The One Hour Yoga Business Makeover

[Administrator]

This is the place to ask questions about the call with Trina about
rescuing her yoga business.

Please share your thoughts with us!

Shanti.

Harlan

The audio is here: http://www.buildyouryogabusiness.com/ideas.html

[garyhalperin]

I want to thank Harlan for his time and for sharing the one hour yoga business makeover. i think a lot of the ideas on this site are good and I appreciate that it is all free. I listened to the full hour of the yoga business makeover.

I would predict that the ideas he gave Trina will not lead to enough sign-ups for her to do her program and cause her to lose more money.

To spend $1200 for a yoga vacation, most people will have to "know" the yoga teacher. This means the teacher is famous, like a Rodney Yee. Or the person would have already taken classes or a class with the teacher leading the program. So people who go to Trina's website (not matter what changes she makes on it) from google searches or craigslist ads are not likely to sign up for her program, in my opinion, because that is too much money and too big a trip to take with an unknown teacher.

I know a successful yoga teacher who leads successful international retreats. He tried the exact thing that Harlan suggested regarding google ads for a yoga retreat a few years ago. He got a lot of click throughs (so spent money) but got zero sign-ups from the google ads.

I hope Trina's yoga retreat is successful.

[Administrator]

Originally Posted by garyhalperin

To spend $1200 for a yoga vacation, most people will have to "know" the yoga teacher. This means the teacher is famous, like a Rodney Yee. Or the person would have already taken classes or a class with the teacher leading the program. So people who go to Trina's website (not matter what changes she makes on it) from google searches or craigslist ads are not likely to sign up for her program, in my opinion, because that is too much money and too big a trip to take with an unknown teacher.

Gary, I would respectfully suggest that your issue is one of mindset.

I've looked into many yoga retreats - and not one of the factors was who was teaching.

I looked into location and dates.

I looked into the types of meals served. (I'd love raw foods/vegan)

But who was teaching? Not an issue.

Again, it's your opinion that it is too much money. That tells me more than anything you need to deal with money issues. Let me assure you, people who are looking for yoga retreats do not have those issues. And frankly, I think her retreat is underpriced.

I spend day in and day out designing pay per click campaigns for clients. I've sold much more expensive programs, seminars, and vacations than Trina is offering.

If Trina follows my suggestions and uses the automated email marketing system I outline, she won't be a stranger - she will be a trusted friend.

I just sold out a seminar for $2497 with a $500 paid in full discount. Now I'm working on a $5000 seminar using - pay per click advertising.

As far as spending money on pay per click and not getting results, it's all in the tracking. You don't spend money if you are not making money.

I spent hours tracking every dime I spend on pay per click.

Last year, I spent over $90,000 on pay per click.

That's right. $90,000. (Every few months Google sends me some little present as a love note.)

Why would I do that?

Because Google "gives me money" for every dollar I spend (and then some.)

But let's return to Trina and marketing in general and yoga in specific.

In my classes with Sara, I'm not allowed to use the word can't as in, "I can't get into that position."

Because "can't" becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I can say, "I haven't gotten into that position...yet."

If anyone believes my techniques won't work - they're right.

But if someone believes my marketing techniques will work - they're right too.

Sara was kind of doubtful my techniques would work. But she's tested them and guess what...

Not only is she a believer - she's actually in the field testing and improving what I've taught her.

To this date I think she has quietly become the most strategic marketing yoga teacher in the world.

Everything comes from mindset.

[yogarocks]

Harlan,

I really thought the audios were fantastic and I got a lot of good ideas from them. I've used pay per click before but not for yoga (just for affiliate marketing) . I'd love to see more tips on that as time goes on (ie what goes into a good adwords ad).

I also thought your suggestion about enlisting yoga studio owners was excellent as well as the craigslist postings being more widespread.

In terms of Gary's point, do you think that perhaps putting up a few videos on her website of her doing some yoga with a class or alone might be a way people would get more of a sense of her as a person? I'm sure you know this but I think it's pretty easy to stick the code from youtube on a blogger blog so if she uploaded a video on youtube of herself then it could be put on a blog she creates.

Anyway I really appreciate the 1 hour audios and may start a post with questions about applying those ideas in another context .

Debbie

[garyhalperin]

so if your suggestions for trina work, then you are right. and if they don't work, you can say that is because she did not think they would work.


again, i want to say that much of what you have shared on the site and in emails i think is good and useful. I think on this issue of promoting international yoga retreats, you are not familiar enough with the product to give the best advice. but we shall see how it plays out. I hope you let us know by email how your plan works for Trina. If you are right, I will be the first to give you credit.

[Administrator]

Originally Posted by garyhalperin

so if your suggestions for trina work, then you are right. and if they don't work, you can say that is because she did not think they would work.

No, that's not what I said at all.

There are two aspects to success here:

One is mindset. If Trina doesn't believe that what I do will work, I can promise you that it won't.

The second is following my suggestions. Believing without doing doesn't get results. If she doesn't do the Adwords, use the keywords I suggested,
make changes to her website (including the url), and capture and email leads, it won't work despite the beliefs.

What made Sara a huge success is that she not only believed, she carried out.

In fact, she carried out so much we've basically turned the marketing pipeline off for now.

And in a short while, Sara will be leading yoga retreats - and we will market them with the exact same methods I shared with Trina.

Originally Posted by garyhalperin

again, i want to say that much of what you have shared on the site and in emails i think is good and useful. I think on this issue of promoting international yoga retreats, you are not familiar enough with the product to give the best advice. but we shall see how it plays out. I hope you let us know by email how your plan works for Trina. If you are right, I will be the first to give you credit.

Gary, one of the first rules of marketing you need to understand is the same rules apply whether I'm promoting a yoga retreat, yoga business, or local ice cream shop.

You've got to identify the market - I don't believe Trina had done this.

You've got to get the attention of the market - Trina had not done this.

You've got to communicate and build a relationship with the market - Trina had not done this.

You've got to make a compelling offer to the market - Trina had not done this either.

If Trina follows the steps I outlined - and I believe she will - then she can fill the retreat.

Mexico yoga retreats is a highly searched term on the Internet.

There is clearly a market for this.

The only question is, can she connect with them.

Peace.

Harlan

[Administrator]

Originally Posted by yogarocks

I really thought the audios were fantastic and I got a lot of good ideas from them. I've used pay per click before but not for yoga (just for affiliate marketing) . I'd love to see more tips on that as time goes on (ie what goes into a good adwords ad).

All in due time. There's a lot more coming.

Originally Posted by yogarocks

I also thought your suggestion about enlisting yoga studio owners was excellent as well as the craigslist postings being more widespread.

In terms of Gary's point, do you think that perhaps putting up a few videos on her website of her doing some yoga with a class or alone might be a way people would get more of a sense of her as a person? I'm sure you know this but I think it's pretty easy to stick the code from youtube on a blogger blog so if she uploaded a video on youtube of herself then it could be put on a blog she creates.

Anyway I really appreciate the 1 hour audios and may start a post with questions about applying those ideas in another context .

Debbie

Video does an amazing job of getting peoples' attention. That's why Sara and I use video here.

But I did not think I could do an effective job of teaching the use of video in a one hour call.

[That reminds me, I owe my mentoring clients a teleseminar on the use of video.]

I wanted Trina to show them what is going to happen in a typical day. I would even take them from the airport to the retreat and tell them what to expect.

Because...

The more you tell, the more you sell.

[garyhalperin]

Harlan,

can you share how you were able to determine that trina's site was getting no hits? what do you do on a computer to check that?

[garyhalperin]

also, how do you know this

"Mexico yoga retreats is a highly searched term on the Internet."

and highly searched compared to what?

[Administrator]

Originally Posted by garyhalperin

Harlan,

can you share how you were able to determine that trina's site was getting no hits? what do you do on a computer to check that?

There is a sneaky little tool known as the Alexa tool bar that rates sites based on popularity and traffic.

The most popular site on the Internet (or #1 on Alexa) is Yahoo.com

Trina's site is so low it didn't even have a rating.

While the Alexa bar is not fool proof, without going inside her site, it gives an indication of what's going on.