Sales Techniques :: Emotional String Pulling

[tango]

Recently I have become a keen observer my dance studio's "sales technique". They are one of the major franchises and I find that they use a very scripted (I think anyway) way of sales, involving a lot of "emotional manipulation”. First they compliment you on how well you are doing, and then they say you're so good you should compete etc. etc. It's fine to compliment, but every person get's the same pitch and it doesn’t mean anything. Some days, I would just like to know how well I am actually doing! But then that's what competitions are for I guess.

Some individual dancers are hooked because of the flirting that takes place. There is one guy at my studio that you can see he is shy and introverted but you see in his eye's that he's got something for his instructor. Again the sales technique works, but for some reason it just seems manipulative.

In a previous post I mention that our dance instructor flirts. My girlfriend is still convinced that she likes me but I am 99.99% convinced it's sales technique. Now I have noticed that with the flirting she can creep into my subconscious and I find my self thinking about her! Now that is good sales! When I put it into perspective I realize a few things:

1. The instructor knows many things about me but I just realized that I know absolutely nothing about them aside from name and that they are talented dancers.
2. Obviously, it is a business relationship and when the money stop’s flowing everything grinds to a halt.
3. The amount of money put into the studio determines the level of “perks” and attention you receive.

So do most people here find that they’re dance instructors use emotions to hook people (i.e. if you stop dancing you will think you're losing some friends) to maintain the sales or does it move to another level where the sales pitch stops and it becomes a mutually beneficial deal for both parties at which point you don’t have to worry about the impending sales pitch?

[Sagitta]

No dance studios in my area, but the dance instructors I take lessons from are not like that at all. It's a small place where I am so I still meet the instructors after I stop taking classes from them, and this does not affect our social relationships. I just met two of my dance instructors who were going to see the same movie that I was yesterday night. Not taking any more classes from either of them, but no problems with the way we interacted.

[SDsalsaguy]

tango...this same dynamic was in play, big time, at the franchise studio where I got started myself. And it is *very* scripted! When you first come in for an introduction – be it some “new student special” or what not – they have you fill out a questionnaire regarding why you wanted to dance, what you wanted out of dancing, what you considered good dancing to be, and what you considered a good dancer to have. Talk about stalking up with ammunition! So, as much as I saw the same “you’re really doing well, you should compete/do a routine for the showcase” dynamic you mention, it was also very clearly targeted to play (and prey) on the individual students psyche. I’d like to think that I’m a fairly intelligent type of guy, but let me tell you, those tactics work…which, of course, is why they are used. :evil:

[pygmalion]

Same thing at my former studio, SD. They give you a questionaire during your introductory special, and use the information you've given them to manipulate you as much as possible. Incidentally, check out the thread on FTC guidelines, which lists some sleazy sales technqiues you might want to look out for, tango.

Yes, they pull emotional strings -- everything from crying poor, so you'll feel sorry for them, to enlisting your help to win a sales contest, to, in some extreme instances, threatening withdrawal of affection, etc. It can get quite ugly. Incidentally, the affection often wasn't genuine to begin with. As you've said, they want to know everything about you but disclose nothing about themselves, to a great degree. :?

[pygmalion]

Oh yeah, and like you, Sagitta, my experience with independent instructors has been exactly the opposite of my experience with franchise studios. No attempt at string-pulling at all, and no high pressure sales. :D

[danceguy]

Wow, I've never encountered anything like this before...but I've never taken dance lessons at a franchise studio. The several places I've been to are independant studios, and while there has been a few problems here and there, never any emotional string pulling or anything of the sort.

This thread does remind of me of a time that I wanted to join a fitness club. I mainly just wanted to go workout 1-2 days a week, and at the time I was really low of funds so the last thing I needed to do was sign up for a full membership. So finally I go in and ask about the joining, and the owner then proceeds to take me all around on a tour, and then to sign up, he leaves me alone in a room with his vampire of a wife.

Naturally, she's extremely attractive, and dressed so that her "goods" are on full display. Everything about her, clothes, perfume, demeanor and especially her eyes were set to prey upon some poor happless male (such as myself) to sucker you into joining and paying for lots of gym time we'd never use. And it almost worked...she ended up talking me into a full membership and for a moment I fell under her spell...until I got home that night and said, "what the hell have I just done?"

Figuring I'd give their gym the benefit of the doubt, I went to the place to work out...and soon found it was a horrible environment with a lot of egotistical people, but I then remembered my 7 day full refund grace period. I had to write them an letter stating why I wanted to leave (apparently "you guys suck" didn't get the point across) and this same lady tried like hell to keep me there, wanted to talk to me in person and the whole nine yards.

Naturally, once she saw I'd made up my mind to leave, she was no longer sugar spice and everything nice. In fact, she was downright unfriendly!
Their gym continued to try and get me to rejoin and didn't refund my credit card until I used the nice term "lawsuit" and then everything got straightened out real fast. :wink:

It is unfortunate the tactics that some places use to make money...may their souls rot in the underworld indeed. :P

SG

[Dancegal]

I was a "guest" at a competition a friend participated in which took place at a franchised studio (she dated her instructor). The sales pitch did not occur, probably because my friend forewarned her boyfriend not to and the other instructors stayed away. I avoid contract driven franchise studios like the plague!

[tango]

Well it's interesting to hear other experiences, related or not. The sad part is when we first started dancing at this studio it felt good and for some reason genuine. But, lately it feels less so and I'm starting to see through the sales ploy. I still think our instructors are great, but I suspect they are puppets to the owner(s) of the studio. You can't blame them when they are just doing their jobs and trying to make a living.

Well, it's also funny that I've changed the way I deal with them. First our 'contract' is going to be done soon. I'm keeping just a few lesson for after my wedding (January) and I told them we'd be considering a new package after the wedding. Also, since they are choreographing our tango routine for the wedding I've dropped hint's that we'd possibly be interested in competing. They are definately working very hard to make sure we're happy and the tango routine is absolutley outstanding so far.

I guess the part that brought up this topic was that if we indicated that we were not going to go any further after the wedding they wouldn't put any effort into the choreography and possibly even downgrade us to a less experienced instructor.

[SDsalsaguy]

I was a "guest" at a competition a friend participated in which took place at a franchised studio (she dated her instructor). The sales pitch did not occur, probably because my friend forewarned her boyfriend not to and the other instructors stayed away. I avoid contract driven franchise studios like the plague!
Wow, I'm surprised! :shock: The Franchises are usually the most stringent regarding non-fraternization between students and the staff! BTW, have you seen the Franchise Experiences thread (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=482) over in the ballroom forum?

[Dancegal]

I was a "guest" at a competition a friend participated in which took place at a franchised studio (she dated her instructor). The sales pitch did not occur, probably because my friend forewarned her boyfriend not to and the other instructors stayed away. I avoid contract driven franchise studios like the plague!
Wow, I'm surprised! :shock: The Franchises are usually the most stringent regarding non-fraternization between students and the staff! BTW, have you seen the Franchise Experiences thread (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=482) over in the ballroom forum?

This was several years ago so I don't remember the exact timing of when dating began, but there was a strong mutual interest between them at the time she took lessons. I suppose perhaps they were not officially together??? She quit lessons eventually and he did leave the studio and dated her.