I don’t think LamaPaiSifu meant dragging someone into a conversation per se.
As dedicated Martial artists, we seem to naturally want to talk about MA. No matter what the conversation, we manage to steer it to being about MA, because we believe in it so much, and it defines who we are. By having a stack of VIP cards with you, it is very natural to find yourself in a conversation with someone and then yuo can offer them a guest pass.
As far as MA supplies, open up a wholesale account with a MA distributor. These guys are pretty good, I hear http://www.martialartsmart.net/Sparring_Gear.html (shamefull plug)
a good place for printing
generally cheap and if you sign up, they send you an email about twice a week on the current specials: usually 25% or better off.
Their online tools are a bit better than doing it on your own computer but they are a little glitchy…I’ve had my latest business card printed through them as well as stamps and some magnet business cards. (which have seen zero return)
Shifu(Kevin), martialartsmart.com isn’t difficult to get a wholesale account with.
As far as the arm pads go: buy smaller than you think, they’ll stretch and the size that seems like it will fit will be too bulky.
[QUOTE=Reverend Tap;904063]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.[/QUOTE]
I don’t think you can.
Try pricing out 5,000 oversized biz cards (3"X4"). If you buy the pre-cut printouts, they are usually $9.99-$29.99 for 200-500 of them (10-50 sheets) - plus they just look like cheap shit when you hand them out - everyone knows you printed them up yourself. And then, to print up 5000 of them, you’d need quite a lot of ink, probably have to replace a standard inkjet printer’s ink, 10 times at a minimum. It just just doesn’t make dollars and sense at all.
Not to mention the time it takes to separate them and the fact that you’re only printing on one side.
You can get 5,000 4/4 (four color, both sides with lamination) and have them look amazing for $200-$250. I get them for less than $200, but that’s my secret!!! LOL
You can also get 5,000 full color double size business cards for $90-$125 each if you know where to look. You can’t even buy the paper yourself for that cheap! And forget about the ink and the separating paper!!
So actually, it’s not really economical to do it this way. I will share one site with you, although I can get it much cheaper than this one. You’d be surprised at what deals you can find with little diligence. Just tell them I send you!
www.printingdojo.com
They do awesome work, some of their stock cards are cute, but I always do my own. But I’m have become very skilled with Graphics and Design. If you are not, don’t monkey-rig it on your own. Get a professional or a student well versed to help you.
Peace
the thing to consider, IMPE, in all business ventures, is what is your time worth? for example, if my time is hypothetically worth on the average $50 / hr., then I have to factor that into everything I spend time doing; if it would cost me $500 to have someone else do a project that would take me 10 hrs. to do myself plus I have to pay for materials, then it’s totally worth having that project outsourced;
not only to consider time spent doing something, but also recovery time: if you are trying to print up cards yourself, and if you want them to look professional, let’s be honest: you will expend a higher than average amount of energy because of all the little frustrations that keep coming up: do-overs, paper jams, etc., plus the fact that they will not look as good as a professional job; not only will you have to spend more time recovering from that energy expenditure, it will impact on your energy level when you are teaching class later that day
if one is going to run a business, run it well - don’t skimp on details or spend time on things that will drain your energy for limited return: you want to look and be at your best for the important things, such as teaching class and interacting with potential students
BTW, I agree w/Mike - you are your product - your non-verbal message is “if you study w/me, you will look / move / have the same energy level as I do” - if you look bad, have poor energy, etc., then you will not attract people who want to look good and have a good energy level (and are usually successful individuals in their own right, meaning that they can afford classes for themselves and their families); think about how the teachers and students reflect each other in schools: out of shape / low energy / unkempt teachers do not attract students who are at a “higher” level; the sort of people who “look up” to that sort of teacher will be even more out of shape / unkempt than they are…
so, if one honestly believes that what one practices has positively impacted one’s life, then how hard is it to “sell” it to someone else?
[QUOTE=TenTigers;903926]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!)[/QUOTE]
WOW! Flyers never did it for me at ussd,I’m impressed! CAn you put your flyer up?
Here’s a contest boxes web sites.
http://www.displays2go.com/product.asp?ID=3091
Only $1.70 per box when you order 25! That’s a real good deal. The ones I had from ussd were $20 a box and plastic and would break, get stolen. So very costly. Plus local businesses want to help a small business not a chain where all the money goes to the top.
The best places for boxes were restaurants, ice cream shops. Try and get the boxes on the counter and talk to the manager and employees every week! Ask them how business going ? Ask if their kids would to take karate or them? Give them a free week or two. Even if they don’t sign up they will tell everybody who ask about your box that your a good guy not some hard salesman charging $200 a month. Give them a good discount. No one wants to help a guy they don’t know! Food for thought.
contest boxes
Here’s another one.
http://www.affordablepackagingproducts.com/bb1002-contest-boxes-detail.htm
$1.99 each for a bundle of 50. $100 is nothing for 50 contest boxes. At ussd $100 would only buy you 5 boxes!
Are you talking about a box in like a store somewhere that would say “Register here for a chance to win a month’s membership”?
I’ve never cared for that. Several problems, It’s a little misleading since everyone is going to win, also many people simply don’t want to give out their private information and finally the work put into tracking down those leads are not worth it.
As I’ve said I think the insert at the movie theatre was a good idea…also, it’s nice to have a good yellow pages ad. It’s also important that your location (or a sign leading to your location) is clearly visable from the street. However I guess the most important thing is to have good front desk people who can sell. All the advertising in the world does no good if you get the people in and they are met by someone who can’t sell the program.
[QUOTE=BoulderDawg;904140]Are you talking about a box in like a store somewhere that would say “Register here for a chance to win a month’s membership”?
I’ve never cared for that. Several problems, It’s a little misleading since everyone is going to win, also many people simply don’t want to give out their private information and finally the work put into tracking down those leads are not worth it.
As I’ve said I think the insert at the movie theatre was a good idea…also, it’s nice to have a good yellow pages ad. It’s also important that your location (or a sign leading to your location) is clearly visable from the street. However I guess the most important thing is to have good front desk people who can sell. All the advertising in the world does no good if you get the people in and they are met by someone who can’t sell the program.[/QUOTE]
Not worth it? It cost you nothing to place boxes! To place an add cost hundreds of dollars and no one may sign up or see it. Will the paper give your money back for your add? Track them down? leave a message and move on to the next lead. You get 30-50 a week.
hundreds of dollars
It is worth it if you work it and not let some 20 year old do it. Put out 30 boxes. Takes 3 weeks. And check them every 4 days. talk to the employees managers and get students and referrals.
Ussd does this and they Charge $250 a month! The biggest problem I had was people would not sign up with ussd because of the high prices. If you offer a affordable program you will do fine.
Have you tried the contest boxes?
let’s face it…commercially successful schools rely on modern marketing, based on data about how the average human mind works, to keep reeling in the new customer. As with regular gyms/health clubs they count on the contract for residual income (the length of which varies by state but you can count on 3 months of income from most every person that signs a contract) as a high percentage of their customers fall by the wayside within the first 3 months. Thus the need for salesmanship and a constant drive to be out their promoting your product.
This doesn’t mean that every school has a ‘mcdojo’ program of instruction or that a few students won’t stick it out and be pretty good. But, the number of students who make it 5 years down the road is a very low percentage of the ones that start.
i honestly don’t think it is any different for mma schools or boxing gyms or jujitsu schools…it’s just human nature and if you are going to sell something, anything, to people you must follow the rules.
Okay, got it, home-print business cards aren’t economical on more than a small scale. A couple quibbles/points, though.
I’m not actually teaching or in charge of a school. I’m a freelance graphic designer, so I work with my sifu on advertising stuff rather often. So yeah, no worries on being able to do the designing on my own, and actually given my current level of experience working in the field, a lot of the little frustrations wind up being good learning moments for me.
Also, I’ve seen quite a number of home-printed business cards that looked professionally printed (or at least near enough that the average-guy-on-the-street can’t tell). They won’t be laminated or have special printing effects on them, but some of the better home printers (such as the one I’ve got) do a surprisingly good job if you’re just looking for basic cards, even double-sided.
I’ll show my sifu that link, though. Thanks for that.
I think each person/business has their own approach to business cards. Personally I like to keep mind as simple as possible. I leave plenty of room on it to write…I find it gives them that personal touch.
It’s funny, a few years back I was doing some consulting for a company that was making light fixtures. By the time I’d been on the job a week I knew there was no hope for this company. They were thousands in debt and didn’t have the money to meet payroll. Anyway, one bill I noticed was $2,500 for a thousand envelopes…I did a double take. Here’s a company that could not pay it’s workers yet they were spending $2.50 for an envelope! The explanation was “We have to keep a professional image”…
Maybe, but my decision to do business with any company is not going to be dependant on the quality of their stationary or their fancy business cards!
Any I left three weeks later…would not have stayed that long but I was paid in advance…they closed the doors a week after I left.
[QUOTE=Reverend Tap;904216]Okay, got it, home-print business cards aren’t economical on more than a small scale. A couple quibbles/points, though.
I’m not actually teaching or in charge of a school. I’m a freelance graphic designer, so I work with my sifu on advertising stuff rather often. So yeah, no worries on being able to do the designing on my own, and actually given my current level of experience working in the field, a lot of the little frustrations wind up being good learning moments for me.
Also, I’ve seen quite a number of home-printed business cards that looked professionally printed (or at least near enough that the average-guy-on-the-street can’t tell). They won’t be laminated or have special printing effects on them, but some of the better home printers (such as the one I’ve got) do a surprisingly good job if you’re just looking for basic cards, even double-sided.
I’ll show my sifu that link, though. Thanks for that.[/QUOTE]
business cards are good to hand out, boxes work better for more leads. Hand out cards as set up boxes as go to stores. Keep a stack in your car , wallet, school.
http://www.leadbox.com/leadbox.cfm?page=catFrame&typeID=3
They also have martial arts boxes already made for $6
[QUOTE=TenTigers;904085]I don’t think LamaPaiSifu meant dragging someone into a conversation per se.
As dedicated Martial artists, we seem to naturally want to talk about MA.
[/QUOTE]
OK, That sounds good.
I do that all the time.
[QUOTE=TenTigers;904085]As far as MA supplies, open up a wholesale account with a MA distributor. These guys are pretty good, I hear http://www.martialartsmart.net/Sparring_Gear.html (shamefull plug)[/QUOTE]
Thanks for that.
I agree with what Oso said on the modern American marketing mind set and all.
It is not easy to get a lot of adults from what I can see in my admittedly limited perspective.
That is why I think it is good, at least for me, to have a strong program for kids.
A few more
http://brochureholders4u.com/productcart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=87
http://www.braesidedisplays.com/Details.cfm?Category=14&secondary=69&ProdID=25
[QUOTE=Tainan Mantis;904310]
That is why I think it is good, at least for me, to have a strong program for kids.[/QUOTE]
There are advantages to kid’s program. They are simply more profitable. It takes less space and there are less chance of injury from over agressive sparring and such. Also, I think the kids are more likely to hang with the program. Finally, you don’t have to have your best sifu or instructor leading the class. However it would be nice to find someone who’s had experience with kids.
However I would not mix my kids class and adult classes no matter how good the student is. I would also not schedule an adult class right after a kids class.
My school does not have a kids program period. We have a couple of students under 13 who are there with their parent but thats about it.
[QUOTE=TenTigers;903926]
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…
[/QUOTE]
Wait a minute…you put a flyer in her mailbox and she could legally sue you?
Man, where I live, a day doesn’t go by without seeing McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wal-Mart junk in the mail.
[QUOTE=WinterPalm;904326]Wait a minute…you put a flyer in her mailbox and she could legally sue you?
Man, where I live, a day doesn’t go by without seeing McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wal-Mart junk in the mail.[/QUOTE]
You can mail flyers but legally you can’t go around placing them in peoples mailboxes. However most people won’t even notice. For example I just take my mail flyers and throw them away without looking at them.
If you really want to go that route jusy get some kid to go around and put them on doors knobs. I think all that does more harm than good in my opinion but who knows.
[QUOTE=BoulderDawg;904328]You can mail flyers but legally you can’t go around placing them in peoples mailboxes. However most people won’t even notice. For example I just take my mail flyers and throw them away without looking at them.
If you really want to go that route jusy get some kid to go around and put them on doors knobs. I think all that does more harm than good in my opinion but who knows.[/QUOTE]
Wow, that doesn’t make any sense to me…