Posted by Mike Massie on August 10, 2010
G.W., a Small Dojo Big Profits reader, recently emailed to ask me the following…
Q: We have slow months, in those months that we know are slow should we bump up our advertising or should we save our dollars and advertise in the busier times of the year ?
Should you ever cut back on your marketing during "slow times"? Not if you want your school to grow...
A: Just the opposite, in fact. Your marketing activity should remain at a minimum constant level throughout the year, but you should increase your activity just before those slow times in order to yield increased enrollments to carry you through the “slow times.”
The reason is because marketing works on momentum. You’ve heard the old saying that someone needs to see your ad a minimum of seven times before they buy? Well, that’s because a customer doesn’t typically have an immediate need for your service at the time they see your ad.
However, weeks or months later when they finally do develop a need or desire to take martial arts, the first business they are able to contact will likely be who they purchase from… So, if they were impressed by your previous marketing but don’t know how to contact you, then someone else is likely to get their business.
That’s why you need to keep advertising and marketing all the time to keep getting that business. You need to be seen over and over again by potential customers in your community, so you become THE business that comes to mind when they think about taking martial arts.
And, you need to be easy to find when they start looking for you… that means you need to have referral programs, internet marketing, direct marketing (mail or door-to-door), and a host of other marketing methods running 24/7/365 for your school.
Also, be aware that internet marketing is more effective and important in this day and age, but don’t discount other methods. As the poll we did just a few weeks ago indicated, plenty of school owners are getting good results with guest pass referral programs and door-to-door advertising.
If you want to get started on your internet marketing, but are confused as to where to begin, Facebook marketing is a good place to start. It’s low-cost, and when done right it can be a high-yield marketing activity.
Check out the new “Guide to Marketing on Facebook” I just released for a complete, step-by-step plan for marketing your school (or any small business) on Facebook.
Posted by Mike Massie on June 17, 2010
The Martial Arts Marketing Survey Results Are In…
Roughly 100 school owners participated 
in the survey I posted last week. In case you missed it, the survey asked just one simple question:
“What’s your most effective martial arts marketing method?”
The Results
The results were really no surprise to me. After all the answers were tallied, the top three contenders for the number one most effective marketing method were:
- Website and online marketing - 45% of respondents said that their website or other online marketing method was the most effective lead generator for their schools;
- Guest passes and referrals - 28% of school owners participating in the survey cited guest passes and referral programs as being their top source of leads;
- Fliers, brochures, and poster distribution - Another 12% of participants said that fliers, posters, and brochure distribution got them more leads than any other marketing method.
Incidentally, snipe signs (political signs, yard signs) came in at a close fourth to fliers and posters with 9% of the votes.
Analyzing The Results – How Times Have Changed
This was a really short, simple survey and it doesn’t take a genius to interpret the results. However, what bears consideration is how much martial art school marketing has changed in the last decade.
Ten years ago I was running a successful school (my first Small Dojo Big Profits school) in a town of about 40,000 people just north of Austin, TX. Although I had built a website for my school around that time, my main source of leads was from running newspaper ads and direct mail.
My, how times have changed. Several advances in internet technology have greatly increased the utility and popularity of internet shopping and research, including:
- The advent of the modern internet roughly five years ago (sometimes called “web 2.0″) -
- The widespread use of broadband internet access -
- The creation and adoption of “smart phone” technology and mobile apps -
In short, technology has advanced far enough over the last decade to transform internet use from a mere novelty to an integral part of everyday life.
We get our news on the internet. We communicate with our friends and socialize on the internet. We get work done on the internet.
And…
We now shop and research the majority of our buying decisions on the internet.
I’ve been studying marketing online for almost a decade now. This was mostly out of simple geek curiosity, although I had a sneaking suspicion it was eventually going to pervade many aspects our daily lives. And, thank goodness I did!
As it turns out, all that geeky knowledge of internet marketing came in handy a few years ago. By focusing completely on my online marketing when the recession first reared its ugly head in 2006, I was able to continue to grow my school and eventually thrive during a very tumultuous economic period.
That’s why it’s no surprise to me that survey respondents listed internet marketing as their number most popular and effective source of lead generation for martial arts schools.
“So, If I Want To Market Online… What’s The First Step?”
Obviously, you need to have a website. Ideally, your website should be professionally designed by a web designer who understands small business lead generation.
It should provide ample means for site visitors to contact you (prominently displayed phone number, lead capture form, and site contact form). And, it should integrate modern social media.
If you’re a “techie” person, this may be something you want to take on yourself. However, I’ve had several web design clients who were tech savvy (one was a professional web developer) who still hired me to build their sites.
Why? Because it takes a very unique skill-set to merge technology, design, and marketing know-how in order to develop a successful online marketing platform for a martial art school.
So, be sure you choose carefully when getting your site built, and select someone with a proven track record of building high-performance lead capture websites for martial arts schools.
Now, you know where to start… so get marketing!
Posted by Mike Massie on March 31, 2010
Should You Lower Your Standards In Order To Increase Retention?
“How long does it take to get a black belt?”
We usually hear this question from new and prospective students, but the following question was actually posted on my member site forums this week by an instructor:
“How long does it take your kids to reach black belt? I have been told by my instructor that I will have extremely poor retention if it takes longer than 2.5 years, but I just don’t feel like that is enough time for the students to achieve the level that I expect out of a black belt.”
When is a black belt just a piece of cloth? Why, when it's bought and not earned, of course...
Kudos to this instructor for wanting to keep their quality high, even though their instructor obviously isn’t so willing to sacrifice profit for quality (I’d argue that improving quality leads to greater profits overall, but more on that later).
There were some great comments from the other members in response to the question this instructor posed. So if you’re a member and you get a chance, log in today to see what the other members have said so far.
Why I Insist On Keeping My Standards High For Achieving Black Belt
As for my answer? I replied, “As long as it takes.”
I’ve been teaching professionally for years (two decades + teaching kids). And, let me tell you…
If you set the proper expectations FROM THE BEGINNING, you are going to retain a HIGHER QUALITY OF STUDENT than if you set your school up to be a black belt mill just to make a quick buck.
Let me tell you something – the public is NOT stupid. They know exactly what is going on in your school when you “bump” someone in rank just to keep them around.
If You Think Your Clients Don’t Realize What You’re Doing Then Most Certainly, You’re The Fool
Case in point:
Last week I had an interesting conversation with a salesperson who called on my office. Once she found out what I do for a living, she quickly told me about her daughter, who has been enrolled in martial arts for the last five years. Her daughter is close to earning her junior black belt, and the mother just went on and on about all the benefits of martial arts for kids.
Her only gripe? That the instructors would often promote students whose skills and knowledge were grossly inferior to their peers, out of an apparent profit motivation. She said it was obvious they “wanted to move the kids up so they could keep making money off them.”
*Sigh*
Trade A Legacy For A Lexus? Not Me…
In my schools (where we teach a curriculum that is old school martial arts combined with modern self-defense) the average time is 4.5 years to 1st dan black belt.
For kids, it can take longer depending on at what age they enrolled. Younger kids just move slower through the junior ranks. Older kids sometimes move faster. And, we don’t give kids black belts – they get a half-black “junior black belt” in my schools.
Of course, teens and adults can do it in three years, if they’re dedicated. It’s only happened once so far, though. And, I’ll be honest – I simply don’t turn out a whole lot of black belts.
That’s for good reason. You see, I have a philosophy that not everyone is meant to be a black belt. That doesn’t preclude anyone from achieving it in my schools – far from it. However, few people will stick around and pay the price for earning a Massie black belt, because my standards are so high.
Sure, I could lower my standards and probably make a lot more money. But it’s an integrity issue for me, because I’m not going to be the type of instructor who stands on the shoulders of giants, only to walk all over their legacy.
A Quick History Lesson
I have more training and rank in Korean systems than any of the other “traditional” systems I’ve studied, and I was fortunate enough to come from a line of really hard core Korean-style instructors. Also, I am very well read and knowledgeable regarding the history of martial arts in America.
Historically, the trend surrounding taking people to black belt rapidly started with a certain large chain of Korean martial art schools, who built an empire on selling instant gratification to their students.
No, they weren’t the only ones doing it…
However, they were perhaps the most successful. Due to their success, many other school owners (including those from other styles) started seeing how much money they were making by selling belts, and it caught on.
A Few Bad Apples… Can Look Like The Whole Bushel
The sad thing is, lots of Korean and Korean-style instructors kept their standards high and refused to follow the practice. But unfortunately, the practice became so widespread among Korean-style schools that it eventually damaged the reputation of the Korean martial arts overall.
What a crying shame. Personally, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to show people how serious I am about martial arts to get respect from them, simply because of my background in Korean martial arts.
Never mind the fact that plenty of great martial artists have backgrounds in Korean systems. But, let me assure you there are still quality instructors turning out quality black belts from Korean-style schools.
But I digress… I only brought this up so you’d know how the practice of lowering belt rank promotion standards came about, and to illustrate to you younger instructors that it wasn’t always as easy as it is today to get a black belt.
Getting Back To Promoting Kids To Black Belt
Now, it’s almost the norm in American martial art schools that teach sub-styles of karate (Korean and otherwise) to rank people very quickly and rush them to black belt for fear of losing students.
Again, what a crying shame…
By making this practice the status quo, the martial arts industry in America has succeeded in doing the following:
1. They’ve watered down the martial arts in America by turning out black belts who aren’t really prepared at all to teach… who then in turn start schools before they are ready and teach their own students their own bad habits and pass on their underdeveloped knowledge of technical execution -
2. They’ve conditioned much of the public into expecting to get things quickly and easily when they enter a martial arts school. Certainly, I can teach someone to defend themselves in two or three years of study (sometimes less, depending on the student). But it takes much longer to train a competent black belt who is capable of passing on what they know.
3. They’ve led the public and their students to believe that the only prerequisite for being a competent instructor is to hold a black belt… a belief that in turn has made it much easier for the public to be duped. Typically this is by marginally-qualified charlatans and con artists posing as legitimate instructors who are more than eager to fool the public into thinking they’re getting good martial arts instruction – all while charging them handsomely for sub-par training and instruction.
Since When Did Maintaining Quality Become A Hindrance To Doing Business?
You know, one of the fastest growing martial arts styles among kids and adults in America is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. And, as everyone knows, BJJ instructors are famous for being “stingy” with rank – or, at least that’s how they’re often categorized.
Me, I say they do it right. Eight to ten years on average for earning a black belt is just about right to me, when you’re talking about preparing someone to teach and pass on what they’ve learned.
Sure, a good four or five year purple belt is more than capable of leading a good class… But I’ve long believed (based on years of observation) that it takes about ten years for an instructor to really gain a sufficient depth of knowledge regarding the subtleties of their art to become an accomplished instructor. (Note: I don’t certify a black belt as a full instructor until they’re 3rd dan or higher – which takes about eight to ten years typically.)
But wait a minute… it takes about two years on average to get the first belt in BJJ. Yet, we’ve seen people turning out in droves to join Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools over the last decade.
Could it be that the public really wants something that is real? Something that is worthwhile and truly earned? Something not watered down, but that’s been kept pure and honest?
I say, the answer to all of the above is a resounding “YES!”
So, Here’s My Advice…
So, here’s my advice to you – instead of worrying about losing students because you aren’t lowering the quality of your programs enough…
Worry instead about retaining students by teaching the highest quality program you possibly can – trusting that your reputation and high standards will be your strongest retention tool.
Posted by Mike Massie on March 5, 2010
Facing Down Hard Times In Your School?
If you're facing hard times in your martial art school, you're not alone. Here are some tips to help you make it through until things improve.
Facing down hard times? You’re not alone. I’ve heard from more than a few school owners who are feeling the crunch during this recession.
Here are some tips for those of you who may be struggling to keep your school open in the down economy.
The Mental Side – Survival Strategies
First off, focus on the positives – it’s the only way you’ll get through. Just keep doing that – your attitude is what will bring people into your school.
People are attracted to upbeat personalities. If you’re happy and energetic, it will really make you stand out and people will be drawn to it. Remember, your energy drives your school.
The Financial Side – Making It Through
First off, cut back on everything EXCEPT your marketing budget. Anything you don’t need to operate or survive should be cut from your budget.
However, it is imperative that you step-up your marketing activities, rather than slow them down. Those school owners that I coach who are growing in this economy are not doing so because they are lucky, located in “good” areas, or because they are martial arts superstars…
They are growing because they spend 80% of their work hours outside of class on their marketing – and they do this consistently, every single month.
Even so, you still need to make sure you’re spending your marketing dollars wisely. So, go through your marketing expenditures with a fine-tooth comb. If any marketing method is costing you more than it’s bringing in, cancel it and shift those funds to something that is actually giving you a good return on your investment.
A good rule of thumb here is that every dollar you spend on marketing should return $1 in revenue during the same marketing cycle (in out industry, 30 days).
However, I like to get $2 back on every dollar I spend within a 30-day time frame. You need those fast profits and high rates of return on your marketing dollars, because a martial arts school relies on cash flow for survival. So, your every marketing promotion should bring back a return of 200% within 30 days of running it.
Focus your efforts and resources only on those promotions that meet that criteria. And if you’re broke, focus on low-cost and high-return marketing activities like online marketing and door-to-door flier distribution. They take more time to implement, but they’re cheap and effective when done properly.
Keep Your Head In The Game
Finally, be present! If you check out on your school and students because things are not going so well, guess what? They’ll sense it and you’ll only be making the situation worse.
Remain fully invested in your students, regardless of what happens. Loyalty breeds loyalty, and you’ll be surprised at how many of them will be cheering for you and will stick with you, even if things don’t work out…
The Longview – What If Things Don’t Work Out?
“A mistake is a future benefit, the full value of which is yet to be realized.”
- Edwin Land, inventor of the Polaroid camera
First off, it’s not the end of the world if you have to go back to teaching part-time. So, don’t be ashamed of finding a part-time teaching location, ending your lease, and moving your classes somewhere without all the overhead and high rent.
Also, know when to call it quits on having a full-time location. Is it worth it to force yourself into major debt or bankruptcy, just so you don’t feel like a failure?
Well, guess what? All entrepreneurs fail at some point in their careers as business owners. It’s part and parcel for the game. Don’t feel bad if things don’t work out this time around. Just roll with it, regroup, and the next time around you’ll be wiser for your experience.
Remember, there’s ALWAYS another opportunity waiting just around the corner. The past is just a memory, and come tomorrow today will be the past.
You will recover and you will be able to start over again. So, stay positive and just keep looking for those opportunities as you move forward.
Posted by Mike Massie on February 17, 2010
If You Don’t Know… Find It Fast
A strong primary motivation will see you through to the finish...
Seems like a harmless question.
Simple to answer, at least at first…
But then, when you really start to think about it – you realize it’s a lot more complicated than you first thought.
There’s your students; I mean, you certainly care about them.
And then, there’s your family. You want to provide for and support them.
And also, there’s your style and your love for the martial arts. You teach because you enjoy sharing something you love.
But the fact remains…
None of that may be THE reason. Your primary motivation. The one that keeps you up late at night. The one that has you awake in the early hours of the morning, writing down ideas and planning ahead.
But, that’s the motivating factor that WILL see you through the tough times. The times when you just want to give up. The times when you are ready to throw in the towel.
It’s the factor that makes you go another day, when you feel like you’ll never realize it.
You need a primary motivation that is that strong. And if you don’t have one, well…
You’d better find one fast. Because being in business is rough. Oh sure, it has its rewards. But getting there is often a long and difficult road.
Call it a “burning desire”, your “inner fire”, your passion, your raison d’etre… whatever.
Just know that it’s important to find it, to kindle it, and to keep it strong.
Because it’s probably the one thing that will keep you going until you reach your goals.
