"Star students" don't have to pay to do a showcase for their coach. That is preposterous! If the studio wants to offset costs they can do so with admission. That's definitely much worst than charging admission to couples competing in that session.
In our studio, couples in the showcases don't have to even pay admission.
Ok, I feel like I'm slamming my teacher and the studio at their back a little too much. I was't told of the costs earlier on, that's unprofessional on their part. Something I need to watch out. But the pressure wasn't that much, we bit on it because we were wimpy and we liked the floor time as well. There're ideas though on getting that floortime without participating in these vanity shows. I think I'm gonna go back to the teacher and discuss costs and options, like admission vs entry etc, and prepared to drop out if it's not worthwhile for us. Like some of you said, if the teacher's attitude/behavior changes, then he doesn't deserve our business!
Egoist, if showcase couples pay nothing, who's covering the costs of putting up the showcase? General public admission?
I think you're making a mistake in assuming that the goal is primarily to cover costs. Showcases function, in part, as a form of advertising, and as such, are an investment on the part of the studio owner and the teachers - not the student. They get an opportunity to show their wares (which, by the way, is you).There's nothing at all wrong with the thing in principal. Other students see what you have accomplished, and are then likely to take lessons from your teacher. The studio gets floor fees, or whatever their arrangement is with the teacher. Most studios are delighted to have their more advanced students show off - whether informally or formally, in a showcase, at a comp, or at a studio party. It's just plain good for business, and they know it. They told you you would have fun and make new friends. And you did. Now they want you to help them convince others. (Sounds like a religious cult, no?)
At some studios, students pay for performance-oriented classes, and then might later do a showcase as a form of practice and celebaration. The only cost to you should be any extra training you took, and any costuming you agreed to. Anything else would be like your hairdresser giving you a great hairdo, then making you pay to take pictures of their work so they could use your pictures to attract more customers. Now, on the other hand, if you ALLOW the hairdresser to take the pictures at their own cost as a favor, or maybe for a substantial discount in the future, then fine. They are in business, and you are a favorite customer, at least for today. I know it doesn't usually appear to be such a cold deal. And sometimes, it really isn't. You like them, they like you, you're doing well, they want to show you off. But at the core, it's the business that drives everything.
Do you know what the 7th wave is? A person you're doing business with will ask you 7 times to accept something and very often after being repeatedly asked, they give in.
The "7th wave" is not asking someone to buy something 7 times. In any sales book, you will see that it takes 5 to 7 closes before the average person will buy. Not just in the dance world, but in general. The 7th wave is a standard closing technique that people use in everyday life. The basis behind it is taking the pressure off the customer and putting it on the seller...i.e. "Put yourself in my hands. I will not let you fail." That's the "7th wave."
But No means no. The seventh wave or not, how many times does someone have to say no? Sure is it a sales technique used by many, but the buyer should be aware what is happening. If a man used this technique to pick up girls, he could find himself slapped with harrassment charges.
Quote: But No means no. The seventh wave or not, how many times does someone have to say no? Sure is it a sales technique used by many, but the buyer should be aware what is happening. If a man used this technique to pick up girls, he could find himself slapped with harrassment charges.
Haven't you found anytime in your life when someone said no, but then changed their mind to yes. It happens, a lot. I'm not defending the way the Elkins use certain sales techniques. Some of what they do is illegal (i.e. 2 closers with 1 buyer). But sales techinques are the same if you are going door to door selling vaccum cleaners, if your on a lot selling cars, or if your in a studio selling dance lessons, are the same. Cars and lessons are actually easier to sell. Think of it this way......when someone comes into a dance studio, they didn't just pop in off the street. Very few dance studios are in shopping malls. Notice that. Why? Becasue learning to dance is something most everyone thinks about for a while before acting upon it. So as a teacher/studio owner/manager/sales person/whatever, you see a potential new student in front of you and they say "no" when you quote them the price, very few times is it a flat out "NO I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS". Most of the times, 99% or more, it's something along the lines of "I need to think about it", "It's a lot of money", "I'm not sure I would use it that often", etc. Those are called objections. That just means certain questions, fears, concerns, didn't get answered during the sales presesntation, or dance lesson. So the closer/teacher needs to find a way to reasure the customer/student that he/she will be able to use what he/she will learn, that it is worth the money (God only knows how much I've spent to learn everything I know).
Also think about when you or someone you know were kids. You wanted that candy bar, new toy truck, pretty doll, to go to a party, stay out late, etc. You asked your parents and immediatley they said no. Did you stop? Most kids don't. They find ways to make their parents change their mind. Like "I'll mow the yard for a month, I'll do the dishes every night, etc." You/they keep going either until they said yes or got mad at you. You learn sales as a baby by crying to get feed/changed/picked up/etc. Sales has such a negative connotation in today's world, but is something most people have used, and will continue to use to get what they want.
Now for the customer/student. If you don't want to buy something, you won't. Period. I don't care how long the best sales person kept closing me, but if he/she were trying to sell me something like, a blender (I can't do anything in the kitchen, ask my fiancee), I would buy it. After a while of closing I would get frustrated, mad, upset, and then...........I would leave.
This is a buyers market when it comes to dancing. The student has the final say. I know this first hand. If you don't want to purchase something someone is selling the best thing to say is "I don't want this". That is the only objection that a sales person (no matter how good) can't overcome. Have you ever said that. I have.
Just the mere statement of Elkins and I will stop arguing with you. Since you did use him specifically as the bad example, I do not need to debate this, he is the worst offender I have heard of. I have talked to many of his victims and couldn't understand why they couldn't say no, but I was not stuck in the office under the pressure they invoked either. Anyone know of how the Class action suit agianst him is going?
To those kind and conerned, we reached a very happy consession in the end Thank you.
WorldFinalist, you're right. Selling is what studio/teacher want to do, and there's nothing wrong with trying to make money. Sales techniques can be used in some fashion, but there's a line and if crossed, it becomes malipulative.
Thank you.
