Martial Arts Consulting

Martial Arts Business Coaching With Mike Massie

For the longest time, I’ve resisted advertising and marketing my personalized martial arts consulting services. To be honest, the term “martial arts consulting” has always had some negative connotations for me…

In any case, I consider myself more of a coach than a consultant – and the difference is a subtle, but meaningful one.

For one, I’ve always felt that a “consultant” is someone who is rather impersonal and distant. Entering into a coaching relationship, on the other hand, implies an alliance where each party has a vested interest in the success of the other.

All the great teachers I’ve known were great coaches; they didn’t just instruct, but also imparted wisdom and insights that the average teacher (consultant) would typically overlook. Most often, those insights were the result of a keen observation into the nature of the student’s unique situation and state.

That’s the type of coaching relationship I aspire to when I accept a client – one where it’s more than just a business transaction. This is likely exactly your attitude toward the relationship you have with your students. Certainly, you charge a fee for your services, but you’d never consider it to be a mere business transaction.

And, that brings me to the second reason I’ve been reluctant to publicize my business coaching services. That is, many people simply aren’t willing to enter into that sort of student-teacher relationship in a capacity other than martial arts training.

The Student-Teacher Relationship in Martial Arts Business Consulting

You see, all great coaches are equal parts sage, mentor, counselor, and drill sergeant. And, for that sort of interaction to be effective, the client (student, athlete) must be willing to set aside their ego in order to be effectively trained.

In the martial arts world, we are used to having teachers in our own style or system of martial arts. This is a natural thing, as natural as breathing to us. However, to enter into the same type of relationship (which also implies a sort of blind trust on the part of the student) with someone who hasn’t earned your respect in the skills you hold in admiration (those of your style or art) is a difficult thing.

I understand this. However, allow me to suggest, for a moment, that there is a universal art we all train in – and that is, running a successful and profitable studio.

Some of us are white belts, some intermediates, some advanced, and a very small percentage are consummate practitioners and teachers in the “art” of martial arts business.

It follows then that to assume you can learn this “art” on your own, or from someone who is not a teacher but a fellow student such as yourself in the “martial art of business”, would be preposterous. A white belt cannot make another white belt into a black belt, nor can anyone but a black belt produce another black belt. It simply isn’t possible.

A Skilled Practitioner Does Not An Effective Martial Arts Business Coach Make

Further, as we’ve all witnessed in the martial arts, a skilled practitioner does not necessarily an effective teacher make. So, to become well-skilled in the art of running a successful martial arts business, you must not only study under a skilled practitioner, but someone who is a skilled teacher as well.

These people are few and far between in our industry. I know this because I was once in your shoes. Moreover, I frequently acquire clients who have “studied” elsewhere, and been left wanting.

Then they study what I teach, and find what they were lacking – a skilled and knowledgeable teacher with enough respect for them to listen… and the experience to provide them with personalized insights that make a real difference in their bottom line.

These insights often make the difference between knowledge and wisdom, between learning and application. It’s not enough to know a technique (whether it be business or martial arts). You have to be able to apply it in real time for it to matter.

The same is true for business or fighting – results are the only measure of success.

And So, We Get to the Heart of Effective Martial Arts Consulting… Results

I know this is a roundabout manner of explaining my martial arts consulting services. However, I believe it’s important that you should know how I approach coaching clients – it’s your future we’re ultimately dealing with here, after all.

But, the bottom line is simply this - my martial arts business coaching clients get results. I have a system that is organized and universally applicable. I do not dabble in theories, ideas, or concepts of how I think thing should work; I’m an empiricist.

If I’ve used it and it works, it’s in my system. Period.

And, that’s what I teach my clients. I can take any school owner who is teachable and willing to take action from sub-50-student enrollment numbers to 200 students within 12 months or less.

I can also take someone with no students and no school, and get them to 100 students and their own location in a year or less.

Most importantly, I know how this all shakes out in real time (remember, it’s a system). That’s because I’ve done it myself.

A Birds-Eye View of the Massie Martial Arts Business Coaching Process

Here’s how it looks as we go through the process of taking you from white belt to skilled martial arts business practitioner…

Step #1: Becoming A Leads Machine

Most school owners only get a few leads a week. You cannot survive on that, much less grow your school. So, the first thing I show my clients is how to turn their schools into leads machines. Meaning, massive lead generation.

Once you have enough leads, even a poor salesperson can earn a decent living. But, we don’t stop there.

If we did, you’d be spinning your wheels and plateau very quickly. So, the next thing we tackle is increasing your ability to convert leads into enrollments.

Step #2: Converting Leads to Students

The fact that you have “students” means nothing – I can have 150 students on trial programs and still be broke the very next month if they don’t convert. The only student that counts is the one who enrolls.

So, conversions you need, and conversions you shall have. I show you how.

Step #3: From A Sieve To A Cup That Overfloweth…

The third step, after you are shown my system to increase your conversions, is to tackle the very sticky subject of retention. When I speak with instructors who say, “Once people enroll in my school, they never leave,” I know they are doing an extremely poor job of tracking their enrollment.

Everyone leaves, eventually. However, you can minimize the effect of what I call “insensible attrition” (those students who disappear no matter what you do) and boost your profits considerably.

Some of this process is mechanical, but much of it is relational. It’s all a learnable process, and I show you how to plug those holes to maximize your efforts.

Step #4: Replacing You

After we implement the retention phase together, it’s time to look at developing people to replace you. Not that you’re going anywhere, but it’s nice to be able to take days off, take vacation, take sick days, and so forth.

You know, all those perks you’re supposed to have when you “own your business” and “work for yourself”, but never seem to be able to enjoy when you’re flying solo.

Once you are shown my approach to staffing (and managing) your school, it won’t be an issue.

Step #5: Leverage

The next step in the coaching process is learning to leverage your business to its fullest. This means figuring out how to increase your profits without increasing your work or expenses. There’s a definite art to this, but once again I can show anyone how it’s done – and I’ll show you, too.

Step #6: Your Exit Strategy

Finally, we look at your long-term plan, because you must have an exit strategy in your business. No one should plan to teach martial arts for the rest of their life, because things happen. I can attest to this personally; life happens.

You have kids and decide you want to focus on your family instead of your school. Or, God forbid, you experience an injury or illness that prevents you from teaching. Or, you just get tired and want to do something else.

Planning ahead is something no one else really gets in depth about in this industry. However, it’s essential to your success as a martial art school owner.

If there’s no end-game, no exit strategy, you are going to be left with nagging doubts, and will soon question your decision to teach martial arts full-time. Having an end-game strategy alleviates you of that worry.

So, How Does This Look From A Financial Perspective?

But just how does this play out, financially? Good question, and if I didn’t have an answer for it I’d be a sorry coach – but, as my clients know, I have an answer for everything, given enough time to think and strategize.

So, let’s assume that your studio is located in a low-income area and you implement everything I teach you at the absolute lowest standards of success…

At 150 – 200 students, you should still expect $20,000.00 a month plus in gross revenues. I know that sounds like madness to some of you who struggle to do $2,000 a month, but trust me when I say it is very do-able. *

And with you following my system, profit margins of 40% are the bare minimum you should expect to pull down. Not bad compensation for doing what you love.

There You Have It – The Massie Martial Arts Consulting Program

And that’s how it works when you become a “martial arts consulting client” and we enter into a coaching relationship.

Reasonably speaking, this is all a 12 to 24 month process, to go through all this and get to a place where you are making a comfortable living and enjoying a nice lifestyle in your martial arts business.

If this sounds like something that resonates with you, I encourage you to take the first step and contact me via the contact page on this site with your complete contact info.

When you do, be sure to use the subject line, “Becoming a Coaching Client”.

I’ll get back with you and we’ll set a time to meet for an initial coaching session. We’ll use that time to discuss your situation, and I’ll provide you with some immediately actionable feedback as well.

And, if it appears to be a good fit for us both, I’ll also provide you with options for taking the next step.

In Closing – Final Thoughts On My Martial Arts Consulting Program

Please note, however, that I do not accept everyone into my coaching program. Sometimes this is simply due to time limitations, as I may already have sufficient clients on hand to fill my schedule.

However, I never turn away someone who is in dire straits. Even if I am booked up, rest assured if you make your case I’ll at least see about getting you some emergency business coaching until my schedule clears.

Click here to contact me about martial arts consulting services…

Martial Arts Consulting FAQ

(Note: To head off some of the more common questions I am getting about my martial arts business coaching program, I’ve created this FAQ. I’ll be posting more info based on the most common questions I get. Please read it before you contact me.)

Q: “What’s the cost?”

A: Probably too much for you, if that’s your only and chief concern.

How much should learning how to earn six figures doing what you love cost?

I don’t know for sure, but I do know that I spent $50,000.00 on a four-year degree, and learned zero profit skills during my time at university.

But what I’ve learned over the last 20 years in this industry I wouldn’t trade for 100 times that amount.

The value of that knowledge to you, however, is entirely subjective.

If you’re serious about this and not just tire kicking, contact me and I’ll send you further details.

Q: “I contacted you and you never replied – what gives?”

A: The Tracy brothers are fond of quoting the following proverb, and I have to agree with them:

“If I present you with three corners of a problem, and you can’t find the fourth corner, the lesson will not be repeated.”

In other words, initiative and following instructions should be considered prerequisites for being accepted as one of my coaching clients.

If you cannot take the first step on your own, you should know I’m not here to carry you on my back. Read the instructions above for contacting me again, and then see if you can figure it out.

Click here to contact me about martial arts consulting services…