| Friend,
Okay, so we've already discussed the mindset and attitude you need to cultivate for teaching successful intros. And we've talked about the reason for teaching intros and our goal for each intro.
Now it's time to get down to brass tacks, and talk about how to teach intros that make students stick.
Before The Intro
It's important to be prepared before the intro. All too often, instructors will just pencil someone in on their schedule and then forget about them before they show up. Don't do this.
Instead, once they are on your schedule you need to contact them at least twice. You can do this via email, text, or phone--it doesn't matter. All that matters is that they hear from you twice before their appointment.
Now obviously, if the appointment is the same day, this isn't necessary. But if it's Monday and you set an intro appointment for Wednesday evening, then that prospect should hear from you Tuesday and Wednesday before their lesson.
Why? To keep you and your appointment tops in their consciousness, and also to show that you are both a professional and that you care.
What I have done in the past to accomplish this is to put new prospects on my email autoresponder list, which sends them a series of emails that simply introduce my school and provide useful info to the new prospect.
I will also call or email a prospect the day before their appointment to confirm. This helps eliminate no-shows.
The Day of the Appointment
Go back and review who is showing up that day. Memorize their names, both the names of the student and also the names of the parent(s) if it's a child.
Also, go back and review why they decided to start taking martial arts lessons. This is something that you should have discovered when you set the appointment with them over the phone or in person.
If you aren't doing this, you're missing vital info that will help you enroll students. It's something I cover in my sales success system, so if you don't know how to do this you might want to check out that resource.
When They Arrive
It's important to be prompt. If the client is showing up at 4:30 pm and you normally open your doors at 5:00, you should be at the school at 4:00. Remember, you want to make sure the place is neat and clean before they arrive.
You also want to make sure you are ready for that prospect. Nothing screams "amateur" or "hobbyist" like an instructor who shows up five minutes late for an appointment.
When the prospect enters, introduce yourself by name, shake hands and make eye contact, and SMILE!
"Hi, I'm Mr. Massie... you must be Mrs. Thompson. And I take it this is Jake? Hi Jake, I'm Mr. Massie and I'll be your instructor today."
Then I'll usually make small talk as I welcome them to the studio. I will immediately hand mom or dad a clipboard with the student intake form (and waiver, all one sheet) and have them fill it out while I retrieve a uniform for the child in their size.
Taking Care of Minor Details That Aren't Minor
By that point the parent has finished that form, and I exchange the uniform for the clipboard and send the parent into the changing room or rest room to help the child get into their uniform.
However, I don't give them the white belt. I set that off to the side and tell them, "Don't worry about tying the jacket, I'll help you with that when you come out. Just keep your t-shirt on under the uniform and I'll tie it properly in a moment."
While they are changing, I write the students name on each end of the belt with a Sharpie. I do this for two reasons:
1. When the student sees their name on that belt, it becomes THEIR belt. They are going to want to get that belt in their hands ASAP (more on this in a minute).
2. Second, it helps me remember everyone's names. I am forgetful, and I tend to have problems remembering names. Despite learning to use mnemonics and other memory devices, I still have trouble with names at times. So, having the name on every new student's belt helps me with names until I have them seated in my long-term memory.
When the student comes back out, I show mom and/or dad how to tie the uniform. I also make sure to buy uniforms with elastic waistbands so there's no awkward moment where I have to tie the kid's pants to keep them up.
This is all high-touch stuff. It may seem insignificant, but I am spending time bonding with these people while I help them feel comfortable with this new experience.
Setting Expectations
Then, I pick up the belt and show the child their name on the belt, and say:
"Alright Jake--this is your white belt. But you're not going to get it yet. Everything in this school is EARNED, even your first belt. So let me tell you how you're going to EARN this belt."
See, I'm setting expectations here. Nothing is given away, nothing is free. Every reward is earned from day one.
"To get this belt I'm going to need you to listen carefully and show me Black Belt Focus today during your lesson. Do you know what Black Belt Focus is?"
I wait to get a response. "Black Belt is the highest level students can get here, and when we say 'black belt' anything it means doing something really well, the best you can be. So, when I say "Black Belt Focus," what I mean is paying attention and doing your best. Can you do that today?"
Once the students nods or agrees, I give them a high five. "Great! Now, let's get started..."
The Next Steps
Tomorrow I'll go over the next step in the intro process, teaching the lesson. Stay tuned!
Until next time,
Mike Massie MartialArtsBusinessDaily.com
Quick-start Guide to My Books and Resources: - Looking for a list of books and resources I've written? Click here! - Looking for low-cost business coaching to grow your dojo? Click here…
P.S. - Remember, we're handling this new student with kid gloves, meaning we're taking great care to make them feel welcome and comfortable. Also, notice I didn't discuss money or collecting a payment at all. I'll talk about why that is later this week.
P.S.S. - I don't promote kids to black belt, which is just a personal decision that's based on years of experience teaching kids. We have a "junior black belt" rank that takes the place of a black belt, but still the kids don't wear a solid black belt.
If you don't have a similar rank in your style (like if you teach BJJ), don't sweat it. You can still use "black belt" as a metaphor for excellence. It's just a symbol, and it should represent success and excellence in your dojo. Set that expectation and ideal from day one, as it will give students something big to aspire to. | 