BEST BUSINESS PRACTICES
Delivering Effective Communication NICK KRAFT CM, RFS, MG, MPD
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uilding a substantial private lesson clientele can be a challenge for newer coaches looking to teach skating full time. Seasoned coaches also experience periods where their athletes leave – they move to college, change coaches, focus on academics, find another sport, or quit to appreciate a ‘typical’ teenage lifestyle. The long and the short of it— skaters come and go. Being knowledgeable, competent, and outgoing is essential to be a successful coach at any level, and branding yourself as such is a proactive measure to building and maintaining your business. One way to do so is by delivering information to potential clients at all levels before they even know they need to know it. Creating customized welcome letters for your learn to skate classes educates the parents, makes yourself available for questions, and gets your foot in the door for private lessons. Additionally, making some type of document for your private lesson clients that outlines all of your rates and expectations sets a foundation for a well-educated parent, which in the long run can be a wonderful ally!
LEARN TO SKATE CLASS WELCOME LETTER View each session of learn to skate classes as an opportunity to create and advertise yourself to potential clients. Marketing yourself for private lessons to your skaters in group classes can be as simple as making the effort to speak with parents before or after class and handing off your business card. There are programs that run several classes consecutively due to time constraints, leaving no time for coaches to meet with parents to discuss progress. An inquisitive parent wondering about their skater’s progress may contact the director for assistance, but if there is no material advertising a coach’s contact information or the possibility of private lessons, prospective lifelong skaters can fall through the cracks and into another sport. The culture of a rink plays a lot into the situation and at the helm is the management team and the skating director. Every rink is unique—there may be professional portraits of their coaches displayed in the lobby, contact information shared on the rink website or a brochure, or a place for business cards for potential clients to pick up. If coaches are unable to have their contact information available for parents to pick up, it is worth speaking to the skating director about a personalized class welcome letter to share on the first day.
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Create and print your letter prior to the first day so you have it ready to distribute at the end of class. Speak with your director about what you may or may not include. Depending on whether you are an employee or independent contractor, there may be some restrictions to what you are able to include. At the top of your letter, similar to a resume, list your name and contact information, with acceptable office hours that work with your schedule. If you have ratings, this is the best place to advertise them. You may want to add a head shot, the rink logo, or an action photo of you coaching. Speak with your director to see if they have input on the amount of personalization utilized. Under your name and contact information, write a small note welcoming your students and their families to the class. If you know of any dates you will be missing that session, go ahead and list them. Not only does it help the skater to know not to expect you on those days, it shows preparedness on your part, especially if you list your substitute. List the elements in the curriculum and include the passing standards so families know what to expect and what to practice outside of class. Explain how practice outside of the lesson encourages movement through the levels and mention your availability for private and booster lessons and the benefit of both. Share your class rules and expectations so all parties are aware before any potential issues may arise. If you have space, you may want to add a quote, a fun fact, some of your skating history, or your coaching philosophy. The whole point of the letter is to introduce yourself and educate your class!
PRIVATE LESSON DISCLOSURE Before you begin working with a new skater in a private lesson skating, delivering a document with all of your rates and expectations can help prevent any confusion down the road. This can be as simple or detailed as you like—it could be a word document with a table or two explaining your fees or a trifold brochure. It could even be a customized website that you send skaters to from a business card or the aforementioned class welcome letter. The time you spend creating this, or the money you spend outsourcing someone else to do it for you, is an investment in creating your brand and growing your business. Once the document is finished, if you end up changing anything, only a quick update is needed.
