5 Must-Ask Questions When Evaluating Sports Coaching Apps

There’s more than one option for just about everything these days. Sports coaching apps are no exception. With so many options on the market, how do you know you’re making the best decision for your business?

We’ve talked with thousands of sports business owners like you. And, we know that making decisions – especially larger investments like coach scheduling software – can be stressful.

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of 5 must-ask questions when evaluating different solutions and choosing the best sports coaching app for your business.

Before you begin, identify what headaches you’re looking to eliminate with a sports coaching app.

What prompted you to start searching for a solution? Are you looking for an easier way for clients to schedule? Do you want the flexibility to take payments online? Are you trying to keep track of schedules for your growing staff?

These headaches should guide the questions you ask, and the potential providers you consider.

For example, if you are struggling to collect payments from your clients, or feel awkward having conversations about money (at the expense of talking about athlete development), you should prioritize a sports coaching app that allows you to seamlessly process credit card payments.

Likewise, if you are spending days emailing clients back and forth to set up a time to train, you might look for a sports coaching app that empowers your clients to book sessions within the availability you set.

5 Must-ask questions when evaluating sports coaching apps

1. Does this app support the way I run my business?

One critical area to prioritize is how an app for coaches will support your business model.

Think about how you run your programs. Will this software allow your athletes to register and pay online for your skills camp? Are you able to open up availability for your athletes to book out a lesson with your coaches?

Whether you are running large-scale camps, individual private lessons, or anything in between, you need to be sure that the software is flexible enough to fit the way you run your business, not the other way around.

Related: Your Business, Your Way with Upper Hand

2. Can this sports coaching app give me payment flexibility?

In addition to supporting your programming, the best apps for coaches should also provide flexibility when it comes to collecting and managing payments.

Does this sports coaching app

• Allow you to package offerings?
• Give you options for memberships?
• Allow you to run promotions or discounts?
• Allow you to implement payment plans to pay down larger balances over time?

Perhaps you allow your athletes to schedule one-off lessons, or purchase a bulk package of lessons to schedule at once. Maybe you offer a monthly membership that gives access to certain benefits. Regardless of how you structure your offerings, your sports management software should support the way you structure your payment process.

Additionally, the best scheduling software for coaches will give you flexibility with the way you take payments – from paying at the time of booking to paying upon arrival. Just as with the scheduling, a sports management software should empower you to run your business, your way.

3. Can I access this app “on the go”?

The nature of your job is “on the go.” Your sports coaching software should be able to keep up. The best scheduling app for coaches will allow you to access all of your data from your fingertips.

From the field to the front desk, you should be able to manage your schedule and take control of your day. Can you make updates to your calendar? Can you collect payments without having to go to the front desk? Upper Hand’s mobile app, for example, allows you to view your business on your smartphone, allowing you retain the full functionality of the desktop software, just on a different sized screen.

Whatever your day looks like, be sure your mobile coaching app is as agile as you are. It’s important that you ask these questions so you can visualize how the app will support and empower you day-to-day.

Related: Managing your business on the go (with the Upper Hand Mobile App)!

4. Does this app allow me to communicate with my clients?

From sending session reminders to sharing important event details, a sports coaching app should also facilitate relationships with your clients. Be sure to ask your potential software provider about how you will be able foster relationships with your athletes and their parents.

If you are running sports camps, it is important that you’re able to send a mass update to an entire roster with event details or reminders. For example, “We are excited to welcome you to camp next week. Check in will be from 8:00-8:30am on Monday. Be sure to bring a water bottle and your cleats! See you then!”

Likewise, if your business model primarily consists of private or group sessions, it is important that you are able to send appointment reminders, which reduce the chance of no-shows, and that you can reach your clients with important updates like “Let’s meet inside today, since there will be rain showers moving through around the time of your lesson!”

Furthermore, the ability to send a marketing email to clients in your database will help you to spread the word on any additional programs that may be of interest to a particular group.

Related: 3 Email Automations You Should Be Using

5. Is the app easy to use for my clients?

Speaking of your clients, it is also important that you understand how a sports coaching app will affect your clients’ experience with your brand. Is the software easy for your clients to navigate? Can your clients manage their schedule, book sessions, and make payments?

Ask your potential sports coaching app provider to show you what the client experience will look like – what your clients will see, how they can get scheduled, and how they can manage their account. A poor user experience will ultimately lead to clients taking their business elsewhere, so be sure to consider how this platform will allow them to interact with your brand..

By ensuring that a sports facility booking app is user friendly for both you and your clients, you’ll increase your client satisfaction and boost your client retention, leading to both business and revenue growth.

So, what should you look for in a sports coaching app?

There are a lot of different sports coaching apps available on the market. Ultimately the best scheduling app for coaches is the one that meets your business needs, empowers your clients to engage with your brand, and follows you wherever the day takes you.

If you’re looking for a sports coaching app that solves these problems, we’d love to give you an inside look at Upper Hand.

Not sure what to look for in a sports management software? Here’s a good place to start.