Running online programming and classes are different than in-person classes for many reasons. When classes are held in-person, many organizations must wait until the start time of the event to know if they’ve turned a profit. 

With so many businesses now providing services online, it becomes easier to know in advance whether a particular program makes financial sense to run. However, there is a way to motivate potential customers to sign up and a way not to.

A yoga studio sent an email out to its mailing list with only the words “class minimums have still not been met” and a copy of the new online class schedule.

It sounded like a threat to cancel the classes, which it was, but customers aren’t generally motivated by threats. Customers are motivated by incentives such as their own health & well-being. 

The fact that the classes might be cancelled if not enough people sign up may be true, but customers don’t really care about your bottom line. They have different priorities than your organization does and will not respond to the same things.  

When it comes to your customers, how you phrase a statement or idea can result in wildly different results.