Here's the key thing to get about today's message...
All three of those reasons really boil down to an idea. "The experience I had at class was fun!" is an idea (really, a belief or opinion, but an idea nonetheless). "It's not just a dojo, it's like a second family to me." Also, an idea.
By the same token, interests revolve around ideas and beliefs. Now, your clients automatically come to you with certain ideas and beliefs. "Martial arts can help me get in shape." "Martial arts will allow me to defend myself." "Martial arts might be fun."
And so on.
You can simply reinforce those beliefs by delivering on the promises you make in your advertising, and that's fine. It's what we call "promise fulfillment" in marketing. And, promise fulfillment can help you build a very strong customer following.
However, it's even better when you take it one step further by defining the ideas you build your business around in a way that differentiates you from all other schools (or at least, all your competitors).
This can't just be something random that you settled on one day because Massie said it's important to do so. Uh-uh. Nope.
This IDEA has to be something that you deeply believe in, because it's going to be part of what unites your tribe into a single cohesive unit. And speaking of units, let's discuss unit and military mottos, because they are very powerful examples of how ideas can influence tribes.
"De oppresso liber" - "To liberate the oppressed." That's the motto of the U.S. Army Special Forces (the Green Berets). I've spoken with Green Berets before, and not only is that their motto, those guys see it as their mission. And, they take it VERY seriously.
"Semper fidelis" - Always faithful. Ask any Marine what that means to him or her, and they'll tell you. It's a way of life to them. A Marine always stays true to their mission, they will give their lives completing the mission, and they will gladly die for a fellow Marine. And they NEVER leave another Marine behind.
"Sua sponte" - Motto of the U.S. Army Rangers, and it basically means taking initiative. "Rangers lead the way!" is how this is often translated into practical terms. And let me tell you, you do not need to tell the Rangers to take initiative. No one has to tell a Ranger to strive for excellence - they just ARE outstanding at everything they do as a matter of course.
My point here is that words and ideas have power in their meaning, and in a leader's belief in that meaning.
For these military branches and units, at some point in the past some leader decided that the motto mattered, that it was more than just lip service. So, they hammered the importance of those words home, over and over again, and that idea served to unite those servicemen (and women) under a common belief.
Now, not only do those words have a much deeper meaning to those who serve in the military branches or units who claim them - they also have become a tribal identity for those groups.
In the same way, you can use an idea to unite your tribe.
How?
As I said before, by examining a common belief or truism about what you do and taking it several steps further in how you use it to define what it is that you do.
This is commonly called a mission statement, and nine times out of ten it's a waste of words on a website. That's why you have to choose an idea that you deeply believe in, one that inspires you on a daily basis.
For me, it was always about helping parents raise healthier, happier, more well-adjusted kids. That wasn't just a bullet point in a sales letter - it was my life, for some twenty years. That mission mattered to me, and it drove the direction of my business for two decades.
For you, it might be something else. Maybe it's arming the women of your community with realistic and life-saving self-defense skills. Maybe it's strengthening families, one martial arts class at a time. Maybe it's helping people overcome life's challenges through the discipline of martial arts.
I could go on and on. However, what will transform your mission statement from being a cheesy line on your website into a powerful idea that unites your tribe, is how much YOU personally believe in that mission and live it day to day.
It can't just be lip service - it has to be your way of life. That's how a leader unites a tribe around an idea. And, that's how you're going to inspire people to follow you as they choose to become lifelong members of your tribe.
Until next time,
Mike Massie
MartialArtsBusinessDaily.com
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Click here...P.S. - As a postscript today, I'd just like to point out that the difference between a tribe and a cult is that a cult exists to exalt the leader, while a tribe exists to support and benefit its members. The tribe looks after its own - and if you're a good leader, then the tribe will take care of you as well. This is an important distinction, and one worth remembering.
