bills, access financial reports, and track the status of every payment.

  • Collect volunteer signups

    Make it easy to volunteer

    No more paper signups! Let volunteers find tasks and sign up fast online.

 

 


 


FEATURES FOR INSTRUCTORS AND STAFF

Keep them in control

Track attendance

Make it easy for your staff

Mark athletes present or absent with the tap of a finger

Create Videos

Keep families in the loop

Record, edit, and share videos to give families an inside look.

track skills & PROGRESS

Showcase their growth

Track hundreds of skills for each athlete and share their progress

Share photos

Take and share pictures

Fill your public and private social feeds with content families will love.

Activate kiosk mode

For athlete check-in and more

Save time and let athletes check themselves in for classes and events.

Features for families

It's free for families, too

When we say the SportsEngine Motion is the one app that does it all, that includes for families, too. Best of all, it’s completely free for them to use.

  • Check account balances
  • Make payments
  • View schedules
  • See photos and videos
Foreground Media
Customer service and resources

People you can count on

Onboarding coach

Your dedicated expert will get you started fast and easy on the platform in as few as three business days.

Help center

Access helpful articles, videos, interactive walkthroughs, and resources 24/7/365 to help you get the most from your platform.

Live tech support

Getting the answer to your question is always just a click away—our team of experts is standing by to help.

 

IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE FOR YOU 

The ultimate teammate

4.8/5

star rated mobile app

$2,000+

saved per year on operational costs

3 days

is how fast you can get up and running

Let's team up

Get started with SportsEngine Motion

 

Pricing  Request a demo



Request your demo

Fill out this form for a personalized demo of SportsEngine Motion. We'll show how we can take your organization to the next level.

 
 
Studio and Sports Website Builder

One website that does it all

Attract new athletes with beautiful designs and optimized content, publish mobile-friendly class schedules, and access all your business tools and member information—on one website.

Pricing  Request a demo

Foreground Media
It's not your standard website

Run your entire organization from one place

It’s more than another parent portal—it’s a complete business website. Transform the way you manage and promote your organization by making it the heart of your operations.

  • All-in-one dashboard

    Get tasks done fast

    Member data, staff directories, finances, registrations, class schedules, and communications tools are all centralized on one robust business dashboard.

  • Custom website templates

    Represent your brand with pride

    Your website is your brand’s statement to the world. Choose from multiple custom website templates to personalize your online presence with logos, photos, and videos.

  • Mobile-friendly functionality

    Meet them on their phones

    SportsEngine Motion websites look great and operate smoothly on mobile devices of all sizes, so families have no trouble finding and registering for classes or events.

  • Drag-and-drop editing

    Point. Click. Edit. Publish.

    Update your website instantly. Simply navigate to the page you want to update, click a section, edit or add content, and publish the changes instantly.

  • Global changes

    Edit once, update everywhere

    Edit or publish schedules and information in one place to instantly update that content across your website and mobile app.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

List higher on internet search results with powerful SEO features.

Google Analytics Integration

Easily access important website performance metrics.

Social media tools

Create and share posts to your social media accounts right from your dashboard.

SportsEngine Motion app feature spotlight

Use your tablet for athlete check-in

Take attendance right in the palm of your hand or activate kiosk mode to allow your athletes to check themselves in without any help from you—giving you more time to greet families and prepare for class.

Discover more app features

Foreground Media
Customer service and resources

People you can count on

Onboarding coach

Your dedicated expert will get you started fast and easy on the platform in as few as three business days.

Help center

Access helpful articles, videos, interactive walkthroughs, and resources 24/7/365 to help you get the most from your platform.

Live tech support

Getting the answer to your question is always just a click away—our team of experts is standing by to help.

 

IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE FOR YOU 

The ultimate teammate

4.8/5

star rated mobile app

$2,000+

saved per year on operational costs

3 days

is how fast you can get up and running

Let's team up

Get started with SportsEngine Motion

 

Pricing  Request a demo



Request your demo

Fill out this form for a personalized demo of SportsEngine Motion. We'll show how we can take your organization to the next level.

 
 
Online Class Registration Software

Simple, smart signups

Put an end to the paperwork, the hassle of collecting cash, and the back-and-forth with members forgetting all the details—our online registration organizes everything for you and provides everything for families.

Pricing  Request a demo

Foreground Media
Mobile-friendly registration and payments

Turn your website into a registration machine

Families will love how easy it is to register their athletes and make payments from any device while you can sit back and let the software do the heavy lifting.

  • Fast class search

    Make classes easy to find and register

    Help families find the right class for their youth athlete with smart search, filters, and registration forms seamlessly integrated into your website.

  • Intuitive registration

    Eliminate the back-and-forth

    SportsEngine Motion registration forms are filled with all the details for families. Now they’ll know everything up front, saving you from answering more questions after.

  • Simple athlete registration

    Save families time and hassle

    Families are walked through the entire registration process step-by-step. Making it quick and easy to submit signups from any device.

  • Offer discounts & options

    Provide coupons and payment options

    Make it easy for families to spread out payments, redeem coupons, and pay for only the classes they need with built-in proration, discounting, makeups, and waitlisting payment options.

Registration reporting tools

Get the information you need, when you need it, with integrated registration reporting tools that you can quickly access from your dashboard and mobile app.

Custom waivers

Quickly create waivers and agreements for all your classes and events, then put them right in the registration process for families to complete.

Customer service and resources

People you can count on

Onboarding coach

Your dedicated expert will get you started fast and easy on the platform in as few as three business days.

Help center

Access helpful articles, videos, interactive walkthroughs, and resources 24/7/365 to help you get the most from your platform.

Live tech support

Getting the answer to your question is always just a click away—our team of experts is standing by to help.

SportsEngine Motion app feature spotlight

Class registration and reports

The SportsEngine Motion mobile app keeps everyone’s life moving forward, no matter the time or location—giving families the ability to search and sign up for programs from any mobile device, and organization leaders complete access to robust reporting tools and member information from anywhere.

Discover more app features

Foreground Media

 

IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE FOR YOU 

The ultimate teammate

4.8/5

star rated mobile app

$2,000+

saved per year on operational costs

3 days

is how fast you can get up and running

Let's team up

Get started with SportsEngine Motion

 

Pricing  Request a demo



Request your demo

Fill out this form for a personalized demo of SportsEngine Motion. We'll show how we can take your organization to the next level.

 
 
Financial Management Software

Complete financial oversight. At your desk or on the go.

Get a clear view of all your business finances on one easy-to-read dashboard and effortlessly charge, track, and collect payments for class registrations, competitions, events—or anything else.

Pricing  Request a demo

Foreground Media
Simple payment collection and finances

Robust billing tools and information—all in one place

Monitor finances and payments on your SportsEngine Motion website and mobile app so you’re always in the know.

  • Collect payments automatically

    ‘Set it and forget it’ recurring payments  

    Exclusive to SportsEngine Motion! Payment requests are automatically generated and sent right to the inboxes of your members—giving them the ability to pay with a credit card or ACH/bank draft.

  • Run custom reports

    Get the information you need  

    Customize and run detailed and exportable financial reports to view nearly anything, including the status of all accounts, incoming money, past-due accounts, and more.

  • Process & track payments

    Built-in payment processing  

    Seamlessly accept and automatically process credit card payments and access reports to see the status of every payment.

  • Offer custom payment plans

    Provide more flexibility to families  

    Create an unlimited number of payment plans for each class and incremental billing by the hour, month, season, or year. Plus, collect fees on any day.

 

 


 


Secure athlete accounts

Families get private access to their account, complete with billing information, invoices, and more.

One-time class signups

Give prospective families a taste of what you offer with one-time class signups and payments.

Mobile wallet

Members can make payments from anywhere via the SportsEngine Motion mobile app.

SportsEngine Motion app feature spotlight

A complete POS System—in the palm of your hand

Sell apparel, sports drinks, snacks, equipment, or anything else right from your phone or tablet with the SportsEngine Motion mobile app POS feature.

  • Make sales and returns
  • Manage inventory
  • Create and post items for sale
  • View sales volume reports

Discover more app features

Foreground Media
Customer service and resources

People you can count on

Onboarding coach

Your dedicated expert will get you started fast and easy on the platform in as few as three business days.

Help center

Access helpful articles, videos, interactive walkthroughs, and resources 24/7/365 to help you get the most from your platform.

Live tech support

Getting the answer to your question is always just a click away—our team of experts is standing by to help.

 

IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE FOR YOU 

The ultimate teammate

4.8/5

star rated mobile app

$2,000+

saved per year on operational costs

3 days

is how fast you can get up and running

Let's team up

Get started with SportsEngine Motion

 

Pricing  Request a demo



Request your demo

Fill out this form for a personalized demo of SportsEngine Motion. We'll show how we can take your organization to the next level.