Have you ever had a private client bring their partner or friend to a private lesson and wondered exactly what you should be doing? Have you ever struggled to teach private lessons to a couple who had wildly different physical and emotional needs? In today’s episode we are going to cover all that and more!
In this episode you’ll hear:
- how to meet the needs of two individuals who have completely different needs
- how to do an intake with two people
- what to charge for a 2 person private lesson
- how to manage the dynamics of a couple in an appropriate way
- how you might break them up if that is best for everyone
I’ve had clients sneak in extra people into their private lesson (an out of town visitor or partner)! What do you do in this case? Do you let it slide? Or does bringing up extra people, and subsequent rate differences from the start avoid any sneakiness for you? I haven’t found a good way to avoid this happening and rarely feel comfortable enforcing a rate change! How do you handle situations like this?
Great question! This is really tricky if you have students buy packages up front. That is one of the reasons I prefer to invoice my clients at the end of month for all the sessions they had. When this has happened to you before did your client let you know ahead of time they would be brining someone else to their lesson?
What an awesome resource! I love your very clear 5 steps and I learned so much from your descriptions of the dynamics between various pairs of people you’ve taught! I realize now that when I taught 1 person from the couple I’m working with separately, he was a little bit uncomfortable and talked a lot. That would have been a great opportunity to shift to a more hands-on approach, or another way to help him be more in his body than in his mind. I’d forgotten it could be a chance to help them realize why they may want to work separately — because this couple is clearly practicing together as a way to bond. (They also work as a pair with a personal trainer at the gym.) Thank you for the structure of starting together, splitting off, ending together. That clicks and I’m excited to put it into practice when I teach that couple later this week!
Oh, and I loved your honesty about how you feel about partner yoga poses!!!! I felt a visceral sense of wow – thank you! Because it gave me clearer permission to not teach the kinds of experiences that haven’t resonated in my body / experience. (I have occasionally taught some partner poses and found it fun because they do sometimes work in my body. Usually very simple stuff, but still — it introduces a whole lot of additional dynamics with the people you’re teaching!! The things I don’t tend to teach are stronger flows & any more-complicated/goal-oriented poses.) This whole piece reminded me of the other pairs I’ve taught before, including mother-daughter, other colleagues, and the couples who regularly attend my group classes. Again, I’d forgotten some of the things that I’d learned in those previous teaching experiences and it’s great to remember some of what I already know! THANK YOU!!!!!
Oh you are so welcome Janie! I am so happy those 5 steps were helpful! And I love that my stories reminded you of some of your own experiences and wisdom. If I’ve helped you remember how much you already know I’ve definitely done my job! 🙂 <3
This was very helpful! I just had a new private client ask me about how will their private session vary if they were to invite their friend or sibling. I worked with a couple over the summer for 3 sessions and this episode reminded me about the varying dynamics, motives, etc. that the initial private client may have in regards to inviting another student into the session. Keep up the great work!
Oh, I’m so happy this was helpful Aisha! I’m thrilled to be on this path with you! 🙂
Wow this was so helpful. Thank you for sharing 🙂 The way you handled the couples “thermostat” issue was great haha…really helpful fr us to know. Cheers
You are so welcome! I’m so happy this was helpful! 🙂
Of course yet another amazing episode! I have a mother-daughter duo taking private sessions with me right now. The daughter is battling some major health issues, so she often misses her session (the mom comes by herself; the daughter comes by herself when she is feeling good). Because they paid upfront, I’m not sure how I’d collect more money. Perhaps I should take the advice you give above and have them pay at the end of the month. These are lovely folks and I’m sure they would pay. But don’t I run the risk of not getting paid at all? Thank you for any advice you have!
Yes, this is one of the reasons that I don’t do packages and I have people pay at the end of the month for all the sessions they had (including privates, unplanned duets and late cancels). The only way you wouldn’t get paid at all is if they stopped working with you, which seems unlikely. How long have you been teaching them?