What do you think of when you hear ‘dog training class’? For many, a six week course teaching a set of basic skills may come to mind. It may be a puppy course, or general manners for adult dogs. While this format remains one of the most common, it doesn’t have to be. At dogbiz many of our clients have seen big success with topics-based classes. These programs often focus on a specific problem that clients may be trying to solve. And the sky’s the limit when it comes to options – from walking well on leash, building a great recall, dealing with chase behavior, or even taking your dog to pubs and cafes with confidence.
Innovation is key to business success, and thinking outside the box can be a great way to differentiate yourself, and design a more compelling marketing message. The end result? New students sign up and old ones stick around beyond puppy and basic manner classes.
So what are the advantages of a topics-based approach in your classes?
Easier to sell
Shorter classes can be an easier sell, as they require less time and monetary commitment on the part of students. Weekend workshops, open enrollment or shorter four-week classes can be appealing to busy clients. This can be particularly helpful during the summer months when people are working around vacations, or during the holidays when it becomes difficult to build a class schedule to accommodate all the festivities.
This more manageable commitment can help to improve your retention rates. Clients are more likely to take a second, third, or even fourth class when doing so doesn’t mean blocking out another month and a half and forking over the payment that comes with it. If I’m having a good time and making progress with my dog, what’s another three weeks?
You make more money, too. You make more because a higher percentage of your students come back for additional classes, but also because you can charge more per session for topics classes due to their shorter duration. For example, let’s say you currently charge $150 for a six-week class. At that rate, each session is $25 per student. Say you offer a three-week loose-leash-walking clinic for $90. The price tag looks great to folks graduating from your basic manners program — but you’re now making $30 per class session.
Most often these programs are offered as retention classes — classes to keep students coming back after graduation from basic or puppy. But they can also be an effective entry point into your business. Offering a one-shot teaser or short-run topics class on a commonly desired behavior such as nice leash walking, or one that addresses a particular type of problem such as car chasing, can be a great way to get people to make the training class leap in the first place.
More compelling marketing
By addressing a specific need or targeting a particular problem, topics classes help potential clients to quickly self-identify. They also appeal to people who may not be interested in ‘dog training’ in general. Perhaps I don’t want to attend a six-week class to learn a bunch of behaviors; I just want my dog to come when called. Maybe some extra practice in a loose-leash-walking class sounds more applicable to my day-to-day life, rather than working on my sit-stay.
The trick is to position your topics classes with this in mind. Clearly state who this class is for. Build your class descriptions around the problem your class will solve. Describe the outcomes — what will students be able to do and enjoy as a result of taking your class? How will life be easier?
Class Ideas and Formats
When brainstorming ideas for topics classes, think in terms of categories. There are behavior-based classes such as those focused on recall or loose-leash walking. (You could also combine these into one program.) Behavior-based classes can be entry points into your business or extra-practice retention programs that follow more traditional entry points such as basic manners or puppy class.
There are also situational classes, which are often great as retention programs. Examples include a four-week urban outing class that meets in a different location each week or a class focused on applying what was learned in basic manners to common household situations such as guests at the door, polite dinner table manners, etc.
You might choose to offer topics classes aimed at a particular problem, such as a three-or four-week chase behavior class or one built around confidence-building exercises for shy dogs.
And don’t forget the fun stuff — tricks and sports like agility, tracking, nosework, Rally-O, etc. A short program can be a great way to get students hooked and committed to the longer classes necessary for these sports.
Curriculum Tips
A focus on real-life contexts and problem solving — the things that make for quality curriculum in any type of class — are even more important in short topics programs. Build your curriculum to deliver the skills and concepts clients need for getting results in the real world. This approach will have students coming back to your classroom again and again. If your curriculum is simply a list of dog behaviors, you’ll likely be disappointed in your retention numbers regardless of how much students may enjoy your class.
Proofing — for both dogs and humans — is about repeated opportunities to practice in an authentic context instead of a drill. So a strong curriculum will give students many opportunities to apply what they’ve learned in new and increasingly challenging situations that mirror real life as much as possible. And the trick is to remove the prompting as quickly as you can. If you tell students what to do for too long they’ll learn to wait for your next instruction rather than learning to make decisions on their own. This will work fine in class, but will fail them in the real world when you’re not there at their elbow to direct them.
Getting Started
Pursuing topics classes doesn’t require an overhaul of your current class program. Simply add them to your current offerings. Start by making a couple of basic decisions. First, which topics? Which behaviors, problems, and situations are common issues among your clients? Matching your class content to student needs will make marketing and selling your new classes that much easier. Then decide where each new class fits into your overall program — will it be an entry point or a retention class?
Then get your curriculum in order (consider our Topics Class Curriculum as a quick jump start) and add the classes to your schedule. Use your current marketing outlets to spread the word to new potential clients. And let all current and past students know. These new classes can be a great way to get old students back under your roof.