For those of you who are here for the first time, Hello! and Welcome!
I’m Cailen — a marketing maven & yoga entrepreneur and founder of CALM biz and the premier online course Become a Yoga Brand. My passion is working with yogis, like yourself, who want to transform their yoga teaching "hobby" into a fun, fulfilling and sustainable career. And, it's my hope that today's blog post will help you do just that!
Before we dive in, let me just say that I am so honored to be in the company of all the talented bloggers, entrepreneurs and yoga teachers who’ve contributed their time and know-how to this amazing event :-)
Ok, so today I want to tackle a topic that comes up again and again with my private clients and in the CALM biz community in general -- how to get more private yoga clients.
As you likely know by now, building a yoga career is no small task.
We leave teacher training starry-eyed and ready to hit the ground running, only to realize that there's a lot of stuff (like marketing, sales, business planning, budget-setting, community building and more!) that we still need to learn or fine-tune.
If you're committed to designing your dream yoga career (and I know you are since you're hanging with me today!), then you know that growing your yoga business means expanding your clientele and community. And, a really fulfilling and lucrative way to do that is to focus some time and energy on getting more private clients.
Before we dive into how to get more private yoga clients, let's first cover why getting more private students is a great idea for your yoga business in the first place...
(1) you can really ensure that they’re getting the intended benefits & see the progress they’re making
(2) you develop a deeper bond and understanding of their needs
(3) it allows you to expand your repertoire and teaching know-how by working with a number of different bodies one-on-one
(4) you earn much more per hour than you do teaching public classes
(5) you get honest and instant feedback about your teaching, assisting, demos, explanations, and more!
(6) private students are loyal, LOVE you and refer you to family and friends :-)
(All these reasons and more -- like how I adore spending 1x1 time with my CALM bizers -- are why I’m opening up 3 spots in my summer mentorship program. If you want a custom-tailored plan for your business, let’s hang out this summer! And, better yet, if you claim one of the 3 spots by 11:59pm ET tonight, you’ll receive an AMAZING early bird bonus -- LIFETIME access to my popular online course, 2 Hours to Yoga Biz, which will help you improve all of your yoga marketing & maybe even get you to like marketing a bit too! Get your bonus HERE.)
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So, now that you fully realize the immense benefits of building up your private clientele, I want to share 7 tried-and-true strategies for reaching and landing the perfect private clients for your teaching style. Prefer to watch instead of read? Check out my video which outlines these same strategies here.
Identify who your ideal student is
First and foremost, you need to have a clear picture of who you want to teach? Do you like working with young bodies, old bodies, pregnant women or athletes? Do you like teaching fast-paced vinyasa or juicy restorative? Once you know who you want to teach and what you want to teach them, everything gets easier -- your marketing improves, your communication gets clearer, you can develop better offerings, and the right students start finding you!
Remind current students that you offer 1x1
So simple & effective, but so many teachers don't do it! If you're like many of the teachers I work with, you shy away from self-promotion. I get it -- it can be awkward. But, the truth is, the only way to help people and truly improve their lives with the power of yoga is to let them know what you offer!
Before or after class, or during conversations with students, remind them that you're available for one-on-one work. It might be the very thing they're looking for, and they may not even realize it's an option unless you tell them.
Let your studio know
Your studio likely gets lots of requests for private lessons, so be sure to let them know you're the person to contact. That way, they can send business your way when interested people request a private session. Another good thing to do is to let the studio manager or front desk know who your ideal student is so that they can pair you you with the right people.
Send out an email or card
A little marketing can go a long way! Send out an email or note to your student body and announce your 1x1 offerings & packages. Again, the only way to truly serve your students is to give them as many doorways in to working with you as possible -- so, let them know what you've got going on & that you're available to work with them privately.
Also, it's totally OK to target specific students and send them a personal note if you sense they're ready to dive into private sessions.
Trade business
Another great way to find new private clients that aren't currently part of your student body is to connect with referral partners who you can exchange business with. Think about complementary businesses that likely serve your ideal students like massage therapists, nutritionist, chiropractors, personal trainers, body workers, etc. Introduce yourself and tell them about the work you do. This doesn't have to be formal or stressful -- it's much better to focus on building one or two real relationships with like-minded business people than to simply focus on quantity.
Wondering how to find the right referral partners for your yoga business? Watch this video.
Create packages
As you know, students get the most benefits from regular practice -- and same goes for private work. So, instead of always selling one-off sessions, sell packages of 3, 5 or 8 privates instead. This does two things, it ensures your students see the most benefits and get the most bang for their buck and it enables you to have steady income coming in that you can rely on (instead of focusing all your time and energy on getting more and more one-time clients).
Build in bonuses
Think about fun add-ons, bonuses or other elements you can include that will set you apart and thrill & delight your private students. A good way to do this is to draw from your other talents and interests.
Trained in massage? Why not offer a private package that includes some massage work? Love to cook? Couple private yoga with a healthy cooking lesson or two. Skilled meditator? Guide them through mindfulness meditation or lead them in yoga nidra.
All these complementary talents that you likely overlook when it comes to private lessons may be the very thing that would make a student come (and come back!) to you instead of another teacher. Capitalize on your strengths and uniqueness, and you can't go wrong!
Who would I be if I didn't take my own advice, right?
Check out the super awesome early bird BONUS that I built-in to my latest offering -- a 1x1 summer mentorship -- here.
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So, there you have it -- my top tips for finding & getting more private yoga students. I guarantee that if you put any or all to consistent use, you'll definitely see an uptick in the number of private sessions you're teaching :-)
I sincerely hope that you found this info helpful and informative, and if so, I invite you to join my CALM biz community of heart-centered entrepreneurs. When you sign-up here, you'll receive a FREE copy of my Yoga Biz Essentials e-book chockfull of tips, techniques, articles, resources and video teachings that'll help you craft the yoga biz of your dreams!
But before you mosey on out, remember, the fun doesn't stop here!
Check out Carrie's brilliant post from yesterday, and be sure to drop by SheOms tomorrow for Laura's post -- it's sure to be a goodie! Or, follow all the action on social media with #YogaTeacherTour :-)
xoxo,
P.S. Grab your free copy of the Yoga Biz Essentials e-book here :-)
P.S. I want to help you get more private clients, make more money and build a yoga business you absolutely LOVE and are totally proud of. So, let’s work together this summer! Learn more about working 1x1 with me here. I’m only taking on 3 mentees at this time, so claim your spot ASAP if this is the right opportunity for you. Plus, register by 11:59pm ET tonight & also get LIFETIME access to my popular online course, 2 Hours to Yoga Biz {a $297 value for free}!
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