Season 5, Episode 9: Why would anyone choose me, and how do I tell them?

Tania Huddart: I'd say the most unique thing about your business is you. Only you can teach like you. Nobody else can. And the same goes for every teacher who works with you. So when you wonder why anyone would choose you over the studio two blocks down, that's where the answer starts.

Host: Welcome to Build Confidence and Purpose with Pilates. I'm here with Tania Huddart: Pilates teacher, teacher trainer and author of Teach Pilates with Confidence and Pilates & Purpose. Both voices you'll hear are made with AI. Every word Tania says is her own, and she's approved each one.

Last episode was about protecting what you've built. This one is about being chosen. Why would anyone choose me, and how do I tell them?

Tania Huddart: You start by knowing where you sit. Then you look after people well, from the very first email. And then you tell them, in their own words. That's the order the academy takes it in, and I think it's the right one.

Host: Where do you sit? What does that mean?

Tania Huddart: Look at the other studios and teachers around you, and what they're doing. Then think about where you sit among them. I do this about once a year. Somebody new may have opened. Somebody may have closed. Anything can change.

And this isn't to criticise anyone. It's certainly not to beat yourself with a stick because you don't do things the way they do. You've set up your business to suit you. It has to work for you. Don't try to be somebody else. That way lies disaster.

Host: So what do you actually compare?

Tania Huddart: Their services. Their prices. How long they've been in business, compared with you. Whether they're after the same clients as you. Then their strengths and weaknesses, and yours. What's the difference between you?

Then there's your value proposition. That's what you stand for in the market. What are you offering that's different? And if you have other teachers, be clear about the kind of teacher you're looking for. What values do they need to share with you? They're part of your difference too.

It isn't a contest. It's a map.

Host: Can I push back a little? Couldn't I just be the cheaper option?

Tania Huddart: You could. But I wouldn't. If you're cheaper than everyone else, your pricing model is probably wrong. And you're undercutting the market, which means everyone in our industry suffers. Your difference is never your price. It's you.

And be clear about what you offer. Your services are up to you. Mat classes, equipment classes, privates, duos, trios. Choose the ones you want to teach, and plan them around your energy. And leave time to work on the business, not only in it. The emails. The bills. The phone calls back.

Host: And knowing who you're for?

Tania Huddart: That matters too. Your ideal client tells you your target market. Then you can ask how big it is. Say you love working with golfers. Could you find out how many members the golf clubs near you have? Then guess how many might want Pilates. Maybe ten per cent. Now you've got a number.

And think about what might change their spending. Is it seasonal? Do they only play on sunny days? If you teach skiers, what do you offer them in summer, when there's no snow?

Then you can answer the real question. Why would a customer choose you over somebody else?

Host: Let's go to the second part, then. Looking after people. Where does that start?

Tania Huddart: From the minute somebody contacts you. The welcome starts long before the door.

How do you answer their first email? Do you give them enough information? Do you offer to talk? Something like, "Thank you so much for asking about classes. I'd love to find a time to talk, so I can tell you more, and see if we can find a time that suits us both."

Then, once they've booked, what do you send? "Thanks for your booking. It's on this day, at this time. Here's where we are. Here's where to park, and the public transport. Here's what to wear and what to bring. Here's how to pay. And please be aware of my cancellation policy." Very clear. And then your name, and how to reach you.

Host: And when they arrive?

Tania Huddart: What do you do when they come to your door for the first time? Sit behind your desk and say, "I'll be with you in a minute"? Or do you stand up, go and greet them, and make them welcome? Show them where to sit. Ask them a few questions. Maybe you look at their posture before you get them onto the equipment.

Some studios offer a free half-hour meet and greet before the first class. It's a lovely way to start. A client who feels looked after tells their friends.

Host: What if it doesn't click with someone?

Tania Huddart: It happens. You're working with a client, and you're just not gelling. Do you have another teacher you could refer them to? Or do they need help you can't give, like a physio? Know what you'll do before it comes up.

Host: You also talk in the academy about targets. That sounds very corporate.

Tania Huddart: It's not, I promise. Have a target for how many new clients you want each year. Then break it into twelve-week blocks. At the end of each block, look at how you went.

You may know roughly how many people you lose. Say it's about two per cent every three months. They move away. They have an operation. They stop doing Pilates. Then you know how many new people you need, just to stay steady.

Host: And all that client information? Medical forms, addresses?

Tania Huddart: It has to be kept safe. Their medical history. Their phone numbers. Their email addresses. If your notes are handwritten, are they in a fireproof safe? Are you backing up your computer? Do you have a secure password?

Most countries also require you to keep records for a set time after someone stops coming, in case there's a dispute. Then you need to destroy them safely. The rules differ, so talk to a lawyer where you live.

Host: Which brings us to marketing. Where do you begin?

Tania Huddart: With how people will find you and buy from you. Will you advertise? Will you send an email every week, or every month? Could it be automated, so new people get a short series of emails when they sign up?

Will you do community work? Will you sponsor someone? Maybe you have a dedicated client who can't really afford classes. Or a charity whose work you care about. You could offer one person free classes for a year, or for ten sessions. There are so many ideas. Choose the ones that suit your time and your energy. And put the hours you spend on your business into your week, not just your teaching hours.

Host: How do you find the words, though? That's where a lot of teachers freeze.

Tania Huddart: Ask your clients. There's a worksheet in the academy with a few marketing questions. Why did you decide to do Pilates with me? What problem did it solve for you? What benefits have you noticed? Why do you keep coming?

Then listen to how they say it. On the worksheet, one answer is, "My chiropractor suggested I contact you." That gives you a keyword: recommendations. Pick out five keywords like that. Use their words on your website, in your newsletters, in your posts. Your clients are already writing your marketing. You just have to ask them.

It helps with your website too. The website brief in the academy asks what words your clients use. Put those words in the key places on your pages. It helps search engines find you. And when the right person reads it, they feel you're talking to them.

Host: And social media? What do you actually post?

Tania Huddart: The academy has a simple calendar with five kinds of post. Tell a story, maybe about why you do what you do. Take an old belief and give a new one. "Pilates is just like yoga: true or false?" Thank someone who helped you. Show something you're working on. And ask a question, like "What's a good book you've read?"

That gives you a month of ideas without staring at a blank screen. Show up as yourself, often, in the same voice.

Host: One more. The logo. People spend months on it.

Tania Huddart: They do. Brief your designer well. Give them a direction and some things you like. But don't stifle them. Ask for the hex codes, the numbers for each of your colours, so your website and printing match. Agree the number of revisions and the budget before you start. You get what you pay for. It's going to represent your business for a long time.

Host: So, three things to take away?

Tania Huddart: One. Know where you sit, once a year. Your difference is you, not your price.

Two. Look after people from the first email. Stand up and greet them at the door.

Three. Ask your clients why they come, and use their words.

Host: And the question to sit with?

Tania Huddart: What do your clients thank you for? Not the exercises. The other things. Write down the last three, and look for the words they used.

Host: Everything we talked about today is Chapters 20, 21 and 22 of Tania's Pilatespreneur Academy: Competitive Advantage, Customer Management, and Marketing and Sales. You'll find it at taniahuddart.com slash academy.

Next episode is the last of the season. How do I build a team, and where do I start?

Tania, last word?

Tania Huddart: You don't have to shout to be chosen. Be clear about who you are. Look after the people who come. And let them tell you why they stay.