How to help the instructor get more students

[hammer]

Been in a Kyokushin school for a few months now and it's been great. Was at a TKD school for 14+ years and I thought I was learning a lot...but I've since realized that while the school wasn't a complete McDojo, the standards just weren't really there. Good to be correcting that now.

The problem is that the school is quite short on students. The instructor has a presence on the Internet (web page, Facebook) and has done open houses and advertising in the past, but has had limited success getting new students. It appears that there is the usual attrition of kids but otherwise I do not see any issues with students leaving the school. We did have one adult who tried one class and left but I think it was because he wasn't up for the physical demands (it is Kyokushin after all).

Any other suggestions on helping to increase the number of students would be appreciated. While I don't think the school's in jeopardy at this point, I'd hate to see the instructor run out of resources and have to close down just as I'm getting started...

[ps1]

Hammer: PM me your instructor's webpage. Having a presence is not enough. I can give suggestions.

Ask your instructor for VIP passes to hand out. Just "telling people" to come isn't enough. They respond better when there is something in their hand.

Marketing has a snowball effect. Most school owners quit before their marketing has a chance to really take effect. Facebook ads are very nice right now and are pretty inexpensive.

All of this really lies in your instructor's hands, though. Send me the website and I can give you more advice.

[sensei8]

Hammer: PM me your instructor's webpage. Having a presence is not enough. I can give suggestions.

Ask your instructor for VIP passes to hand out. Just "telling people" to come isn't enough. They respond better when there is something in their hand.

Marketing has a snowball effect. Most school owners quit before their marketing has a chance to really take effect. Facebook ads are very nice right now and are pretty inexpensive.

All of this really lies in your instructor's hands, though. Send me the website and I can give you more advice.

Solid post!! Especially the bold type above!!

In that, ones got to manage the brand, and it doesn't happen over night; it takes time. Time in getting known in ones community through all types of venues; print and/or video.

Once the community begins to notice, the community will start to get behind you, but the marketing never stops. No. It must be changed constantly and it must be as though said marketing hasn't ever been seen and/or experienced before.

Demo's are still the way to draw in prospective students. Our local ATA school appears in our towns parade down main street in the summer, and it's not by luck, but they're smack down in the middle of the parade.

And how they managed this...but they put on a demo at our local Wal-Mart a week after the parade...pure genius or pure luck; I don't know but effective.

Don't be afraid to offer suggestions to your CI, and while it's the CI's problem because it's the CI's dojo, it's also the problem of said dojo's student body. Why? If there's no students, then there's no dojo to train at. So, suggest away to your CI, and offer your assistance in anyway that you can.

[bushido_man96]

It seems more and more difficult to get adults into an MA class anymore. Adults are always very busy, especially if they have kids. Most of the adults in our TKD class are there because they have kids in class. That's one reason why we have combined classes a lot of the time. And if the kids are doing other sports alot, then it cuts in on MA time.

I think the adult market is just getting harder to get filled into the Martial Arts.

[ps1]

It seems more and more difficult to get adults into an MA class anymore. Adults are always very busy, especially if they have kids. Most of the adults in our TKD class are there because they have kids in class. That's one reason why we have combined classes a lot of the time. And if the kids are doing other sports alot, then it cuts in on MA time.

I think the adult market is just getting harder to get filled into the Martial Arts.

This is a simple formula.

Where the kids go, the adults follow. Focus on the kids, really be awesome with them. Offer mixed classes where kids can train with parents. So many adults join just because they "want to earn a black belt as a family."

It's far more difficult to get adults to train without the children there.

I have a little more success because of being a BJJ academy. Let's be honest, from a marketing perspective, BJJ is on fire right now. So, because the reputation of BJJ is one of being "the most effective", adults do come in on their own.

I used to just have "Martial Arts" written on all my advertisements. And I would get interest from Moms signing up their kids. I've started adding "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" to the adds and have seen a big spike in adults only and Dads signing up their sons.

The biggest thing you can do is to be authentic and honest about what you have and what you offer.

[sensei8]

ps1,

From a marketing prospective, I believe that you're hitting the nail right on its head. By adding key words to your marketing models, like on your advertisement tools, you're speaking not to a small selective group of customers/students, but to a more appealing group as well as a much wider geographic possibilities of untapped new-student sources.

[JohnASE]

I used to just have "Martial Arts" written on all my advertisements. And I would get interest from Moms signing up their kids. I've started adding "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" to the adds and have seen a big spike in adults only and Dads signing up their sons.

This is interesting. Tailoring ads for your audience could make a big difference.

I don't remember anyone mentioning this, but I hear good things about "bring a friend" programs.

[Patrick]

Awesome points, Bill. Your suggestions on segmenting ads are excellent.

Patrick

[CDraper]

I think as a student the best thing we can do is try to greet new students and try to make them feel welcome. Also we can try extra hard to be good partners if we are paired with a new student.

Beyond that support our instructors by participating in activities outside of class such as bring a friend day and stuff like that.

My humble opinion as some one restarting their martial arts training.

ChuckD

[ninjanurse]

The best form of marketing for your school is your students themselves. What are they doing in the community that demonstrates the value of your program? Are they taking what they learn on the mat out into the world to make a difference? What do they say to others about you and what you are teaching?

Getting involved and making a presence in the community through volunteering/community service brings the dojo to them. Offering a FREE class once a week for those who can't afford to train, holding FREE Anti-Bullying seminars, giving the local animal shelter a team of students for a day to help, etc. , are all things you can do to show the community that your program has more value to them than just learning to kick and punch.