The Studio CEO: Business Coaching For Yoga & Pilates Teachers & Studio Owners

Selling Certifications: Interested to Enrolled

• Jackie Murphy • Episode 14

Share episode

Send Jackie A Message!

What if your yoga or Pilates certification program could attract an entirely new audience and significantly boost enrollment? 

Welcome to the Episode 14 of the Studio CEO Podcast, where I teach you how to break free from the common marketing pitfall of speaking only to those already interested in certification. 

In this episode of Studio CEO, you'll learn: 

  • How to transform your approach by broadening your reach to individuals seeking career changes or new opportunities. 
  • Strategic insights on guiding potential clients from initial curiosity to full commitment, ensuring your program doesn't just plateau—but thrives. 
  • Unlock advanced marketing skills with our newly revamped Grow Mastermind program, designed to empower you with tools like re-marketing ads, enhancing your Google presence, and automating business processes—all crucial for taking your business to the next level.

By understanding the varying levels of awareness among potential clients, you’ll learn how to connect with each group effectively and showcase the unique aspects of your programs. Don't miss the chance to learn how to lift your marketing game to new heights.

Work with Jackie Murphy
Start with the Thrive in 2025
Learn about The Business of Yoga Program
Apply for the Mastermind

Speaker 1:

Most yoga and Pilates business owners struggle to sell their certification programs or sell out their certification programs, not because they're not great at what they do. It's because they're making one simple marketing mistake that ends up leaving a lot of people behind, but also a lot of money on the table in your business. In this episode, we're going to talk about how to sell your certification. Well, welcome to the Studio CEO, the only podcast that empowers yoga and Pilates teachers and studio owners to step confidently into their role as CEO. If you are ready to show up with passion, take your business seriously and scale to new heights without burning out scale to new heights without burning out you are in the right place. I'm your host, jackie Murphy, an award-winning certified business coach with over 12 years of experience inside the yoga industry. I have seen firsthand what it takes to build a profitable and scalable business. Join me as we dive into strategies, insights and real-world advice that will help you grow your revenue, build a thriving team and create a business that serves you as much as you serve your students. It's time to embrace your inner CEO and make more money without working more. This is just the beginning. Hello, welcome back to the Studio CEO Podcast. I am Jackie Murphy and we have such a thorough episode for you today that this is going to be one that, if you are selling a certification, you are definitely going to want to save or listen to or take notes from, but even if you're marketing or selling anything, this is going to be incredibly helpful. So star this episode.

Speaker 1:

I do just want to mention we have had some crazy weather in Charleston over the past few weeks. We had snow down here, which quite literally, like never snows down here, once in a blue moon, and so that was wild and it was very cold, and now today it is almost 80 degrees and sunny, and I think, with the weather changes, my voice is feeling the effects of that. So I'm a little bit hoarse today recording this podcast. So stick with me, bear with me, because what I have to say is worth listening to this voice. And then the second thing I want to tell you is that if you share this episode on your social media Instagram page and tag me at the business of yoga, you will be entered to win an a hundred dollar gift card. And I don't mean an a hundred dollar gift card to Jackie Murphy coaching, I mean an a hundred dollar gift card wherever you want it. If that's your local grocery store, great, let's get your groceries. If that's a local studio that you want to take a few classes at, you want to buy a class pack, great, let's do it. So if you share the episode, tag me, you'll be entered to win each week it has to be that week's episode and then you'll be entered to win the gift card. But, like, don't sleep on that. It helps me because thank you for sharing this podcast and it will help you because, hey, a hundred bucks helps everybody. Yeah, we never say no to free money.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so today we're talking about the real reason. Your certification program might not be selling out or selling as well as you want it to, and this may be happening for you if your marketing has only spoken to the people who already want a certification, because you are missing out on the opportunity to create new awareness and new demand about your certification. So let me say that in more layman's terms, why I'm recording this episode is because when I am working with clients or scrolling social media and I come across marketing for certifications whether it's your Matt Pilates certification or it's your 200 hour yoga teacher certification, most common. The way that people are marketing this is become a yoga teacher or join our certification or get 200 hour teacher training now, and that sort of messaging only works for a small percentage of your audience and leaves out a majority of the people. You, in this type of messaging, are mistakenly assuming that if someone is interested in yoga praladis, that they will naturally understand what it means to be certified and know what you're talking about. When you say 200 hour certification, it also assumes that because they might be around your studio or in your business and you have a certification, that they'll naturally just want your certification and they'll find your certification. But the truth is most potential people who will take your certifications are not currently actively seeking your certification program right now.

Speaker 1:

There are a small percentage of people that wake up thinking, oh my God, I want to become a certified Pilates teacher today. But most people are waking up thinking I feel so stuck in my dead end career and I don't know what to do next. Or I would love to make 500 extra dollars a month and I have no idea what side job or hobby I want to have. Or they're just waking up thinking, gosh, I'm in so much stress, I'm in so much physical pain and I would love to really know how to solve that. Or they're just going to class, or going to yoga, pilates, but they're not considering that it could be a career for them or something that they give back to their community.

Speaker 1:

And often our marketing only speaks to people who already want a certification and it doesn't speak to all those other people, which that's when you miss the opportunity to create new demand, and this is why most certification programs will hit a plateau where you can enroll. It's different for every client that I work with, but, like, sometimes your plateau is at 12. And, no matter what you do, every time you launch your certification you're getting 12 people, 10 to 12 people. Or sometimes your plateau is at 30 people and, no matter what you do, your plateau is at 30 and you can't seem to get more if you want more Not that you have to have more, but if you've hit a plateau. This might be the reason why that you're only speaking to people who already know about your certification and know that they want a certification, instead of taking people to awareness through curiosity, to fully committing to your certification.

Speaker 1:

Now, when this is happening essentially the thing that is going on. That I want you to be really aware about in all of your marketing is who are you thinking about? If you are marketing based on what you know? You know what it means to have a 200-hour certification. You know that it could be a thriving and fulfilling career. You know that it can help them in their practice.

Speaker 1:

If you're marketing from your own awareness level and that's how you create your marketing it's going to go over most of your audience's head, and I don't mean because they're not intelligent. They are. They just don't have the same experience and awareness that you already have. So when you create your marketing, you always want to be marketing to the awareness level of your audience. So like what do they know? Do they know what the words 200 hour RYT mean or 500 hour RYT? Do they know what the words 200-hour RYT mean or 500-hour RYT? Do they know what the difference between yen and restorative? Do they know what the difference between reformer and mat is and what does it look like to get Pilates certified?

Speaker 1:

When you do this, you will naturally stand out, because if you're marketing from your level of awareness and you're only speaking to warm buyers, you're competing in a very crowded space. Online teacher trainings are very common now, online certifications very common in 2025. Weren't so common back then, but now it's a very crowded space and if everyone's marketing says, become a yoga teacher, get certified here, of course it's going to be white noise and everything else that's out there. You're going to be ignoring the biggest segment of your potential audience because they just aren't at that level of awareness yet, like they're not Googling 200 hour RYT certification, so we're missing them. We're not going to show up for them, but they still are out there, still are struggling with problems that your certification could solve, but they don't know that yet.

Speaker 1:

And the bottom line is, if this is you one, there's no judgment, right, this podcast is always to help you. No judgment at all, but you're making sales way harder than they need to be. Instead of building demand and warming people up over time, you're only trying to speak to and close the small group of people who are already ready to buy. I have to say that again, you need to write it down You're making sales harder than they need to be because, instead of building demand and getting more people to be aware and warming them up over time when you open your certification, you're only thinking about the small group of people who are already ready to buy in that moment. I speak about this in other episodes. This is essentially the difference between on-off selling. You can't turn your certification on and off when it comes to your selling and marketing. It always needs to be going. So here's what needs to change Instead of only selling to the people who already know they want a certification, you need to start creating demand for your certification by speaking to people earlier in their journey.

Speaker 1:

So what we're going to do is we're going to sell to three groups, three main groups of awareness levels. The first level are people who are in pain, but they have not connected that a certification could be their solution. The second level is people who know that getting certified is an option but, for whatever reason, they haven't chosen yours or they don't know about yours specifically. And the third level is the people who you are most likely speaking to, the people who already want a certification and they just need a help making that decision. So you're shifting your perspective and your marketing to be on a journey with your people to help them realize that certification could be a solution, that your certification is a solution, and then you're helping them make a decision. You're going to unlock so many more people who you could potentially help.

Speaker 1:

So let's talk about the first level. I'm going to give you some examples. Obviously, let's talk about the first level of awareness. These are the people that are not even aware that certification is the answer to their problem. They are struggling with their health, they're struggling with stress, they feel isolated, they feel lonely, they don't like their career, but they aren't looking for a certification as an answer to those problems because they haven't connected the dots they're searching for how do I relieve stress? How do I find more purpose in work? How do I create a fulfilling schedule they're looking for, how do I get into community? And at this level of awareness, your messaging needs to start with the problem they're experiencing and then introduce the certification as a possibility.

Speaker 1:

For example, feeling stuck in your job. Yoga certification changed my life. Here's how it can change your too. I would make that way more specific for your specific experience with yoga certification. One of the things I love to ask my clients is calculate how much money you've made past certification so that you can see the true ROI on your certification. So I might, in this one, say feeling stuck in your job. So I might, in this one, say feeling stuck in your job, becoming a certified yoga teacher has made me millions of dollars up to this point, and that is possible for you too. Does that feel bold? Does that feel more catchy? That's what we want. So imagine another example struggling with stress. Becoming Pilates certified doesn't just heal your body, it can heal your stress too, which Pilates instructors know is true, right?

Speaker 1:

This is a really, really important thing to touch on is I don't want you to be afraid of actually selling the transformation or the result of certification. Don't downplay it, don't hide the truth. Like my life has changed because I got certified. I quite literally have made millions because of one yoga teacher certification. That is wild. That's wild. I have to tell people that Now does that mean that's going to happen for every single person in my certification? No, but it's a possibility. And how do I know which person that's going to be real for I don't. So it's my duty to be honest about the experience I've had. Share those personal stories. Share the transformations that have happened If you've led multiple certifications. Share your clients' transformations and their journeys. Tap into marketing that actually connects their real life struggle with the emotional state that they will be in after certification or the transformation they'll have after certification. So that's group one.

Speaker 1:

Group number two is the people who, like they know they want something to change. They maybe know about certification already and they are searching like how do I transition into a wellness career? How do I deepen my yoga practice, best side jobs for fitness levels? So they have a little bit more awareness. Like they're like okay, I see people doing this, I know this is an option for me, but for some reason they haven't found your certification as the solution. This is just a little side note.

Speaker 1:

I actively track Google keywords and what's searched most often on the internet for my own marketing and I will tell you that more people are searching how to open a Pilates studio each month than ever before. There is just a mess of people out there who think that opening a studio right off the bat is the answer and you need to step in. And when they search for open a Pilates studio, you should have an ad right there that's like become Pilates certified first. Want a career in Pilates, want a wellness career? Like take the certification. You have to meet people at their awareness level, and right now our society's awareness level is that the Pilates studios seem like they're thriving, so let me just open one of those. But what else does it take? Be there with your certification.

Speaker 1:

So you need to message here to your people, who already know about the certification as an option, and they already know that they're looking into a career change or solving a problem that they have, and so your messaging is going to be mostly focused on how your certification is going to help them. It's going to show them that the desire that they want is possible through your certification. Okay, so if I were to say, like the first group, the people who are unaware and more focused on their problem, your messaging is going to be focused on like hey, this pain point is solvable with this thing. The second group they already are aware, right, they have awareness of their problem, they have awareness of a potential solution. So your messaging is going to be all about the desire that they want to have. Like, why are people searching to open a Pilates studio? They desire to have financial freedom, impact, they want to be a Pilates princess. Like you have to tap into this desire that they deeply have, and so your marketing here is going to be all about. Like you could have a career that you're so passionate about that your alarm clock doesn't have to wake you up anymore, like your passion wakes you up before your alarm. That's possible with this certification. Or you could have messaging. That's like how this certification can give you not only flexibility but financial stability that you've been dreaming of. So you're really speaking to the desire that they want, so that they hear your message, because they're already interested. They just need someone to say yes, right here. This is the thing you can have.

Speaker 1:

And then the third group of people that you're going to be speaking to is the group of people that you've most commonly probably already spoken to the highly aware buyer, the person that's like I'm getting certified and I know it, but which certification will I do? They are actively going to Google and being like best yoga teacher training, best Pilates certification, pilates certification online. And at this level. When you're marketing to these people, you have to talk about how your offer is different. You have to tell people like what is it that you do in your certification that is different than all the other options out there, so that they understand how important it is to join your certification Marketing. Like this you could do a post that's like there's so many certifications out there, here's what to consider before you choose. And then help them understand what to look at before they choose that certification.

Speaker 1:

Because they don't know right, like you and I know that doing a $90 online certification is not the same as doing a three-week immersive in-person certification. Or they don't know that having a certification that barely touches on anatomy isn't really going to set them up for true success. One really common one is they don't know that if they're not teaching from day one of their certification, then them actually standing up in front of a group of people feeling confident is probably not going to. What that means is you have to educate them. You have to share with them what they need to know that you already know.

Speaker 1:

Does your certification create confident teachers? That's a unique thing. Does your certification create intelligent teachers? Does your certification really focus on helping them find their specific teaching style in their niche? And listen, you can't tell me your certification does all three. That doesn't make you different. You need to know what you are best at. You don't need to be the best at everything. All right. So those are the three types of buyers. That third type of buyer is really going to be. You're going to need to know how to do remarketing ads so you can hit up your already warm audience. These are going to be the sales that happen in person, in the DMs, with people who already know you, and so having the skills to do that are going to be really, really imperative.

Speaker 1:

Now, when you do this, when you speak to these three groups of people, here's what's going to happen You're not just going to have one little group of people that's going to be ready every time you open your certification, but you're going to have a full pipeline of interested people because you're speaking to the entire journey. You're going to increase your demand over time by showing more and more people that your certification solves their problems, and you're going to be able to fill your programs more consistently rather than relying on, like pushing through, hustling right when you have an opening. If you've hit a plateau, if you find that selling teacher training is getting harder and harder the more that you sell. This is why this is the problem that's been going on.

Speaker 1:

Now, this episode, you guys, is quite heavy and in depth, and part of me was like, should I say all this on the podcast? And then I decided, of course but if this is something that you want to talk through, that you're like, okay, I need to understand how specifically to do this for my certification then I want to invite you into two programs. Program number one is the Business of Yoga program. It is open right now. You don't have to wait to join us inside of the Business of Yoga program. This is where you can get weekly coaching, daily written coaching. You have the option to like get in today and start learning the sales skills that you need.

Speaker 1:

Program number two is called the Grow Mastermind, and we have just revamped the Grow Mastermind in a brand new way that I'm going to be telling you about over the next few episodes of this podcast. But this is where you are going to learn more advanced marketing skills, like how to run remarketing ads and how to actually show up on Google, plus how to make your business more automated. This is going to open up in March, so if you are like, huh, that sounds really good, just stay tuned because more is coming. I just want to get you excited that it has changed. If you looked at it last year compared to this year, we have a new offer for you. So just be ready in March, if you know that's for you. Either way, you guys send me a DM, tell me what you thought about this podcast, share the podcast so you can be entered to win a $100 gift card and I will talk to you all in the next episode. Have fun selling.