Last week’s blog post spoke about the tremendous value that comes from communicating well with students and (especially) their families. Today’s blog is an example of how we can practice good communication at the beginning of a new term (or anytime a new student joins our studio), with a strategically-written welcome message!

At first glance, these welcome messages may seem insignificant. Maybe our habit is to fire off a quick email and call it good, but I think we’d be missing an opportunity for powerful communication.

Here’s the thing: the welcome message isn’t really about announcing the beginning of a new season of lessons.

That might be part of it, but it’s really about communicating the vision for our studio to our students and inviting them to join us in reaching that vision.

Let me be a little clearer: In our heads, we have a picture of what we want our studio to look like in the future. That grand vision of our dream studio! Because our students don’t live in our heads (thank goodness!), they’re not privy to that picture. They are, however, an essential part of getting to that future studio!

It’s our job to paint a picture of that visionary studio so our students can see it, too, and to tell them very clearly how they can be a part of our journey getting there.

Sample Welcome Message

OK, let me come down from the clouds for a minute to talk about how this might look in real life. Here’s a sample welcome message:

Welcome!

We hope you had a great summer. The Primo Music teachers have been working hard to prep the studio for a fun fall!

Here are few things we’re excited about:

 

Celebrate!

Two Primo students were selected to attend the state music academy this summer! Here’s what Jane had to say about the experience:

“I can’t wait to go back! I learned so much and met awesome new friends!” – Jane

 

Goal for Fall 2018

We want every Primo student to learn to set and achieve their own practice goals. To do that, we’re starting off the year with a practice challenge! Read more on the blog…

 

Thank You

We might be biased, but we believe we have the BEST studio families. Thank you so much to Primo mom Amber who gave us this 5-star Google review:

“I am constantly blown away by the incredible opportunities my daughter gets at Primo Music. I’m so thankful we found this place!” – Amber

 

Share the Love

Do you know someone who has what it takes to be a Primo student? Tell them so by forwarding this email! We love referrals. 😊

 

Here’s to a great year!

Primo Music Makers

Elements of a Better Welcome Message

Now let me break down each of the elements:

1. Welcome – If you want a so-so welcome message, stop right here. If not, continue…
2. Highlight a recent accomplishment – Choose an accomplishment that promotes a value of the studio. This imaginary studio knows that students who attend music camps come back totally fired up. They want this experience for every student in the studio. By celebrating it here, they’re presenting it as something other students can aspire to.
3. Highlight one goal – Keep this student-focused. You may want to get 15 new students this semester, but students don’t really care about that. Choose a goal students can get on board with and also brings you closer to that visionary studio. This studio cares about have an engaged student body, so a studio-wide practice challenge makes sense.
4. Thank you + Testimonial – Thanking people is just good manners! Following a thank you with a testimonial affirms the student’s/parent’s decision to take lessons at Primo Music and reiterates that this studio is a place where students get opportunities…like going to music camps. (See a theme here?)
5. Call to Action – This is where we invite our studio families to be a part of growing the studio. We’ve reminded them what they love about it and now we’re asking them to share it with a friend who has the same values.

Tips

Here are some tips to make your message pull readers in:

• Keep it brief so it gets read! (this example is fewer than 200 words)
• Make it student-focused, not studio-focused
• Choose one theme or studio value and reiterate it through each point (including the testimonial, if you possible)
• Limit to ONE call to action (Ask readers to follow you on social media OR write a review OR forward the email to a friend. Not all of the above.)
• Include pics!

Go Write a Better Welcome Message

With a little intentionality, even a welcome message can communicate so much more than the start date of fall lessons. It’s all about sharing your vision and inviting students to be a part of getting there.

To learn even more studio communication strategies, register for my upcoming webinar that will give you a framework for handling those tough money and policy talks!

Webinar: The Nice Teacher’s Guide to Tough Conversations

Wed., Sept 5, 2018 at 1pm (Eastern.) >> Register Here <<

What do you include in your welcome message?