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 Opening
Your Doors to Success
By Rhee
Gold
Make
your school open house say “Welcome!”to all and everyone wins
If you’re
like many school owners, you hold an annual open house to
welcome the community and potential new clients. Great idea!
Now put aside the temptation to use the occasion to prove how
terrific your advanced dancers are—the goal of the day should
be to show how fun dance can be, not to show off.
Presenting
a dance demonstration that is overly detailed or too advanced
is a mistake many school owners make. Instead, focus on a
performance that everyone can enjoy—one that includes all
levels and ages from preschoolers to your most advanced
dancers. Abbreviated versions of class demonstrations work
best, but don’t combine levels; give each class its own
mini-performance. You want visiting youngsters of all ages to
look at your dancers and say to their parents, “I can do
that!”
A recent
example of an excellent open house was the one held at Boston
Ballet School last fall. Young visitors were invited to meet
teachers, participate in or watch a class, and try on
costumes. Attendees could sign up for a chance to win prizes,
including tickets to Boston Ballet’s fall productions and
classes at the school’s South Shore branch. Parent volunteers
were on hand to answer questions and help with costume try-ons.
All students who enrolled during the open house received a 10
percent discount and a pair of tickets to a Boston Ballet
production.
So take a
cue from the folks at Boston Ballet School and then follow the
guidelines listed below, and your next open house will no
doubt be a rousing success—and a lot of fun.
Promoting the event
Determine
the date for a fall open house at the start of the summer.
This will give you the chance to promote the event all summer,
as well as ample time to invite all the prospective clients
who inquire about your school over the summer. Also send
invitations to everyone who has made inquiries in the past
three years. Although inviting your current students is a good
idea, you should be more interested in bringing new faces
through your school.
Enlist the
help of your current students with your promotional efforts.
Give each of them five invitations to send to their friends.
Or you could ask them for their friends’ addresses; having
that contact information allows you to follow up with those
who attended the open house.
Sending
press releases to the local newspapers and following up with a
phone call is critical. Time your paid advertising to appear
in the Friday weekend section and in the Saturday morning
edition for maximum impact.
Send flyers
and an invitation letter to the owners and directors of other
family-related businesses in your community, including daycare
centers, preschools, karate schools, and real estate offices.
Invite them to see what your school is all about and ask them
to post your flyer on their bulletin boards, and offer to do
the same for them. Also consider creating an open house
advertising committee of volunteers and students who can
blanket the neighborhoods with door hangers and flyers
advertising the event.
Impress
with organization
Preparation
is the key to a successful open house. Plan it like you would
a performance; make it organized, entertaining, and good for
business. Let people walk away saying, “That school runs a
smooth operation.”
Encourage
all of your faculty and staff to be part of the day’s
activities. Have them give tours of the school, answer
questions, hand out brochures, take registrations, and help
with performances or class demonstrations. The more staff on
hand, the better. Delegate responsibilities for each staff
member, such as who will answer questions (and where in the
school they will be stationed) and who will supervise the
performances. Hold brainstorming sessions to decide what kind
of class demonstrations would be best for your market.
Consider
whether your open house will have an effect on neighboring
businesses. Some of them may want to get involved. Any
business can sponsor an ad, and restaurants may be willing to
provide free refreshments, such as pizza, for attendees.
Activities
Fill the
day with imaginative and varied activities. Here are some
ideas:
•
Hand
out giveaway gifts (bumper stickers, refrigerator magnets,
balloons imprinted with the studio’s logo).
•
Create
a goody bag to give to each visiting family. Include a
giveaway gift, studio brochure, program from the previous
year’s recital, and other school literature.
•
Display
a wide variety of pictures of your students having fun in
classes and performances.
•
Play
DVDs of the school’s recitals and other performances.
•
Offer
refreshments.
•
Keep
children engaged with face painting, games, and storytelling.
(Angelina Ballerina™ stories are perfect.)
•
Let the
younger children try on costumes. Tutus are a great way to
inspire youngsters to become ballerinas.
•
Offer a
free family hip-hop class. (Consider requiring reservations.)
•
Hold a
raffle, the proceeds of which could go to a charity. A raffle
is an excellent way to build your mailing lists; have ticket
purchasers write down their street and email addresses along
with their phone numbers. Ideas for raffle prizes could
include a complimentary first month’s tuition, free tuition
for one class for the year, a $250 gift certificate for school
tuition (classes only, not costumes or dancewear), or a
dancewear item or pair of shoes.
•
Consider incorporating a fundraiser, like a dance-a-thon, into
your open house, with proceeds benefiting a children’s
charity. Such events are a multiple win: The media will be
attracted to the event and the community will recognize your
school as a charity-minded organization.
Registration incentives
Offer
special attendees-only incentives to register at the open
house. Some possibilities include:
•
A free
second class for the first month to new students who register
for one class.
•
A
discounted or waived registration fee.
•
A 10
percent discount when the full season’s tuition is paid up
front.
•
A 50
percent discount on tuition for the second child when siblings
are enrolled.
•
A free
leotard and tights.
•
A
waiver of the last month’s tuition with registration for the
full season.
A little
planning, a welcoming and inclusive approach, and a fun-
filled day of activities will make your open house a popular
event that everyone looks forward to each year. Plus, it’s a
chance to show that your school is about more than merely good
dance training—it’s a vibrant part of the community.
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