How to Increase Your Sales With Music Lessons

At the 2018 NAMM Show, music lessons authority Pete Gamber schooled the audience on making more sales from your music lesson program. Gamber remarked that he’s in one retail store after another teaching six days a week, so he’s seen tons of lesson rooms and music lesson programs. Gamber shared that you need to create a strategic plan to sell to your students, implement the plan and let your students know about it, especially during the holiday selling season.

According to Gamber, it starts with shifting your mindset toward your lesson program as revenue stream. Here are his concepts to keep in mind. (Watch the video for the full session.)

Don’t assume anything. Your sales won’t automatically increase by instituting a lesson program. Don’t let students or their parents go outside your store for gear. Give them a reason to get excited to purchase from you.

Remember that your students spend more time in lesson rooms than in your retail store. Do you find your students hanging out in the store or just zipping to and from their lessons? Likewise, do you have a separate entrance into your music lesson area or host lessons in a separate building? If so, you may be losing out. Take your products to where your students and teachers are: lesson rooms. Connect with students by asking your staff to meet them and know their names. (Print out the lesson students list for staff.) Staff should engage with students about new gear coming in.

Create sales by marketing your products in lesson rooms. Many music retailers put entry-level or outdated gear in lesson rooms. You have to advertise in your rooms by outfitting them with updated gear. Even put a price on products. Most of your students own an entry-level guitar, drum kit, amplifier, keyboard or band instrument. Find out what instruments and gear they play on at home, and give students the opportunity to play on better products. For instance:

• Drum lesson room: intermediate to advanced acoustic drum kit, upgraded cymbals, upgraded drum pedal, second snare drum, deluxe drum throne, and cowbell and auxiliary percussion items.

• Guitar/bass lesson room: advanced combo guitar amps, advanced bass amp, acoustic guitar amp, pedal board with effects and deluxe guitar stands.

• Piano/voice lesson room: upgraded digital piano, deluxe piano bench, microphone with stand, self-contained P.A. system, vocal processor and synth with keyboard amp.

Get your teachers on-board. Some music teachers don’t like having certain gear in their rooms or may resist some products. Speak with teachers about your plan, and make them part of it. Explain why you’re doing this, and get their input! If your teachers are on-board, your sales efforts will be successful. Ask teachers to let you know of any products that are in the room that need attention or aren’t functioning. Non-working or broken products will not help you sell.

Keep it fresh. Gamber shared his “Two Week” rule: Never keep the same gear more in your lesson rooms for more than two weeks. You have to keep advertising all of the products you in your store. Keep students excited and asking about the products. You have an advantage over online sellers in that you’re able to put products into students’ hands.

Place never-thought-about gear in lesson rooms. Place products in your lesson rooms that students might not have thought about or even known that you stocked. Let them try it! Gamber shared examples and suggestions, such as a synth in the piano lesson room, electric violin and amp in the string lesson room, or cajons in the drum room.

Consider offering a special student price, if it works for your business model. Also, consider including a special price tag for students.

Work with your suppliers. Ask for extra dating or pricing on lesson room demo products. Also, ask if they can supply product literature for the lesson room products. Use them as partners, and ask for their input.

Feature “new from NAMM” gear. Have a “new from The NAMM Show” format in your lesson rooms.

And remember: Online sellers can’t provide this. Create excitement for your students, and enjoy the increased sales!