| Friend,
So we've been talking about how offering free classes to your local community can boost your public profile and help you attract more students.
For those who are just tuning in, we're not talking about unlimited free classes, or even a weekly free class. Instead, when I say "free classes" I am referring specifically to providing a one-time free presentation on a special topic to a single group of people.
The topic you deliver your presentation on will depend on what the focus of your school is and your audience. It could be fitness, weight loss, self-defense, crime prevention... the list is endless.
However, the one prerequisite is that you are actually an expert in that field. And that's the topic of today's email--how to become an expert in your chosen area.
Becoming an Expert
The one thing you don't want to do is deliver a presentation on a topic you know nothing about. This isn't high school, where you can cram overnight and learn just enough to pass the test; there will be people in your audience who are educated and informed, so you can't just B.S. your way through a 45-minute presentation.
That's why you need to invest some time into becoming an expert on your topic. I suggest reading an hour a day on your chosen topic for at least six months, minimum, before you even consider delivering your first presentation.
I also suggest that you attend a certification course of some sort, or if possible, multiple certification courses in that topic area. Whether you're going to be speaking on fitness, self-defense, child safety, or other topics, you need to have bonafides to prove to others that you know your stuff.
Also, if you've been recognized by established subject matter experts in your topic area for having a basic functioning knowledge of the subject matter, then you can reasonably assume that you have more knowledge and expertise than the average person on the street.
A warning though - just because you're a martial arts instructor, that doesn't mean you're an expert on self-defense. Self-defense is a broad topic that covers many different knowledge domains, and hand-to-hand combat only covers a small segment of the topic overall. Seek additional knowledge and training in other areas beyond HTH combat before you speak on the topic.
What Comes Next
After you've gained a minimal level of expertise on your chosen topic, you're still not quite ready to start educating people in your community on that topic.
Tomorrow, I'll discuss the next step in this process, which is just as important as having the requisite knowledge in your chosen area of expertise.
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 one-on-one coaching to grow your dojo? Click here...
P.S. - I'd like to emphasize my point that being a black belt doesn't automatically make you an expert on the topic of self-defense. It only means you are an expert in your martial art. If you disagree, I encourage you to take my advice and start reading an hour a day on the subject of self-defense and personal protection. Once you do, you'll soon see how little you actually know as a black belt about the vast topic of self-defense and personal safety.
P.S.S. - I'm not saying this to offend anyone. I am only saying it because I once thought that being a black belt made me an expert on self-defense, and I didn't realize how wrong I was until I became a serious student of the topics of self-protection and personal safety. | 