What does your school do to bring in students?

Wai Jia: The Kung Fu Forum Kung Fu Forum
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My former Sifu did the free classes in a certain amount of time via the info boxes and Chinese restaurants, etc. We never had much look with it though. I believe the placement of such things is important. Most of stuff like that is geared towards kids and I don’t know if you want to teach children or not. Most of the kung fu schools in the Nashville area teach those 13 years old and up. Therefore, the CMA schools in Nashville are much smalled that TKD, etc.

You may want to set up demos at local schools whether it be self defense or Chinese/Taiwanese culture. Many schools enjoy having such presentations when they can incorporate geography, history, and other disciplines. They also like it when such presentations are free. You may wish to contact some local geography teachers and principals and look into that. Once again, that would be if you are looking to teach children.

It seems recruiting adult students is quite tough. I can’t offer much insight on that unfortunately. I wish you the best of luck in Tampa. I have family in FL and we may visit St. Pete again next summer. If so, I may look you up. Take care.

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peace&love,
I will be in Nashville for a seminar middle of December.

Thanks for the tips on the karate box all.

My school is outdoors and at night, so it might be a little freaky for kids.

All my students are adults.

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What does your school do to bring in students?

[QUOTE=Tainan Mantis;895851]My school is outdoors and at night, so it might be a little freaky for kids…[/QUOTE]It has somewhere to bring them ‘in’ to?

Also, I think you could do with making more of a distinction on your website for training for people who want SD, people who want ring (if you teach sports-oriented stuff), and people who want trad fu. There may really be no difference to you in what you actually teach (though I hope there is!) but there’s certainly a difference to the market.

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Also, you could try to stear clear of bullsh!t…

Just a thought…

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[QUOTE=gwa sow;894981]karate box= fill out the paper and drop in a box to win a contract for class. ballies la fitness etc has them also. usually at or by cash register of restaurants and kwickie marts and stuff.[/QUOTE]

lead boxes work-you need to constantly be on top of them, maintain them, call the leads, follow up.
Kids fill them out, mostly teens, and some adults.
Brace yourself for the usual, Jack Meoff, Buster Hymen, Di(k Hurtz, Seymor Hynee,etc.

Oh, and the people who fill them out, even though they live way outside the area, some even out of state-like they’re here on vacation, and filled out a lead box-what are they thinking?

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[QUOTE=TenTigers;895905]lead boxes work-you need to constantly be on top of them, maintain them, call the leads, follow up.
Kids fill them out, mostly teens, and some adults.
Brace yourself for the usual, Jack Meoff, Buster Hymen, Di(k Hurtz, Seymor Hynee,etc.

Oh, and the people who fill them out, even though they live way outside the area, some even out of state-like they’re here on vacation, and filled out a lead box-what are they thinking?[/QUOTE]

The forms I have gotten out of lead boxes are hysterical. I had one that said “pen1s” for each line. I thought that was the best one, no creativity at all.

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[QUOTE=Mr Punch;895870]It has somewhere to bring them ‘in’ to?
[/QUOTE]

There is a covered area in case it rains, but it is still outdoors.

I will reexamine the distinction aspect. I was trying to design something that would have appealed to myself when I first started out.

[QUOTE=Mr Punch;895870]lengthening the tendons.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for pointing that out.
That is from my translation of common chinese sayings.

In those old books and how they talk there is not a solid distinction between ligaments, tendons and muscles when refering to flexibilty.

I used a chinese figure of speech translated into English.

Just trying to mean become more flexible but my brain is thinking in Chinese.

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Do demos with scantily clad sexy woman that can really kick ass!

Your school will be filled with pre-pubescent and post-pubescent lads in a very short time.

also, men with prurient thoughts and woman who now realize they too can be sexy through kungfu.

lets face it, sex sells. Be creative and reach into the soul of people, more often than not, there will be genitals there. :stuck_out_tongue:

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Think strategic marketing

Supply of teachers exceeds demand for teachers

  • every good student wants to add to their development by becoming a teacher.
  • there is little or no barrier to entry into the industry as a teacher.
  • competition makes it very difficult to make a proper living teaching.

So, doom and gloom? Not hardly.

  • Promotion - many methods - but promotion without a unique selling proposition (USP) or major benefit statement is wasted money, too much noise in the market.
  • Niche marketing lessons - pick a niche and start there: Kids, weight loss, fighting sklls, self-defence, extreme sport, spiritual alignment, traditional, informal, etc, whatever floats your boat and plays to your strengths.

Clarify your USP, make a concise benefit statement, identify your target market, and then focus your promotion on that segment.

Commercial martial arts is no different than any other commercial activity, with the exception of the product.

You’ve received lots of ideas of how to promote, but not much comment on what to promote, I hope this has inspired you to think about your message.

Good luck.

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[QUOTE=Tainan Mantis;895943]I will reexamine the distinction aspect. I was trying to design something that would have appealed to myself when I first started out.[/quote]I’ve designed a few websites contents for different market’s appeal now and it’s just a question of being really anal and strictly categorizing what you’re selling. Of course, there will be considerable overlap.

Thanks for pointing that out.
That is from my translation of common chinese sayings.
I thought that might be the case, but even then, some Westerners swear that this kind of thing really does refer to tendons. Anyway, thanks for not chewing me out about it: I realized later my post sounded really snotty! :smiley:

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[QUOTE=David Jamieson;895996] Be creative and reach into the soul of people, more often than not, there will be genitals there. :p[/QUOTE]

LOL, if i felt like doin it i would sig that, just cuz its so true.

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[QUOTE=David Jamieson;895996]
lets face it, sex sells. Be creative and reach into the soul of people, more often than not, there will be genitals there. :p[/QUOTE]

nice! love it!

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[QUOTE=Lucas;896032]LOL, if i felt like doin it i would sig that, just cuz its so true.[/QUOTE]

lazy bastaard:cool:

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Hey did you try out the contest boxes?

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ok, here’s something I’m trying. It’s a little extreme-at least for me, but..

about three weeks before christmas, I got the idea to make up these flyers and go house to house in my neighborhood and stuff mailboxes-which btw isn’t the legal method I found out..oops.
The flyers basically said, $200.00 off (huge bold type) your regular membership!
for a limited time only (your school here) is offering over two hundred dollars off their regular membership.
Includes-one month free unlimited training-six days a week,valued at $138.00
free Ten Tigers Kung-Fu Uniform-valued at $65.00
free Ten Tigers Training Log and workbook-10.00
forearm pads for teens and adults-12.00
word this any way you seem fit.
I put an expiration date of x-mas eve, and “class space is limited-enroll now” so there was a sense of ugency.

I figure it this way:
a student on my floor doesn’t cost me anything-the rent is the rent.
my uniforms at cost are about 20.00
notebook costs me maybe 4.00
forearm pads cost me about 5.00
so for under thirty dollars per student, I make over $1500.00
not including test fees, and whatever they buy from the pro shop.

How’s it working?
Well, the next day, I already got a call!
ok, it was from a lady threatening me that she would call the cops if I ever put anything in her mailbox…
BUT..I have six intros lined up for today.
I know the deadline is over, so I will make up a new flyer, and most likely go with door hangers rather than stuffing mailboxes.

I usually don’t give things away, as I am a Kung-Fu school, not a discount McDojo, but I want to boost enrollment quickly,so I can move to a better location. So I got creative.
I also targeted my market-blue-collar, well maintained homes, often newly renovated, well landscaped-christmas lights (usually kids) and items such as swing sets in the yard, basketball hoops, bicycles,sporty cars, minivans and suv’s.
-rather than run-down, illegal apartments, renters,for sale signs,or old sedans-which if they are run-down, means they cannot afford lessons, and if they are well maintained, they are senior citizens.(they will get my tai chi flyer!)

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[QUOTE=MightyB;894306]but the biggest spike that I can remember at my Sifu’s mantis school was after he bought an ad at a local movie theatre. It was nothing more than a slide (posed photograph of a bunch of students working out) and the basic info that you’d put on a flier. This ran with a bunch of other similar slides for small businesses prior to the reels being turned on in the theatre. I believed he was at around 50 students prior to the slide- and after a couple of months of running it- he topped at about 110 students.[/QUOTE]

That’s a pretty good idea. You’re going to be aiming at a great target audience and those inserts are not that expensive.

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my sifu had a referral system. the student with the most referrals in a given time period got a free one hour private lesson with sifu.

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[QUOTE=TenTigers;903926]
I usually don’t give things away, as I am a Kung-Fu school, not a discount McDojo, but I want to boost enrollment quickly,so I can move to a better location. So I got creative.
I also targeted my market-blue-collar, well maintained homes, often newly renovated, well landscaped-christmas lights (usually kids) and items such as swing sets in the yard, basketball hoops, bicycles,sporty cars, minivans and suv’s.
[/QUOTE]

Sir, I really don’t understand the logic in that statement. Can you please elaborate? What is your definition of a “McDojo” and then what would it be for a ‘discount McDojo?’

And then what does ‘giving things away’ have to do with either one of them?

I assume the term McDojo has reference to what is being taught at a school (if may have other meanings as well, but I would believe that, that one is most pertinent, no?)

If that is the case, giving something away - it sounds like ‘marketing’. What would marketing have to do with what is being taught? If giving away a Free Uniform would get more students into your school - would that be bad, or make you a McDojo?

I don’t understand the logic behind your comments.

BTW, there are 50 better marketing techniques than stuffing people’s mailboxes (obviously the legal ramifications as well) - why do something so laborious and inefficient? Door hangers are extremely inefficient as well. You’d be better off getting some business card or 3" X 4" cards printed (about $200 for 5,000 if you know where to shop) and committ to handing out 25 each day - person to person- and engage people yourself? YOU can be the flyer or the ad - let YOU speak for your school.

Face it, if an instructor can’t talk to people (potential students) and get them excited enough to come in for a class (better not make it a free class, otherwise you might be a McDojo!!! :D)…then how good is the instructor? A fancy or compelling ad might bring them in…but what then?

Instructors/school owners need to learn to BECOME THEIR PRODUCT. YOU are YOUR PRODUCT. Not a picture of some kid kicking in an ad. Go out and SELL your lessons. SELL your school. Wait scratch that…SELL yourself first, on what it is you do. Then, when you’ve convinced yourself how valuable it is…THEN you can go out and convince other people that what you do has value. Not before.

TenTigers - you have the right idea as far as hitting the correct demographics. My advice would be to hit them YOURSELF. You’re flyer is not going to do a better job than you. And if it does, than that is a whole 'nother story.

Peace in the New Year!

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[QUOTE=Lama Pai Sifu;903998]You’d be better off getting some business card or 3" X 4" cards printed (about $200 for 5,000 if you know where to shop)[/QUOTE]
You can do it much cheaper than that, if you have a decent home printer. They’re obviously never quite as good as the professionally printed ones (and you can’t do embossing or effects), but they’re making some surprisingly good print-at-home business card sheets these days (including some that are specifically made to punch out without showing that they were punched out). I’m actually in the process of getting those put together for my school. Doing the page formatting manually for those is a pain, but it’s better than shelling out the big bucks IMO.

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Ten Tigers marketing

[QUOTE=TenTigers;903926]

forearm pads cost me about 5.00

[/QUOTE]

Sounds like some good ideas there.

Could you please tell me where you get forearm pads for 5.00?

I am not really much into stopping people on the street and dragging them into a sales conversation.

I lived in Taiwan for 16 years and there were some Western religous groups there that would always try and drag you into a conversation for the purpose of joining there group.

Left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth towards approaching strangers on the street and trying to sell me to them.