I also talked about how all that extra weight can actually work against you in certain situations when conditions are critical.
And like I mentioned yesterday, marketing your martial art school is much the same. You can easily expend all your precious resources (money and time) on marketing methods that aren't helping your martial art school at all.
Then, you end up broke and confused, and wondering how the hell you got in that mess in the first place.
That's suicidal marketing.
Now, here's something that those TV survival shows hardly ever tell you...
The thing that kills most people when they get lost in the wild is PANIC. They get lost, freak out, and then RUSH OFF in the first direction that seems like it'll get them to their goal.
BAD IDEA.
Panic can kill you in your business, too. And, there's a whole industry out there that pretty much preys on panicked business owners.
That industry is called "advertising and marketing". Right now there's an army of advertising and marketing sales reps trolling your town, looking for the next panicked small business owner to bilk out of their hard-earned money.
Granted - sometimes ad reps actually help small business owners. But those instances are few and far between. Mostly, their job is to sell you on all sorts of marketing and advertising that you don't need, and that often is worthless for getting you students.
I've fallen prey to these folks in the past and learned my lesson. Anytime someone calls my number selling marketing services, or walks in the front door carrying a portfolio or laptop or iPad under their arm, I just tell them "no thanks" and send them on their way.
Because 9 times out of 10 they're selling you suicidal marketing.
Think about it - has Google ever sent a salesperson into your studio? Has Facebook?
Of course not, because their services are in demand...
...so they don't NEED an army of sales reps to sell you on their services. And why are their services in demand?
Because they WORK.
But I can bet dimes to donuts that you've had ad reps in your school or cold-calling you to sell you on coupon books, local print ads, direct mailers, yellow pages ads, Yelp advertising, mall kiosk ads, local business directories, special ad inserts in the local newspaper, and the like.
Why? Because those marketing methods are hit and miss - and some are just plain worthless.
So how can you tell if you're getting sold on suicidal marketing?
Here are some simple guidelines to help you avoid spending your marketing budget on ads and marketing that doesn't work:
- Ad Reps - Is there an ad rep involved, or are you dealing directly with the service provider? If so, ask yourself why this company needs a sales rep, if they're so good at marketing? Whenever a marketing company has a team of sales reps, you can bet they're either selling you on a marketing service that doesn't work, or that it's so overpriced as to be suicidal. Steer clear.
- Off The Beaten Path - Have you ever heard of another school owner using this marketing method before to get students? If not, it's probably a loser. Stick with tried and true methods, like websites, guest passes, rack cards, door hangers, and the like.
- Middle Men - Whenever you're dealing with a middle man, you're probably getting ripped off. For example, there are a ton of companies out there who are selling EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) services here in the U.S. They'll charge you a pretty penny for handling your EDDM campaign start to finish, but the truth is there's really not much work involved in using the EDDM system. Your money would be better spent hiring a good copywriter to help you write and design a winning postcard, versus paying a 50% mark-up to have a third party design and mail a losing campaign for you.
That's it for today's email - hopefully it'll help you steer clear of crappy marketing this fall season... just be sure to use that money on reliable marketing methods instead! 