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 Jumpstart
Your Fall Registration
By Rhee
Gold
Lock
in your current students in the spring and enjoy a stress-free
summer
Dance
studios occupy a unique niche in the business world. Along
with other types of schools that operate on an academic-year
calendar, they close their doors for a couple of months a year
and then reopen, hoping that their previous clientele returns
along with some new folks. It could be compared to starting a
new business every year. Although some dance schools do
operate year-round (especially on the West Coast), this
start-and-stop business scenario is the accepted norm for
thousands of school owners.
Compounding
the situation is the fact that many school owners wait to plan
their strategy for the upcoming season’s registration until
after the previous year’s recital. Some wait even longer,
neglecting to focus on fall registration until after summer
workshops or competitions are over or they’ve taken a
well-deserved vacation. Unfortunately, this approach usually
leaves only a few weeks before classes begin to leap into
“registration mode.” The result is that there is little time
to strategize or brainstorm about ways break out of a rut.
Offering the same program you’ve been doing for the last 10
years can result in a lackluster registration, not to mention
a frustrated school owner.
However,
there’s a simple, effective way to jumpstart your fall
enrollment: by preregistering your current clientele (and
anyone else you can). If you don’t preregister your current
students, that summer break away from dance classes gives them
the opportunity to register for other activities or stray to
another dance school. After all, they have made no commitment
to dance classes—or to you.
The trick
is to begin your enrollment drive in early spring. As March
and April roll around, send a letter with preregistration
information (see below for a sample letter) with a
registration form and a copy of next year’s brochure (if
available) to current and prospective clients. You could also
include a tentative schedule of classes, highlighting the
recommended classes for each student. (See “Scheduling Pros
and Cons” below.)
Preregistering current clients
The
following incentives can encourage your current clientele to
preregister—which will, in turn, give you peace of mind in
knowing that that the majority of your students have committed
to the next season before you take off for those summer
adventures.
◗
The knowledge that the student is guaranteed a place in class
for the next year.
◗ A
discount on (or complete waiver of) the annual registration
fee.
◗ A
discount on the first month’s tuition.
◗ A
free studio T-shirt (also a good marketing strategy— students
will wear them all summer, helping to promote your school).
◗
Two free tickets to the annual recital or year-end
performance.
◗ A
discount on shoes or other dance supplies sold by your school
(for example, one school offers a free pair of ballet shoes to
all preregistered students).
◗ A
discount on the summer program.
◗ A
discount for siblings of current students; for example, the
first month’s tuition for the sibling could be free.
◗
Free “stay in shape” classes over the summer. (Offer a few
free classes throughout the summer for a variety of age
levels, open only to current students who have preregistered
for the fall.)
Additional tips
After the
recital, send a thank-you note to all your students. Include a
reminder to preregister in order to receive a special
discount.
Make a
phone call to all former students who have not registered by
mid-July. Personal contact can make all the difference in
keeping clients on your roster.
During the
summer break, send a newsletter to your entire mailing list of
students from the last couple of years and anyone who has
inquired about the school for the past three years. Consider
sending an email newsletter as well. This is your opportunity
to keep in touch during the summer months.
Attracting new students
“Bring-a-Friend Week”:
Offer this
program in April. The timing is perfect for a change of pace
for both students and faculty who are deep into recital
choreography. Allow students to bring a friend to a class that
offers basic curriculum, making it fun for everyone involved.
Also allow your students to perform their recital routines for
their friends.
Have the
friends fill out a form that includes mailing and email
addresses so that you can stay in touch with them over the
summer and as the new season approaches. Even if they don’t
register for the fall, keep these potential students on your
mailing and email lists for three years. Send them home with a
registration form, brochure, and coupon that offers an
incentive if they register for fall classes before a specified
date. The incentive could be the same one that you offer your
current students for preregistering.
Consider
sending these prospective new students two complimentary
tickets to the school’s year-end performance (if seating
allows). It will help to fill the auditorium, plus there is no
better opportunity to build enthusiasm among those who are
considering taking dance class than a performance. Almost
every child dreams of being onstage, and you can help make
that dream come true.
Comp
tickets:
If you have
children of your own, send complimentary recital tickets or
coupons to all of their friends who are not registered at your
school and to other parents you know from the PTO, Little
League, and other activities. As a parent you are involved in
a lot of non-dance activities for children, so take advantage
of those opportunities to promote your business and build
goodwill within the community.
Advertise:
Run an ad
for your recital in the local newspapers. Local parents and
their children—prospective new clients—who see your show may
become enthusiastic about your school. Hopefully they will be
inspired to register for summer or fall programs.
Think
ahead:
Have an
information booth at the recital venue, staffed by a
well-informed person who can answer questions about the school
and hand out your current brochure and schedule and other
information. Have registration forms available and offer a
special incentive for registering at the recital.
Sample
Preregistration Letter
Note:
School owners can use this sample letter as a template by
substituting their own information for the bracketed text.
Dear
Parents,
First,
thanks for your continued support of [ABC School of Dance]; we
value your trust in us and the opportunity to inspire your
child to appreciate the wonderful world of dance—and have fun
doing it.
This year
we are initiating a preregistration process for our current
clientele, which guarantees your child a place in next year’s
classes. Our earlyregistration discount is our way to say
thank you for being a loyal client of [ABC School of Dance].
All
students who preregister by [May 1] will receive [insert
discount of your choice here; for example, a 50 percent
discount on one month’s tuition]. Simply fill out the enclosed
registration form and send in your [$25] registration fee by
[May 1] and [describe how your discount works here; for
example, “We’ll credit your account for 50 percent of the
tuition payment for May”].
[Another
advantage we are offering exclusively to our current clientele
is a 50 percent discount on the first month’s tuition for
siblings of current students in our fall program. That’s
right—receive a 50 percent discount on the first month’s
tuition if you register a second child before May 1.]
Questions?
Email us at [abcschoolofdance@yourdomain.com] or call
[555-555-5555].
Best
regards,
[ABC School
of Dance]
Scheduling Pros and Cons
Creating a
fall schedule well in advance (always subject to change, of
course) will help you plan for the upcoming season. Besides
impressing your clients with how organized you are, it allows
them to plan other activities around their children’s dance
commitments.
Some school
owners prefer to create a schedule that accommodates their
students’ other commitments, but consider making life easier
by creating a core schedule that stays the same from year to
year. Some adjustments will have to be made and new classes
may need to be added, but sticking to the same days for
classes for a particular age level usually works well. That
magic phrase “subject to change” leaves some breathing room in
case adjustments are needed.
Once your
clients become familiar with your school’s customary schedule,
they tend to work around it and bring up conflicts long before
they become problems. Usually the number of students who do
have conflicts is minimal, and the benefits of continuity will
far outweigh the difficulty of making a few adjustments to the
schedule.
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