5 retention techniques to keep new yoga students coming back
it's january, so you're likely seeing an influx of new yoga students arriving in our classes, many of whom have set new year's resolutions to get healthier, do more yoga, or try something new.
but, as we all know, all too often new year's resolutions don't make it past valentine's day.
if you want to ensure that those new students keep returning to your classes all year long, here are 5 retention techniques that will keep them coming back for more!
1. get to know your students.
this may seem obvious, and you likely do it already, but getting to know your students on a personal level is one of the best, most effective ways to ensure that they return to your class again and again. when someone new shows up, introduce yourself, ask their name, and thank them for coming. a little common courtesy can go a long way!
2. invite them to join your email list.
whenever someone new pops in, invite them to join your email list, and tell them what to expect when/if they do (i.e. a weekly newsletter, monthly yoga vids, occasional emails with deals and promotions, etc.). having a way to keep in touch with your students is invaluable, and an essential element of all successful yoga businesses.
3. track attendance.
most studios and gyms track attendance, and those records can be made available to you if you ask for them. at the end of every month, ask for an attendance print out and see who is (and who is no longer) showing up. if someone came to one of your classes 4 weeks in a row and then missed two week, check in with them. send a friendly email or facebook message them to see how they're doing, let them know what's going on at the studio, and invite them back to class. people love to know that they matter and are missed -- let your students know that you care about them!
4. collect birthdays.
a few times a year (and the start of a new year is a great time to do this!), ask your students to share their birthdays with you so that you can give them a little "surprise" on their special day. you can then log their birthdays into your email marketing platform (like constant contact or mailchimp), and set up an automatic email to send on each of your students' b-days. in the email you could include a 15min yoga vid, an informative e-book or poses, a free class pass, or even just a lovely e-card. this will make your students feel special and also remind those who haven't been to class in a while to drop by.
5. care.
more than anything, our students want to know that we truly care about them. if you can communicate that in every class you teach, new students will turn into long-term students in no time. caring doesn't have to be big, fancy, and over-the-top, it can be as simple as remembering a new person's name, asking someone about their kids, or inquiring how the new job is going. these little things may not seem like much, but they can mean the world to a student, and really impress new students who show up to your classes!
do you have a retention technique that has worked wonders for you?
i want to hear about it! please share it in the comments below -- i LOVE learning from you.
P.S. there's an entire training video on this exact topic that goes even more in-depth in my new course Become a Yoga Brand.
if you're interested in more info about the course, or gaining access to the FREE Become a Yoga Brand Speaker Series, sign up here.
6 steps to set (and stick to) your 2014 yoga business goals
tis the season for goal-setting and resolution making!
we're already a week into 2014, so i'm guessing that you're starting to give your yoga business goals for 2014 some thought.
if you're in a quandary wondering how to set the right goals for your yoga biz that you can actually stick to (and feel good about), i've got some advice for you!
these 6 steps that i'm sharing with you today have kept me organized, focused and SANE for all of 2013. using this system of calendar planning, you'll be able to tackle ANYTHING (and i mean anything) that you set your sights on in the new year.
if you're ready to ramp up your yoga career and really make some big strides (and i know you can!), try out these 6 steps for yourself. i guarantee they'll offer you clarity and also a great sense of accomplishment as you see yourself systematically moving through your list of yearly to-dos.
STEP 1 -- brain dump.
i'm not a huge fan of the term "brain dump", but it's a very worthwhile and effective exercise. give yourself 30min to 1 hour to write down EVERY SINGLE IDEA you have for your yoga career. no censoring. no holding back. anything that's swimming around in your gray matter, write it down!
STEP 2 -- cull your list.
first cross off anything that doesn't sound like fun (i.e. don't like the idea of hosting a destination yoga retreat? don't do it!). now, rank the remaining items -- #1 being the most fun/important and so on from there.
STEP 3 -- map out your calendar.
on a sheet of paper (or several sheets of paper), list out the months. i personally like to make a chart with 12 boxes, but do whatever feels best for you. now, plot where you'd like each goal to happen (i.e. april - meditation workshop, september - host weekend training in september, guest post on 1 yoga blog a month, etc.)
use a pencil for this because you'll likely want to change/shift things around to see what makes the most sense.
STEP 4 - cull it again.
now that you begin to see how your year's shaping up, cull through your list again. remove anything that doesn't seem feasible or seems like it would stress you out too much.
STEP 5 - finalize your calendar.
so, you now have your finalized list of 2014 yoga biz tasks...the next thing to do is finalize your calendar. map out where you'd like each goal to land so that you have a reference that you can return to again and again to keep you on track.
STEP 6 - use it!
this may seem obvious, but the ONLY WAY to manifest your yoga biz goals is to use the tools you've put in place to help you. check in with your yearly calendar regularly to ensure you're prepping properly to meet your goals. for example, if you want to offer a weekend-long chair yoga teacher training in september, you'll want to start planning your curriculum in june, finalize it in july, market it in august, and enroll students in september!
remember: this calendar is an important reference point for your biz, BUT it's not set in stone. if circumstances change or new (better!) opportunities arise, give yourself permission to revise and adjust your calendar accordingly.
this whole process (from start to finish) could take the better part of a day, but it's work that is well worth doing! because, if you don't know where you're going in your yoga career -- how are you ever going to get there?!
P.S. there's an entire training video on this exact topic that goes even more in-depth in my new course Become a Yoga Brand.
if you're interested in more info about the course, or gaining access to the FREE Become a Yoga Brand Speaker Series, sign up here.
6 habits of highly productive people
we're on the cusp of another new year.
2013 is drawing to a close and 2014 lies before us with endless possibilities!
with the turn of any new year often comes a ton of goals and resolutions -- all of which are meant to make us happier, healthier and feeling more abundant in every area of our lives.
but, the thing is, if we don't make room for those new priorities in our lives, we're never going to attain what we've set our sights on!
that's why i think one of the most important and valuable commitments anyone can make for 2014 is to put some strategic productivity in place.
we all have the same 24 hours a day to deal with, yet some people seem to get soooo much more done.
what's the deal?!
in today's vid, i share 6 habits of highly productive people so that you can harness your own power to be super productive for 2014.
do you have a productivity habit that keeps you on track? share it in the comments below! i LOVE learning from you.
is just a few weeks away!
if you want to learn biz+marketing from the brightest yoga biz professionals, sign up here.