How to Get Private Yoga Clients

Yoga instructors are responsible for guiding their clients to reach their fitness goals and creating safe and inclusive spaces. When asking yourself how to get private yoga clients, and while solidifying their practice, yoga teachers also face the challenge of growing their client base to increase foot traffic in their studios and grow their businesses. This can be challenging in the current landscape, where it is increasingly arduous to connect with others and form communities physically. It is why many in-person yoga studios closed down permanently during the pandemic. 

Fortunately, with social distancing protocols and the increased number of people getting vaccinated, yogis can finally work on their practices in person again. With the increased number of people able and willing to do yoga, instructors can seize an opportunity: increase their number of clients.

How to get private yoga clients – five things you should do

Yoga instructors, or those wondering how to become a yoga instructor, must think creatively when looking to expand their repertoire of customers. The good news is that you do not necessarily have to make drastic changes, but small conscientious ones that can pay off in the long run. If done successfully, you can gain more clients you know personally and regularly show up to your classes.

Here are five ways that you can get new clients as a Yoga Instructor and grow your business:

Cater to a newer demographic

The pandemic has made many realize the importance of wellness in both the physical and mental sense. For this particular reason, yoga has gained significant popularity across all demographics. Yoga is unique because it is both a physical and psychological workout, requiring one to be present while simultaneously attempting challenging and physically taxing poses. This blend of mental and physical exercise has been very attractive to people who wish to find active ways to cope during the pandemic.

Consequently, the yoga community has experienced a surge in new members! It can be exhilarating but intimidating to take a yoga class, especially when it involves putting your trust in strangers. It can be helpful to let your new clients know that they aren’t expected to nail a full handstand if this is the first time they are ever attempting yoga. Yoga instructors must recognize that they have to cater to new clients and their usual regulars.  

The process of getting private yoga clients means engaging with new clients shows them that their presence is essential and welcome in the space you are providing. The following tips may be helpful when you engage with newcomers.

• Make sure you exchange introductions.
• Inquire about any past or present injuries that may hinder their performance.
• Ask your clients if they take other private yoga classes, whether those private classes are on their own or at another studio. 
• Stay after class to talk to new clients about how they enjoyed the course and ask for personal feedback.  

Increase social media presence

Some believe that social media increases the opportunity for us to isolate ourselves. However, time and time again, we have learned that this is not necessarily the case. Teaching yoga is a social experience, and the use of social media has become an increasingly effective way to expand our influence, meet new people, and put ourselves out there. 

Whether you use Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, or YouTube, these platforms allow your clients to engage outside you of the physical studio.

The “virtual yoga studio” idea gained much popularity during the pandemic and has allowed many yoga instructors to grow their client base. Partnering with fitness platforms, such as Class Pass, is a great way to gain more clients for private yoga sessions. Creating a website is also an excellent way to have a specific platform for your yoga teacher training programs. 

It also makes it easier for your clients to share your profile with friends and family when you are easily accessible online. Through “word of mouth”, you’d be surprised how many followers you could gain if you are consistent with the content you post.

 You can also provide additional tips to help clients when they take one of your group classes. For example, it can be an opportunity to showcase some challenging moves for intermediate-level yogis who wish to rise to the next level. This extra effort shows clients that yoga is not just a job for you but an integral part of your life.

Create a brand for yourself

People generally gravitate toward consistency and authenticity. Showing potential clients who you really are regularly is a great way to establish trust and long-lasting connections. To do this, you have to know precisely the type of instructor you want to be and how you wish to interact with your clients. For example, do you strive to create an interactive and playful environment? Does your style call for a more serious, calming practice? Do you call your clients out during class to help them stick poses correctly? or do you have a more hands-off approach? No approach is better than the other, but it depends on you and your personality.  

Branding yourself also has a lot to do with creating your social media presence, which is discussed more heavily above. You may notice that tweaking your brand even slightly can considerably impact your number of clients.

It is always crucial to stay true to yourself when creating your brand. Clients can often tell if a private yoga instructor is presenting an inauthentic version of themself to them. Avoid this by increasing your self-awareness and self-reflection. It’s a great thing that yoga is excellent for the two!

Offer alternatives to private yoga clients

The truth is all of your clients will be in different stages of their yoga journey. This is because all bodies are different and have their own experiences that can affect how they move. No one person is the same, and it is unrealistic to expect them to be. That being said, a sign of a good private yoga teacher is that they get to know each of their client’s strengths and weaknesses and provide guidance on how to motivate fitness clients.

 Giving clients insight into how they can adjust their practice to make the experience the most worthwhile for them can make a monumental difference. For example, if you know that a client is recovering from a fracture on their left ankle and is stronger on their right. It can be constructive to suggest using two yoga blocks while doing a standing split on their left foot. In contrast, if you know that a client has inversions in their yoga practice, offer them the opportunity to do that while coming out of a bridge pose. Offering blocks, towels, and even fitness bands are great ways to give your clients alternatives for more strenuous yoga poses. 

It is also important to emphasize that your studio is not a competition ring that forces clients to compare themselves to the other yogis in the room. If you want your clients to stick around, you’ll need to make every effort possible to ensure that your private sessions are not only effective but also pleasant. Additionally, letting yogis know that getting water or taking a child pose at any point is encouraged reminds clients that they are safe and can take breaks if needed.

Offer classes at an all-around gym

Becoming a yoga instructor at an all-around gym is a great way to get new clients. It allows you to reach out to potential clients who gravitate towards a yoga class. Additionally, other trainers/instructors at the gym who specialize in other fitness areas may take the class you have to offer and can refer your class to their personal clients if they like it. Building relationships with your fellow instructors at the gym can also be a great source for networking. Sharing and taking advice from others can broaden your perspective and provide you inspiration for new ways to increase your number of clients.

if you really want to get private yoga clients…

As you can see, a common trend exists amongst these guidelines: with increased trust, you can achieve an increased number of private clients. Trust is the building block for human connections and plays a part in every aspect of our lives.

Being inclusive to new yogis shows that discrimination does not exist in your studio and that new clients are encouraged to participate. By increasing your social media presence and establishing your brand, you can show clients who you really are and give a more humane angle to your business.

Having this solid base also allows clients to know you before the class, enabling them to put a personality to the name. By offering alternatives to clients, you emphasize that it’s okay that every person is in a different part of their journey. If you have value in your ability to teach yoga, people will ask about private lessons, or you can bring it up indirectly. When you give them insight into how they can adjust their practice to make the experience the most worthwhile for them, it can make a big difference. And by offering private yoga lessons at an all-around gym, you can reach a larger population to find potential clients.

In conclusion

Yoga instructors must remember such guidelines if they strive to create a workout space that attracts more clients. For more insight into how to more effectively manage your business from a financial standpoint, you can refer to the resources provided on the Persona platform, which we would humbly claim is one of the best apps for fitness professionals. After downloading the app and signing up, you will be paired with an account manager free of charge. They will be the ones to help you complete the onboarding process and provide the starting tools to grow your yoga business.