Hello Ed Reps!
Sorry for the break. It’s been a few weeks while I was taking care of some other things, but we’re back at it as we head into summer and, ultimately, rental season.
Today, I want to discuss one conversation you can have with your educators that will make fall easier for everyone.
Now, before you read any further, I already know that school has ended for many of you. However, there may still be opportunities to have some final conversations with your educators before everyone disappears for the summer. And the truth is, if you can still reach your core directors over the summer, one good conversation now can prevent a whole bunch of issues when August arrives and rental season hits in full force.
The first thing to discuss is anticipated enrollment changes.
Hopefully you’ve already had these conversations, but a final check-in can be very valuable. If you discover that a lot more students signed up for trumpet than expected, or far fewer signed up for trombone, you can adjust your inventory plans accordingly. Similarly, is band enrollment way up? Way down? About the same?
These are the kinds of things you need to know before heading into summer.
Next, think about key inventory needs.
By now, you have hopefully discussed instrument preferences with your educators. You know what brands they like and which ones they would rather avoid. This is a great time to finalize those details.
Maybe something happened at the end of the year and a director had a poor experience with a particular instrument line. Maybe they want to make a change before fall. This is your last good opportunity to gather that information before the school year starts back up.
Having these conversations also allows you to coordinate with your store manager and purchasing team to make sure the inventory you have available for rental season actually matches what your directors want.
Finally, and I know I’ve said this before, take every opportunity to confirm rental and recruiting expectations for the fall.
If recruiting is already complete and you are only handling rental meetings, make sure you know the dates, times, and locations. If recruiting events or instrument testing sessions are still planned, make sure you know when and where they will happen, and how many people you need to have on hand to support them.
The goal is simple: be fully prepared before things get crazy.
I know a lot of this sounds repetitive. We’ve talked about many of these topics throughout the year. But if you’re able to have these final conversations with your band and orchestra directors before they disappear for the summer, it will make back-to-school rental season significantly easier for you and your team.
Here’s to summertime!
Have a great week on the road.