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 Facing
'Bring-A-Friend Week' Without Fear
By Tracy
Bauer
Boost your enrollment with a 'friend-ly' approach to marketing
Does the
thought of “Bring-a-Friend Week” leave a sinking feeling in
your stomach and bring a look of dread to your face? It
doesn’t have to be that way. Inviting your students’ friends
to take class with them is not only an affordable and
effective marketing tool, it also can be fun for everyone.
Most studio
owners know that the most common and inexpensive way to bring
in new students is through referrals and positive word of
mouth. That’s why offering a “Bring-a-Friend Week” in the
fall and spring can be such an effective way to increase
enrollment, especially of younger students. Children love to
have their friends in class with them.
For some
school owners, the thought of having non-dancers jump into
class might seem disruptive and hard to plan for; after all,
their ability is unlikely to be comparable to that of the
students who’ve been taking class for a while. However, the
key is to plan a curriculum that everyone can enjoy—one that
sticks with the friendship theme—and be prepared. Have the
students hold their friends’ hands as they skip, chassé, or
gallop across the floor. Teach them a friendship dance, with
partners clapping hands, doing the polka, or linking arms to
skip in circles. Bring them into one big circle and let
everyone choose a movement for the class to try.
Other great
creative activities include utilizing familiar stories.
Children can identify with these themes and stories and are
excited to participate. For example, you can draw on The
Little Mermaid to inspire students to dance like creatures
from under the sea, Cinderella to have them walk like
princesses with stretched feet and straight backs, or
Pocahontas, as they twirl with colorful scarves to make
“Colors of the Wind.” One of my favorite activities for 6- to
10-year-olds is the “Mirror Game,” in which the friends, or
“reflections,” copy the movements of the students, who face
them. Then let them switch roles, giving the friends a chance
to be creative without putting them on the spot in front of
everyone. With this activity I use the song “Reflection” from
Mulan, which most kids know so well. Also, jazz or tap
students can try creating a dance of poses and shapes with
their friends, and older dancers can choreograph short dance
phrases together. Keep it fun while maintaining the structure
and level of the class. Just be flexible and prepared to shift
gears based on how many kids show up and how much dance
experience they have.
In the
spring, if it’s too close to recital time to lose a week of
rehearsal during “Bring-a-Friend Week,” teach the visitors how
to be a good audience by having them watch your students run
through their recital pieces once or twice. Show them the
costumes and then turn off the lights as the students get
ready “onstage.” Get the visitors excited about what their
friends do in class, even if they’re only watching part of the
time. They’ll get the gist of what they would learn in class,
and your regular students will love showing off.
Occasionally you will encounter children who want to join a
class but are not ready to study at their friends’ levels.
If that’s
the case, explain why another class might be more appropriate
in order for them to avoid injury and learn dance technique
and vocabulary. Tell them about the wonderful kids in that
class and introduce them to the teacher. I’ve been doing
“Bring-a-Friend Week” three times per year for seven years,
and this issue has seldom been a real problem since most of
the students who bring their friends to class are young
beginners.
If you’re
starting to feel like “Bring-a-Friend Week” could be feasible
and fun after all, then get your students excited about it and
notify their parents. Have a process in place for inviting the
friends and keeping track of who shows up. You could simply
send home flyers and have students check in with their friends
at the front desk before class, or you could be more creative.
Consider having each student fill out an invitation with their
friend’s name and contact information, which they then bring
with them when they check in for class that week. It would be
a shame to have potential students try a class without getting
their address and phone number for future use. Also, don’t
forget to send visitors home with a school brochure or other
materials they can share with their parents. Be sure to thank
each child for coming and tell them you enjoyed meeting them
and hope to se e
them in class again soon.
Don’t be
discouraged if these children don’t register for classes right
away. Some of those who show interest might be too busy to
enroll right away but would be ready to register for the next
season. Keep them on your list of potential leads and send
them summer and fall information as it becomes available.
Following up is much less expensive than advertising to the
whole community, and it’s usually more effective in increasing
your enrollment.
“Bring-a-Friend Week” is an easy way to get new kids in the
door because they feel comfortable trying out a class with a
friend by their side. Apprehensive parents are also more
likely to sign up their children when your studio comes with a
recommendation from their peers. So take a deep breath, be
patient, and have fun—and open your studio to the possibility
of rapid growth at minimum cost.
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