Running a yoga studio is hard. Your spouse, family and friends may be supportive, but they don’t really get it. Even your staff isn’t always on the same page as you. Your mission drives you…and that’s what makes the difference for your studio.
Helping your staff realize how their personal mission to change lives with yoga intersects with yours as the studio owner is part of training.
Truth → You need each other! Yogis aren’t successful outside a community and studios struggle without dedicated and enthusiastic staff.
When you’re on the same page it’s best for EVERYONE, but it’s a challenge to get there! Let’s talk about how you can do it!
Step One: Connect the team’s WHY with yours
Empowering your staff starts by understanding what their “Why” is. What drew them to yoga in the first place? What has its impact been on them? Why do they want to share it with others?
Ask your staff what they hope to give their students and why they got into the yoga business. You’re learning more about them AND you’re reminding them of their passion. That’s a double win for you! Share your passion and vision for the yoga studio with them. Explore where these ideas intersect. This is how you can build commitment and connection with your team.
We are not effective without knowing what drives us. Without clear motivation your staff can’t sell well, can’t teach to their full potential and won’t be all in for your yoga studio’s success.
Step Two: We’re in this together
The success of the studio is pivotal not only for you, but your students and staff. It is the delivery method for the amazing yoga experience you provide!
How did your staff get started with yoga? For most people the answer is simple. They went to a class, liked it, started practicing more and eventually became a teacher. A yoga studio was pivotal in their personal yoga development. It’s the same for their students! Some of the people they teach are experiencing yoga for the first time!
Try this → Show your staff how important the studio is for the success of their yoga students.
If your teachers believe what they’re teaching can change student’s lives – and they believe your mission and vision is a positive one – then by default they MUST support the studio. Without the studio their students won’t receive the same life-changing yoga practice.
Step Three: Be transparent, in the right way…
Truth, transparency, and numbers will go a long way in getting your staff on board with your studio’s mission. Most people like to know what’s going on – to feel like part of the inner circle.
The key is to give them the RIGHT DATA. Many owners don’t give their staff the numbers that are relevant to them and their performance – the data that could help them improve. Instead, often inadvertently, we only give them the bad news.
Often we let our staff know what struggles the studio is facing. That’s a BIG mistake. People are empowered when they feel safe and secure. They are more confident and more successful. We just aren’t wired to work harder because of scare tactics, we start looking for another job instead. YIKES!
Truth → As far as your staff are concerned your studio is the best studio in the history of yoga and everything is going well!
What you SHOULD give your staff are the numbers that directly relate to their jobs. For teachers, this means the “first visit no return” rate, intro purchase rate, personal retention rate, average number of visits and conversion from into to a pass.
Step Four: Numbers don’t lie
Why are you sharing these numbers? Numbers don’t lie and they are powerful motivators.
Take the “first visit no return” rate, for example. On average 50% of students who attend a class, NEVER SET FOOT IN THE STUDIO AGAIN! (In our Yogapreneur Collective it averages 35-40%) This number can be shocking, but it’s also motivating.
Try this → Share statistics in a group meeting and get everyone in on the conversation.
When your teachers hear HALF of their first time students never come back it’s probably going to hurt their feelings a little. They will naturally want to defend the studio. You will likely hear things like: “Why wouldn’t they come back? This studio is awesome! I’m a great teacher! Yoga is amazing!”
This starts a dialog…and leads to a positive conversation!
You can use this type of discussion to teach your staff how to create rapport. You can highlight why interacting with students to promote the intro offer is so important. You can connect your mission and your processes, and help them see the value in what you do.
Pro tip → Keep the conversation focused on growing the studio, not on you vs. them.
Now you can teach them soulful sales tactics and make selling personal to them. They know it’s about making their students’ lives better, not just increasing your bottom line. They will start to see the value in connecting people with your packages.
As much as possible, you want to connect your staff to INTERNAL motivations. Remind them of their “Why” and keep them engaged in the studio’s mission. Give them concrete data and celebrate growth in the numbers! Avoid “because it’s my studio and I said so” and you’ll find you have a much more motivated and effective staff.
Are sales strategies and training a challenge for your studio? Join a FREE Strategy Call today! You’ll walk away ready to implement new strategies and take your studio to the next level!
