3 ways to sign-up more Students

3 ways to sign-up more Students in less time

9/13/2020

You’ve attracted the right people to your Art Studio. Now it is time to convince them to sign-up for your classes. When you follow these 3 steps you will get the majority to sign-up with you.

In this stage customers are seriously considering your Art Studio and are willing to try out your Incentive (free class, class bundle, $7 for 7 classes, or whatever you have offered during the Attract phase). They are ready to make a choice soon. At this point you have their contact information to reach them directly.

In Part 1 we covered the importance of attracting the right Customer with the right Offer, so your Studio becomes a serious option to them. In this 3-Part blog series, I will show you how the entire A.S.K.™ (Attract.Signup.Keep) marketing works. Mastering it will make you a marketing machine, double your Students, and allow you to charge the price you deserve.

Everything we are talking about is for both in-person and virtual classes. Classes refer to any activity in your Studio.

As a Business Owner, your time is extremely valuable, and a good approach is to spend 60-70% of it on tasks that directly grow your business. I hear you saying: “I do not have any more time left, I have a Teaching Business to run.” You are right, but you also have a Business to Grow. Think about the constant admin work you do (checking attendance, collecting payments, updating website...) Do any of those help you get more Students? Nope. So best to find a way to delegate or outsource most admin tasks.

Now let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Pillar 2 – Sign-up Students for classes

There are 3 steps to follow:

Step 1: Communicate

People agreed to take your free class (or your other Offer), so they will show up. Right? Oh, if it was that easy! Life gets in the way, and they’ll forget that they have committed to you. Not because they are not interested, but they get busy with other things. It is your job to remind them to take advantage of your Incentive. Two quick reminders will do the job.

Download your ready to use sign-up checklist now!

24 hour e-mail confirmation: after they opted in, send them an e-mail where you will summarize the class benefits, details, address or link, and commonly asked questions. Encourage them to ask their questions to get to know them better.
“See you tomorrow” text: 24 hours before the class, send a “See you tomorrow” text and ask for a reply if they are attending or not (Y or N), so you can plan. They will be thankful for the reminders.

Step 2: Engage

You need to offer the best experience when taking your free class (or your Offer). You worked hard to attract them, and this is the time to knock their socks off. Be a great host and send them off with a small gift. Here is what to do:

Have a pre-class conversation: invite them to arrive or log-in to your class 15 minutes early and have a pre-class conversation to assess their needs and answer additional questions about your Studio and class.

Be ready to welcome them: have their information (Student and Parent name, age, class) handy beforehand so you or your staff can greet them personally.

Give them a “homework”: it can be a coloring page or technique to work on at home. Make sure you have your logo and contact information, and a few words reinforcing the benefit they are getting when they sign-up with you.

Step 3: Secure the sign-up

In other words: ask for enrollment. This is when many Art Teachers drop the ball. They let the Student and Parent leave without asking for the sign-up. Right after the tryout, have a conversation about how things went in the class and if they have questions. Answer them and plainly ask: “What class do you think would fit better for your child: the one on Tuesday or Thursday?” Do not be afraid to ask for the sale. You will be surprised at how many people will say yes. You need to ask.😊

Do not be afraid to ask for the sale!

If they do not sign up, do not despair. Call or e-mail them within the next 2 days. Ask if they are still interested and maybe offer a 50% off the first class if they sign-up right away. Ask why they are hesitant and address their fears. If they still don’t sign up, follow up with an e-mail 7 days later. If they still don't sign-up, make sure you keep in touch: it can be for their birthday, a new class, or similar. Remember, “No” doesn’t mean no forever. They might just not be ready now. Besides, keeping on top of their mind can lead to a nice referral.

I know you are thinking: “No way I can be that pushy. This way exceeds what I am comfortable doing.” Please change your mind! Switch your thinking from You to Them. You are offering a great Benefit to your Ideal Customer: be better at school, increase their mood, learn to focus, relieve stress, etc. If you still are on the fence, think about the last time you gave your e-mail for a coupon or other freebie: how many times they contacted you afterward with e-mails or ad? I bet you’ve heard from them over and over again. You were even happy to see them and buy when they offered something that benefited you. It is not different for your Art Teaching Business. Keep in front of them, answer every question, and ask for the sale. “Fortune is in the follow-up”. Companies know that, and now you do too!

You can start with these action steps:

Choose 3 classes you need to fill and follow the ready to use cheat sheet provided here.