Are you still offering a FREE trial class to new students as an incentive to get them in the door?
If you are, you’re stepping over dollars to get to dimes, and there are at least three reasons why you should stop this now!
#1 – You’re not pre-qualifying your prospects
By offering a FREE trial class there is a good chance that you’re attracting students that don’t value your program. There are a bunch of people out there just looking for the “free” stuff. When we spend time and money trying to convince them to enroll we end up spinning our wheels and wasting time.
I want ALL of my marketing to pre-qualify my prospects. If someone contacts me about classes I want to be sure that they are the kind of student that I’m looking for, and that will value what I have to offer.
#2 You’re projecting low value
Whether we want to or not, the prices we set for our classes subconsciously communicate to our prospects the value of our program. Charge a low tuition rate or offer a “free” intro class and you’re teaching people what your program is worth.
Are you trying to be the Walmart of dance studios?
“By offering a FREE trial class there is a good chance that you’re attracting students that don’t value your program.”
#3 Your show-up rates will be lower
When people have paid $29 for an intro program you can bet they’re more likely to show up. They’re even more likely to reschedule if they miss the intro class for a legitimate reason.
This cuts down on the amount of work that you and your staff have to do to get people in the door.
#4 Your enrollment rates will be lower.
Charging for an intro class will also increase your enrollment rate. By paying for an intro class they’ve already started making payments to your studio. Ongoing tuition payments is a smaller psychological step for them after that. They’re simply already more committed. They see themselves as invested in your studio.
This greatly simplifies the actual part where you close the deal (we call this the enrollment conference) with new students. You’re taking a lot of stress and work off you or your staff just by charging for the intro program.
There are actually a number of other reasons you should be charging for your intro program, but I think I’ve made my point.
Now, just go make the changes you need to in order to start charging for intros. This is one simple step in the right direction.
I hope you get as much value out of this technique as my studio has.