Membership Renewal Letters for Martial Arts: Tips and Template

As you work hard to build and maintain a solid student base for your martial arts studio, the last thing you want to worry about is a failed attempt at successful membership renewal. Unfortunately, renewals aren’t always a set it and forget type of operation, depending on how they are set up. Come renewal time, your customers may need an extra push to opt-in — or else their lapsed membership can cut into your bottom line.

The good news is, navigating membership renewal is easier than ever with persuasive membership renewal letters for martial arts businesses. A renewal message written with the necessary details and talking points can be exactly what your studio needs to turn your martial arts students into monthly or annually recurring customers that not only support but also boost your bottom line.

Keep reading to learn more about membership renewal letters for martial arts instructors along with helpful templates that can guide you in the right direction.

What is Membership Renewal?

Membership renewal occurs when a business issues an existing customer a new membership after their initial membership expires or nears expiration. In the case of martial arts instruction, membership renewal typically occurs after a student attends for a set period of time and enjoys the services enough to extend their monthly or annual membership with you.

Membership renewals will not always include the exact membership details that were previously purchased. Depending on your specific services, a customer may decide to enhance or simplify their membership based on their personal preferences or current budget. That's why when it comes to renewal time, strong communication efforts are key to secure an upgraded membership renewal.

Though you can remind students in person that their membership is set to expire shortly, this approach can make customers feel pressured or like they don’t have enough information to decide to renew. In comparison, membership renewal emails and letters offer more details with less pressure for those who are interested in renewing (or upgrading) their existing membership.

Why Does Membership Lapse?

As with any membership-based service, martial arts instructors can’t always anticipate a 100% renewal rate for their business. Any business will incur some customer churn. However, it’s essential to understand why memberships lapse to better restructure your services — or your renewal approach — to increase the general likelihood of customers renewing their membership.

One common deciding factor among lapsed members is finding little to no value in services. If a customer believes the services you’ve provided do not justify the cost of the membership, they’ll be quick to cancel. A lack of engagement is a common component of this concern, where customers may feel a lack of connection with the instruction, instructor, and/or fellow learners.

On the other hand, a membership may lapse for reasons as simple as a customer forgetting to renew. So, try requesting customer feedback when a member fails to renew, as this data will provide valuable insights to improve your martial arts studio operation. Improvements can be as simple as enhancing your in-class communication efforts, automatically renewing memberships, or creating enticing membership renewal letters.

How Do You Write a Membership Renewal Letter?

Outside of conducting operational improvements, the best thing you can do to support strong membership renewal rates is to create a thorough membership renewal letter. Membership renewal letters for martial arts studios leverage multiple information points to grab a customer’s attention and answer any potential questions they might have.

For instance, a sample membership renewal letter can include:

1. An eye-catching, standout subject line to introduce the renewal letter.
2. An upfront thank you for their ongoing membership in your martial arts classes.
3. An element of personalization, such as congratulating them on belt rank, overall progress, or attendance. This can be automated with CRM software data.
4. A notice to the customer that it is time to renew with any direct links or contacts that would help streamline this process.
5. Any ongoing opportunities the customer may not be aware of, including pricing and new membership tiers, to re-establish your value.

With these components, you have what it takes to create a persuasive membership renewal letter for martial arts students. When creating your renewal letter, be sure to incorporate the use of your CRM software to help better personalize your communications and streamline distribution.

Likewise, remain mindful of your renewal letter distribution schedule, as timing can significantly impact open and response rates. Physical renewal letters should be sent out far enough in advance to allow a customer substantial time to renew, while renewal emails should be sent out between noon and early evening during weekdays.

Sample Membership Renewal Letter

Looking for a membership letters sample? You’ve come to the right place. With the above components of a strong membership renewal letter in mind, consider the use of this membership renewal email template as guidance.

Email Subject Line: [Customer Name], Renew Today to Keep Up the Great Work!

Message Body:

Hey there, [Customer Name]!

First and foremost, the team over at [Studio Name] would like to thank you for your continued interest in our martial arts instruction. Since your start at [Studio Name], you’ve [Personalized Stats, i.e. Belt Level or Overall Progress] and we are so grateful to be the ones to help get you there!

To help continue your martial arts journey, we wanted to give you a heads up that your current [Membership Type] is set to expire on [Expiration Date]. To avoid any delays with your progress, we wanted to reach out in advance to inform you of your renewal options including [information regarding new membership tiers, current renewal discounts, etc].

As always, we are here to help with any part of your [Studio Name] martial arts journey! Please feel free to reach out to [Membership Coordinator Name] at [Phone Contact] regarding any renewal questions. Also, feel free to log onto [Link to Member Renewal Web Page] where you can renew your membership and learn more about our current services.

We hope to see you again for another [typical membership term length ex. month/year] over at [Studio Name] to get you to that [Belt Level or Progress Score]!

Sincerely,

[Instructor at Studio Name]

The Future of the Renewal Letter

With a membership renewal email template in hand, it’s time to get started on your renewal campaign to boost membership numbers and your bottom line. While renewal letters are a pretty straightforward practice, it’s essential to have a system in place — and as with many membership renewal practices, it’s important to realize that the renewal letter is going digital.

From Netflix to local gym memberships, more and more businesses are choosing to offer auto-renew practices, as the general consumer now prefers to start and cancel their memberships as they wish without question. Whether you decide to run a monthly auto-renew martial arts program or request a yearly contract, MyStudio is here to help.  

Our robust, all-in-one platform allows business owners to seamlessly manage customer memberships, communicate with clients, and collect payment all from one easy-to-use program. Contact MyStudio today and take advantage of our free trial, or book a demo with one of our experts to learn how MyStudio can streamline your membership renewal process.