The Plan to Rescue Studios

If you read my delineation of our problems then you heard me say how it was so important that our studios and ballrooms survive, how important it was to eliminate the Fear of going to a dance studio, and that we needed to cooperate and collaborate. It will be easier than you think, and it will change our industry for the better. It will not be quick and it may not be quick enough for some studios who were already on the precipice of surviving before 2020. By the way it has already been done before a couple of times at least so let me share.

I was told this by a mentor when I first turned pro. There were 4 studios in an area where students could easily drive to any of the four. So let’s imagine there is one in the North, one in the South, one in the East and one in the West.  Each studio was throwing a weekly party (for simplicity sake let’s just say Saturdays) Each studio owner was there  setting up, cleaning up, dancing (servicing), and probably even DJing. And each party was a bust! 2-3 hours + setup all for 30 students. And sometimes if one studio had somebody special performing, you’d be there with less than 10 students. So Studio North owner got tired of that. He called a summit of the four owners. As is typical in the business, sometimes they are cordial but not really friends because of past slights real or imagined. But all 4 showed up at the appointed time and sat down. Mr North painted the situation as I have and said he was tired of not making money. They all agreed. He suggested that instead they COLLABORATE and do a rotating party. On week 1 they would all bring their students to Studio East, they would all do some mini spotlight type performances or even join each other for a group number. They would encourage but not force staff to participate, but most importantly they would encourage students to attend as a group and to REPRESENT. On week 2 it would rotate to Studio South, week 3 Studio West and week 4 Studio North. They would repeat their efforts for each studio and at the end of 3 months they would evaluate the plan. (After the other owners woke up on the floor) they continued. There would be no attempts at poaching but rather introducing each other and rolling out the red carpet so to speak. They would speak in glowing terms of each other. And they would encourage their students not to poach either. With trepidation they all agreed to try. Here is what happened.

The first week students were surprised at the thought of their owner and staff would do such a thing. (Sometimes students are very territorial and tend to create tensions where there weren’t any). But quite a few students from each school showed up at Studio East. Each school brought about 25 so the initial response was pretty good but Studio East was used to about 120 paid customers a month not this 100 once a month. Yet he could now go and enjoy himself with his pro colleagues the rest of the month. On week 2, the buzz was on. Students who had attended were all relating how Mr North danced with Mrs West and how Mrs East danced a hot hustle with Mr South. The music was somehow better. It wasn’t the same tired playlist they were all used to. On week 2 there was a significant jump in the numbers the place had about 150. Owners were more engaged, dancing with each other, a little adrenalin meaning they weren’t servicing out of obligation but instead being the team leaders. Students were having a blast. By week 3 the Studio West was packed, not enough chairs, but loads of dance partners for everyone. Owners looked at each other and winked. By week 4 people were lining up BEFORE the doors opened to get in first and claim the best seats. Studio capacity was 230. They had reached it.

By the end of the third month the dances were so packed that the owners met and decide that the crowd now drawing people from farther and farther away could support a splitting of the cells- a mitosis. From then on Studio East and West would do parties on Week 1 and 3, Studios North and South would do weeks 2 and 4. though there was a slight drop off, the tinder had been lit. The parties were a success, the owners were making more money, the student base had almost doubled in 3 months and the whole scene was energized.

Let’s disassemble the whole process and understand it even more.

Now many of you are thinking yeah but how many students switched schools. In my studio consulting business I stress that a) we don’t own students and since the beginning of the internet, they have been searching for alternatives while we have had our heads buried in the sand. While they may not have gone to other studios out of loyalty, they also skipped your dance when they thought the turnout would be light. Also no two studios are alike. Some are more competitive, some more social, some more Ballroom, some more Latin, some more Hustle and Swing, etc. As the saying goes “Water always finds it’s own level.”  Yes some students switched but it was more like musical chairs. Some students realized they were closer to another studio. Some tried that studio only to find out they liked their own studio better. Another big benefit. Many teachers forget the pleasure of Social dancing because they are so busy dealing with the solo ladies and the service mentality. But when colleagues are there students though are thrilled to dance with you, love to see you practice your craft. This allows them to see you in a better light and aspire to more than Bronze 2. This also raised the appearance of the party. No longer just the same old people, students stopped showing up in TShirts and started wearing jackets and dresses. Staff on the other hand wasn’t wearing the Shirt and Tie uniform but were flashing their nightclub finery.

Now HOW will this help our Studios Survive.

(After dealing with the new sanitizing, hand washing, issues)

If we can create a BUZZ that people are coming back and that they are missing out if they aren’t there. Those that are on the fence with fear will follow cautiously but safely.

Let me introduce the Value added concept. Before clients were used to paying their $10 dance and then going home. Now those dollars will be much more precious. We have to give them their money’s worth and then some.

What is this Thing we are giving away?

Jerry Seinfeld once said comedians are in the business of selling “Hot Air.” Without demeaning the value of our earned knowledge, If I teach a student 100 hours and at the end the student is dancing at a Silver level and another teacher teaches a student who is only up to Intermediate Bronze, both teachers have worked 100 hours, the end result is a combination of the students ability and the teacher’s mastery.  So to many in this industry, we teach our knowledge like a diminishing commodity. So to some teachers if I have to perform, somebody has to pay. My experience from Ballroom, Swing, Salsa, Tango, Country, and even the entertainment worlds has shown me that asking me to do a little something is not them taking advantage me but rather an opportunity for them to marvel at my ability. In other words giving a free lesson before a party is Value added. Doing a Spotlight is Value added. Neither has cost me anything. Now if you are asking me to do a ten dance show with $10,000 in costumes, hell yes I expect to be paid. I learned this a very long time ago. If Frank Sinatra had a party and Liza Minelli was there as a guest. Frank might say “Hey Liza sing us that new song” (Of course there’d be a piano) Liza would gladly belt something out. One maybe two if the crowd went crazy but not a concert. I learned that lesson from the club master Kenny Wetzel. Walking into his clubs, you’d bypass the line, not be charged entrance fee, and he’d ask you “You wanna do something?”  Most people said sure. Kenny would then do a mid party break and he would give you the most fantastic into ever. You’d suddenly be called the greatest Mambo dancer ever, etc. You’d dance 1 song and be blown away by the crowd response. Trust me, you’d be back the following week with friends and family just to have them hear the intro. Was I there trolling for business? Not really I was there to have fun, but boy was it a thrill to be recognized in front of your peers.

In much the same way if you open up and people are slow to come back you can think I need every dollar I can get. I understand and feel your pain. But there will be many of your former clients who may have lost everything. Assuming they are not taking a limited space away from a paying customer, for you to let them take a class for free will create a loyalty that no other studio will be able to challenge. It will have cost you nothing, the energy will be greater, you’ll have someone who will stay after a party and help you clean, and many other benefits you’d never expect. You need to think different.  We all need to think different.