Guide 11 of 12 to opening a gym · Fill the classes
Gym trial classes and intro offers that convert
A trial class converts when you treat it as a future member's first class. It has a booked day and time, a coach who knows who is coming, a short chat at the end and a clear offer with a real deadline. Before leaving, the person books a second class or picks a plan. If they do not decide, they get two follow-ups at most. This guide compares common intro offers, walks through the journey step by step, and has ready-made texts for each moment.
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Intro offers, side by side
An intro offer is how someone tries your gym before picking a plan. There are five common formats, and each one attracts a different kind of person.
| Format | What it is | Attracts | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free trial class | One class at no cost, booked | Many people, including the curious | No-shows. When it is free, skipping is easy |
| Paid trial class | One class at a low price, credited if they join | People already thinking hard about training | Explain the credit before, not only at the end |
| Intro week or fortnight | Paid access for a short period | People who want to try several classes and times | Following up through the whole period |
| Intro pack | Three or four classes at a set price | People with little time each week | Setting an expiry date for the classes |
| One-to-one assessment | A chat and a session one-to-one, before classes | People returning from injury or who never trained | Coach hours that need paying for |
Free or paid?
A free class brings more requests. A paid class brings people who have already decided to come. In a new gym, the choice depends on two things: how many spare spots your classes have, and how much coach time you have to look after visitors.
- With half-empty classes and coaches with time, a free class fills the room and creates buzz.
- With nearly full classes, a paid class protects the spots of existing members.
- In small groups or on equipment, as in reformer Pilates, each spot weighs more. A paid class or a short pack makes more sense.
A middle path: the class is paid, and the fee comes off the first month for anyone who joins. They lose nothing if they stay, and the commitment to show up is there.
The visitor's journey
- 1.Request: the person picks a day and time on a page with the live timetable, not by message.
- 2.Instant confirmation, with the address, what to bring and when to arrive.
- 3.A reminder the day before, with the option to change the time.
- 4.The class, with a coach who knows their name and background.
- 5.A five-minute chat at the end, sitting down, unhurried.
- 6.The offer: a second class booked, or a plan chosen, right there.
- 7.If they do not decide: one follow-up after 48 hours and one a week later. Then stop.
The first step loses the most people. If booking a trial means trading messages to agree a time, some people give up before they ever book.
What happens in the class itself, minute by minute, is in the onboarding guide. New member onboarding
The end-of-class chat
The chat at the end is for understanding what the person wants and showing the plan that fits. They should not leave feeling they were sold to. Listening more than talking is the rule that works.
How did that feel? What was hardest?
What made you want to start training now?
Realistically, how many times a week can you come?
With that, the plan that makes sense is [plan], at [price] a month.
Do you want to start now, or book one more class first?
Look at question three. The answer picks the plan: someone who says twice a week does not need unlimited. A plan that fits their week lasts longer than a plan sold on price.
Writing the intro offer
- One benefit: no joining fee, or a discounted first month, or the trial credited. Two or three at once confuse people.
- A real deadline. “Until Sunday” only counts if the offer really ends on Sunday.
- Terms in writing, the same for everyone.
- A discount that ends. A discount for life is a lower membership price for life.
| Offer (example) | Cost to the gym | For |
|---|---|---|
| No joining fee of 30 euros | 30 euros | Once |
| First month at half of 60 euros | 30 euros | Once |
| 10 euros off every month, for life | 120 euros a year | As long as they stay |
Following up with people who did not join
Someone who tried a class and did not join has not always said no. Sometimes the time did not work, or they wanted to talk to someone at home first. Two follow-ups are enough.
Hi [name]! Thanks for coming to the [day] class.
If you would like to try a different time, these have spots this week: [times].
The intro offer we talked about is valid until [date].
Hi [name], just one last message from us.
If the timetable or the price was the issue, let us know. Sometimes there is an option we did not mention.
If now is not the time, the door stays open. Thanks for coming in.
Online sign-ups and cooling-off periods
When someone buys a plan online, without being at the gym, it is a distance contract. In the European Union, consumers can withdraw from such a contract within 14 days without giving a reason. For services, the period runs from the day the contract was agreed.
- If they want to start training within those 14 days, get their express request in writing at sign-up.
- National rules set what happens if they withdraw after starting. In Portugal, for example, they pay for the part already provided.
- Outside the EU, rules differ by country and sometimes by state. Check yours before you launch online sales.
In practice, this means a checkbox at online sign-up and a clear line in your terms. This article summarises the principle and is not legal advice.
Trial class rules
A trial class needs written rules too, so every coach gives the same answer:
- One trial class per person. A second one is a drop-in or the start of a plan.
- Waiver accepted and health questionnaire done before class, not at the door.
- A minimum age, and consent from a parent or guardian for minors.
- What happens if someone books and does not show: they can rebook once, for example.
- Which classes are open to trials. The most advanced ones can stay off the list.
You are booked: [day] at [time], in the [class type] class with [coach].
Arrive ten minutes early. Address: [address].
Before class, accept the waiver and answer the health questionnaire here: [link].
If you cannot make it, change the time here: [link]. That frees the spot for someone else.
Trial classes during opening week
In opening week, almost every class has people trying it out. Cap how many join each class, and add a second coach to the busiest. The five-minute chat stays the same, just with more people.
What to measure
| Number | How to calculate it |
|---|---|
| Show rate | Trial classes attended ÷ trial classes booked |
| Conversion | People who joined ÷ trial classes attended |
| Time to decide | Days between the trial class and joining |
If the show rate is low, the problem is before the class: confirmation, reminder, or a free class that is too easy to forget. If conversion is low, look at the class and at the chat afterwards.
Common mistakes
- Booking trials by message, with several back-and-forths to agree a time.
- Putting the visitor in an advanced class without scaling.
- Making the offer at the door, standing up, while the next group walks in.
- Inventing deadlines that never end.
- Messaging people for weeks after they stopped replying.
How this works in Rummo
In Rummo, the gym's public page shows the live timetable and has a trial class request. People who ask are recorded at the trial stage. The member list filters by stage and shows who tried a class and never came back.
A follow-up list shows trials that did not convert, with name and phone number, one tap from a call. On paid plans, you can sell packs and drop-ins for visitors.
Stages, member records and follow-up are on the members page. See member management
Frequently asked
- Should a gym trial class be free?
- It depends on spare spots and coach time. Free brings more requests and more no-shows. Paid, with the fee credited on joining, brings people who have already decided to come.
- How do I convert a trial class into a membership?
- With a scaled class, a five-minute chat at the end and a clear offer. Before they leave, book the second class or pick a plan.
- How many times should I follow up after a trial?
- Twice: after 48 hours and a week later. Then stop, and leave the door open.
- Which intro offer works best?
- One with a single benefit, a real deadline and written terms. A discount that ends costs less than a discount for life.
- Can people who sign up online cancel?
- In the EU, a distance contract can be withdrawn from within 14 days without a reason. If they asked to start earlier, national rules may require them to pay for what was provided. Check the rules where you operate.
- How do I know if my trial class works?
- Measure the show rate, trials attended divided by trials booked. And measure conversion, people who joined divided by trials attended. Count by month and by format.
- How many trial classes should each person get?
- One is the simplest rule. A second class is a drop-in or the start of a plan. Write the rule down so every coach gives the same answer.
- Can a trial be in any class?
- Choose which classes are open to trials. The most advanced ones, or those that are always full, can stay off the list.
Sources
- Returns and the right of withdrawal · Your Europe, European Union, 2026
- Decreto-Lei n.º 24/2014, contratos celebrados à distância e fora do estabelecimento comercial · Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa, 2014
Rummo team
Written by the people who build Rummo, management software for gyms, boxes and studios: classes, bookings, members and payments.
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