Is Resistance A Good Thing?

Posted by Mike Massie on October 27, 2009

Have you ever experienced this?

You make a seemingly insignificant change in your martial art school operations… maybe it’s a small change in your schedule, or you change the fee structure, or you change your hours, or you hire a new instructor to help you out with the class load.

Regardless of what it is you’ve changed, you suddenly are on the receiving end of a ton of resistance from your students. All at once, it seems like everyone is complaining and your students on the verge of mutiny…

Resistance Is A Common Occurrence In Businesses Like Ours

Sometimes it may feel like you're getting resistance from out of nowhere, but you should view it as a positive thing.

I see this often with the people I provide online business coaching to on my member site. They start off following some of my advice, notice some growth in their school, and then they start implementing the ideas and advice they get from me left and right.

Before long their school is growing at a much more rapid pace. Out of necessity, they find themselves in the position of having to change some policies here and there to accommodate the growth. And that’s when it happens…

Suddenly, the grumblers and complainers show up. If you run a school, I’m sure you know the type. They are the first and loudest to complain about everything, no matter how good your overall customer service and actual classroom instruction may be at the time.

Now, there’s a reason why we’re more likely to hear this sort of grumbling and complaining directly. In businesses like ours (including martial arts schools, gymnastics centers, personal training facilities, boot camps, dance schools, and so on) we tend to develop our business relationships with our clients on a very personal level.

That’s not to say you should get personal with every single client; on the contrary, the more professional (yet friendly) you keep your business relationship, the less likely you are to be on the brunt of this type of abuse from your clients when you have to alter your policies.

Enter The High-Maintenance Client…

Even so, there is a certain type of client that seems to suck the life out of a school. These are what I call “high-maintenance students.” They’re sort of like driving an old British sports car – you do derive some benefit from the experience, but the frequent problems that constantly require your attention make it almost not worth the trouble.

They tend to be only a small percentage of your enrollment, but they can take up the bulk of your time and energy… if you allow it.

In previous articles I’ve discussed how these types are a cancer in your school, and how it may be your best policy to find a polite way to fire these types of clients (read The 4-Hour Work Week by sometime MMA practitioner and full-time globe hopper Tim Ferriss for more on this topic).

However, what I’d like to discuss with you today is that when this happens, it is a good thing – a very good thing. Let me explain what I mean…

Here’s The Paradigm Shift: Resistance Is A Sign Of Good Things To Come!

That’s right… think about it a second and it’s not all that hard to reach that conclusion. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Complaints are a result of Resistance
2. Resistance comes from Fear
3. Fear comes from Change
4. Change is a (necessary) result of Growth

And, growth means your school is showing definite signs of health. This must mean that, when you meet with resistance, it’s a good thing – because good things are happening in your school!

Look, people are always going to complain and grumble when things change. It’s a fact of being in business, so get used to it. And, you know what I’ve found about this? When you simply reply with, “That’s our policy… now, is there something else I can help you with?” in a very matter-of-fact, unapologetic manner it tends to squash it in short order.

Sure, some of those people will leave; but then again, that’s the nature of the business, too. Students leave all the time for all sorts of reasons, most of which have nothing to do with being disgruntled. So, if a few grouchy students leave of their own accord – well, that just means the issue resolved itself, right?

And chances are good that those students will be replaced by others who don’t complain about every little policy change you make… which is yet another positive thing.

You see, resistance really is a good thing.

No Room For Fear – Maintaining An Entrepreneur’s Mindset In Your Martial Art School Operations

Posted by Mike Massie on January 29, 2009

Fear makes you do stupid things.

I think all martial artists know that it’s a basic sparring strategy to get your opponent to act out of fear instead of logic. And, that’s because fear causes you to hesitate, to freeze up, to second guess your gut.

Fear makes you dumber than you really are.

“Fear makes for a really crappy growth strategy.” – Amy C. Cosper, Editor-in-Chief, Entrepreneur

So, why is it that we’re being told we need to fear the current economic situation?

Could it possibly be because the media needs something to talk about, now that the election is over?

Could it be because a fearful populace is easier to herd and control?

Could it simply be because the people who are supposed to know what’s really going on suddenly discovered that they don’t have a clue how markets work?

I don’t have the answers to those questions, and frankly I don’t think anyone will except in hindsight 20 years from now. However, what I do know is that Ms. Cosper is exactly right in her assessment of how fear stunts your business growth.

There are plenty of opportunities in the market right now for martial art school owners. Here are some examples to get you thinking about how you can turn the current situation into your favor:

• After-School and Summer Karate: In more and more families both parents are having to work outside the home to make it. That makes after-school and summer day camp martial arts programs a potential gold-mine for school owners this year.
• Now Is A Great Time To Purchase Your Building: As Terry Bryan has been pointing out in his newsletter recently, if you’re financially stable now would be a great time to look into buying a commercial location for your school. Interest rates are low and property values have plummeted – there may be no better time in the next 20 years to move on acquiring commercial property.
• Lease Ending Soon? Then It’s Time To Renegotiate Terms Or Find a Better Location! Trust me, your landlord is sweating bullets right now about keeping tenants. If you’re not in a position to buy a building for your school, you might still be able to negotiate better terms on your lease if it’s about to expire. And if not, consider looking for a more desirable location now that the leasing market is at a low.

Remember, those with entrepreneurial DNA are always thinking about the upside of down, and are constantly seeking ways to turn every situation to their advantage.

Maintain this mindset, and your business might not just weather the storm – you may very well see your martial arts business grow in areas you never anticipated.

“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” – Sun Tzu