To organize trial classes in an academy, make it easy: a link on your website and social media where people request the free class and leave their details, previous experience and preferred schedule; you choose the group that suits them best and confirm it. After the class, follow up the same day or the next with a concrete proposal to enroll.
A trial class is the most direct way for a family or student to get to know your academy before deciding. The problem is that, when it is organized on WhatsApp, each trial takes several messages, and some get lost before the class happens.
Why do so many trial classes get lost?
Because there are too many manual steps between the first enquiry and the class. The person writes on Instagram or WhatsApp, you ask about age, level and schedule, look for a group with a free place, suggest a day, wait for a reply and, if all goes well, note down their details somewhere. If a message goes unanswered for a couple of days, the trial never happens.
The same happens after the class: if nobody follows up, the decision cools off. That is why it is worth treating the trial class as the first step of enrollment, not as a separate favor. For ideas on cutting repeated messages, see how to reduce WhatsApp messages from students.
What details should you ask for a trial class?
Just enough to choose the right group and get back in touch afterwards:
- name and phone number or email;
- age or school year, if it is a minor;
- previous experience or approximate level;
- preferred schedule and available days;
Asking for more at this stage only slows the request down. The rest, such as billing details or full consents, can be completed when the person enrolls.
Which group should a trial student join?
A real group with a free place, at the right level and age, and at a time the person can keep. That way they see what their day-to-day will be like and you do not have to set up extra classes just for trials.
Tell the teacher before the class who is coming, at what level and what they are looking for. With those three details, the teacher can fit them into the group and, afterwards, tell you whether that group is right or another one would suit them better.
How do you turn a trial class into an enrollment?
With quick follow-up and a concrete proposal. The same day or the next, send a message with three things: the group and time slot that suit them, the price and the link to enroll. If places are limited, say until when you can hold theirs.
If enrollment is also online, the person does not have to type their details again: they complete what is missing and choose the course in the same process. We explain it in detail in the guide to online enrollment without copying data. And if trials pile up at the start of the course, the guide to preparing September in your academy helps you organize places and leads.
How do you organize trial classes with Clasbi?
Clasbi is management software for academies and sports centers that brings schedules, attendance, make-up classes, communications and payments together in one place. For trial classes you use online enrollment:
- You publish the public form on your website, in your social media bio or in a campaign.
- You offer the free trial class as one of the form options.
- You add your own fields, such as preferred schedule, previous experience or level.
- The request reaches Clasbi with all those details, without copying anything from WhatsApp.
- When you accept it, the person is already in your system and you place them in the trial class that suits them best.
If they decide to stay after the trial, Clasbi converts the lead into a student: their record keeps the details they left in the form, so you do not have to ask for them again or copy them by hand.
If you are preparing this course's student acquisition, try Clasbi for free and publish your first trial class form.
