What makes you keep coming back?

[Gus]

The challenges facing a fledgling a new club are legion. You have to find the venue, find crew, train your instructor go through the pain of trying to launch your opening night spending large amounts of cash and effort to make sure your opening night is packed …. And then the punters come once and never again. If I remember correctly, Ceroc used to talk about retention rates are around 5-10%. Personal experience has been that 100 dancers may join a new club but within 3 months you would be lucky to have retained 15 of them.

Obviously things were different for members of the Forum. Something happened that encouraged them to keep coming back. So … what was it for you?

[Cruella]

Originally Posted by Gus

The challenges facing a fledgling a new club are legion. You have to find the venue, find crew, train your instructor go through the pain of trying to launch your opening night spending large amounts of cash and effort to make sure your opening night is packed …. And then the punters come once and never again. If I remember correctly, Ceroc used to talk about retention rates are around 5-10%. Personal experience has been that 100 dancers may join a new club but within 3 months you would be lucky to have retained 15 of them.

Obviously things were different for members of the Forum. Something happened that encouraged them to keep coming back. So … what was it for you?

Nope, the reason i've stuck with it for so long is because i've moved around the country alot over the 10 years. Therefore i've had fresh venues, teachers and leads to dance with. As well as making lots of new friends.

[under par]

Originally Posted by Cruella

Nope, the reason i've stuck with it for so long is because i've moved around the country alot over the 10 years. Therefore i've had fresh venues, teachers and leads to dance with. As well as making lots of new friends.

I'm with Cruella.. its not staying with one venue!! it's visiting loads of venues that makes it for me. Loads of teachers and the hunt for good leads to keep Mrs Par buzzing.

The friends all over the place leads to good nights out where ever we go

[Gojive]

Well it's a bit of a vague memory for me now , but I do remember thinking "wow! I can't believe how friendly people are!!". I also remember loving the music played - and after a few weeks, getting my first compliment...then I was hooked

So for me:

1) Atmosphere/Friendliness

2) Music

3) Ego boost

[Mythical]

Originally Posted by Gojive

Well it's a bit of a vague memory for me now , but I do remember thinking "wow! I can't believe how friendly people are!!". I also remember loving the music played - and after a few weeks, getting my first compliment...then I was hooked

So for me:

1) Atmosphere/Friendliness

2) Music

3) Ego boost

I've learned now that not everyone is as friendly as I thought, but the ones that are lovely more than make up for the hotshots and.......I don't swear! (some people really warrant the description, though!)

[Raul]

Originally Posted by Gus

The challenges facing a fledgling a new club are legion. You have to find the venue, find crew, train your instructor go through the pain of trying to launch your opening night spending large amounts of cash and effort to make sure your opening night is packed …. And then the punters come once and never again. If I remember correctly, Ceroc used to talk about retention rates are around 5-10%. Personal experience has been that 100 dancers may join a new club but within 3 months you would be lucky to have retained 15 of them.

Obviously things were different for members of the Forum. Something happened that encouraged them to keep coming back. So … what was it for you?

I'll answer that with an anecdote.
A friend of mine invited me to her party and there i was "introduced" to a dozen people who she knows through dancing. I have seen them many times before but have never spoken to the men, (excuse = too busy dancing) and rarely danced with any of the women, (excuse = too busy, not my type, whatever). To cut a long story short, after an evening chatting, dancing, I am now friendly with all of them and often talk and dance.

I you want to double the retention rate, get personal, know their names, encourage dancers of all abilities to mix. Ensure that all your staff are friendly and approchable and see whether there are opportunities for your dancers to socialise e.g. drinks at the local pub, outings to Freestyle nights.

Put bluntly - Do your dancers see you as the guy running a business to make money or a friendly person who organises great evenings and has an income as a consequence.

[Daisy Chain]

What keeps me coming back to a venue?

ENOUGH MEN
and good music and safe parking


What makes me stop going to a venue?

TOO MANY WOMEN
and men who hurt, music not to my taste, men not to my taste

Daisy

(A Fussy Little FLower)

[Jamie]

Well for me, it was my first teacher who was so friendly to our little group of line dancers, also that we were allowed to do a few line dances to some current songs that the DJ had got hold of was great (Line Dancers are way more strict and you only go to a line dance class to line dance!)

What's kept me coming back again and again is travelling, I'd be bored stiff and no where near the level I'm at now if I hadn't travelled up and down the country.

[Freudian Hips]

All of the lists above keep me coming back. I'll add another though:

A good handful of really good dancers, men to dance with , women to enjoy stealing style from

I have a fab time dancing with and watching all levels of dancer but my dance time is my me time and I need to have a good balance with dances and dancers that challenge me.

[Husky_Cat]

Originally Posted by Freudian Hips

All of the lists above keep me coming back. I'll add another though:

A good handful of really good dancers, men to dance with , women to enjoy stealing style from

I have a fab time dancing with and watching all levels of dancer but my dance time is my me time and I need to have a good balance with dances and dancers that challenge me.

I consider my dance time is my me time too lol, the reasons i keep coming back is cos friendly, good dancers, and the way we have fun in classes and freestyle. No one ever is grumpy that i have seen!!

[Shodan]

The reason why I kept coming back was because there was a really nice girl at my Jive venue that was absolutely stunning, but more importantly a fantastic dancer. I made it my mission to become good enough to dance with her properly.

And any of my mates reading this, no I'm not telling.

[Freudian Hips]

Originally Posted by Husky_Cat

. No one ever is grumpy that i have seen!!

Have you read the thread on cure for tiredness at weekends. Maybe we're not grumpy for a reason .......

[Twirlie Bird]

I can tell you as someone who has chosen to stop attending particular local venues the reason I stopped - and yes it had far more to do than not being allowed to feel the excitement of being thrown into the air.

The main reason is not feeling welcome. I was just a number. I meant nothing more than that to the organisers or indeed the franchisee. This is not the correct attitude in my opinion. Most importantly the people running the events need to welcome you at some point in the evening and make you feel that little bit special. I need to feel like they are pleased to see me and not just because I'm an extra £7.

The next reason stems from the first really. The rest of the dancesr need to be friendly. I have been quite lucky with this. There are only a couple of dancers I can think of that are offy with me. The majority of people are happy to chat and always have a smile and a hi for you.

The music is the next very important aspect of retention. I am slowly beginning to experience different DJ's and realise what a huge difference they make. I will admit to being quite naive about this before. I now understand that the DJ can make or break the night. I seem to notice the music far more if it's bad. When a great DJ is playing I seem to dance without even thinking about the music.Then later I will realise I haven't thought about it and think 'wow great DJ'.

The quality of the other dancers is important. There need to be great dancers as well as the beginners. I am happy to dance with anyone and everyone. However as a relative newbie myself I find I get so much from dancing with somebody far more experienced than me. This is something extra that I gain and that's very important to me.

The classes are important too. Teachers vary hugely. Some seem to be stuck at a certain level. It's as if they get their dancers to a particular level and then stop. Other teachers continue to push and encourage their dancers. I like this. It constantly encourages me to move on.

Hope this helps.

[Itsybitsy]

Hi, I'm new here and fairly new to MJ - started in September and it was wanting to reply to this thread that prompted me to join although I have browsed as a guest several times, I keep going back because I want to learn but I go with a male friend and if I went on my own I would have stopped a long time ago because the place isn't as welcoming as it should be. We've tried other venues within an hours drive and the atmosphere is completely different but ultimately want to support the local. I'm at a loss as to what to do, some of the better dancers are almost openly hostile and they only dance with their group of friends or the good dancers.

Itsybitsy

[Raul]

Originally Posted by Itsybitsy

Hi, I'm new here and fairly new to MJ - started in September and it was wanting to reply to this thread that prompted me to join although I have browsed as a guest several times, I keep going back because I want to learn but I go with a male friend and if I went on my own I would have stopped a long time ago because the place isn't as welcoming as it should be. We've tried other venues within an hours drive and the atmosphere is completely different but ultimately want to support the local. I'm at a loss as to what to do, some of the better dancers are almost openly hostile and they only dance with their group of friends or the good dancers.

Itsybitsy

Welcome to the Forum Itsybitsy and welcome to MJ.
If you want to learn to dance, this should remain foremost on your mind and be your motivation for doing it. There are always a few people who obtain their satisfaction from feeling that they are better than other people at something and within a dance environment their behaviour can be superior and unfriendly. I think that this only shows that they have little outside dancing that gives them a feeling of achievement. Good for them, but we can get our kicks elsewhere AND learn to dance with people who are more friendly. You can go to any venue you like and have a good time with very many people who feel the same as you. The Cliquey Mob are actually normal people thrown in a dance environment where they forget themselves. They are few in numbers but try to get as much attention as possible and therefore often succeed in diverting others from just getting on.

Have fun and make your own friends.Thanks for posting, i think that you have put in words what a lot of dancers feel.

.

[Bravetart]

After lurking in the wings watching and reading (a bit like my dancing) I decided it was time for my first post.

The thing that keeps me coming back are the people -
the ones that pay the compliment when they ask me to dance again
the ones that smile even when I make mistakes (which happens often)
the ones that are always happy to help

I admit that there are a lot of people who don't fall into all three points, and some that can be quite rude, but I never let it spoil my nights dancing.