What’s a “pain point” and why should I care?
Stop Guessing What Your Clients Want: A Simple Formula for Finding (and Fixing) Their Pain Points
When I opened Twist Yoga & Pilates in 2013, I didn't know what I didn't know. I built schedules, promos, and packages based on what I thought people needed. Some worked. Some flopped. The ones that worked all had one thing in common: they solved a real problem my clients were already telling me about.
That problem has a name. It's called a pain point.
What Is a Pain Point?
A pain point is a specific problem, frustration, or fear that stands between a person and the result they want.
In a yoga or fitness studio, pain points rarely sound like "I need a 12-class package." They sound like:
"I'm not flexible enough to try yoga."
“I amy having a really hard time sleeping”
“I want to build muscle but I don’t want to go to a gym”
"I need a workout plan that works for my erratic work schedule”
"I walked in and had no idea where to put my mat."
"I don't know which class is right for me."
Notice something? None of these are about your studio's features. They're about your clients' real lives. A pain point is the gap between where someone is and where they want to be, and the reason they haven't crossed it yet.
Pain points come in a few flavors:
Practical: scheduling, pricing, parking, class times
Emotional: feeling intimidated, self-conscious, or out of place
Financial: worrying a membership isn't worth the money
Support-related: not knowing what to do next or who to ask
Why Pain Points Matter (More Than Your Class Descriptions)
1. People buy solutions, not schedules.
Nobody wakes up wanting "an unlimited monthly membership." They want less stress, a stronger back, or a place to belong. When your messaging speaks to the problem they're already feeling, they think, "Wait, how did they know that's exactly what I'm dealing with?" That moment of recognition is where trust starts.
2. It helps you keep the clients you already have.
Most cancellations aren't about your teachers or your studio. They're about an unsolved pain point: cost, time, or feeling lost after the intro offer. When you understand the pain, you can fix it before it shows up on a cancellation form.
3. It makes decisions easier.
When you know your clients' biggest pain points, you know where to spend your time, energy, and marketing dollars. Every offer, promo, and email has a clear job: solve this problem for this person. (I call this knowing your why, who, and when for every offer.)
Why Pain Points Attract the RIGHT New Clients
Here's the part most studio owners miss: speaking to pain points doesn't just attract more people. It attracts the right people.
If your marketing says, "Come try our classes! All levels welcome!", you're speaking to everyone, which means you're speaking to no one. It's the marketing equivalent of shouting into a crowded room.
Compare that to: "Never done yoga? Not flexible? Perfect. Zero flexibility required."
That message doesn't appeal to everyone, and that's the point. It draws in the nervous beginner who's been putting this off for a year, and it gently lets others know this offer isn't for them. Here's what that does for your business:
Higher-quality leads. People who see themselves in your message are more likely to show up, and to stay.
Better retention. When you attract clients whose problems you're built to solve, they get results, and people who get results renew.
A stronger brand. A studio known for solving a specific problem is easy to remember and easy to refer. (And referrals are your lowest-cost growth strategy.)
Less wasted spend. You stop paying to attract people who were never a fit.
Your core values shape who you are as a business. Your clients' pain points tell you who you're for. When the two line up, you get a studio that sparks joy for you and your community and pays the bills.
So how do you find these pain points without guessing? Let's get into it.
Step 1: Where to Find Pain Points (You Already Have the Data)
Your clients are telling you what hurts every day. Start here:
Your intro offer buyers. Ask one question at sign-up or after their first class: "What almost stopped you from trying us?" or “What brought you in today?”
Cancellation and freeze reasons. Every cancellation is a mini focus group. Make the reason a required field. AND TRACK THESE to find TRENDS and HOLES.
Front desk and teacher conversations. Keep a shared note where staff jot down what they hear ("I can't make the 6pm," "I don't know which class to take").
Your studio software reports. Look at where people drop off: after one visit, after the intro offer ends, after 60 days.
Reviews and DMs. Read them for patterns, not praise.
Do this for two weeks and you'll see the same three or four complaints on repeat. Those are your gold.
Step 2: The Formula
Once you've collected what you're hearing, plug it into this sentence:
[WHO] wants [OUTCOME], but [PAIN POINT] is in the way. So we will [SOLUTION], and we'll know it's working when [KPI] moves from [NOW] to [GOAL].
Here's why each piece matters:
WHO keeps you specific. "New students" is too broad. "Adults who've never taken a yoga class" is a real person.
OUTCOME is what they actually want (less stress, a stronger back, a community), not what you sell.
PAIN POINT is the obstacle, in their words, not yours.
SOLUTION is one clear, actionable change. Not five. Perfection is the enemy of progress.
KPI is your proof. If you don't know where you are, how will you know if you got where you wanted to be?
Three Examples
Example 1: "I'm not flexible enough"
Research and every front desk conversation agree: this is the number one reason people are afraid to try yoga.
Adults who've never tried yoga or pilates want to feel better in their bodies, but the belief that they're "not flexible enough" is in the way. So we will launch a "Zero Flexibility Required" beginner series with a teacher-led welcome at the door and a props-first setup, and we'll know it's working when intro offer sign-ups move from 8 per month to 14 per month.
Why it works: You're not talking people out of the fear. You're building the first class around it. Put the phrase in your marketing, on your website, and in your intro offer name.
Example 2: "My schedule is unpredictable"
Busy parents and shift workers love the idea of a membership but cancel because they feel like they're wasting money in a busy month.
Working parents want a consistent wellness routine, but an unpredictable schedule that makes a fixed membership feel risky is in the way. So we will offer a flexible-rollover video on demand classes, and we'll know it's working when monthly membership cancellations drop from 9% to 5%.
Why it works: You're removing the guilt. People stay when the membership fits their life instead of demanding they fit their life around it.
Example 3: "I signed up, then didn't know what to do next"
Lots of studios do a great job getting people in the door and a so-so job of what happens next. If new students fade after their intro offer, this is usually why.
New intro offer students want to build a habit and feel like they belong, but not knowing which classes to take or who to talk to is in the way. So we will create a 21-day new student journey: a personal welcome text after class one, a "your next three classes" recommendation after class two, and a check-in from a teacher by day 14, and we'll know it's working when intro-to-membership conversion moves from 20% to 50%.
Why it works: People don't leave because they didn't like you. They leave because no one made the next step obvious. This one costs almost nothing but time, and it fits any boutique studio: pilates, spin, barre, pole, or float.
Your Turn: The 20-Minute Action Plan
Pick one place from Step 1 and collect responses for two weeks.
Find your top pain point. Circle the one you hear most often.
Fill in the formula using your own numbers.
Test one solution for 60 to 90 days. Just one.
Check your KPI and adjust.
Repeat this every quarter and you'll build a studio that grows because you're solving real problems for real people.
Want help filling in your own formula? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with me. There's no pressure or obligation, and you'll leave with something you can implement in your business today.