Automation recipes that work

Here are concrete journey recipes for the most common situations. Build them in /journeys by setting the trigger, then the steps.

Trial class reminder and follow-up

Trigger: Lead schedules a trial class.

• Immediately: confirmation email with what to wear, what to bring, and where to park.
• 24 hours before trial: SMS reminder with the start time.
• 2 hours after trial ends: email "how did your child enjoy it?" with a one-click "Yes! Sign me up" link.
• 3 days later, if not enrolled: email with a soft offer (free uniform with first month, half-off first month, etc.).
• 14 days later, if not enrolled: SMS "still thinking about it?"

Birthday email

Trigger: Student's birthday is in 7 days.

• 7 days before: email to guardian with a free birthday card design (or a discount code if you want to drive party bookings).
• On the birthday: SMS to guardian saying "Happy birthday from the whole team!"

Lapsed family wake-up

Trigger: Student attendance drops to zero for 14 days while they are still active.

• Day 14: short email from the head instructor: "We have missed seeing you on the mats. Everything okay?"
• Day 21: SMS check-in.
• Day 28: email with a "we will hold your spot" offer (skip a month, no charge).

This one typically saves 20 to 40 percent of families that would have otherwise canceled.

Welcome packet for new members

Trigger: Member is enrolled into a program for the first time.

• Immediately: welcome email with the schedule, the dress code, and a link to the parent portal.
• Day 1: SMS "Welcome to {school name}!" with a link to download the mobile app.
• Day 7: email "how was your first week?" with a quick survey.
• Day 30: email celebrating their 30-day mark with a referral nudge.

Past-due tuition recovery

Trigger: Tuition charge fails.

• Immediately: email "your tuition card was declined; here is a quick link to update."
• Day 2: SMS reminder.
• Day 5: email from head instructor offering to chat.
• Day 7: if still unpaid, pause the membership and email the family explaining the pause.

Rank promotion celebration

Trigger: Student is promoted.

• Immediately: email to guardian with the certificate attached and a "post it on social media" suggestion.
• 7 days later: SMS asking the guardian to refer a friend who might enjoy the school.

What makes a good journey

• Real value first. Help the family before you ask them for anything.
• Specific, not generic. "How did Aiden enjoy his trial?" beats "How was your trial?"
• Short. SMS over 160 characters splits into two messages and looks broken. Keep it under that.
• A clear next step. Every message should have one thing for the family to do.