Why Dance Studio Enquiries Aren't Turning Into Enrolments

Hello friends, I'm Amanda Barr.

And I'm Rebecca Lou Brennan, and welcome to Dance Principles United, the podcast.

Together, we are passionate about helping studio owners with the business of running their studio.

Join us as we talk everything from marketing systems, studio culture, motherhood, life, and everything in between.

This is the Dance Principles United podcast. Hey friends, and welcome to the Dance Principles How are you, Bec?

I'm super awesome. Loving podcasting with you. So fun.

All the things. We're so excited about all the exciting things coming up. We've been doing some massive expo planning today.

We have.

Cannot believe it's coming up again in April. Just like, just jumps up and like we're already like fully into it. I feel like we've just finished one.

Where has this year gone though? Seriously, I can't believe it's term 3.

Nuts. Let's not talk about it. It's just giving me anxiety. Same.

That's exactly what it gives me. Total anxiety every time I talk about anything like that.

It's crazy. Hey, I have a question for you.

Yes.

Kind of a personal question. You ready for it?

Okay.

Have you ever ghosted anyone you were dating?

Yes.

Have you?

I've barely dated anyone.

We haven't dated anyone since both were invented.

Is that fair play, is it?

You know, have you been on the dating apps? You've ghosted someone?

So many times. And not just like, not just ghosted them on the app. I've dated people and then ghosted them because I was not attracted to them at all. Or because something really bad happened. And I was like, like, bad to me is like if they chew food and I can hear it, I'm out.

So it gave me the ick.

I'm so picky and I've dated like, unlike you who's had one, I've dated so many people. Like I've done so many dates. It's ridiculous.

Can we just like completely reframe this podcast to be a dating podcast today?

It's actually true though. I wonder if anyone else feels me out there, but the dating world is— it's harsh.

Okay, so have you been ghosted? No, because everyone wants you.

I don't think so. Maybe. I don't, I don't think so.

Don't remember?

I'm too awesome, Amanda.

You're too incredible. As in, if— as if anyone would ever ghost you.

They might have, but I can't remember if they have.

It couldn't have been that important. I wanted to talk about exactly that today though. on the podcast was how often us as studio owners ghost our inquiries. Crazy, right? You know, someone has taken the time to reach out to us. They've shown a bit of interest. They've liked what they see. They have reached out to us in a DM. They've, you know, done a website.

Liked things on our Instagram.

They've, you know, sent us a website form, and then we leave them on read.

Yep.

Crazy. It's rude manners to start with, Bec. That was very rude, ghosting those people.

I know.

It is.

Looking back on that now, I'm like, there's, there's probably people in psychology because of me. Oh, I didn't care as a 20-year-old, did I, Amanda?

But, you know, I think that's just crazy because if we're like Moving away from dating and actually moving towards business. You know, why? What is the reason that studio owners are ghosting inquiries? You know, I think there's so many reasons, and I find like the psychology of it really interesting because I don't think there's a studio owner here that is listening to this podcast that can't, number one, say that they have ghosted an inquiry at some point.

Everyone has.

I swear we all have.

Yep.

But also, they all want students. No one doesn't want new students. So why are we ghosting inquiries? That's my big question.

Right. Well, number one, and I speak about this all the time, yes, is that studio owners do not prioritize that. They prioritize everything else.

So it's like, I'll do it later, and then just don't. Yeah.

And then it's like, I don't have time. The amount of times we hear, I don't have time to answer inquiries. And Like, cool, you don't want to grow your business then. Like, you don't have time for inquiries, but you have time to pick that costume or to answer that parent and really go out of your way for them. And we go above and beyond for our current clients.

Absolutely we do.

But we won't go above and beyond for a new client.

It's crazy, right?

It is crazy.

And that new client has reached out. They've shown interest for whatever reason, you know, and there's something about our studio that they love. And you're like, too busy for them. You know, number one, it's pretty bad manners. Like, do you know what I mean? Like, how would you like it if you were dating someone and left on read?

How dare!

Um, but you know, it's bad manners. But like, I think we also sometimes overthink it, right? There's that whole thing that's like, oh, I'm just so busy at the moment, I'll do it later, I'll do it later, I'll do it later. Or, oh, I've got to think about the perfect reply. Or I've got to wait until, you know, I've got that timetable looking better, or, you know, I have the perfect craft. I've got to jump into ChatGPT and craft that, or whatever it is. I think sometimes there's that perfectionist streak in us that's like, I don't want to reply now. I've got to wait until it's perfect. And then it's almost like too long that it starts getting awkward.

Yes, but I think that's just an excuse because it's a fear of confrontation.

Absolutely. That's all it is. Absolutely.

And like, there's so We, we have a fear of confrontation across the board as studio owners. Like, we won't confront a parent, we won't confront a new inquiry, we won't confront a teacher. Like, we don't like confrontation, so we just hide and we do the things we're comfortable with. Just become ghosts. What are we comfortable with? Well, we're comfortable with choosing a costume. We'll stick to that.

Yes.

And then have every other excuse as to why we're not doing the other stuff that we're not comfortable with.

Crazy, right? I think it's exactly that, that we kind of become ghosts and we're scared to do it. I think the other thing that people often ghost inquiries, uh, because of is that fear of being pushy.

Oh yeah, fear of being salesy.

Yeah, absolutely. But I think it's really important that we reframe that. Yeah, that person reached out to you first. You didn't cold call them. You didn't make them find you on Instagram. They came to you because they were interested. Yeah, just like that Tinder who sent you a message. I don't even know how Tinder works, but do you know what I mean? Like that person that they saw something they liked.

Wait, wait, wait. Yeah, what do you mean you've never been on Tinder?

No, why would I have been on Tinder?

Like you wouldn't have like looked at it with a girlfriend or something?

Um, I definitely—

Really? Because all your friends are all—

I definitely remember being with a couple of staff members, having a couple of drinks after comps and stuff and like writing to a couple of like guys that they were like, I was like, here, give me your phone. Definitely, but not enough to actually know how it works. I've got to be honest, like after a couple of drinks, like, oh, let me DM him.

Really had such different lives, haven't we?

So, so funny. But back to the fear of being salesy. I think there's that definite thing, right? Like They have shown interest in us. So don't ever get that, uh, concern about that fear of being salesy. Like, you know, just because you sent them a message and they didn't reply again, they're still the one who reached out to you in the first place. They inquired in the first place. There was something about you that they wanted. So don't just send them one message. Follow up, send them another one. You might've caught them at a bad time. There's all of those things. Don't ever be worried about being too salesy, too pushy, too anything. Do you have some golden rules around this, Bec, that you'd like to share?

Um, like how many times should you follow someone up?

Absolutely.

Well, you should follow someone up until they say no, is the philosophy at PAWS. It's like you just keep following them and keep calling and keep trying until they say don't do it anymore.

Absolutely.

Um, this really pisses me off as a client when I'm inquiring at a gym for another kid's activity. Like, I've talked about this before, but doesn't that piss you off when people don't get back to you? Oh, absolutely. And then when people don't get back to me, I'm like, fine, I'll just go to the next company that will get back to me.

Absolutely.

It just makes no sense to me why you're a business. You are in sales. Sorry, but you are. You are a salesperson. Every business is in sales. That's why you're a business.

I think there's also that thing like, oh, I can't get back, be bothered to get back to that inquiry. It's only $18 a week. Oh, I don't need $18 a week that much to be chasing that person. But I think it's so important for us to know it's not $18 a week. How do you frame it at PAWS?

Well, we like look at a— we talk to them about lifetime value.

Absolutely.

So, you know, that 2-year-old really potentially could be worth $75,000 when you think about it. But in my head, the way that I frame it and the way that I talk to my salespeople about framing it is over a year. You know, most clients over a year would be $8,000 to $10,000, right?

Most. $8,000 to $10,000? Big clients.

Big clients.

Yes, but the preschooler, at least $1,000. More.

Yeah, $23 a week, $230 a term, plus tickets, plus costume, all those things. I'd say $2,000. Yeah, even just for one preschooler, right?

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

So I meant like more lifetime value.

Yeah, I know, sorry.

But like If— okay, say it's $1,000 a year, then are you going to— would you call them for $1,000?

Absolutely.

Like if I said to you, Amanda, if you make a phone call tomorrow— today to this person right now and you win $1,000 for making the phone call, you're going to do it?

Absolutely. I'm going to do it.

Of course you would. Yeah, I always look at it that way. I'm like, how much is that client actually worth? And then is it worth me making that phone call?

Yes.

Which I guess works for a studio owner. I don't know that it works so much for your admin person because they're not going to make that money off it.

You need to think of different Absolutely.

Ways sometimes to frame it to them.

But it's their job.

Yes, but if you have a teacher on it, for example, which a lot of our studio owners do, I always talk to them about imagine that little person is you and you don't get the phone call and therefore your mum doesn't put you in dance and you don't get this amazing journey. So I think you've got to try and relate it to the person, or if your admin person's a mum, imagine if like, yeah, you've got to try and help them with what their incentive is to Close that person, or maybe you're just really good at giving them KPIs and then, you know, they actually have to. Um, but I think as a studio owner, stop thinking about it as $18 and start thinking, okay, even if they do one class for 5 years, which is about normal, you're looking at what, $8,000 to $10,000 at least?

Absolutely. It's crazy, right? I, um, look, I'm getting old and I have a thing on my knee and I need to have it fixed.

Where are we going?

There's a story with this. Our producer's sitting I'm sitting here going, what the hell are we going with this conversation? We all are. Everyone. Everyone's scared. So I want to tell this story because, you know, I've got a shitty thing on my knee that I've got to have fixed and no one wants to do it, right? It's not an exciting part of my life. It's just a thing, right? And so I've been referred to an MRI for this.

All right.

Yep. Have I done anything about, you know, booking the appointment? Absolutely not. Because who cares? I fucking don't want to have it done.

I have this the same, the exact same.

And look, for some people, this is how a dance studio is as well.

It's a thing.

It was a passing thought. They're like, oh, I should get that fixed, or I should do that for my child, but it's not a huge priority in their life, right? And that's no different whether it's the MRI or the dance class, right? So I want to tell you about this diagnostic clinic that's been hounding me because I think it's so important. Yep. They have— I was referred Uh, must have been Monday. It's currently Thursday, so 4 days ago. I have received a phone call every day. I've received 2 orders. Gee, they're desperate for this boyfriend. I have received, uh, text messages. Yeah, automated ones. Yep, also personal ones. I have received emails. Now, I was told by the doctor that I had to call the diagnostic place myself. They did not wait for that shit. They are coming for my business, I tell you what. But you know what, like, I know we're just laughing, going, how desperate are they for— but I appreciate it because they're making my life easier.

Have you booked it in?

I have not booked it in.

So would you be happy for them to continue hounding you?

Yes.

And that's the thing.

I would absolutely, because you know what, they— yesterday I had a crazy day. They called me when I was on a Zoom call. I didn't answer, right? Am I going to call them back? No, because I don't really want to do it. And, you know, they text me this morning. I saw it come through as I was driving. Not that I was checking my texts while I was driving, but it just popped up, you know. And there was all of that that happened. And, you know, so I didn't write back because I was on my way up here. I haven't done that. But you know what? If they call me when I'm on the way home, I am going to book in for that without a problem. If they happen to catch me at a good time, I am going to book. And I think that that's important as studio owners, as random as this story is. No, I like it. Because it is sometimes that thing. It's just not a high priority. But if you catch them on a good time, keep going, keep trying them.

And can I say this about you? So you're going to book it.

Yes.

And then you won't turn up.

Oh, absolutely. I will not show up to the appointment. There is no doubt in the world that I will not be showing up to the MRI.

And then they'll follow you up.

Yep.

And you'll be fine with that.

That's absolutely fine. And then I'll also pay for the missed appointment. That's totally on me as well. We're so similar.

So then you'll rebook.

Yeah.

And you'll probably turn up that time.

I'll probably show up the second time because I'll be embarrassed to not show up by the second time. But again, more than fine to pay for the appointment that I missed. Like, absolutely, because that's on me. That's my fault, right? I'd like to not, but we'll see what happens. But to me, it's actually good customer service. It's not annoying. It's not like them hounding me. It is good customer service. They know that getting an MRI on my knee is not a high priority in my life. It is not something that I really like, oh, this is fun. Let's go do it. But if they can make my life just a little bit easier, that's what I want from them as a business. I want it to be seamless. I want them to have all my details. They've already got my referral. I don't want to upload fucking documents somewhere. I don't want to fill out a huge form online. I just want them to go, hey, come in, we've got everything we need.

Yes. But thinking about that, you not turning up and you're embarrassed, that's a parent.

Absolutely.

When a parent doesn't turn up to a trial they've booked, regardless of what the reason is, they're embarrassed. Absolutely. If they just get a quick phone call, and we're very big at PAWS at calling them as soon as the class has started, hey, we noticed you didn't come along, is everything okay? Um, oh yeah, sorry, my kid fell over, whatever the reason is.

And half the time they're fake stories. Oh, I hope they're okay. Yeah. Oh, they're feeling a bit sick today.

Oh sure, right. They've just forgotten or whatever's happened. Cool, let's book her in for next week. Like, it's that That's another thing that studio owners ghost. And they're like, oh, they didn't turn up. I'm just—

They mustn't like me. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And so I think that's so important to know because people are just embarrassed. They're not— they're busy. Yeah, like one dance class for their 3-year-old is a very small subsection of their life, of their week, of whatever, you know. Yes, they think it's cool for their daughter, but it's not what their whole life revolves around. So make it easy for them, keep reaching out to them, and stop ghosting your inquiries.

Yep. I love it. That was hilarious, by the way.

Sorry about my random story. A lot of laughs out of today's podcast. Okay, well, I look forward to hearing more off mic about the dating history and all the people that you've ghosted whilst we're talking about my random knee thing, but then we'll jump into it. Hey, thanks so much for joining us on the podcast, friends. Stop ghosting your inquiries. Get back to those ones today.

Thanks, friends. Bye-bye.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of the Dance Principles United podcast. If you'd love to learn more from us, we have a special offer just for our podcast listeners. Go to the link in the show notes right now to get 2 weeks free in Dance Principles United Tribe. We would love to see you there.