For Dance Studio Owners!

For School Owners Income is the life blood of any business. You do not have to "sellout" to make a decent profit. Before we explore ways for you to do exactly that, let's look back. Look back at what took place last year. What worked and what didn't work. It is simple, but I am sure that not many studio owners take the time to really evaluate all aspects of their business. The teachers, staff, marketing, overall numbers, the condition of your facility. Bring in a confidant who will give you some honest feedback. Create a survey and send it to your clients to get more feedback. The more you know, the better your business will become. Create a plan now! Do more of what worked and cut out what did not.  Keep on marketing  In down economies many companies will pull back on marketing, thinking that people won't spend. BIG mistake. Most people still have money for the things they want. If their child wants to take dance class and your message is the first one that the parents see, chances are you will get the first call. You may even want to consider doing more marketing in these times. We have and the response has been terrific! The key is to find cost effective ways to hit your target market audience.  Make your studio as welcoming as possible. This is one thing that everyone thinks they are doing but upon closer review you may have some areas that need improvement. Do you have a lot of signs that say "don't do this" or "don't do that"? If the answer is yes, I challenge you to go through your studio and change the wording to exclude all "do not" and "don'ts". If we want to get the customer to say yes, all signs from the moment they enter the building until they leave should tell them YES. When a potential client comes in to inquire about lessons, find a way to ask them two questions that they will have to answer yes to. If you can get them in "yes" mode, chances are when you ask them to register their answer will be YES!!!  There have been several studies done where a certain biochemical response happens when we say yes. This sets the psychological process of the listener moving forward in the affirmative direction. The questions do not have to be deep or very thought provoking, just try to get them to say yes. This will put them in a positive frame of mind. These are questions that have worked well for us. "Is your child interested in learning how to dance?" and "Is It important to you that your child has fun while learning at the same time?" Then let your prospective client talk or you may like to try, "Is it important to you to have numerous choices of class times?" This works if you have a lot of options of classes at your studio and you sense that time management is an issue for this particular family. Next time you get a complaining client try the same tactic and watch the issues melt away. One more thing, does your studio have a welcome mat and a sign as people leave the building saying, thank you for your patronage? If not, go out today and buy them! More people have complimented us on how they appreciate walking into our business and before they even set foot in the door stepping onto a welcome mat that says, "Welcome, We're Glad You Are Here!" The key to growing your business is to not only get new customers but to keep the ones you already have. If they think you are wonderful they will tell their friends and we know how well word of mouth advertising works. Stay positive! If you are thinking that the economy stinks or how this student or teacher has done you wrong, you will start to get moody and can become a bit down. Remember, you become what you think about. I believe in it so much it is worth repeating: "You become what you think about." If you want a great enviroment at your school, it starts and ends with you!