Automate your coaching: 80/20 method and concrete tools

Why automate now?

Automation is not a fad. It is a concrete lever to gain 5 to 10 hours per week, increase satisfaction, and stabilize your income. Used well, it frees you from repetitive tasks to strengthen human support.

• Less forgetting: reminders, invoices, reminders managed automatically.
• More value: adapted programs, precise monitoring, regular assessments.
• More income: packaged offers, upsells, better retention.

You can centralize everything this with a unique platform like EKKLO. Find out how to structure your process and your tools on https://info.ekklo.com/.

For a complete business framework, explore this practical guide on automating the coaching profession: automating your sports coach business, steps and examples.

Measurable benefits (realistic benchmarks)

• Time saved: 5–10 h/week from 4 workflows in place.
• Engagement: +20 to +35% attendance rate with clear reminders and plans.
• Retention: +10 to +20% by adding automated monthly reports + personalized messages.
• Sales: +10 to +25% via bundled offers and trial reminders.

The right balance human/automaton

Automate logistics. Keep the human element for diagnosis, motivation and fine adjustments. This is where your expertise makes the difference.

The trap to avoid

Stacking tools without method. Start small, measure, iterate.

The 80/20 method to automate your coaching

Focus first on the 20% of processes that create 80% of results.

Step 1 — Map your customer journey

• Discovery > Trial > Onboarding > Follow-up > Renewal > Recommendation.
• List repetitive tasks at each stage (messages, documents, reservations, payments).

Step 2 — Choose 4 “core” workflows

• Onboarding new client.
• Planning + session reminders.
• Progress monitoring + monthly report.
• Payment + intelligent reminders.

These 4 automations generate most of the time savings.

Step 3 — Standardize before automating

• Short and short message templates (SMS/WhatsApp/email) clear.
• Templates for basic sessions and tests.
• Checklists: documents to collect, consent, contraindications.

Step 4 — Automate with a single platform

Centralize creation of offers, reservations, payments, tracking and messaging on EKKLO to avoid friction: https://info.ekklo.com/.

The 5 workflows to set up first

Each workflow below includes trigger, actions and best practices.

1) Automatic onboarding in 24 hours

• Trigger: registration or purchase of offer.
• Actions:
  • Welcome message + health/objective questionnaire link.
  • Creation of the schedule for the 1st week.
  • Sending a “how to use the app” guide + 2-minute video.
• Good practices: offer 2 discovery slots; set a mini-goal for 7 days.

2) Multi-channel planning and reminders

• Trigger: booked session or published plan.
• Actions:
  • D-1 reminder (SMS) + H-3 reminder (email/WhatsApp).
  • One-click cancellation/modification link to avoid no-shows.
• Best practices: remember the session, duration, and objective.

3) Progress monitoring and monthly review

• Trigger: end of week 4 or end of cycle.
• Actions:
  • Automatic sending of a mini-questionnaire RPE, energy, pain.
  • Progress report (loads, reps, cardio, photos if agreed) + recommendations.
  • Invitation to a 15-minute point.
• Good practices: visualize 1–2 key curves, steps 10.

4) Peaceful payments and reminders

• Trigger: due date or payment failure.
• Actions:
  • Automatic invoice and receipt.
  • Reminder D+1 then D+5 with friendly tone and payment link direct.
  the initial objective + proposal for adjustment.
• Offer 1 short recovery session or a technical check.

Your minimum stack: simple, reliable, scalable

Choose a single core, add the minimum of useful integrations.

The core: EKKLO

• Centralized offers and payments.
• Synchronized booking/scheduling.
• Messaging and reminders.
• Progress tracking and session notes.

Test and structure your activity now: https://info.ekklo.com/.

Useful integrations

• Calendar (Google/Apple): calendar visibility and consistency.
• Secure payment (Stripe via platform).
• Communication: WhatsApp/SMS for critical reminders.

Reusable content

• Short video exercise bank (10–30 s per movement).
• Session models by objective: weight loss, strength, mobility.
• Standard documents: health questionnaire, consent, T&Cs.

Example of “1st week” playbook

• Day 1: Onboarding + baseline test.
• Day 2: Short technical session + educational.
• Day 4: Progressive session + hydration/sleep reminder.
• Day 7: Mini-written assessment + week plan 2.

Measure the impact: KPIs and dashboards

Manage = decide with simple and actionable figures.

4 essential indicators

• Attendance rate: sessions completed / sessions planned.
• 3 month retention: % of active subscriptions to M3.
• Administrative time/week: objective < 2 h.
• Customer lifetime value (LTV): average basket x average duration.

Automation ROI formula (rapid)

ROI = (hours saved x hourly TJ) + additional sales – cost of tools.

Example: 6 hours saved x €50 = €300. +150 € of upsells – 59 € = 391 € / month net.

Review cadence

• Weekly: presence, inactive, payment incidents.
• Monthly: retention, LTV, satisfaction (NPS runs from 0 to 10).
• Quarterly: offers, pricing, customer journey.

To go further on the tech side and sessions

Optimize your preparation and your choice of tools with this guide: use technology to optimize your coaching sessions.

Risks, errors and human safeguards

Automating your coaching should strengthen your relationship, not replace it.

Frequent errors

• Too many tools, no processes.
• Messages too long or too frequent.
• Fixed plans without feedback.

Guardrails effective

• Scheduled human points: 15 minutes every 4 weeks.
• “1 click” rule: each reminder includes a unique action link.
• Minimum personalization: first name + objective reminder in each key message.

Data and consents

• Collect only the essentials.
• Store in the same place.
• Inform about the use of the data; collect consent for photos/tests.

AI: ally, not pilot

• Suggestions for the load, no decisions without your validation.
• Messages: write the first, let the AI vary the form.

30 day action plan (ready to apply)

Go from 0 to operational automation in 4 weeks.

Week 1 — Lay the foundations

• Map the customer journey and choose 4 workflows.
• Write 8 message templates (welcome, D-1/H-3 reminder, follow-up, review).
• Create 3 session templates per objective.

Week 2 — Configure and test

• Set up EKKLO: offers, payments, planning, messaging.
• Schedule Onboarding + Reminders.
• Test on 2 pilot clients and adjust.

Week 3 — Expand and measure

• Activate Monitoring + Monthly review.
• Create the dashboard: presence, retention, LTV, admin time.
• Launch a mini-campaign “inactive reactivation”.

Week 4 — Optimize and package

• Analyze results, simplify messages, correct friction.
• Create 2 packaged offers (e.g.: “4 weeks recovery”, “12 weeks weight loss”).
• Highlight the digital experience on your networks and your pages.

To remember

• Start with 4 workflows: onboarding, reminders, follow-up+assessment, payment.
• Standardize first, automate then.
• Measure 4 KPIs: attendance, 3-month retention, admin time, LTV.
• Keep regular human points and messages simple.
• Centralize your operations with a single platform to avoid complexity.

Conclusion: do more coaching, less administration

Automating your coaching does not dehumanize your job. It’s creating regularity, clarity, and visible results for your customers. By centralizing your offers, reservations, payments and tracking on EKKLO, you save time and increase your impact. Start here: https://info.ekklo.com/.

To transform your sales, structure irresistible offers: create attractive offers and packages for your customers. And if you're just starting out, explore EKKLO resources to lay a solid foundation: https://info.ekklo.com/.