[00:00:00] Welcome to Pilates Teachers' Manual, a podcast for Pilates teachers by a Pilates teacher. I'm Olivia, and I'll be your host. Jump in the conversation on Instagram @pilatesteachersmanual. Today's chapter starts now.
Hello, hello. Welcome to another episode of Pilates teachers manual. Today, we're going to be talking about privates: what they are and how to get more of them. I do want to clarify the privates I'm going to be talking about in this episode are going to be privates that you do at the studio. I [00:01:00] also teach privates in clients' homes, which is kind of a different ball game. And I will be devoting another episode to how to grow that private practice. Today, I'm going to be talking about using the studio's infrastructure to really grow your private business. So let's talk about it.
What are private sessions? Private sessions are a totally customized one person workshop where you are working one on one with a client. And it's a different dynamic because it's just two people in the room and the class is really just about that one person instead of this group fitness experience.
It is great for literally everyone, whether you're new to Pilates and you're trying to get acquainted with the terminology, the equipment, whether you're coming back from an injury, whether you are working on an advanced move. [00:02:00] Privates are for all people and I really want to emphasize that because some people think that they aren't and really they are. Anyone can do a private session.
What each session looks like really depends on the person that you're working with. It might be a super intense workout. It might be really centered around one goal, like balance or increasing flexibility or that one move that they're really working on. A big difference is that there's a lot of communication between you and this person that you're working with. You can to really focus on what they like, what they dislike, you get to really hone in on just them.
And it does require a lot of listening on your part as an instructor, because listening, not only to how they're responding to each exercise because you are personalizing it for them, but also listening to them as a human being who is more than just a body that [00:03:00] has feelings and might be stressed or tired or grumpy, or, you know, exuberant, like you're really with this person.
Another thing about privates is you have to know who you are as a teacher, when you're going into privates, because you can't lie to one person and be someone that you're not. What I mean by that is my teaching style is very much a cheerleader. I really am supportive and verbally praising people. And I'm giving tons of positive feedback and I want it to be a fun exploration, this adventure where we're going to have a good time together.
I'm not a drill sergeant. So if someone came to a private session with me and they wanted a drill sergeant, like we're not going to be a good fit. I'm not going to be able to be a drill sergeant for that person cause that's not me. I do have amazing teacher friends who teach more like a drill sergeant, and if that's what this client is looking for, I'm happy to recommend [00:04:00] to them. So that's just a little bit of a rundown of what privates kind of look like.
They might be a longterm commitment where you're working with this person for years and years, it's ongoing, or it might be a transition into group classes. Like I've worked with people who were brand new to Pilates and they just wanted to get acquainted with the equipment or they were starting Pilates and they had osteoporosis and they wanted to know what the modifications were, same thing with pregnant women, that they want to know what they're getting into so that they can take group classes more comfortably.
Privates are of course at a different price point than group classes. So maybe just three or five privates to get you acquainted and ready for group classes might be more in someone's budget and that's totally fine, as well as people who, like this is how they exercise. They want to do [00:05:00] privates twice a week or three times a week. That is doable as well.
For building your private business: good news. There's two steps and you'll be set. So the first step is to be an amazing teacher, which you already are, so fantastic. You're halfway there just being a teacher that has a student following that you have people who love your classes, who come to your classes because they love your teaching style. They love what you're sharing. And they want to learn from you. That's super important. It's really easy once you have those people to then recommend, Hey, you know, I see that this is something you're struggling with, or this is something you're working on. I'd love to work with you on that one on one, if that fits your schedule.
And then the second step is just to tell people that you offer privates. It's a lot of times as easy as that. Tell your group classes that you offer private, tell your people who you live in the [00:06:00] building with that you offer privates. If you're serious about growing your private business, you should let people know that you do it.
Sometimes students come up to me kind of shyly, and they're like, you know, do you offer privates and like shame on me for not making it abundantly clear that it's something that I do and it's something that I love. And it's not intuitive. Not everyone knows that if you teach group classes, you also teach privates. So if you do want to offer privates, let people know that.
And it's also another way to support people in their growth. Privates are incredible in terms of the opportunity for growth that they offer a student, because it is totally just for this person. You can really see gigantic growth as a result of privates. So if you have someone who's new in your class or is a stan in your class and is there all the time, be like, Hey, I see you. I see what you're working on. And I want to help you with that. People who ask a ton of questions in your [00:07:00] class, great candidate for privates, like let's take an hour and get to the nitty gritty. Let's do it.
When you are saying you're offering privates, make sure that you also let your front desk or the people who are running your studio know that you want to offer privates because they get emails and they get calls of people who want to work one-on-one and let them know that that's something that you really want to do and you're setting aside time in your schedule to do that.
I'm really lucky that Club Pilates offers a free private assessment. So I can offer, you know, a 30 minute assessment to people for free so that they can kind of see what a private is like if they're not sure. So they really see that they can really gain so much from a private session and, you know, just plant the seed and tell people, you know, I think you're a great candidate for privates. I think we can do really great things and that the goals you have are totally achievable. Let's get there together.
You do want to make sure that you know, what [00:08:00] your studio's policy for privates are like how scheduling works. Do you have a separate private studio? Are you going to be scheduling around classes? Do other teachers have private schedules because you don't want to step on toes. You do want to share the space,but you do also want to respect the space and the people who are in the space.
And it's good to know in terms of a price point, a whether privates are something that are financially beneficial to you. If that's something that's important, I think it is. If it's your job, you can love it and also benefit financially from it. For sure. So just to reiterate two steps to having amazing private business is step one, be an amazing teacher. And step two, let people know that you teach privates and you'll be set.
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Ways that your private business really grows is referrals. And there's two different types of referrals that I'm going to be diving into. The first one is teacher referrals and the second is student referrals. So for teacher referrals, and if you've listened to my previous podcast episodes you will know that I am huge about this, means that another teacher recommended that someone work with you. And that is [00:10:00] how I got my first private clients, was a teacher was downsizing their schedule, or they had moved away or they were moving away from the studio. And they had these amazing people and they thought that I would be a good fit for them.
So first thing that happens is you have this network of teachers and they are sharing clients with you. Gigantic that if you have clients that aren't fitting in your schedule, that you're sharing them with teachers who you think would be a good fit, like yes, you're friends, but people in similar teaching styles or that can offer what this client is looking for to really have that network.
Also, you've told people that you're offering privates and now you're so full in terms of your schedule that you have more people than you can comfortably handle. So then you are sharing those people as [00:11:00] well. And that makes the whole Pilates world go round.
And that's something that I really love about Pilates is that there is this network, and there is this community and that you can share your clients. And I think it's important that you, as a teacher, are contributing to the atmosphere that you want to work in. And that's one way that you can do it is by sharing people, supporting other teachers and then supporting your clients so that they're really getting the most out of their sessions.
I've talked about building your dream schedule. Like I'm not a 6:00 AM private people. That's not me. But some teachers are, and if you have morning teachers like send morning people their way, like that's already a good sign.
Second thing is student referrals. And that is the greatest praise, I think, that you can have as a teacher, that a student loved working with you so much that they are going to recommend their coworker or their partner or their [00:12:00] child or grandchild or neighbor. That is, Oh my gosh. Like it just makes you feel so warm and fuzzy and proud and thrilled that you've had such a positive impact in this client's life that they want to share that positive impact with others.
And maybe the person they've referred is a great fit. Fantastic. Maybe they would be better schedule wise or personality wise working with another teacher. Either way, it means so much that they thought of you when they were trying to, you know, help out a friend of theirs. Incredible. What a compliment. Oh my gosh.
In terms of scheduling these amazing privates that you are now overflowing with abundance. You have to know yourself again, knowing yourself will save you a lot of time will save you a lot of energy because you can put the infrastructure in correctly the first time, instead of having to make adjustments. So know how many [00:13:00] private clients will fit in your schedule and when you want them to be in your schedule. I've shared that I do most of my private clients in my neighborhood, and I schedule them in the mornings and then I teach, but those are privates in clients' homes.
So if I'm going to be offering privates at the studio, I want it to be at times that I'm at the studio. So I do those in early afternoon times. And then only at the locations that I'm going to be at. If I teach in the West loop on Tuesdays, I'm not going to offer privates in River North on Tuesdays. I'm not going to go there. It seems obvious, but keep that in mind, in terms of your travel time and just your schedule.
It's good to know what space you have in your schedule before you tell people that you do privates, because then you can tell them very quickly and concisely what spots you have available and it just lets that person schedule with you a lot easier. There's none of this, oh, well what works for you? It's like, look, I'm [00:14:00] available at 10:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays, does that fit in your schedule?
And now that I have so many clients that, again, blessing wonderful problems to have, I don't have as much flexibility in terms of what I can offer new clients. I am limited in what my schedule will just fit. So now I get to be in that amazing position of sharing with other great teachers who may have more availability and can work with clients a little bit more.
It's also really good to know, and it goes without saying, but it doesn't go without saying, nothing goes without saying, do you like teaching privates? If you've gotten this far into the episode and you're like, you know, I don't really want private clients. I love group classes. Then you might still say that the studio offers privates and then recommend other teachers to students that are coming into your class. It is different from teaching group classes and know [00:15:00] that and, you know, go from there.
There are some great pros to teaching privates. They often pay more per hour. I know that. Depending on your studio, they might pay less per hour than maybe a full group class if you do get a per head bonus or a commission or something, depending on the size of your class. I know that every studio has a different pricing. So keep that in mind that the price per hour is going to be different.
There is such a potential for growth for that individual that you're working with. That is really, for me, it makes me feel amazing to see that you're making such a difference in someone's life. And you really see that up close and personal when you're talking with the person that you're working with pretty much the entire time. So that is a fuzzy feeling that you may really enjoy as a teacher.
It does have a different energy requirement. So for [00:16:00] me, it's an energy that is more sustainable. I can do it a little bit more comfortably maybe then group classes, but that's going to be different for everyone. So know how that kind of hits your vibe.
Cons to teaching private classes: they are, occasionally, oftentimes, less reliable than group classes. If you have a private client who goes on vacation, you're now making $0 dollars in that hour, whereas if that person is a group client, definitely someone else can fill that spot in the group class or your bottom line isn't hit quite as hard as if a private client starts traveling or is sick or is busy or, you know, anything like that.
Also a con it has a different energy requirements. So depending on how you feel, teaching privates, your comfort level, working with a person one-on-one, that's gonna, that might be something to [00:17:00] consider.
Privates also require more time on the back end of things in terms of negotiating schedules. You may spend more time planning this private because you are getting feedback. It's not just like, you know, what equipment do I want to play with this week in my group class, it's really, you know, how can I progress this person? How can I address this concern that they had? Or how can I really foster growth for this individual? So you might spend more time planning it and thinking about it than a group class.
I do love teaching privates and I love teaching group classes. So my schedule reflects that I do have a mix of privates and groups and my group class income is more steady because I do have a base pay. I have guaranteed pay for my group classes, which is incredible. It is lower than what I would make for privates. But then again, if I'm teaching those evening [00:18:00] classes and the classes are more full than I am going to be making more money teaching those group classes and also teaching again in a block. So I get to teach a bunch of groups in a row.
But looking at my schedule, I also know that I'm teaching fewer privates, but it's also accounting for, you know, half of my personal income, which is, again, amazing. And I will clarify that that's at home privates in addition to studio in studio privates, but it's still accounting for about half of my income.
A nice thing about working in a studio for your privates is the structure's already there. There's probably already a pricing model that you do want to be familiar with so that you can confidently tell people about if private packages are offered, if single classes are the only thing that's offered, you want to be able to share that.
There's also equipment, which you, again, it's a given, but it's incredible that you have access to a reformer and a [00:19:00] chair or a Cadillac or a ladder barrel. And like all of these pieces of equipment, you don't need to take them with you. They're already there for you. There probably is also software for scheduling appointments where you can see instructors across the studio, what they're doing, how the space is being utilized, you can book those appointments and also process payment all through a system that is incredibly convenient. And cannot be overstated that you can book those appointments, that emails are automatically sent, confirming those appointments, all of that stuff.
My private clients, both in studio and home do have my email and have my phone number so that they can communicate with me and let me know what's going on in terms of scheduling. At the studios that I teach at the instructor is responsible for scheduling their privates. So that's a little bit of time that's going to go into it, that in a group class, you show up and teach, [00:20:00] and it's the same every week. In a private, you know, depending on travel or what's happening in lives, that's going to be a little bit different.
I hope this was a useful introduction to what private sessions look like when you were teaching at a studio. I do know that all studios are different. So you definitely want to check with your studio before you take my word as as the end all be all of private teaching, but hopefully that answers some questions that you may have had off the bat.
If you have any more questions or there's anything that you want to share about why you love teaching privates in the studio or what your tips and tricks for growing your private business are, feel free to drop me a line on Instagram or shoot me an email.
I hope that helps. Thanks so much for listening.
Thank you for listening to this chapter of Pilates Teachers' Manual. Be [00:21:00] sure to visit the Instagram link in the description for the post on today's episode. There, you can leave your comments, ask questions, and join the conversation. Also be sure to support the podcast and take advantage of the great affiliate links in the description.
The adventure continues. Until next time.