Reasons to Dance – Sell Dance Lessons! – H. Mikel Feilen
With every decision we make it begins with the question, “What’s in it for me?” This is not selfish, instead, this is a basic survival technique.
We pay our bills out of necessity. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have a roof over our heads, our utilities would be off, and worst of all, no internet!
Therefore, the decision to be responsible comes from knowing what is in it for you if you do and what will happen if you don’t act responsible.
This may seem like an odd way to begin this procedure. I assure you this is the perfect way to understand the logic used when introducing a showcase or competition package.
Remember, not everyone is the exhibitionist you are. Most instructors love to perform and show their stuff with hot routines. Normally, students are not as eager to dance in front of a bunch of onlookers for the first time, judging their every move.
This is why all the positive aspects of doing a routine must be explained. How you ask someone for their permission to begin working on a showcase routine or prepare for a competition is important.
Let’s begin this easy procedure!
- Meet and greet your student
- Warmup Dance
- Stop and mention the upcoming event, Showcase or Competition
I prefer to sell a student a showcase package first. Then the next step to a competition is much easier to sell. Therefore, I am going present a showcase package. However, the comp procedure is identical.
This could be a segue to bring up the showcase,
“So, did you happen to notice the flyers about the upcoming Showcase Production?”
Regardless of their answer, you are going to talk about it anyway.
“This showcase is being called, (?) “For the Love of Dance Showcase Production” and it is going to be at the (?) (Find a room you can get a portable floor put down and catering.)
You want to advertise your production to the community. Offer dinner, dancing, and a show. People can also purchase just spectator tickets or just show and dancing after the show tickets.
To make sure my Showcases are a success, I hire a pro ballroom couple to coach students and provide the staff with some top-notch training the week leading up to the show. Then our dynamic dancing guests end the show with an incredible performance.
This way, the last thing the audience remembers is how professional, entertaining, and exciting the show was. This business model works! Organization is the key in making your showcase a success.
Once you know the format, it is easy to do. It becomes a check list. Once your students experience it, they will be hungry to do it again.
We sell coaching lessons, pro – workshops, and offer a free class before dinner at the show and open dancing afterwards.
We do this three times a year and compliment it by attending three national comps a year.
I never worried about the cost of the show because between lesson sales, showcase packages, and show ticket sales it more than paid for everything leaving a nice profit for me and my staff.
(Always pay your staff generously! Without them, this production is impossible!)
The right way to ask your student to be in the showcase with you.
“Students name, I would love to introduce you to the joys of dancing a showcase routine. You’ll love it and I’ll choreograph an easy but elegant routine. It will be like the one we did for the party but a little longer and we’ll have to get you a new costume.
If you would have said, “I would like you to dance in the showcase, it is much easier for them to say, “That’s alright, I’ll pass!” However, when you say this is something you would like, the request is more of a favor you’re asking, without calling it a favor.
This is harder for them to say no to. It also allows you to tell them all benefits of dancing in a showcase. This is where you answer their question, “What’s in it for me?”.
“It is true, you will be nervous the first time you perform, in fact, I still get a little nervous before stepping out onto the floor. Just remember, I am there with you and no one knows what the choreography is supposed to be so if we make a mistake, smile and keep moving. If either of us fall on our butts, don’t forget to point your toe. You know, like you meant to do that!”
Keep it light and have fun talking about what it will be like. You are the only one that can present a picture to your student that a camera cannot take – their dance future.
“We will pick out one of your favorite dances, a great piece of music, and I’ll choreograph a routine we can fine-tune for the next couple of months. We must also look the part with new dance costumes. We will have so much fun. So, what do you say?
Shut up and listen. Each question is a request saying, “Tell me why I should do this? What’s in it for me?”
The primary reason someone will say why they cannot sign up for a solo routine is the price. This is okay too! If this is the case, then immediately find a way for them to be in a *team routine that is much cheaper and still a ton of fun.
*Team routines are great audience builders. If you think about it, a solo routine consists of one student and their instructor. A team production may have 8 – 20 students in it. The number of people coming to see one person perform may be 2 – 12. The same holds true for each of the people performing in the team routine. The math is simple.
Showcases are made up of several types of routines:
- Student Solo Routines
- Professional/Instructor Routines
- Group/Team Production Routines
- Staff Formations
- Top Pro Couple Routines
- Opening and Closing Routines
Studio Owners and whoever is in charge of producing the show, regardless of the package, the Opening and Closing numbers should be included.
Owners, Managers, and Instructors, you can contact me anytime if you have questions. I have produced numbers of successful showcases, and I love helping others learn the business of ballroom showcase productions.
A well-produced showcase can create energy and excitement before, during, and after the show.
Showcases increase lesson sales, motivate instructors, and give students reasons to dance even after the showcase is over.
Showcases create new students eager to learn. A showcase proves to others in the audience that they too could learn to do dance. (Visual proof of an attainable goal!)
Ask about:
- “Amazing Dance Showcase” business model.
- Becoming an Amazing Dance Studio
Amazing Dance Solutions 