It is impossible to thrive as a business if your ideal client can’t find you. It’s vital to make it as easy as possible for them, otherwise, they’ll simply move on to the next option.

Read on for a few basic steps you can prioritize to ensure your Pilates business reaches the people most important to your growth and success.

Establish an Online Presence for Your Pilates Business

A solid and consistent online presence will help ensure your business stays top of mind with both current and potential clients.

One way to do this? Engage them on social media with a steady stream of content that taps into your unique approach to Pilates. 

If you specialize in a particular area of Pilates, like seniors or differently abled individuals, share helpful content that highlights your expertise. Engage your followers with tutorials, fun content that showcases your personality, and specific questions that invite them to share their thoughts, opinions, likes, and dislikes.

Another way to establish your footprint online is to develop a blog. 

Blogs offer more space to share your ideas beyond the constraints of social media posts. They can be hosted on your website or other platforms you own.  A blog also gives you the ability to optimize keywords and increase searches for your content, which can actively help boost your website’s ranking on Google. Learn more at our post on Digital Marketing for Your Pilates Business. 

Set Your Pilates Teaching Apart

The best way to help your business studio stand out from the sea of sameness is by finding creative ways to determine what makes you special. 

This means thinking outside the box. What’s unique about your Pilates story? What do you offer that no one else can? What hobbies or interests do you have that tell the fuller story of who you are beyond Pilates? How has your particular approach to the practice of Pilates enabled the success of your clients? 

Survey your current clients and ask them what they find unique about your work. Research the businesses in your local market to determine the gaps your expertise could or does fill. From there, be sure to showcase these differences in your blog, on social media channels, and in marketing campaigns.

Partner With Other Pilates and Fitness Businesses

Finally, being a part of a larger community of partners can help you build name recognition and strengthen networking. By aligning with other businesses, you can expand your reach and grow your clientele. Consider teaming up with local hotspots for charity events or joint marketing campaigns – and don’t rule out networking with other Pilates professionals or studios!

Joining the PMA is a great way to network with other Pilates professionals and become part of a larger community designed to help you and your business grow and thrive. When you join an international collective of similar businesses, you unlock the limitless potential to connect, learn, and evolve.

The PMA also makes it easier for clients to find you.  Check out our “Find a Pilates Studio” tool to see the strategies and resources other businesses are using to make themselves accessible.

The post Is Your Pilates Business Easy To Find? first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

But competition isn’t a bad thing. It can help you and your business grow. Connecting with other Pilates studios and professionals not only elevates the profession for everyone, but can also open pathways to mutually beneficial relationships within the Pilates community.

Exchange Ideas with other Pilates Pros

Interaction with other Pilates pros and even other fitness genres can expose you to new ideas and ways of thinking.

Consider brainstorming with other professionals about new ways to support clients, whether through cueing or specific exercises that can help manage pain. Stay true to what makes your  business unique, but be intentional about tapping into the expertise of others to help you grow. Share your expertise as well. Remember that the success of all contributes to the success of the Pilates industry.

Combine Your Pilates Resources and Connections

In addition to broadening your horizons and generating new ideas, you can also go a step further and team up with other professionals in your community. By combining your resources and connections, you can strengthen both of your businesses and enrich the experience of the fitness community as a whole.

This might look like a workshop series where you and another professional showcase your strengths and offerings. Perhaps a joint marketing campaign could highlight different unique features of your respective businesses. Even if you simply utilize your relationships to further network and expand your reach in the industry, you are better off than simply going it alone.

Expand Your Pilates Community

When you enrich your local fitness community with the full scope of experience and ideas, you are benefiting students, teachers, and business owners alike.

Consider connecting on social media, joining others’ mailing lists, or even taking classes at other studios. And, of course, reciprocate by inviting other fitness pros into your world. 

Don’t isolate your business when there is so much potential to expand and meet other inspiring professionals. Be sure to check out our Membership Directory to find studios near you and start building lasting and mutually beneficial relationships today.

Ready to connect with a thriving international network of Pilates professionals? Join the PMA today and connect automatically through our monthly in-person and virtual events, conferences, and more.

The post Why It’s Important To Connect With Other Pilates Professionals first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

Karolina Schmid NCPT, YA E-RYT500

As a former sociology professor, I know there are different modes of learning: visual, auditory, and tactile. In the world of Pilates, many learn through a mixture of all three.  In an age when touching can be triggering for some clients, it is up to you as the Pilates teacher to know what your client prefers.

It is customary in some countries for clients to put a chip or token on the edge of a map to signal to the teacher that verbal cueing is preferred. In others, asking “May I cue you?” or “May I touch you?” is the norm. Here in Switzerland, larger Pilates chains in have incorporated guidelines for touching in teacher contracts.

While many Pilates teachers are dismayed at the thought of no longer being able to do tactile cueing with their Reformer, Chair and Cadillac clients, these changes present an opportunity to expand your teaching style. One way to do that is to broaden verbal instruction, while another might be to add imagery to your teaching tools.

In the new era of the PMA where we seek to create a more inclusive industry, increasing dialogue with your clients to understand their comfort level and desired form of cueing is a worthwhile effort and can only strengthen your relationship with them.

Karolina Schmid NCPT, YA E-RYT500, is the owner of PILATESwiss Switzerland and the author of The Visceral Approach to Pilates. She serves on the PMA Board of Directors and is a former university sociology lecturer.

The post To Touch or Not to Touch: Cueing and Correction in the Age of Boundaries first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

Here are three main groups to consider:

Beginners

Not everyone is experienced right off the bat. Even those who struggle to attain certain degrees of athleticism can develop their bodies to the best of their abilities and reap the benefits of a good Pilates program.

The best way to help every client reach their full potential, regardless of experience or talent, is to have an honest and in-depth introductory session with them to manage expectations. Make sure that during instruction, they are aware of modifications to help them as they are building their strength, but also give them the option to challenge themselves. 

Plus-Sized Clients

Speaking directly to the assumption that avid participants should adhere to a lean, media-approved body type, weight is not a barrier that should exist in the world of Pilates. While modifications may be in order for certain exercises and stretches, it is easy to incorporate them in a way that makes your clients feel accepted and comfortable.

Creating a welcoming environment for plus-sized clients is about more than body positivity and inclusivity. You have to ensure that there are resources that can help them with unique challenges they may face pertaining to their weight. Some things to keep in mind include:

• Watching closely for over-exertion
• Understanding any demands or requests by physicians
• Communicate about what additional props (blocks, pillows, bands, etc.) may be helpful
• Keep them moving with stretches or fundamentals when they are fatigued
• Showing the same support and interest you would any other student

Ultimately, make sure clients receive any extra support they may need without making them feel that their weight is an insurmountable or shameful barrier to their experience.

Clients with Disabilities

Finally, much like weight and athleticism are out of a client’s immediate control, having a typically-abled body will always be out of a person’s control. While certain disabilities are more restrictive than others, there are ways to make Pilates accessible to a wider audience. In fact, some disabilities can actively be aided through the use of Pilates.

The most important thing to remember about individuals with disabilities is that they will each come with their own unique needs, strengths, and challenges. By giving individual attention to each client and learning how their body works and what it is capable of, Pilates can serve them as a phenomenal rehabilitation practice to ease painful symptoms of chronic conditions. 

While different body types may require different approaches to a workout, every body type can benefit from Pilates. No matter where a person’s starting place may be, they are capable of growing stronger and more flexible with every session.

Log in to The Alliance, the PMA’s online community forum to share your insights and experiences working with beginners, plus-sized clients, and those with disabilities. Not yet a member? Join the PMA today!

The post How To Ensure Your Pilates Instruction Is For Every Body first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

In 2019, the average retention rate for fitness studios was around 75%. However, COVID-19 has impacted retention significantly. Over the past two years, studios have struggled to keep their clients – and those that have been successful have largely factored in two key components: new services and continued value.

When consumers and clients shifted to virtual options, they changed their perception of value. As a brick-and-mortar space, continuing to keep these clients is vital. Recurring revenue is a key indicator of a successful and profitable Pilates business. As clients return to your studio you want to make sure that they see and feel the perceived value of your offerings.

There are a variety of retention strategies that are essential to any Pilates studio. Each of these strategies plays into a different aspect of your business: building community, providing the best services possible, sharing successes, and of course, marketing.

Building Community

A happy community will keep your business thriving. Clients who love your offerings, enjoy the camaraderie, and share their experiences are not only going to continue to support your business but will also help you grow.

For starters, keep your clients engaged by personalizing their experiences. Offer personalization as often as you can, whether it’s a complimentary mat set-up or regular check-ins via text or e-mail to see how they are doing and progressing.

Remember to greet everyone with a smile, even when you might be having difficulty checking them in for class

Second, continue to offer unique community events that allow clients to get to know one another and invite others into your space. This can be a casual post-class wine and cheese hour, a book club, or a fun trunk show of a new line you’re interested in carrying.

Finally, position your offerings so that they see your business as an investment in their health. The more your clients feel your services are “essential” the more they are going to continue to support you and your staff.

Providing the Best Services Possible

Clients are looking for top-notch services and a full experience when they visit a Pilates studio. They’ve become even more discerning, especially as they return from virtual offerings during the pandemic. The cleaning schedule is paramount, as is maintaining your front desk staff and keeping everything running smoothly.

In addition, you’ll want to focus on what you’re offering and how it can be leveraged to offer even more added value. Maybe this means adding in a free guest pass for members on a regular basis or perhaps adding in your on-demand library to make their membership feel more valuable.

Finally, if you want to improve your retention, look at your offerings. Is there any way you could improve the overall experience for the client? From the moment they walk in the door until they leave—how could you possibly streamline or make them even more satisfied?

Did you know it is 8x easier to retain a client than it is to acquire them?

Boost and Share Successes

It’s likely that the better your clients feel about themselves, the better they will feel about your business. If they see progress in their Pilates practice, if they are feeling stronger and more flexible, they will want to keep returning to see growth. Mark their growth by having fitness challenges or sharing the news of milestone visits on your social media channels. Your goal in creating a fitness-based business was to bring wellness and health to your clients – so why not share their successes and boost them along the way?

Marketing

The final pillar for your retention strategy is marketing. Keep your clients engaged through your social media channels—but keep the content varied. Yes, you’ll want to share information about any schedule changes or new classes, but also give them the opportunity to get to know your staff. We’ve found “Spend a Morning With…” type reels do well with community engagement. Plus, it gives the instructors and the clients an additional way to connect. Every opportunity you have for staff and clients to interact will only boost your retention rate.

The more you can focus on retention the more streamlined and consistent your business will be – both for your clients and for you as the business owner.

Catalina Zbar
Founder, Telomere Consulting
Telomereconsulting.com
@telomereconsulting

Telomere Consulting provides strategic insights and marketing services to studio owners in the boutique fitness space. Catalina and her team provide end-to-end marketing support and would love to hear from you. Click here to book your free intro call. We want you to treat your business the way you treat your body – making the right choices now to optimize its potential for a long and healthy life. Visit us here to learn more. 

The post Retention: the magic component to a successful Pilates studio first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

After three years of putting my new skills to use as a Rehab Fitness Coordinator for an outpatient center in Colorado, I decided to open my own Pilates studio. My experience as a rehab specialist and practitioner of Pilates – plus the knowledge that Pilates was just taking off in popularity in the country – gave me the courage to start my own business.

My studio grew over time. Clients began to express interest in becoming Pilates instructors themselves. There were training programs they could join through franchises or through other studios, but I wanted a solution that kept their training in my own studio. I wanted to teach my students in my own way.

Opening a teacher training program would let me expand my business while training clients I already had strong relationships with. It would deepen my own practice and let me grow a community of Pilates instructors within my own world. Pilates was an invaluable part of my life, and training new instructors meant bringing more people into the fold.

Time and resources were a major roadblock: how could I start my own teacher training studio from the ground up given the sheer volume of information I would need to teach? There weren’t enough hours in the day to run a business and create a curriculum from scratch.

When I learned about Pilates Education Institute in 2014, my prayers were answered. I could open a teacher training school within my studio without creating the materials on my own. PEI gave me a pre-made curriculum that I could use and modify as needed for my students. Over time, I created supplemental resources to customize the program and add on learning from my experience in rehab work. By using PEI’s tools, I could focus on my student teachers instead of wasting time gathering all the materials.

Once I began training students, I learned that the best way to learn is to teach. After students had passed the exam for an apparatus, I allowed them to assist in teaching clients. This fulfilled my student teachers’ necessary observation hours while letting them be members of the team. Both student teachers and clients love this method. The student teachers really get the idea of what it takes to run a successful Pilates business!

Since the PEI curriculum is focused on treating clients as individuals with unique needs, student teachers experienced how to effectively manage client needs across both private and group classes. When PEI moved its curriculum to an easy-to-navigate platform accessible online, my student teachers were thrilled to have this easy-to-access training material…but nothing replaced the times we were teaching together. We became a family. After graduating, I hired my newly trained teachers to teach at my studio and those that moved on have enjoyed successful careers in the Pilates industry.

As the current owner of Pilates Education Institute, I’ve taken my expertise and experience and have added new and exciting tools to that original curriculum solution that launched my career as a Pilates educator. I’ve had dozens of students complete the 450-hour teacher training program successfully. My studio education program, Pilates Career Institute encourages all graduates to join the PMA and attend the national conferences for the experience of being around so many gifted lecturers and just the energy of the conference itself. After all, Pilates teachers are the best support system for one another and that feeling of family continues when we all get together when we can!

—-

Don Spence, NCPT

Director, Pilates Career Institute and Pilates Education Institute

The post From Rehab Specialist to Pilates Studio Director to Teacher Trainer first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

Why?

1. It was the beginning of Pilates; Joseph Pilates began with thirty-four Mat exercises.
2. Everyone can access the Mat. All you need is a Mat (beach towel) and a flat surface!
3. It offers a wonderful community-building opportunity for instructors.

The original 34 bodyweight exercises as presented in Return to Life through Contrology (Pilates, 1945) highlighted the movements without the support of any apparatus. The beauty of Mat and the sequence presented by Joseph Pilates is that each exercise does not stand alone, but rather builds upon or enhances a previous exercise. Students see their progress building strength, length, and confidence as patterns are repeated within many exercises.

I have taught Mat in a Department of Defense gymnasium and a field in Athens, Greece. Currently, I teach on my patio in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, and in a nearby active retirement community. Each class follows our six Principles: Breath, Concentration, Control, Precision, Centering, and Flow, while improving functional movement patterns, strength, and balance. Whether in the gym providing young sailors with a fun(challenging) alternative to traditional physical training, in the field working with first-time marathoners to stay injury-free, on the patio nurturing moms as they recover from birth, or in the retirement community activities of daily living, all Mat Pilates classes are done with consistent goals in place, progress noted, and programs adjusted as needed.

As a movement instructor, Mat is a great way to introduce Pilates to your community while giving back. Offering a donation-based class targeting a local charity or school brings people to you. Although a community center, school gymnasium, or church is ideal, the beach, local park, rooftop, or a backyard work just as well!

Finally, it is worth noting that the practice of Mat is highly inclusive and open for most. Balls, bands, magic circles, and rollers add to the work and fun, but they are not needed. The original thirty-four exercises were prop-free and aligned with Joseph Pilates’ belief that “Contrology is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.”

Dr. Elizabeth Kirby Fullerton, NCPT, NBC-HWC, has a Ph.D. in special education and is a national board-certified health and wellness coach and Pilates instructor. She is a member of the PMA Board of Directors.

The post The Message of the Mat first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

As Pilates Professionals, we are proud to help our clients discover enhanced movement patterns, build their core strength, stand taller with better posture, and gain overall health and well-being.  Our healthcare professions colleagues share similar pride in helping patients move away from illness or injury, though each profession approaches this from its own vantage point and through its unique scope of practice.

My role as a registered nurse and health professions educator affords me the daily opportunity to interact with individuals from many different healthcare backgrounds.  We all share commonalities, including a deep desire to help those who need our care, to make a difference in others’ lives, and to be of service to the community.

So, how can we as Pilates professionals most effectively partner with those in the more traditional healthcare professions to expand the reach of Pilates to the broader public?

We should first seek to understand the work healthcare professionals actually do – rather than make assumptions about their roles – as each profession has a regulatory scope of practice that describes its work.

Many Pilates professionals work closely with physical therapists, whether it is through referrals and/or a form of collaborative practice.  However, there are other healthcare professionals that share similar beliefs about health, well-being, and the power of movement.

For example, many individuals are only familiar with nurses who work with patients experiencing disease, yet the nursing scope of practice includes not only the facilitation of healing, but the promotion of health.  Chiropractors focus on spinal health and emphasize that the body heals itself. Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians, also known as physiatrists, work with patients who have physical impairments to restore their function and quality of life.  Mental health social workers treat patients with a wide array of emotional issues, including depression and anxiety, which are becoming increasingly commonplace in our current environment and could certainly be helped by a movement practice.  All of these healthcare professionals and others have the potential to become our collaborators in promoting Pilates practice to help physical, mental, and emotional challenges that individuals face.

Second, we should treat each as a person, not a project, as healthcare professionals are first and foremost people.

They have to actually be interested in Pilates themselves and gain some basic understanding of it before they will recommend it to patients.  A family nurse practitioner, with little knowledge of movement practice, recently remarked to me, “Tell me how Pilates could help ME become healthier, before we even focus on how it can help my patients.”

Third, as with all aspects of business, we should cultivate personal relationships.

Invite your primary care nurse practitioner or physician to attend one of your classes. Offer to do a private session for them or offer to attend a class with them as an exercise partner.  I did this with my chiropractor, who not only attended a class with me, but now explains the benefits of Pilates to appropriate patients and encourages them to pursue it.  He is what I would refer to as a “fan” of ours!  Though these individuals might not take you up on your offer to attend a class, it opens the door to continued conversation about Pilates.

Remember that no one wants to be in a one-sided relationship, so if you are seeking to partner with healthcare professionals, be sure to make it worth their time.  Perhaps they could offer a short educational session or a write-up for your email blast on their practice for your clients, introducing them to chiropractic care, physiatry, etc., and how it could be beneficial.

Ultimately, such relationships can broaden sources of revenue as Pilates and other health-related practices become more visible to each other and to the general public. This not only expands our Pilates client base, but helps improve the lives of our current clients as they progress along their wellness journey.

The post Three Ways Pilates Professionals Can Start To Build Relationships with Healthcare Professionals first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

Seeking out client feedback may feel intimidating or awkward, but without that beneficial data trying to find new ways to improve your business and draw in new clients can feel like flying blind. Client feedback can:

• Generate ideas for new services and offerings
• Identify blindspots and overlooked opportunities for growth
• Open channels for communicating concerns to retain clients
• Promote a sense of cooperation and collaboration
• Generate new client referrals

Listening to your customers and taking their feedback into consideration also benefits your business in other ways. In the health and wellness industry, word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools for building your client base and reputation. As a Pilates instructor, your practice is already deeply rooted in providing excellent customer service and connecting with your clients on a personal level. While this combination of professionalism, approachability, and charisma goes a long way in client retention, it can also help you to draw in new customers.

Gathering Client Feedback: Choosing a Platform

Implementing a client feedback system doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it can be as simple as adding a suggestion box or printing short survey forms for your clients to complete. However, online feedback platforms offer more versatility for both management and use of the gathered information. While there are pros and cons to either method, here are a few things you should consider:

Paper forms:

• The greatest amount of control over the dissemination of feedback
• Allow for immediate collection of feedback after services rendered
• Challenging to organize, store, and manage (and tons of paper waste)
• Less anonymity which may skew results

Online Forms:

• Generates content for cross-platform promotion
• Easy to organize and manage from anywhere at anytime
• Requires more active attention to stay on top of potential negative feedback on public forums
• Greater anonymity may make it more difficult to follow up

Creating Incentives for Customer Feedback

Choosing a medium for getting customer feedback is only the first step. Creating incentives for your customers to provide feedback can help you get the data you need to build your Pilates business. To help encourage your clients to provide their thoughts and feedback, consider offering one of the following incentives.

• A rewards program
• Discounted training sessions
• Discounts on shop products
• Raffle entries for a prize
• Free one-on-one sessions for referrals

Other Ways to Use Your Client Base to Promote Your Business

Happy customers are any business’ best source for free promotion. For health and wellness professionals this is especially true. Social media makes it easier than ever to gather great promotional content in the moment through video clips of classes, client progress posts, and even testimonials. Moreover, by offering incentives for your clients to follow your accounts and engage with your posts, you can ensure your brand has the furthest reach possible. Some fun ways to increase your online engagement include:

• Daily, weekly, or monthly specials unlocked by following and sharing your account
• Polls and surveys for choosing fun class themes or other offerings
• First-come first-serve online engagement specials (e.g First 10 to comment get a prize)
• New client specials for sharing a review on their social media accounts
• Social media-based contests for free sessions or waived monthly fees

Looking for more ways to engage with your audience and use your existing client base to your advantage? Join our PMA’s member-only community forum for more great ideas! Login here.

The post Customer Feedback As a Tool to Build Your Pilates Business first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

It might surprise many to know that Joseph Pilates was a yoga practitioner. He was greatly influenced by the Pawanmutka Series of yoga. In fact, the moves Pilates laid down in his book, Return to Life Through Contrology, look suspiciously like this “wind releasing” series.

When used in tandem, yoga and Pilates are a powerful duo. The tension-releasing movement form alone of yoga Asana practice offers an immense opportunity to take the tension off a joint and better align your body. Combining this with the neutralizing and stabilizing properties of Pilates for the spine and joints holds great potential for solving a host of our clients’ alignment-rooted ailments. This is especially true for the hunched- over home office locked-down Zoom meeting postures so many are experiencing today.

Additionally, both Yoga and Pilates involve the use of breath.

Yogic Krias, such as Kapalabahti, Nadi Shodena, or Shitali, are all breathing exercises, but they are considered cleanses and are not intended as stability helpers the way a Pilates scoop might be used. In Pilates mat class repertoires, we encounter the percussive breath right at the start — and the 100s leads off the series with a breathing style that looks a lot like a yoga Kria.

The main difference between yoga Asana practice and mat Pilates is the dynamic delivery of Pilates. For example, the Plough in Yoga looks like our Pilates Roll Over on the mat, or even like Long Spine on the Reformer. Where one might use the breath to go deeper into the pose In the Plough, breath in the Pilates Roll Over could be used to support the movement of mobilization of the exercise. In either case, breath is critical and fundamental to both.

Joseph Pilates sampled and remixed practices that spoke to him, including yoga, ballet, and the sports of the day. We have him to thank for this experimentation that has so influenced the fitness world.

I encourage you to review the Pawanmutka Series and Joseph Pilates’ book and then consider how you might support your clients’ overall progress with a healthy combination of both yoga and Pilates.

Karolina Schmid NCPT, YA E-RYT500, is the owner of PILATESwiss Switzerland and the author of The Visceral Approach to Pilates. She serves on the PMA Board of Directors and is a former university lecturer in sociology.

The post The Complementary Power of Pilates and Yoga first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.