No-shows. Bane of every school owner's existence, right?

But why do people no-show your school? I mean, if they spend all that time and energy researching martial art schools, and calling for info, and then setting up an appointment...

...then why the heck would they bail on you like that?

I know, I know - "People are just flaky these days." Yeah, I've heard that a lot, even from seasoned martial art school owners. One friend of mine with a very successful school even double-books his intro slots because of all the no-shows he gets.

And yet, I've never had that problem.

Oh sure, I get no-shows - that's a given in this industry. But a 50% no-show rate? Never, not in two decades of running martial art schools.

The reason why I don't get a lot of no-shows is because I understand the reasons why people no-show. And for the most part, your prospects are standing you up for three main reasons...

REASON #1 - THEY DON'T TAKE YOU SERIOUSLY

This all goes back to your level of professionalism over the phone. If you're too chatty, too laid back, or too buddy-buddy over the phone, chances are good that whoever is on the other end isn't going to take you or your school seriously.

People respect those who are in positions of authority. So, if you undermine your authority on first contact with the prospect by being unprofessional, then you're going to increase the chances that your prospect is going to bail.

Now, the underlying reasons why they no-show are many - things got busy, something came up, etc. But remember that they have to justify and rationalize not showing up to your school.

So, if you came across like just another yokel over the phone, it's going to be a heck of a lot easier for them to do exactly that.

REASON #2 - NO FEAR OF LOSS

Ever set an appointment with a doctor's office and had the receptionist explain their "24-hour cancellation policy" to you?

There's a very good reason why they do that, and it's not to put you in fear of getting the hammer dropped on you. Nope. Instead, it's to remind you of the value of your appointment.

And, it's also a subtle way of telling you that you might not get back in for weeks or even months if you miss your appointment. So, the fear of losing that chance to see the doc makes you hesitant to bail on your appointment.

Sneaky, right? But, it works. Fear of loss is a powerful motivator for most people.

REASON #3 - THEY DON'T YET VALUE WHAT YOU HAVE

This reason may be the most important one. If the prospect doesn't yet value the importance of what you offer, then they really have little if any reason to follow through to the next step in the enrollment process - namely, showing up at your school.

Conveying value starts with your marketing and advertising, and it continues with your initial contact with the prospect. Remember, they contacted you because they have an immediate problem that requires an immediate solution.

And they're looking to you for that solution. So, if you don't know what to say and how to say it over the phone, then you're never going to be able to convey the value of what you offer to that prospect.

And that's going to make it incredibly easy for them to no-show on their initial lesson. Just something to consider if you're experiencing a high volume of no-shows in your school.

Alright - that about wraps up today's message. Tomorrow I'll be back to talk about why your intros are walking out the front door of your dojo without enrolling.