You may think, “ but she’s a creator of that format, or a master trainer for this,” or “she has so many Instagram followers - of course she has full capacity classes”
I am here to tell you that EVERYONE has had a small class or has had no one show up. And truth be told, having those experiences makes you a better instructor.
Here’s the thing, 99% of the time, it’s not you. We all go there ... “I’m not good enough”, “I’m not a strong instructor”, “I’m too new at this”, “how can I succeed when there are so many others?”, “what makes me special?”
If people don’t show up. It is not a reflection on the teacher.
As a business owner, numbers are analytics. When no one comes to class the number is 0. If it’s a consistent 0, other analytics come into play. Is the time right for the class? Does it coincide or go back to back with another class that is similar? How is the advertising? Is the price right? What is the location and demographic? Although important, the capabilities of the instructor rarely affect the result.
So what do you do when no one shows up??
1 - Give it at least 15 minutes before you take off - sometimes people are just running late.
2 - Use the time to practice choreography, mirroring, cueing. You’ve already set that time aside - use it! If you’re sad - stretch. A good stretch releases tension and emotion (of course warm up first).
3 - Go ahead. FEEL sad. It’s ok to be frustrated. Have a little pity party - but don’t let it go for too long because even parties have to end at some point (unless you have a yellow personality - then the party never stops - but in that case you won’t be sad long anyway 😆).
4 - Remember the analytics. The logical reasons behind why and figure out how you can help move forward.
5 - Don’t give up. We live in an impatient society. Everything is at our fingertips instantly. Good things take time. You know the saying - Rome wasn’t built in a day, and we all know that the delicious, hot from the oven homemade bread took time to develop. You get the point. As hard as it is - be patient. It may take time and a few tweaks along the way, but it will get there so don’t give up.
6 - Remember it’s not about you. Your participants aren’t thinking about all the work you put into class. In fact - they probably have no idea. They are thinking about silencing their alarm and getting more sleep, the tasks they have to complete in their day, a sick family member, kids schedules, the list goes on and on.
Lastly. Show UP for the participants that DO come, however small the number. Never comment about the class size or ask where everyone is because it makes those people who came feel less important - give them your all - because you are there for THEM.