"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it." ~ George Bernard Shaw

I think about that quote every time someone tries to draw me into their flawed argument on social media. Saves me a lot of wasted time, these days...

And when it comes to running a martial art school, I've also applied it to the task of marketing and advertising my schools over the years. 

Not necessarily with regards avoiding arguments on social media (although that's probably wise, considering that your clients are constantly watching you, both online and offline), but in pricing my services.

Or, more specifically, in advertising my prices.

I can't tell you how many times I've visited the websites of my customers (I do that for fun, you know - studying martial marketing websites and ads) to see this on a client's website:

"We are completely transparent with our prices, yadda, yadda, yadda..."

And all the while, these folks think they are differentiating their dojos from the competition...

When in fact, all they are really doing is wrestling with pigs. 

Allow me to explain...

The "pigs" are the bottom-feeders in your area - the martial art schools who are willing to teach for a pittance. This varies from area to area, but in most cases these are the people who are charging $65 a month, or $50 a month, or whatever.

Often for an all-inclusive membership. And, these people frequently pride themselves on the fact that they are working for minimum wage.

"We're not greedy like those commercial schools across town," they'll boast. "Oh no, we're in it for the art." As if that were somehow more noble than being in it for the art AND to feed and clothe your family. 

Nitwits. Every last one of them.

These self-starving buffoons haven't the first clue about what it takes to run a successful and profitable business. And, they think it's a crime for a dojo to turn a profit, never seeing the hypocrisy evident in the fact that they'd never sell themselves so cheaply in their day jobs. 

Oh, heaven forbid - they're probably the same economic illiterates who would vote for a $15 minimum wage (never mind that it's causing small businesses to fire employees or close their doors in every city where it has been implemented). 

And yet, they scream about greedy martial art school owners who charge "too much" for lessons. 

Whatever "too much" is, because it seems to be a highly subjective number.

Look, these folks may be willing to cheat themselves out of their own profits, but that doesn't mean that you have to do the same.

And, when you advertise your prices on your website, you're allowing them to compete with you on the only selling point they have even a remote chance of beating you at - price.

So, when Susie Homemaker calls around to every school in town to enroll her kids in martial arts, and she asks the only question she knows to ask about martial arts training...

"How much are your classes?"

...and you post your prices on your site (which are bound to be higher than the pig-sty dungeon dojo across town), then guess what's going to happen?

That's right, Susie Homemaker is going to take her kids to Pig Pen Dojo across town. And you'll never even have the opportunity to show her WHY your classes cost more.

So folks, take my advice...

...don't wrestle with a pig, and don't ever put yourself in a position to compete on price with a competitor who offers an inferior service.

Until next time,

Mike Massie

MartialArtsBusinessDaily.com