Yesterday we discussed getting students -- paying students -- and how getting good at marketing, selling, and collecting money allows you to do that.

Today we're going to talk about the reason why you need to get good at those things.

No, not so you can make fat stacks of cash. In fact, if that's your primary purpose for running a martial art school, I can tell you there are easier and more lucrative ways of doing that.

Instead, the reason for getting good at marketing, selling, and collecting money is so we have the financial means to accomplish what comes next...

Specifically, teaching tons of students and keeping them around for the long haul.

Why Keeping Students Is So Important

Obviously, we want to keep students around so they can learn martial arts, and so we have people to teach. And also, student satisfaction is a very good indication of how well we are doing our job as school owner and instructor.

But also, in order for your school to grow to the point where it is truly financial stable, you need to have a low attrition rate. The more students you lose each month, the more students you have to replace -- and add -- in order to grow your enrollment.

But if you have an acceptably low attrition rate, say, in the range of less than 5% (under 3% would be better), you'll find it much easier to grow your school. A low attrition rate combined with good marketing and sales skills will almost always result in an accelerated growth rate for a dojo.

So if you want to grow your dojo fast, learn marketing and selling, and work on student retention.

Retention Is All About Keeping Students Happy

Now, sometimes school owners hear me say that retention is about keeping students happy, and they assume I mean it's about kissing ass or handing out rank like candy. But that assumption misses the mark.

Instead, keeping students happy means treating them like you would want to be treated if you were in their shoes. On a basic level, that means fairness in your policies on contracts, billing, and cancellations. It means treating them like a person and not a paycheck. And, it means respecting them and not abusing the student-teacher relationship.

But again, that's just the basic stuff, the minimum buy-in. Successful school owners know that, in order to have loyal students who not only stick around, but who also refer their friends and family, you have to go the extra mile.

Going The Extra Mile

If you really want to keep students for the long haul, you must teach fun, exciting classes. Most people won't show up to class week after week to stand in horse stance for 45 minutes, or to practice the same form for an hour, or to do five minutes of technical drilling and 90 minutes of rolling.

Nope. They want to be taught, but they also want to be entertained. Now, that doesn't mean you have to be a dancing bear in every class. What it means is that you need to bring your A game to teaching class. You need to have an organized curriculum, and you need to bring something new and fresh to your classes on a regular basis.

Also, you need to inspire your students. A good coach or teacher makes their athletes and students feel as though they can accomplish great things. That means setting an example for them to follow, but it also means building their confidence and recognizing their progress. 

And finally, you have to make them feel wanted. If your students feel like they're just a number, they'll have no loyalty to your school. If that's the case, they'll be gone the first time you do something they don't like, or as soon as another school opens up that teaches what they want to learn.

So, you need to make sure your students don't get bored, that you inspire them, and that they feel as though they are wanted and that they are a valued member of a caring community.

Achieve that with each and every student, and you'll have them coming back week after week for years.