As a yoga professional, it can be a fine line to be generous with your students while still making a profit for your business. That’s why we’re covering 5 ways to celebrate client birthdays in this week’s blog post. Whether you own a studio or work independently within your community, using any one of these ideas will make your clients feel special. Honoring their special day will built trust in your relationship with them, and give them a gift that extends far beyond their mat or date of birth.

My birthday is tomorrow and my inbox is full of birthday emails this week. Many of these are from studios to which I’ve traveled throughout the years. Most of these businesses are hundreds–if not thousands–of miles away from my summer home here in Northern California (which makes a free birthday class a little challenging to get to at all of these fabulous sites).

Yet, one email came from one of my favorite NorCal spots–the Truckee Yoga Collective, near Lake Tahoe. Even though this studio is two hours from my home, I just happened to be camping in the area for the last five days of our trip up the California Coast.

Since I spent numerous hours paddling in Emerald Cove and hiking in the surrounding mountains during the week, it was perfect timing to receive the gift of a free yoga class. And, if you’re anything like me, you cherish the time to be on your mat. You relish in the kindness of others and the gifts you receive from them. And, you appreciate being recognized (especially during that special time of year that is your birthday).

Below are 5 great ways you can uplift your yoga students to celebrate their special day.

Photo Credit: Ali Goldstein

(1) FREE CLASS ON A BIRTHDAY

The simplest way to celebrate client birthdays is to offer a free class on their special day. Yet, many people start planning for their birthday well in advance of the actual calendar date. So if your gift is limited to one day, make sure you give students plenty of advance notice to include this in their schedule. This means you’ll want the automated birthday email to go out one to two weeks in advance of their birth date.

Sample Template:

Dear [Insert student first name],

Happy birthday to you! Come in on your birthday and receive a complimentary yoga class! We look forward to seeing soon.

Namaste,
[insert your first name or business name]

Photo Credit: Diane Nicole Photography

(2) FREE CLASS DURING A BIRTHDAY WEEK

Instead of offering a free yoga class just on a student’s birthday, you can give clients one week to redeem their gift. There are numerous ways you can do this. You can send the email a week before their birthday, saying the offer expires 7 days from the date of the email (which would be their birth date). Or, you can send the email on their actual birthday, and give them one week to accept your offer.

I have seen templates, like the one below, which allows you to take your free birthday class within one week of the birthday. Since the email does not specify if this can be done before OR after your birth date, it really gives students 2 weeks to come into the studio to practice.

There is no right or wrong way to celebrate client birthdays, so you get to decide the exact parameters by which students can accept their gift. Just make sure that your instructions are clear in your email.

Sample Templates:

Dear [Insert student first name],

It’s almost your birthday!

Come into the studio and show us this email within one week of your birthday and enjoy a free class on us! We look forward to sharing this passionate, powerful practice with you soon.

[insert your name or business name]

OR

Dear [Insert student first name],

Hooray, it’s your birthday!! Let’s jump on the celebration! Join us for one free yoga class this week.

[Insert link to Find a Class]

Simply present this email when you arrive at the studio to redeem this offer. This coupon is valid until [Insert date].

We are so excited to practice with you soon!

[insert your name or business name]

Photo Credit: Somkiat

(3) FREE CLASS OR DISCOUNT

People love options, and you can certainly provide some when celebrating client birthdays. The sample email below shows how you can offer a free yoga class or let students cash in on another service or product you provide. If you have a retail section, maybe you provide a discount on new gear. Or, if you have acupuncture or massage training, a markdown on those services could be another option.

Use your creativity and have fun with your offerings. Just make sure you feel good about your gift and it honors your ability to keep cash flowing into your business.

Sample Template:

Dear [Insert student first name],

Birthdays are the best, and we hear yours is here – Happy Birthday!!

During the week of your birthday, stop into one of our scheduled classes and enjoy it on us! Or, you might want to receive 25% off any one full-price retail item in our shop during your birthday week.

That means you have 7 whole days to decide how to treat yourself. New yoga mat? Check. A pair of your favorite leggings or shorts? They’re yours. Or maybe you’d rather sweat with us instead. We’d love to see you in class!

It’s our little way of celebrating you on your special day.

Cheers to you!

[insert your name or business name]

Photo Credit: Diane Nicole Photography

(4) FREE CLASS FOR A FRIEND

Yet another option to celebrate client birthdays allows students to share their gift with a friend. This is perfect for students who already have memberships or class packages with your yoga business. Plus, it allows them to share their birthday experience with someone meaningful in their life!

Sample Templates:

Dear [Insert student first name],

Birthdays are a time to celebrate! Come and get uplifted with us. We may sing a song in wheel or boat — but more likely your happy body will do the singing for you!

As a special gift, come take a free class during the week of your birthday. Just mention this email to the person at the front desk when you arrive.

Already a member? Bring one friend for a free class during the week of your birthday!

We look forward to partying on the mat with you soon.

[insert your name or business name]

OR

Dear [Insert student first name],

Happy birthday to you! To celebrate, we would like to give you one free class for your birthday! You may use this free class for yourself, or to give to a new student. This free birthday class expires 7 days after your birthday.

We hope to see you soon and enjoy your special day!

Namaste, [insert your first name or business name]

Photo Credit: Jacob Lund

(5) FREE CLASS DURING A BIRTHDAY MONTH

As you know, life can be extremely full. Your students have many commitments on the calendar between work, family, and friends. This can be especially true during the week of their birthday. Thus, you can make your gift extra sweet by extending your free class to the entire month of their birth date. To do this, just make sure a reminder email is set to send on the first day of their birth month.

Or, you can use the same tactic as Bella Prana Yoga does and offer the free class 30 days from their birthday. This way the email can be sent within a few days of their actual birthday!

Sample Template:

Dear [Insert student first name],

Happy Birthday! You are amazing and we’re stoked to celebrate another year of life with you!

To honor you, [insert your business name] would love to offer you a Free Class for your birthday! When you come into the studio, simply mention that this is your birthday month and you’d like to use your free class.

Your Birthday class expires 30 days from your Birthday. This free class not noted in our system automatically, so please let us know that it’s your birthday month!

We are so grateful to have you as a student and we hope to see you soon!

Warmly,[insert your first name or business name]

Photo Credit: EnterlineDesign

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Birthdays are a fantastic way to appreciate your students and remind them of their value in your life. When you take the time to celebrate client birthdays–by offering a free class or discount to your studio–you give them a gift that extends far beyond the mat. It’s a way to make them feel special. And, not only do you demonstrate an abundance mindset, you build trust with your students that can last for many years to come.

Take Action Now:

  • Review your check-in paperwork for new clients–both in the online and paper formats. Are you collecting birth dates of your new students? If not, consider making this an important part of your onboarding data collection for your clients.
  • Select a birthday gift for your students that is right for you and your yoga business. Then, set up an email that will celebrate client birthdays automatically–and invite them to cash in on their present from you.