TeacherZone vs MindBody

We get asked quite frequently how TeacherZone compares to Mindbody. 

TeacherZone is the first all-in-one Learning Management and Student Transformation platform and Mindbody is a Student Manager and Marketing System.

While no review is complete, we’ll attempt to outline some of the key differences here.

Who do they both serve?

• TeacherZone = Teaching/Instructional/Learning-Based Businesses
• Mindbody = Health and Wellness Businesses

TeacherZone was created for teaching businesses to manage and transform their students. 

If you host any type of private lessons or group classes then TeacherZone has student and class management tools to meet your needs.

This includes most after-school instruction and training programs such as:

• Music Schools
• Dance
• Martial Arts
• Tutoring
• Language
• Yoga Studios
• General Athletic Coaching and Training
• Gymnastics
• Swim Schools
• Cheerleading Programs
• Golf Training and more.

TeacherZone as the name alludes to is meant to help transform the student experience that includes learning management with badges and points, assignments, courses, and lessons. 

Mindbody, as the name references, was designed especially for health and wellness businesses.

Their tools are used by other types of businesses but if you aren’t a medical practice, massage, retreat center, yoga facility, spa or gym, you might be missing some key communication and instruction tools as listed above.

They have a great search directory to allow potential customers to search for a wellness facility or class globally on their homepage.

They also have nice newsletter and marketing tools but don’t focus on student experience and retention in the same way a learning management system does.

TeacherZone vs Mindbody Onboarding: Dedicated Staff Help + Upload Data (vs) Non-Dedicated Help

• TeacherZone = Uploading of All Data and Personal Concierge Approach
• Mindbody = Tutorials and Non-Dedicated Staff

We all know that changing systems isn’t easy.  The more help you have the quicker you can be trained and get up to speed faster and with less friction resulting in a better experience for your Staff and Student Families. 

TeacherZone Onboarding

TeacherZone has a proven 1, 2, 3 training process that helps your Staff get the training they need and start utilizing the system quickly.

TeacherZone starts with a specialized “Strategy Call” to get your preferences set up and to better understand how TeacherZone can help your team reduce friction in your processes. Transferring data is made super simple with their CSV templates.

TeacherZone’s staff will upload all of your Teachers, Students, Parents, Billing Information, Future Scheduling, and Auto Billing Information.  You can also add all data and notes upon upload to ensure nothing is lost. 

TeacherZone’s onboarding process also includes concierge LIVE scheduling and billing training and LIVE training workshops for your Teachers.

They utilize a project management approach with an easy 1,2,3 step checklist that includes tutorials, articles, system walkthroughs, and personal attention to get you up to speed as soon as possible.

Mindbody Onboarding

Mindbody offers data conversion with certain packages but does not include future schedules or billing plan uploading. 

They have access to their customer service during regular business hours and have similar FAQs and tutorials to better help you get going.

TeacherZone vs Mindbody Billing: Membership (vs) Transactional

• TeacherZone = Membership Approach
• Mindbody = Transactional Approach

In business, there are two things we can sell, products or services.  We typically think of goods like clothing, equipment, books etc. as our products.

But we believe that you can treat your service like a product if you focus too much on selling one-off experiences. Truly “serving” your students means caring about their transformation which typically equates to a more stable relationship personally and professionally.

TeacherZone Billing

TeacherZone is all about building a lasting community.  It offers a store for products, but when it comes to relationships it is designed for a more membership-based approach.  This promotes community as it creates a sense of belonging. 

With a membership approach, we’ve seen customers create a more stable business with stronger revenue which equates to a happier staff (and less stress more freedom for owners).

You have every type of recurring tuition plan that allows for all automated billing types such as weekly/monthly recurring, variable 4th and 5th-week auto-draft, and attendance-based recurring packages.

Mindbody Billing

Mindbody has really strong tools for transactional selling.  Most of these act as promotions to try and bring a customer back to your facility.  It does give more freedom to the students and can be helpful as a marketing approach.

The pitfall is that you sacrifice overall business health at the expense of your marketing.  When you let the customers make up the rules of when they attend, and what they spend, the community and culture suffer (and your stress as an owner goes up).

They encourage selling one-off packages that do not automatically recur so the users essentially have to be “resold” more lessons.  In a membership economy, this approach isn’t ideal.

TeacherZone vs Mindbody Scheduling: Recurring (vs) One-Off

• TeacherZone = Goal of Recurring 
• Mindbody = Promotes One-Off Sale

Do you want your students to come to you on a consistent basis?  We believe true learning needs consistency and allowing too much freedom hinders this process.

TeacherZone Scheduling

TeacherZone supports single lessons and classes (and drop-ins) but once you’ve won the student, we really encourage a more consistent membership-based scheduling.

This means you can schedule your private or group lessons to take place weekly (bi-weekly or monthly), promoting customers to come to you more often.

Our research shows that students who attend lessons and classes 70% or more of the time, quit less often. 

Mindbody Scheduling

Mindbody promotes the gym approach of showing up when you want.  While this sounds nice from a marketing perspective it can wreak havoc on your retention and bottom line.

We all know what it’s like to want to come but since it isn’t on the schedule, you just don’t make it. 

By promoting the pre-buying of lessons that aren’t scheduled, you are encouraging students to not show up until they feel like it which way too often ends up being, never.

TeacherZone vs Mindbody Communication Tools: Retention (vs) Marketing

• TeacherZone = Focused on Keeping Students Longer
• Mindbody = Focused on Marketing for New Customers

Building a culture for your community means creating a feeling of connection between your staff and families. 

Communication in apps, SMS, and email is an important part of modern-day interaction and one you shouldn’t overlook.  As owners, we have the difficult task of both attracting new customers and working hard to retain the ones we have.  

Are you focused more on Retention or Marketing?

This is a fundamental difference in philosophy where MindBody perceives students more like one-off products and TeacherZone focuses on serving the customers as recurring services. 

TeacherZone Communication Tools

TeacherZone is designed with student retention in mind as we believe marketing tools should be separate from student management and transformation.  

Mindbody Communication Tools

Mindbody is designed more with marketing for new students in mind.  This can be super helpful in attracting new students, but it can be at the expense of the current student body.

They have email campaigns and robust CRM tools to help sell to new users.  If you are looking for marketing all-in-one, you may find this very helpful.

TeacherZone vs Mindbody Learning Management: Full LMS (vs) None

• TeacherZone = Teacher Apps, Courses, Assignments, Gamification
• MindBody = None

The question that we often ask is, “Do you know what your students are doing the other days when they aren’t in your classroom or lesson?”

TeacherZone’s Learning Management System

TeacherZone has a full learning management system built in that includes:

• Virtual Lessons (we support all types: Zoom, Integrated Google Meet, and more)
• Multi-Media Library
• Courses and Lesson Assigners.
• With our automated and custom Leaderboards that include badges and points you can see what your students are doing and how often:
• Attend lessons and classes
• Login to the apps
• Watch videos and access assignments
• Communicate safely with their instructors and much more.

PLUS Teacherzone offers:

• A dedicated Student/Parent App
• A dedicated Teacher App
• And dedicated Admin Apps

All three apps are included in every membership and can be branded to match your business, no matter the tier.

Mindbody’s Fit App

Mindbody offers a “Fit App” to track progress, and a video library to share videos and virtual lessons as an add-on to your current package.

Branded apps are available depending on the plan tier and as an add-on.

Summary of TeacherZone vs Mindbody

Both TeacherZone and MindBody are fine solutions for scheduling and billing along with robust communication tools.

TeacherZone’s focus is on the health of the Student and building a strong culture and community of learning in your business. 

Mindbody focuses on marketing tools while TeacherZone focuses on learning and the whole student management process. 

Since there are so many different amazing CRM and email solutions out there, TeacherZone believes that onboarding, managing, and focusing on retention are key. 

If you want to:

• Simplify your auto-billing
• Upgrade your overall student/family experience
• Give your staff easy-to-use iOS and Android apps
• And implement gamification with online learning…

TeacherZone is the hands-down winner.

Daniel has coached Studio Owners globally on how to remove obstacles that prevent them from having the success they desire.  In this episode, he sits with Chris and Tyler to discuss the 6 drivers of studio growth every business owner should know and live.

You may also want to subscribe to our podcast on one of the many Podcast Locations we support in addition to our website.

We’re all working on something to make our business’s better but are we ignoring anything important?

Listen to “Crushing 2019 Together!” on Spreaker.

Podcast episode #19

Happy New Year 2019!!!

Crushing 2019 together!

What are your hopes dreams and goals for this year in your lesson business?

Los Rios Rock School – Our ninth year in review… facilities and systems in place that have helped to create the highest revenue ever!!!

13 performances where OVER 250 songs were played!

Over 1000 individual instrument projects completed.

7539 one hour private lessons given

Over 400 rehearsals attended last year!

Which equates to 20338 hours of lessons and rehearsals received by the student body!!

2018 – Review for Los Rios Rock School

• 5 coach house shows
• Boston and Beatles HOB
• SUMMER SLAM – MULTIPLE SCHOOLS
• Tall Ships
• MARDAN FESTIVAL
• Halloween Show
• 90’s Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
• Legend of Christmas Rock

Facilities and Systems in place

• Facilities Complete
• Payments Automated
• Attendance Automated
• Payroll Automated
• Audition Requirement Courses and Lessons
• Communications Automated (auto reminders, chats, newsletter, podcast…etc.)

Goals for this year… (OKR’s = Objectives and Key Results)

At roughly 15% profit we really want to get in the 25% range

2019 BHAG: To be maxed out on a waitlist 10am-9pm

• Referrals Program ($200 giveaway to students)
• Continue with Marketing (more pointed with Middle School stuff)
• Limited Edition Merchandise three times a year
• Train Staff to Coach Students to Refer their friends
• Start a Day Program (Home-School and Charter Networks)
• More community outreach (Friday 8am Coffee Chat…etc.)

1.  Creating an Experience for your Students
2.  Embracing Technology
3.  Attracting the “right” customers

RETENTION of our Roster and Staff!

Here is an outline of some of what was discussed:

#3 Student Systems and Retention

Book = Tribes Seth Godin (Follow His Blog)

The Top Ten Benefits of Customer Retention

• It’s Cheaper than Acquisition. …
• Loyal Customers are More Profitable. …
• Your Brand Will Stand Out from the Crowd. …
• You’ll Earn More Word of Mouth Referrals. …
• Engaged Customers Provide More Feedback. …
• Customers Will Explore Your Brand. …
• Loyal Customers are More Forgiving. …
• Customers Will Welcome Your Marketing.

Mark Canlis: 

Mark Canlis (Canlis Website): When we interview people, we ask lots of questions with 1 initial purpose, to make them feel safe.  We line them up for primary question: How will working here help you become, who you aim to become?

When you build an amazing culture, the team will police itself.  No one is too big to wash dishes… we are a team where everyone has each other’s back.

Simon Sinek – The Power of Why: “People Don’t Buy What You Do they Buy Why You do it…” TED Talk

Creating a business that last starts with a RETENTION Strategy!

Starts with buy In: Our Tour…

Student Sales Cycle Onboarding:

• Payments (must be automated, NO exceptions)
• Contracts (what’s expected)
• Scheduling (who is their mentor…and when)

Current Students and Retention:

• Automated Payments
• Communications (Constant Contact, TZ Chat, TZ Reminders, Social Media)
  • Broad What’s Going On
  • Fun – Event Based
  • Automated Reminders (lessons, classes, practice, assignments)
  • Social/Friends/Connections with other students
• Fun but mature (we treat children as musicians NOT kids)
• Scheduling and Attendance
• Cancellations and Make-ups

What is your why?  What is the goal they are working toward?

• Learning
• Practice
• Show Cycle
• Tryouts (Live Program and Classic Albums)
• Accreditation and night classe,
• Play at Schools and Festivals
• Large Venue Shows
• TZ Lesson/Practice Reminders
• TZ Chat

In this episode Chris and Tyler discuss some different ways we can think about helping our students and their families to have the best possible experience.  Let’s face it, our students are everything, without them we don’t have a business.  For Students to have an engaging experience that helps them to learn to play their instrument we have to make sure we are covering the whole of their learning including practice and the knowledge we impart even when they aren’t in a lesson.

For the Top Ten List: click here

Listen to “Top 10 Ways to Put Your Students First” on Spreaker.

In this episode we sit down with Multi-Platinum Producer, Mixer and Engineer Warren Huart who has worked with some of the most iconic bands and musicians on earth (Aerosmith, The Fray, Ace Frehely, James Blunt, Eve 6, Daniel Powter and many more).  He is also hosts one of the top YouTube channels: Produce Like a Pro with over 100,000 subscribers that tune in to listen to his insight into the wonderful world of sound recording.  In this episode Warren gives it to us straight about producing, coaching, teaching, motivating and so much more in this episode. Join us for one of the most colorful conversations yet on The TeacherZone with Chris and Tyler.

Listen to “Less Is More While Thinking Big – Special Guest Warren Huart” on Spreaker.

Please subscribe and follow Warren:

1.  YouTube Channel
2. Produce Like a Pro
3. Pro Mix Academy

In this episode, Chris and Tyler discuss their love of music that determines their everyday why.  They explore their purpose for creating Los Rios Rock School and TeacherZone and how they are on a Mission Together to help connect Music Schools and Teachers globally to help people “Play More Music”.  You’ll learn how their synergy created the businesses they have today and how you can connect and get involved to help more students and also grow your business.

Listen to “Our Mission Together” on Spreaker.

In this episode of The Teacherzone, Chris and Tyler speak with Danny Thompson owner of Music Factory School of Music and Drummer of OC punk band Face To Face about brand identity, marketing, authenticity and purpose within your school or business’s story.  Danny, Chris and Tyler go deep in to two different Music Schools stories and discuss the strategies behind their success.

theMusicFactoryOC.com
LosRiosRockSchool.com

Listen to “Brand Identity, Purpose and Authenticity” on Spreaker.