« The Integrated Approach to Martial Arts School Growth through Marketing and Student Retention How to Increase Your Enrollment Using Holiday Guest Passes »
Want More Students? Improve Your Image!
Category: Free Articles, Marketing, Selling
You know, it’s funny how martial artists think so differently from the majority of the people we meet, yet we’re rarely ever conscious of it. I’m reminded of how several years after we had been married, my wife told me that when we first met she thought martial arts instructors were for the most part a bunch of arrogant, self-centered yahoos (no wonder she didn’t want to talk to me the first night we met!)
Seriously though, she was only half-joking when she said it. In fact, she went on to explain that when we met she had difficulty getting past the image she had of what martial arts instructors were like. When I probed a little deeper to find out where and when she developed her original opinion of martial artists, that’s when it all started making sense…
You see, before we met my wife’s only exposure to the martial arts was from observing her co-worker’s kids as they worked toward their black belts under another instructor. Apparently, their classes included a lot of interesting behavior, such as chanting the chief instructor’s name in class (I’m not making this up).
In addition, this instructor brought his personal life into his studio by hiring his girlfriends to work in the studio office. Harmless enough, I suppose, but it ended up looking very bad to the moms in the studio (they soon started referring to the office assistants as “the girlfriend of the week club.”)
Now, is this instructor a bad guy? Nope. He’s a nice guy, he’s very sincere, and he’s also a very knowledgeable instructor. In fact, I’m sure that if my wife had spent a lot more time at his studio, she would probably have developed a very different opinion of martial artists.
But that’s my point…
You see, the majority of people who walk into your studio are not going to stick around very long if they are presented with the wrong image of you and your school. Make a bad first impression, and before you know it they’ll be attending classes at the studio three blocks down.
Take my wife as an example - she probably only watched one or two classes, and I doubt she ever stayed to observe an entire class. Yet, that short and limited experience with one school resulted in a prejudiced view of the martial arts that lasted for years. And, although my wife was very interested in learning self-defense, she would never have considered enrolling in classes before we met.
So, your professional image is extremely important to your success as a studio owner. This includes everything from
* your logo and ads,
* your letterhead, brochures, flyers, and stationary ,
* your website,
* the appearance of your storefront and the interior of your studio (if it’s a dump, make sure it’s a clean, well-lighted dump - little elbow grease, changing a few light bulbs, and some fresh paint will go a long way to making your school seem nicer),
* your personal grooming habits,
* your manner of dress and speech,
* your car (just keep it clean, especially if it has advertisements for your studio on it),
* and the way you conduct yourself in your community.
I know it seems like a lot to be concerned about, but I can tell you from experience that it all counts. So, if you want to increase your enrollments, be aware of your professional image and make certain it’s one you want to project to your potential clients.
Want more? Become a member today...
|
|
