Customer Appreciation Without Breaking the Bank

To foster loyalty among your dance family, here are 12 ways to show your appreciation without breaking the bank. “It’s essential to communicate regularly with your customers,” says Jeff Sloan, entrepreneurial expert and host of the nationally syndicated radio program, “StartupNation.” “After all, they already know and trust your products and services.” How long has it been since you thanked your devoted students and their parents?

1. Send an e-mail greeting or a monthly newsletter. Stay in touch with a quick note, and thank customers for their business on a regular basis.

2. Throw a “Customer Appreciation Day” party. Treat parents to a special day just for them. In addition to a performance, provide refreshments and a simple card or gift.

3. Welcome parental involvement. “Ask for volunteers,” says Katie Contessa, studio director of Dance Gallery Foundation in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “Volunteering builds camaraderie among dance parents, and they’ll appreciate the opportunity to be involved not only in the organization, but in their children’s dance education.”

4. Reduce class and merchandise fees. For students who have been at your studio for three or more years, offer special discounts on classes, T-shirts, mugs, photos and more.

5. Design unique holiday presents specifically for valued customers. Use your imagination to create a studio photo keychain, “Ballet Mom” bumper sticker or handwritten certificate.

6. Create an enjoyable environment. Have free magazines, snacks, coffee, water and other inexpensive items available for students and parents in the waiting area. And don’t forget to clean the bathrooms and dressing rooms!

7. Provide tickets. Present valued customers with free tickets to an upcoming recital or a local performance.

8. Have a raffle. It’s not what you give away, it’s how you do it. Build excitement about the raffle. Contact local businesses to donate prizes. For example, a local spa could provide 30-minute massages for frazzled parents. Then, post winners’ photos and brief notes on why each winner is important to your business. If it’s a big prize, such as a “walk-on” part in a local theatrical performance, share the news with the media.

9. Take and display student photos. “By posting photos, you tell customers that you are proud of them and that you value their business,” says Nicola Conraths-Lange, adjunct dance professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, and author of Survival Skills for Pilates Teachers. “Parents and students will be able to see progressions from year to year.” If your students wear leotards color-coded according to their classes, young dancers will see the photos and aspire to one day wear the most advanced-level colors.

10. Make a yearbook or special memento. Use student photos to create a class facebook or calendar. For example, you can take photos of your students’ feet and then have each dancer autograph his or her photo. “It’s like a school’s hall of fame,” says Conraths-Lange. “I did this many times as a gift, and people love it and keep it forever.” Make one copy for the studio or print enough for everyone. Sell advertising space in the book to pay for the printing.

11. Ask for and listen to feedback. “Parents are very important customers, and they want to hear from the top—from the one responsible for guiding the organization’s artistic vision,” says Peter Sparling, University of Michigan dance professor and founder of Peter Sparling Dance Company. “I place a suggestion box in the studio and conduct regular, confidential surveys so that customers can easily provide feedback. I also believe in semiannual parent meetings to update parents on policies, curriculum, faculty concerns and to listen to their worries. They will really appreciate it if you are available to answer questions, help solve problems and listen to what they have to say, even if it has to be via e-mail.”

12. Treat your customers with respect. “Don’t let your ego get in the way of growing your business,” says Barbara Scott, sales director at eePulse, Inc. and co-founder of the Downriver Swing Club in Ann Arbor, MI. “If you don’t have good people skills, your students will eventually find another instructor to spend their money on.” DT

Melanie Rembrandt is a graduate of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television and writes about business, entertainment and human resources.