Let me take a wild guess: one of your least favorite things to do as a yoga teacher is to “go in for the sell.”

I get it.

Talking money is awkward and uncomfortable and can feel totally un-yogic.

Before we dive into how to go about closing the sale in a yogic way, let’s paint a little picture.

You’ve been approached by a loyal student from one of your yoga classes who wants to schedule some private sessions with you. She was really gung-ho, and you were super excited about the prospect of working with her. But that was two weeks ago, and she hasn’t mentioned it again, even though you’ve seen her in class a few times.

Now you feel awkward.

You’d love to work one-on-one with her, but you don’t want to be pushy or seem desperate for money—so how do you handle it?

Let it go? Keep your fingers-crossed? Approach them?

Predicaments like this can be downright uncomfortable.

And, to make matters worse, we often project that discomfort onto our student. But, lucky for us, that’s rarely the case! Just because we feel awkward, doesn’t mean she does.

She probably just forgot or life got busy, her kid got sick, or she’s waiting for you to “make the first move.” Remember…she wouldn’t have requested one-on-one work in the first place if she wasn’t interested!

Closing the sale isn’t the best part of being a yoga teacher, but it’s necessary. So, with that in mind, I have some tips for you. Five, to be exact.

1. Offer a friendly reminder.

A friendly reminder goes a long way. Like I said, in all likelihood it just slipped her mind.

2. Always follow-up.

Remind her in person, and then follow-up via email too. A paper trail is professional and helpful.

3. Authentically incentivize.

If someone is dragging her feet about signing-up for something timely (like a workshop) or before rates go up for the new year, let her know. She won’t want to miss that window of opportunity.

4. Ask her if she’s still interested.

Wondering if she’s still interested? Ask! What’s the worst that’ll happen? She’ll say “no,” and then you can move on with your life.

5. Do the work for her.

Make it as simple and easy as possible for her to say yes. Bring any necessary paperwork to class, and fill it out with her. Email her an invoice via PayPal and send her reminders of your scheduled appointments via text or email.

Relephant:

27 Ways to Grow Your Yoga Business (Without Working More Hours).

Author: Cailen Ascher

Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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