So, let's talk about reasons why a prospect might decide to pass on your school during your very first contact with them.

As for what we're going to consider a "first contact", we'll assume they either called you up for info, or they filled out a contact form on your website, or they walked into your school at random.

There are typically three major mistakes school owners make at this juncture that will scare off most prospective students. Let's tackle them one at a time, starting with...

LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM

This pretty much covers anything from answering your phones wrong, to using the wrong language over the phone or in person, to your personal appearance, to the general cleanliness and atmosphere of your dojo.

It's commonly said the the first impression is a lasting impression, and no truer words were ever spoken. That's why you have to make sure that the first impression you make on every prospective student is a good one.

I think it goes without saying that you should avoid using curse words or other harsh language over the phone or in person when speaking with prospective students. And actually, you shouldn't use that language in your school at all (or online, for that matter), because you never know who might be listening.

I also think it also goes without saying that you should be well-groomed and bathed when you go to work. And if during the course of your work day you develop a funk, you should take care of that issue with further personal grooming immediately.

You should also keep your school spic and span at all times. The last thing you do before you leave at night should be to clean your school so it's spotless and ready to go the next day when you open up.

Doing these things will ensure that you never get caught with your pants down when speaking with a prospective student for the first time.

TALKING TOO MUCH

You might think that when people call you up for information on your classes, that the more info you give them, the more likely they are to join your school.

And, you would be wrong.

In fact, I've found that the longer I speak with a prospective student about my school, the less likely they are to enroll. 

There are psychological reasons that I won't get into for why that's generally true, but for starters think about this...

You want people to value your time from the get-go when you first meet them. Otherwise, they won't be willing to pay you well for your time.

So, if you spend fifteen or twenty minutes talking on the phone or in person with every prospective student you meet, what does that say about the importance and value of your time?

What I always tell my coaching clients is, "The more you tell, the less you sell." So, if you find yourself getting diarrhea of the mouth with a prospect, zip it.

SAYING THE WRONG THINGS

Most school owners have no idea what to say to a prospective student to get them to enroll (which is why so many tend to ramble on when speaking with a potential new student for the first time).

There's an art to knowing what to say and how to say it avoid scaring someone off when they first contact your school. For example, you might think that you need to give a prospect certain information when they call or contact you, when in fact it's too early in the process to provide that info.

That's why it's important that you have scripts to follow when you're handling inquiries from prospective students. Now, most people make the mistake of thinking that following a script is going to make them sound wooden and phony over the phone.

Well, it will if you don't use it right. Think of the script as more of a guideline for what to say and when, versus lines you have to say verbatim in a robotic manner. But being able to say the right things at the right time takes practice, and it also takes memorizing the script.

So, you should look at memorizing your script like you're a musician memorizing a piece of sheet music. Until you know which notes go where at what time, there's no way you'll be able to play that piece of music with any feeling. Same goes for your script. That's why you need to memorize it and practice it until it sounds natural.

LYING AND HYPERBOLE

People tend to be a lot more skeptical these days when it comes to the claims that businesses make about their products and services. And, most people can spot a liar or a braggart a mile away.

So, I've found it's best to under-promise and over-deliver.  Take those words to heart.

Avoid talking up your dojo too much in the initial conversation. It'll only serve to make you sound like you're full of yourself, and if the person thinks you're a conceited ass I can guarantee they're going to walk on you faster than you can say, "We're the best."

Alright, that about wraps up this message in our series on Selling Martial Arts Lessons With Integrity. I'll be back tomorrow to talk about why people might no-show on you after setting an appointment for their first lesson.