I mean, I've seen guys who could stand toe-to-toe in the ring with just about anyone get weak in the knees when it came to picking up the phone and returning inquiry calls.
And when it comes to asking for a check? Forget it. I've seen strong men crumble in the face of a mom with a checkbook.
You Should Be More Afraid Of Wasting Your Marketing Dollars...
I used to wonder why some of my coaching clients would sit on their leads for so long, letting them go stale until they were almost not worth calling (pro tip - they're always worth contacting - never give up on a lead).
Then, I realized that these folks were simply afraid to pick up the phone. They basically had a fear of calling people back.
Yesterday, I talked about the great importance of marketing in growing and maintaining a healthy, profitable dojo. And if you want to have a successful school, you should just accept that marketing is something you must master and do every single day.
No "ifs", "ands", or "buts" about it.
Well folks, I'm also here to tell you that no matter how much marketing you do, if you don't close the sale then you're wasting your time and money.
And that brings me to item #3 on my list...
The #3 Thing That Will Skyrocket Your Profits In Your Dojo...
Just like the word "marketing" puts some people off, a lot of people treat this like it's taboo - a virtual "four-letter word", if you will.
So what is it?
Sales. There, I said it. I'm talking about selling.
I've never been able to understand why some people think selling is such a bad thing. My guess is that it has something to do with the media portraying salesmen as slimy, underhanded liars for oh, since the early days of television.
But that's a joke that's past its time. See, it was based on the concept of snake-oil salesman in the Old West. These con artists would make all sorts of false health claims and sell worthless potions and lotions to people, and once they'd made their money they'd move on to another frontier town and do it all over again.
However, that stereotype in no way applies to someone who is honest in their business dealings - therefore, it doesn't apply to you and me. Here's why...
Why The Stereotype Of The Slimy Salesperson Is Invalid...
I'd like to point out three important facts about the stereotype of the snake-oil salesman to illustrate why all selling isn't bad:
- The snake-oil salesmen were selling something of little to no worth, and...
- They would blatantly lie to make the sale, and...
- They had no intention of providing service after the sale.
Well, when you put it that way, of course it's shady as all hell.
But do you do those things? Of course not!
You provide a service that is of very great benefit to the customer. The service you offer will help your customers lose weight and get in shape, gain confidence, and relieve stress.
It will help their kids get better grades and become more productive citizens.
And, the skills you teach could very well save the life of one of your customers some day.
So, we've established that what you're selling is of value - great. But what about lying to make the sale?
First off, I'm here to tell you that it's just not necessary to lie to people to sell them on taking martial arts lessons. Not only that, but it isn't even recommended (duh!) that you do so.
Okay, so what about service after the sale?
Well, guess what?
In our industry, service after the sale is the nature of our game. It's built in to what we do. We enroll people in martial arts lessons, and then we deliver those lessons.
And, so long as you are delivering on your promises (all that stuff you said martial arts training would do for the person, whatever that may be) then your clients are going to be happy that they enrolled at your school.
So what's so bad about that?
Nothing! Not... a... thing.
Let's Get One Thing Clear - Ain't Nuthin' Wrong With Selling...
As long as what you're selling benefits the customer, and as long as you are selling it using honesty instead of lies and half-truths, and as long as you provide service after the sale...
...you can sell like nobody's business and still hold your head high.
Besides, People Aren't Going To Enroll Themselves!
And here's the thing I want you to understand - you can't expect people to walk into your school and enroll themselves. Ain't gonna happen, in most cases. Uh-uh.
That's why you need to have an effective sales process in place, to turn inquiries into appointments, and appointments into trial members, and trial members into students.
And once you do, your life is going to become so much easier.
For one, you won't have to stress about calling prospects back or asking for a check, because you'll know what to say and how to say it.
Give Yourself A Pay Raise - Learn How To Sell
Not only that, but did I mention the increase in pay you get when you learn how to sell?
For example -
- If you spend $1,000 on marketing and get 20 leads,
- And you only enroll 5 of them (25%),
- And each one of them pays you $300 (one month's tuition + registration fee)
...then your immediate return on investment for that marketing was only $500.
But if you get good at sales and double your phone-to-enrollment conversion rates, guess what? You'll increase your immediate ROI to $2,000...
...meaning you just quadrupled your profits!
And that's not even taking into consideration what the lifetime value (LTV) of those five extra students will be (but it could be anywhere from a few thousand to upwards of $10,000 or more).
So, don't you think it's worth it to learn how to sell?
Until next time,
Mike Massie
MartialArtsBusinessDaily.com
