Libsyn Directory

How to Amaze Your Customers with Shep Hyken | Episode 13

Release Date: 04/04/2019

Why Your School Needs You to Do Less, Not More | EP 254

Music Lessons and Marketing

Are you stuck in the daily grind of running your music school—answering emails, fixing schedules, solving problems? In this episode, Dave challenges the idea that more hustle equals more growth. Learn why doing less—and thinking bigger—is the smartest move you can make. We’ll unpack the power of strategic thinking, how to build your “War Room” routine, and why vision work is your true job as a school owner.

The #1 Marketing Lesson Music School Owners Can Learn From Banana Ball | EP 253

Music Lessons and Marketing

In this episode, Dave uncovers what baseball, Banana Ball, and your music school’s marketing have in common. Learn how reimagining tradition and listening to sales calls can spark marketing gold—while keeping students (and their parents) obsessed with your program. Key takeaways include: How to identify and eliminate friction in your lessons Why group classes can feel like premium experiences The power of rethinking your approach to music education And how your sales conversations can be the secret sauce to better marketing! Tune in and learn how to take your music...

How to Supercharge Your Learning as a Music School Owner | EP 252

Music Lessons and Marketing

Running a music school without business knowledge can feel like composing a symphony without knowing how to read music. In this episode, we break down the three essential pillars of business growth that every music school owner needs to master—without spending hours buried in textbooks. Here’s what you’ll learn: The 3 essential daily habits that will help you scale your music school with confidence. How AI tools like ChatGPT and Notebook LM can fast-track your business learning. A smarter way to absorb key business concepts—without reading endless books. How to turn knowledge into...

How AI Can Revolutionize Your Music School | EP 251

Music Lessons and Marketing

AI is changing the way music schools operate, but is it a friend or a threat? In this episode, Dave breaks down how AI can help you save time, market smarter, and make better business decisions—without losing the personal touch that makes your school unique. Key Takeaways: How AI can handle the busywork so you can do what you love—teaching music. The secret to using AI in your marketing—so students come to you (without the extra hustle). How AI can size up your competition and help your music school stand out. Writing scroll-stopping sales copy and Facebook ads in...

Turning Happy Parents Into Raving Fans — Without Spending a Dime on Ads | EP 250

Music Lessons and Marketing

What if your music school wasn’t just a business, but a life-changing community? In this episode, we explore how small, thoughtful gestures turn everyday interactions into lasting connections. Learn how generosity can grow your music school, deepen relationships, and create raving fans — all without a big marketing budget.

How a Mission Statement Can Guide Your Music School’s Growth | EP 249

Music Lessons and Marketing

Unlock the true potential of your music school with the power of a well-crafted mission statement. In this episode, Dave explores why a mission statement is more than just words on paper—it’s your school’s compass for growth, unity, and purpose. Learn how to write a statement that reflects your vision, guides decisions, and inspires everyone who walks through your doors.

Turn Parent Interactions into Marketing Gold | Ep 248

Music Lessons and Marketing

Learn how your sales calls can supercharge your music school marketing! In this episode, discover how real-time conversations reveal the exact words and emotions that resonate with parents. Use their hopes, dreams, and objections to refine your messaging and create more impactful marketing campaigns.

What Music School Owners Can Learn From The Super Bowl | EP 247

Music Lessons and Marketing

What can music school owners learn from the Super Bowl? A lot more than you think! In this episode, we break down how the NFL creates unforgettable experiences and how you can apply those same strategies to your recitals. Learn how to build excitement, create meaningful traditions, and turn your events into can't-miss experiences that boost retention and engagement.

Struggling with Facebook Ads? Here’s the Fix With Ray Kirsch | Ep 246

Music Lessons and Marketing

Struggling to get results from your Facebook ads? In this episode, digital marketing expert Ray Kirsch shares proven strategies to help music school owners create high-performing ad campaigns. Learn how to refine your targeting, craft compelling offers, optimize your landing pages, and track performance for better ROI. Discover how to turn your ads into student enrollment machines today.

Bridging the Gap Between Rock and Classical Music Education with John Kozicki: Ep 245

Music Lessons and Marketing

This episode features John Kozicki of the podcast Rock School Proprietor, which explores fresh insights into music education. John and his co-host, Mandy York, bridge the gap between classical and rock-based teaching, discussing how to balance technique with creativity, guide parents through the learning process, and make practice more engaging.

More Episodes

Congratulations! You made the sale. You're one more student closer to your monthly sales goal. Mission accomplished!

Right? Wrong!

The mission has just begun. The mission is to amaze your new customer. To go beyond the expectation. To make them feel valued, important and celebrated. This is the new battlefield of business.

This is where you and your competition will go head to head. We all teach the same notes, scales and chords. The experience you create beyond the lesson is where real growth happens. The studio that creates the most magical experience is the studio that will capture the minds and hearts of their community.

Pricing Music Lessons

The battlefield in the past has been pricing. The one with the cheapest prices becomes the leader. This can work when your product has little value in the eyes of the market. This can work when there’s nothing clearly special about your product other than price. For those who read or listen to Seth Godin-you’ve heard this idea that when lowering prices is your unique selling point that it’s a race to the bottom. The good news for music schools is we’re selling something that is of high value. Youth enrichment. Parents don’t care about music lessons. They care about the enrichment music will bring to their child's life. You are selling something parents value.

Coke is It

The battlefield can sometimes be quality but look at the Cola wars. We know who the king of Cola is. Coke! We know who Coke’s arch rival is. Pepsi. Coke clearly tastes better than Pepsi, right? Pepsi is notorious for always beating Coke in taste test. From the perspective of taste and quality Pepsi is the winner. But the Coca Cola brand better captures our hearts and minds and remains the leader in the soft drink industry. Something else is at play here.

Extreme Moments of Awesomeness

Let’s look at customer experience. Youth enrichment business, music, dance, gymnastics, martial arts, are perfectly placed to go big with customer experience. Music studios have these built in mind blowing, life changing peak experiences. The recital, the concert-these are extreme moments of awesomeness, of self-realization for a child. It’s at moments like this that kids realize or discover what they’re capable of. How much value do you think parents place on that?

A Little Magic

But what about everything in between these stand out moments? The weekly routine lessons. The mundane has the potential to be magical. You just have to create these moments for kids.

Hot Buttered Popcorn

Danny Thompson creates memorable moments by serving hot buttered popcorn every day in a vintage looking carnival popcorn maker. Take a moment and think back to when you were 8 years old. Imagine what impact the sights, the smells and the taste this popcorn would have on you. I was a guest on Danny’s podcast, Music Lessons Business Academy, and we talked about the old restaurant The Ground Round. No one went there for the food. The food was ok. Everyone went there because they served a bottomless basket of peanuts to every table. You were encouraged by the wait staff to throw the peanut shells on the floor. Kids were allowed to make a mess. It was the best.

Do you think Danny Thompson feels the $50 expense for the popcorn maker was worth it? It’s added to the culture and customer experience (not to mention customer retention) This is not about music lessons. Something else is at play here.

Status

Mike Grande creates magical moments by celebrating his students on social media. What’s so magical about it? The magic is in the feeling of pride he creates for these kids. The magic is in the feeling of pride and relief the kids parents feel when they see their child connecting with music and having a great sense of individuality. The magic is in the new status Mike provides for these kids. This kid on Instagram playing guitar is no longer just a regular kid. He or she is now a musician. Musicians are considered to be special people. Gifted people. All parents want their child to be special, unique and gifted.