With the rise in youth sports coaching and training opportunities, there have been countless tools and platforms designed to help manage the logistics of hosting private and group lessons and training.
At first glance, the need for software may seem more evident for larger, more complex businesses. However, it would be remiss to neglect the importance of lesson scheduling software for smaller-scaled training academies.
Whether you are a single coach training a handful of athletes, or the owner of a large facility with multiple staff members, you can benefit from a lesson scheduling app.
What is lesson scheduling software?
Lesson scheduling software is a type of software that provides coaches and trainers with the functionality to manage the business operations of their training academy– from scheduling their athletes’ training sessions to processing payments online.
Why do I need lesson scheduling software?
1. Engage in athlete-centered conversations
One of the main frustrations for many sports trainers and coaches is the embarrassment that comes with conversations about money. It’s no secret. Talking about money can be an uncomfortable thing – especially when you’re asking someone for it.
When you wrap up your training sessions, your time should be spent talking about your athletes’ progress, or recapping the session, not about writing a check or handing over a wad of cash. In fact, this very same situation is what sparked the idea for Upper Hand nearly 8 years ago.
The best scheduling app for coaches will allow you to manage financial transactions outside of those encounters. This gives your clients the autonomy to pay for sessions while also helping you accurately keep track of your payments and client records. This allows you to focus on building rapport with your clients, leading to high athlete retention, and ultimately, increased revenue.
2. Improve organization and efficiency
You coach your athletes to be efficient on the court or field of play. Refining technique and making even the slightest adjustments in form can lead to exponential growth in competition. Likewise, just as efficient form leads to increased on-field performance, efficient business management improves business performance and long-term success.
In addition to managing finances, lesson scheduling software also helps you organize the scheduling process by organizing all of your client and registration information into one place. This alleviates the stress of managing texts, emails, or phone calls, and reduces the frequency of no-shows and missed lessons.
By investing in lesson scheduling software, you’re able to put your business tasks on autopilot, so that you can focus your time and attention on your athletes. This empowers you to add more value to your sessions, and build out more thoughtful lessons, as opposed to just throwing some drills together in your little spare time.
3. Improve Communication
Miscommunication and mixed messages can cause confusion and frustration, both for you and your clients. Lesson scheduling software allows you to communicate with your clients, by sending appointment reminders or announcements ahead of training time. It also conveniently organizes all of your client rosters and contact information into one place for easy access.
Without lesson scheduling software, it becomes difficult and cumbersome for clients to schedule with your brand. Frustration with poor communication, or always waiting for a call or text back, can ultimately lead to clients taking their business elsewhere. Lesson scheduling software improves the client experience, giving your clients autonomy to book wherever and whenever, without taking the control of your schedule out of your hands.
Give your business the upper hand
Upper Hand was founded by sports coaches to make sports training easier. These same frustrations you may be experiencing prompted the realization that “there has to be a better way to do business.”
Needless to say, we understand that your energy could be better spent in other areas of building your brand. That’s why we continue to evolve our product to meet the needs of sports coaches and trainers like you.
Scheduling & Registration
One of the biggest features of a sports training software is the ability to manage bookings and scheduling for your training programs. Upper Hand was designed with flexibility in mind, giving you the ability to build any type of program, whether you’re running large camps and clinics or individual private lessons.
Check out our scheduling and registration capabilities here!
Payment Processing
Have the flexibility to collect payments how and where you want with Upper Hand’s integrated payments solution. Give your clients the option to book and pay online and offer flexible payment plan options to protect your business against unpaid balances. Upper Hand also makes it easy to gain a better understanding of your customers and the overall financial health of your business through various financial reports.
Marketing Communication
You know as well as anyone that attracting new clients is only half the battle; client retention is critical to long-term growth and success. Upper Hand also gives you the tools to communicate with your contacts and keep them engaged with your brand. From setting up promotions to sending out targeted emails to segmented contact groups, you’ll be able to refine your marketing strategy to bring both new and repeat business.
Mobile App
The nature of your job is on-the-go, which means that you need software that is as agile as you are. Upper Hand’s mobile app allows you to retain the full functionality of the desktop app, just optimized for mobile devices. Additionally, the Upper Hand app delivers an all-star client experience, allowing your athletes and parents to conveniently browse your offerings, schedule sessions, and make payments.
Ready to take the next step? There are a number of advantages when investing in a lesson scheduling software. Upper Hand can help. Schedule a demo today to see how you can grow your business.