This is a podcast episode titled "Mastering the Art of the Sale in Your Dance Studio - No Bulls#$t Business Tips 27" recorded in June 2024. It features Amanda Barr and her business partner Beck discussing sales techniques specifically for dance studio owners. The conversation focuses on overcoming the discomfort of asking for sales, training staff to confidently enroll students, and framing sales as positive customer service to improve studio success.
Hi, friends. Amanda and Beck here with no bullshit business tips. And today we wanted to talk to you about a little bit of an icky subject sometimes among studio owners. Right?
Absolutely. I think, you know, most of us got into owning a studio because we love to teach dance. Absolutely. But we have to remember that we are in sales. That is our job, as is every single one of our team members that work for us. And so many people are scared to ask for the sale. Right.
It's crazy. Like, we work with so many studio owners, and even the studio owners are scared to ask. Would you like to enroll? Let's. Let's get you enrolled. You know, just using that sort of language is so hard for them, but we've got to learn to do it.
Absolutely. And I think we've all been guilty of this before, or perhaps one of our team members. And let us know below if you've been guilty of it, because, you know, sometimes we have that kid come in for the free trial. They have an absolute blast in our class. You know, they finish the class and they're like, okay, see you later. You're like, okay, bye. But what should we be doing in that situation?
Well, we should just be asking for the sale. It's that simple. We should be saying to them, great. Did you have a good time? Yes. Fantastic. Let's get you enrolled. Like, it's just learning that language, saying it out loud, getting your team to say it out loud, because parents want that.
They want to be told what to do 100%.
They want to be told what to do. Actually, I joined a Muay Thai boxing place the other day, and she didn't ask for the sale and didn't know. And so I had to keep prompting her. I was like, okay, so what happens next? And what do I do now? And, you know, like, it's awkward. It is awkward. And I still. To be honest, I still am unsure about what's happening.
Like, I'm still like, are you going back next week? Who knows?
I've gone back. But I'm like. I said to her, like, did you get my direct debit form? Yep, I got it. Cool. Did we work out how much we were doing? Because I've got. The kids are doing it as well. You know, all the things. Yep. We worked it out. What is that like?
You know?
And she obviously feels awkward about it, but I just want her to be confident.
Absolutely. And that's what we want for our team as well. So, you know, it's so important. It's just such an easy thing. Hey, cool. Let's get you all enrolled. Not just, oh, you had fun today. Awesome. Bye. Like, this is awkward. Yeah. So, you know, teaching your team to ask for the sale and a great way of doing this at staff training is role playing, obviously, right?
Yes. That is an amazing way to do it. I also think that we as studio owners don't want to feel like we're making money, that we don't want the team to feel like we're making too much money. And so you can change your language in and around the way that you're speaking to your team about it, such as, you know, the more kids that are in class, the better class experience it is.
Absolutely.
The more children that we can affect in a positive way means that we can really change their lives. Talking to them more about that side of it, then, yay, I can't wait to make more money is a much easier way to approach it.
Absolutely. I totally agree with that. But telling them that we just need to be confident and tell people what they want, because people like that. I like when I go into a shop, you know, into a retail store, and someone's like, here, awesome. Do you want that top to go with it? That matches well. Cool. Should I take that all, or should I start packing that up for you? I like that people like to be told what to do rather than just like this, oh, what am I doing next? Kind of moment.
100%. We were talking about this yesterday because I still have tags on some of my clothing from great people who've, like, sold me that thing, but I never actually wear it. But I love great customer service. I think that's amazing. And you've got to look at it that way. It is great customer service and training your team to know exactly what that process is important as well. First we get them enrolled, then they get their uniform on the same day, and then this happens, and then we say goodbye, like letting them know what that is so that they can explain that to the parent. Okay, now you're going to need to fit her for her uniform. Then come up to the desk and we'll enroll you.
Absolutely. And, you know, if you are working in any other industry, if you're working in retail, for example, they have trainings on how to do this so much step by step. This is the process you have to go through. So are you doing that with your team? And if not, why not? Can you start doing that today? And really making it super clear for your team what you want that process to be and designing it perfectly to suit your studio.
I really want you guys to take some action on this. Let's do this shit.
