What your clients say about you can mean success or failure for your school.

Reputation—why is it so important? We, and our schools, are what people perceive us to be. What we say, and more importantly, what we do influences those opinions and has a significant impact on our success. Simply put, pleasing your clientele can mean success rather than failure for your business.

Dance schools are community-based businesses, and people in those communities interact and share information every day. For that reason, word of mouth should be a primary concern for any dance school owner. Do people get excited when they talk about your school, or do they grumble when someone brings up the topic of dance lessons? Do former students and their parents rave about how much they enjoyed their time at your school, or do they comment on how nasty you were when they left it and vow never to recommend you to anyone?

One of the biggest mistakes school owners can make in terms of their reputation is becoming too elite for the community they serve. By that I mean they seem intimidating to the average parent or student who doesn’t know much about dance and simply wants to try it out. They’re not going to do that at a school that is too professional or competitive; instead they’ll go to the place that is easy to understand and isn’t trying to be the most professional school in town.

Another common problem is hiring faculty or other employees who don’t share your philosophy. That discord means that you’re always going to be fighting a losing battle, even if all of you have the right intentions. Surround yourself with people who share your passion and values and who will work with you to generate positive word of mouth.

Participating in gossip is a big problem. Whether it’s about students, employees, fellow teachers, or the school up the street, teachers who talk negatively about others lose respect—even from those they gossip with. Be the leader who’s so focused on your own success and responsibilities that you don’t have time to gossip with or about anyone. One of the most tempting situations is when parents or students who are new to your school badmouth their old school. As soon as they bring it up, say something like, “Oh, I respect Mary Jane and her school, so I would never get involved in negative talk about her, and you won’t hear anything like that here. I’m sorry you weren’t pleased at her school, but I’m sure you will find a nice home here.” Yes, you say that even if you truly don’t like Mary Jane and her teaching practices! If you end the badmouthing right away, chances are those people will never bring it up to you again. And chances are they won’t gossip about you when they move on to another school, but that’s no guarantee!

Students who leave your school, for whatever reason, can have a big impact on your reputation. Many teachers take it hard when a student decides to leave. They consider it an insult and sever their relationship with the student in a negative way. When a parent and student are burned by such an experience, word spreads fast. If you’ve ever lost a student (and what teacher hasn’t?), you know that feeling hurt is understandable; a lot of emotions are involved, especially when the student has been with you for many years. You get attached to the children as you watch them grow; sometimes they may even have come to you for advice. Some you’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty for, and others you love just because they’re your kids. Still, you have to remind yourself that you are a pro. It’s easier to handle such departures if you understand that having students leave their school is a part of every teacher’s life. Tell them how much you’ll miss them and that your door is always open. Wish them the best, no matter how insulted you are. Then go home and have a nice glass of wine!

Keep in mind that not all schools are created equal. Some can train a better dancer or guide certain students into professional careers with more success, and others simply teach the recreational dancer who wants a once-aweek class. Then there are those that offer both. Students often move on because they are seeking something different from what you have to offer; it could be less of a commitment or a more intense program. The fact is that less than 1 percent of dance students will go on to professional careers. In most cases the parents of children who have never danced are looking only for a weekly class, and the school that offers what they’re looking for makes the sale, regardless of the quality of the training.

Still, all teachers have something to offer. Know who you are and what your niche is. For example, my priority is to see that every child experiences dance. That means that some children will take lessons at a better school than another. Just like there are excellent math teachers and those who aren’t so good, some dance teachers are better than others. But a child might love the not-so-good teacher and actually do better with her than with the better teacher because of the connection she feels. Ideally, dance teachers who find that they can’t meet some students’ needs will encourage them to move on to stronger training.

Three other aspects of your school play key roles in your reputation. The first is the element of personal touch. As your school grows, don’t lose sight of how important your relationships with your clients are. Know who they are and what’s important to them, communicate with them, and always let them see you behaving under control, smiling and with a passion for what you do.

Next is maintaining a professional presentation at all times, in everything you do and everything that represents your school. All literature, including brochures, ads, newsletters, websites, and so on, should convey the professional image you want to offer to your community. That goes for all schools, both big and small.

Last, don’t forget to be inclusive. Unless you operate a school that’s strictly geared to ballet or intensive study, portraying it as a place where everyone can dance is important. Make a point of welcoming the recreational and preschool children; in most cases they provide a school’s financial backbone. When these two populations are ignored or made to feel less important, then the business suffers.

Put all these ingredients together and you’ll have a recipe for a great reputation. And with positive word of mouth making its way around your community, you’ll be brewing your own success.    

I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but I’m a sucker for a coupon. Coupon cutting is something I used to razz my mother about when I was young—before I knew what it was like to pay the bills! Now, however, I’m a believer. After moving to Oregon, over the past year I’ve discovered that coupons—especially the two-for-one variety—allow my husband and me to do a lot more than we might otherwise. We’ve tried new restaurants, seen local performances at a discount, and registered for a gardening class together because one of us got in at half price. So I started thinking about how coupons could be beneficial to dance schools.

Would the lure of a good discount coupon compel otherwise reluctant people into signing up themselves or their children for dance classes? Granted, for those with zero interest, a coupon won’t make a lick of difference. But for those who are new to the area or who have preschool children and are considering it anyway, a coupon might offer just enough incentive to tip the scales in your studio’s favor.

So I started exploring the benefits of coupons for small businesses and the best coupon format for dance schools. I found that coupons can indeed be a successful marketing tool. Some of the benefits of using coupons for the studio owner are:

● They can get people in the door to give your school a try.

● They attract new residents who are actively in the market for dance classes.

●  They might convince dancers who are unhappy at their current studio to switch to yours.

●  They are easily measured. Seeing who redeemed them, where the users found them, and tracking print coupons  can pinpoint which ads are working best. Just put codes on the coupons, either printed directly on a hard-copy coupon or within the printable text of online coupons.

·       ● They don’t take a lot of time to create.

·       ● They are an affordable marketing strategy. Over time, the value of the new students will be well worth the initial discount you gave them. Even those who use the coupon but don’t sign up long-term will have gained exposure to your studio and may pass on the positive word if their experience was a good one.

So what kinds of discounts can you offer with a coupon? The possibilities are nearly infinite, but the following discounts are some of the most common I’ve found. I’ve included some sample text that school owners have come up with to pitch their discount offers. (My comments are in italics.)

● $10 off the first month’s tuition Clean and simple; no complicated explanations needed.

● Free dance class Think you might enjoy dancing but don’t know for certain? Then come on over and take a free, no-obligation trial class! This coupon is good for one free dance class at either of the [your studio’s name here] locations. Valid only for new students ages 13 and under. Please call the studio first to let us know you’re coming so we can direct you to an appropriate class.
 

● Call for a coupon If you are a new student, please call the studio at 333-444-5555 and let us know—we’ll mail you a coupon for $5 off your first class! This provides incentive but requires more of a commitment from the user. They don’t get a free class before registering but do receive a discount for taking the plunge.

● Free registration Coupon good for free registration when signing up for a minimum of one month of classes. New students only. Not to be combined with any other offer. Offering classes in ballet, pointe, lyrical, tap, jazz, hip-hop, Pilates, and much more. Beginner to advanced. I would argue that the commitment might not be there if they don’t pay a registration fee. A dollar amount off the registration fee might be a better idea.

● Save $50 on Performing Arts Summer Camp Present this coupon and receive a $50 discount on your Performing Arts Summer Camp tuition. Learn, have fun, make friends, and perform . . . put an end to summer boredom! Get all the details at www.ourstudioaddress.com. Coupons can be a great way to encourage new signups for a special program, master class, or summer camp. And once students have experienced your studio, they’ll be much more likely to enroll in regular classes.

● We pay the taxes With this coupon we will pay the taxes on all dance accessories through [insert date here]. Do you have a dance supply store at your studio? You can use these coupons to get your students into your store, and use coupons in your store to get customers into your studio!

Once you’ve decided on the details of the discount, it’s time to determine how to distribute your coupons—and how to do it for little or no money. Sure, you can put a coupon in the newspaper, phone book, or local Entertainment® Book, and you may decide it’s worth the cost—but why not take advantage of the many creative, inexpensive ways to market your studio through coupons? You’ll get the best results when using both online and print coupons to maximize your marketing power.

What’s an online coupon, you ask? If your school has a website, you’re halfway to the answer already! Besides being informative and entertaining, your site can and should drive visitors to your studio. As imperative as good studio information is, you’re missing out on new business if potential customers read it and do nothing with it. An online coupon can give people incentive to try out your studio. You are, in essence, rewarding them for doing so.

Try putting a coupon on your homepage; for example, “Are you new to [name of your school]? Print out our coupon for $10 off your first month’s classes!” People who are looking into your studio for the first time will be happy to print out the coupon and use it. Another option is to include coupons for your school on local business or parenting sites that allow you to do so. To find these sites, do an online search with keywords like business, kids, classes, parenting, activities, and schools, plus your city’s name (or the nearest big city to your town). An example of this is www.ColoradoKids.com, a website with excellent dance studio coupon examples (and also a good website link possibility for dance schools in Colorado). Another site, www.Time2Dance.com, which concentrates on the ballroom dance community, has more examples of coupons, plus a nice way to print them out.

Then there are the old-fashioned paper (or “offline”) coupons. Here are a few no- or low-cost ideas for distributing these traditional coupons:
 

● Send pairs of dancers into the audience to hand out coupons after a mall or county fair performance. You could have them put their initials on a bottom corner or on the backs of the coupons they’re handing out, and offer a free studio T-shirt to the students who have the most coupons come back. That gives them incentive to be friendly and outgoing while handing out the coupons.

● Do a coupon exchange with the hair salon, dry cleaner, or cafe on the next block. Visit reputable businesses that you would (or already do) patronize, and see if they’d be willing to put a pile of your coupons on their front desk if you’ll do the same for them. Of course, you don’t want tons of coupons on your front desk, especially if you’re successful in establishing an exchange with more than one business. Think of a way to display the coupons where they won’t be in your way, such as on a corkboard near the front door or in a display case on a shelf.

● Pin studio coupons to community bulletin boards in local cafes, community centers, etc. But ask permission before doing so or the proprietor may discard your coupons and your effort will be wasted.

Keep in mind a few “musts” for a successful studio coupon:

● Include exactly what the coupon offers in large, bold lettering, as well as an expiration date so that customers will use the coupon quickly.

● Clearly state “For New Students Only” on the coupon (and save yourself potential headaches later).

● Remember that even this little coupon is a reflection of your studio. It doesn’t need to be fancy, but it should be neat and attractive, preferably incorporating your studio logo, slogan (if you have one), and studio colors in the design.

● Print out online coupons (and ask a few friends or family members to do the same) to check for problems before potential customers encounter them.

Coupons are a grassroots marketing idea that should not be underestimated. They are a tried-and-true method for generating sales; according to the Promotion Marketing Association, 76 percent of the U.S. population uses coupons. For a little of your time and even less money, you can easily implement this marketing strategy. And with millions of coupon lovers like me out there, you’re bound to see results.