Why do some yoga teachers struggle even though their prices are low, but other teachers are paid whatever they ask?

Yesterday I got a call from Talia, one of our course graduates. Talia was concerned that people often call her to get details about her FLYoga Kids classes, but they don’t sign up once they hear the price. “What should I do? Should I reduce the price?” she asked.  I asked Talia if she offered a free trial lesson. She said, “yes, but many people still don’t come”. That’s why I’m sure that the problem is not the price. If I offer you a free class and still don’t want to come and try, then the problem is not the price.

A few years back, someone asked for advice in one of the children yoga Facebook groups. The teacher described the situation where she has been struggling to fill her classes and therefore tried to reduce the price of the class a few times, but still, that doesn’t help. Now, the sum she gets for the lesson barely covers the rental fees. She asked for the other teacher’s advice. I was shocked, but most of them recommended she reduces her prices again, and some even advised her to find a cheaper studio to rent and lower the prices.

That’s when Lena and I decided that module called Yoga & Money must be an essential part of the FLYoga Kids teacher course. In this module, I explain how to price your classes and why it’s easier to fill high-priced yoga classes rather than cheap. Yep, you read it right – it’s easier to fill high-priced classes.  But that’s a subject for another post.

In this post, I want to discuss why some teachers get paid whatever they ask while others struggle regardless of how low they reduce their prices.

The most practical and easy to fix the reason for that is to understand that people don’t pay for yoga classes and not for any other stuff they buy. People pay for the value they get.

What do I mean by the value they get?

Usually, when someone calls to get details about your classes, one of the first questions will be, “How much does the class cost?”. Once we hear that question, we as teachers believe that’s is the most important information for the customer and therefore rush into throwing the number – $10, $20, or $30 for your class.

“Ok, but why should I pay you $25? What would my child get?”

The truth is that people just don’t know what to ask. Rarely will someone ask, “what are the benefits of children yoga class?” or “what will the child get by attending your classes?”. But that’s what is really important for any mother.

So, when someone calls our studio to get details about my FLYoga Kids classes and asks the price, we don’t rush to answer, but instead, we start by telling about the value and the benefits the child and the mother will get.

For example, it can be something like – In the FLYoga Kids class, children practice exercises to become more strong and more flexible. The classes are a combination of physical activity with mindfulness. We learn how to breathe correctly and control our feelings, how to overcome the fears and limits we impose on ourselves, and how to love ourselves. Each class ends with relaxation and guided imagery exercises in the hammock, and children learn how to relax before the exams… etc.

Think about it – what mother doesn’t want her child to be able to control his feelings, become stronger, learn how to overcome his fears, and relax before the exam?

There is no way every mother who calls and hears that huge value her child will get won’t give it at least a try with the free trial lesson regardless of the price for the following lessons.

I don’t suggest you make any misleading claims. But if you can deliver the value you offer as the FLYoga Kids program does, and you actually take the time to explain this value, then parents will pay you whatever you ask.

I invite you to test out this approach and explain the value of your classes to potential customers before rushing out into the prices.

I’ll be happy to hear your thoughts and experience in the comments below.

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