I’ve been in the studio business evolution game for over a decade and choosing a favorite area of growth is like choosing a favorite child. Impossible!
However there is one particular element of growth that is very dear to my heart and that is RETENTION. Possibly because it’s the underdog of studio businesses.
It’s not urgent and important like marketing. It’s not serious and studious like financing. It’s not flashy like summer camps and concerts. In fact, in a lot of studios it flies totally under the radar. I’m here to bring Retention back into the spotlight and show you how it’s one of the fundamental keys to unlocking the true potential of your studio.
There is, however, a rather small elephant in the room – it’s your teachers and your team who play the biggest part in your retention strategy. The people who have the most contact with your students.
Today I am going to share with you some tips to get your teachers engaged into your retention strategy:
- Encourage your teachers to share their ideas and insights. The more you engage with them and share the importance of this goal, the faster your retention results will improve.
- “Retention is the truest measure of success as a studio.” Discuss this statement as a team. Then ask “How well are we currently performing if we were judged purely on retention?
- Set retention goals with your team. And check in on your progress regularly. Use these check-ins to generate more ways you can keep students and parents happy and coming back for more! The key is to consistently keep the conversation around retention every week of the year.
- Ask your teachers to help you keep track of students who are a “flight risk”. These are students who miss classes and don’t seem engaged. Make sure to give these students extra attention. And reach out to students who are absent to check in and let them know you care.
- Get to know your students & their lives outside the classroom. Encourage your teachers to be part of this. Make sure you know the names of students and regularly call them by their names. You can even have part of staff meetings where teachers share interesting details about their students.
- And dig a bit deeper and see which of your teachers are brilliant at retention. Who on your team has the highest average retention rates? Find out what they do and find ways to incorporate their winning strategies across your studio.
This only is a touch of the teacher training that I deliver in my program The Retention Solution. I’m here to help you step into your power as a studio owner and lead your team into being retention machines.
Welcome to the Retention Solution – the program that empowers you to focus on student loyalty and satisfaction. The perfect combination that results in full classes and financial stability in your studio.
My Retention Solution plan gets results. Here’s what Natalie had to say after implementing my retention strategies.
After just 1 term of applying her learning from Retention Solution, Natalie was able to increase her retention by 30%.
We also had Kathryn who spent the first term of the year focussing on customer experience and was able to get her retention rates up to 95%!
The results really do speak for themselves.
Here’s why you need to focus on retention.
- It’s much easier and cheaper to keep an existing student than it is to find a new one.
- Your current students are your best form of advertising.
- Your studio will develop a reputation for being the default in your area.
If you want to seriously invest in the growth of your studio this year, you need to join Retention Solution. It’s my signature program for guiding studio owners to focus on retention for ultimate studio growth.
For just $397 you can join hundreds of studio owners who are committed to making retention their focus for this year.
My mission in 2023 is to get as many studios focusing on retention as possible. It’s honestly where the magic happens.
You in?
All my best,
Chantelle
