| Friend,
So lately in the newsletter we've been discussing reasons why martial art school owners fail...
Now, let's talk about ethics.
Winners Never Cheat, And Cheaters Never Win... Sort Of
Well, I suppose Lance Armstrong proved that old saying wrong, didn't he? But, look at where he is now.
Sure, he's still fabulously wealthy. But he's also facing several lawsuits from former sponsors (including the U.S. Postal Service) who are trying to get their sponsorship money back.
Looks like his estimated $125 million net worth could be swindling... er, I mean dwindling.
Here's a guy who was once loved by millions, who ran popular charities and was the darling of the media. Now, he's one of the most hated people in sports, right behind O.J. Simpson.
Heck, even Michael Vick got a do-over. But Lance won't, and it's all because he lied for years to the public about his doping.
What Can We Learn From Lance?
So what lesson can we take from the fall of Lance Armstrong? It's that people will forgive stupidity, and even cruelty... but they won't forgive a down and dirty cheater.
Cheating people and swindling them out of their money is probably the worst thing you can do as a business owner. Sure, you might make some short-term profits, but in the long run it's going to come back to bite you in the rear.
Chomp. And there goes your dojo, and all your dreams of being a self-employed school owner.
And Yet, People Still Insist On Being Asshats
Knowing this, you'd think that some people would clean up their acts. Yet, I see martial art school owners doing stupid, ethically deplorable crap all the time.
Some examples: - Making up stories about why they charge a registration fee. No, it's not to cover insurance on your students, and no one believes that B.S. anyway, no matter how many times you say it.
- Telling people that your contract is "just a formality." Right. Everyone knows that a contract is a contract. Trying to downplay it with weasel words is just making you look like a douche.
- Creating money-back guarantees, that aren't because they have clauses in the small print that are designed to set the client up for failure. This is a double-douche move, and if you're doing this it means you're scum.
I could go on and on with these examples, and mention items like ever-increasing belt test fees that go up the longer you are training. In this scheme, yellow belt costs you $25 bucks, but brown belt costs you $200 to test. In other words, the more emotionally invested you are, the more they charge you.
That is a truly crappy approach to doing business.
Or I could mention people who enforce their contracts regardless of circumstance, sending their students to collections when they don't pay. I even heard of one business (a dance school, but still) that insisted a family pay for their daughter's ballet lessons, even after she'd passed away.
Wow, way to express your sympathy for another family's tragedy.
But Here's The Thing...
It used to be that you could get away with this stuff, back in the days before the internet. But now, even if you wanted to you can't. People have cell phone cameras and social networks and review websites, and the power of the viral post can ruin you overnight.
Let me state for the record, I really and truly believe that the majority of the people who read this newsletter are highly moral and ethical people who are not looking to cheat anyone out of their hard-earned money.
But, I am also aware that about 4% of the population exhibits sociopathic tendencies. And, knowing what I know about those personality types, I also know that they enjoy getting one over on other people, and they feel absolutely no remorse about doing so.
Chances are good there are a few of those people on my newsletter list as well.
So, my general advice today is to be honest in everything you do in business. I know that most of you don't have to be told this - you're going to be honest regardless of circumstance or what it costs you.
But for that small percentage of people who don't have an innate moral compass that keeps you from screwing people over, listen up...
You can't get away with this stuff anymore. So, don't even try.
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. - Sometimes you're faced with tough moral decisions in business. That's just the way life works. But being "right" isn't always the best decision for your business. My advice to you if you're being faced with such a decision is to always take the high road. You'll never go wrong by being the bigger person in a difficult situation.
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