Identity Crisis

By Rhee Gold 

Keeping up with the Joneses doesn't guarantee success – but being true to yourself just might.

“Knock, knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“Um . . . I’m not sure.”

Do you know who you are? Or are you pretending to be someone else in an effort to keep up with other schools in your area? If you don’t have a strong sense of identity and a clear vision about your professional values and goals, you could be making a big mistake. As a school owner, knowing how and what you want to teach and what kind of performing opportunities you want to offer your students is critical in establishing a school identity.

School owners who lack a strong sense of self often react to other schools’ marketing efforts without knowing if what they’re doing is working. At a recent Project Motivate seminar, a school owner described how she reacted to another school’s expansion into ballroom dance. “The school up the street [from mine] started offering ballroom classes; I saw their ad in the local newspaper . . . and my immediate reaction was to spend four days looking for someone to teach ballroom at my school. After spending more than $500 on advertising, we registered four students and I found out later that the school up the street registered six!” Apparently neither school owner had done any market research to determine whether ballroom dance would be a popular choice among their clientele—or whether a glut of such classes already existed in the community. “It was a waste of time, money, and energy that could have been focused on attracting new students to my successful preschool programs,” she said.

Here’s another example: In a small Massachusetts town, the Jones’ Dance School produces what appears to be a hugely successful Nutcracker. In the same town is the Smith Dance Center, whose owners became nervous because they thought they needed to keep up with the Joneses—so they made plans to produce their own Nutcracker. But they didn’t do any investigation. If they had, they would have discovered that many of the parents at the Jones’ School were feeling a scheduling and financial crunch during the holiday season. Because of that pressure many of them were considering registering at the Smiths’ school! Now they’re headed to another school altogether. The Smiths never considered what their clients wanted—not once did parents tell the Smiths that they wanted their children to be part of Nutcracker, nor did anyone tell them they weren’t going to register because they didn’t do one. In the end, the small town couldn’t support two Nutcrackers and the production was neither profitable nor good for business.

Think about how you react when you hear about other schools’ apparent successes. Let’s say the school up the street wins tons of trophies, which they’re always raving about in their advertising. They claim to win more awards than anyone in the area, making you feel insecure because your school has never competed, never mind won an award. But ask yourself a few questions before you start to leap into action. Do you know that the competition group’s parents like what their children are doing? Do they resent the expense or the time involved? And more important, do the demands of rehearsals, choreography commitments, and travel with the competitive team detract from that school owner’s focus on her business? Perhaps you’re better off staying home to work on next year’s advertising and marketing.

The key is to stop reacting and start acting—by doing what you and your students need and want to be successful. When the school up the street advertises that they’re a cut above the rest, don’t counter that line by saying you’re a step above the rest. Instead, take a different by including testimonials in your ads from some of your happy clients. Instead of saying, “I can do that!” ask yourself, “What can I do differently?”

That’s not to say that the schools that participate in competitions or offer a ballroom program or produce a Nutcracker won’t do well. Many teachers or school owners have discovered a niche that they’re good at, and they’re motivated by what works for them. It might work for them, but it might not work for you. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t keep up with market demands—but be sure you find out whether those demands include what another school is offering before you try to be like them.

So how do you find your niche? After you’ve examined your values and goals, it’s time to determine what you do best.

◗ Take a look at your student roster. Which group is the largest or most profitable? Maybe your preschool classes are bursting at the seams because parents are thrilled that their children come out of class happy and dance all over the house once they get home. Or maybe you’ve got a huge contingent of 7- to 9-year-olds. Maybe your ballet program, which offers a little more discipline, is especially strong, or it could be the adult program, or those hip-hop classes.

◗ Do you spend a lot of time chatting with parents and creating a homey school with a personal touch?

◗ Have you created a school atmosphere in which everyone can experience the joy of dance? Do your students talk about how much they love their teachers?

◗ Do your clients love the way you do your recital—or the fact that you don’t do one at all?

◗ Is your school’s clientele loyal because you offer classes at a convenient time for them?

If you can’t answer these kinds of questions, you’ve got some homework to do. Find out what parents like and don’t like about the school. Do an annual survey, or engage parents and students in casual conversations in the lobby. Consider offering a parent–teacher tea or brunch once or twice a year, where you can ask parents for feedback. Poll your teachers, too—they may have information that you weren’t aware of.

But don’t forget to open your eyes and take a good look at yourself and what you’re doing. Look around you, too—is enrollment stable or increasing? Are you happy with that? Do your students seem happy and motivated? Are you happy and motivated? Is your school the kind of place you’ve always dreamed it would be? If the answer is yes, then forget about what everyone else is doing. Focus on your strengths and promote who you are and what you do best.