# Ideals needed



## kicksindabank (Jan 5, 2007)

Hello everyone:

I need some idea on how to attract students to our academy. We have some general idea (self-defense class, tai chi, etc). This is good have proven successful, but I am looking for a little more. 

We don't have a lot of adults in our school (there is me and another brown belt, and three white belts).  I would like to have more. To the point we have seperate class just for adults.

I look forward to hearing from you!


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## terryl965 (Jan 5, 2007)

Cardio kickboxing always bring them in, offering a seperate adult class is always good especially for those not wanting to be around childern.
Hope this helps, Self defense only class.


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## ArmorOfGod (Jan 5, 2007)

I just opened a school up and will be watching this thread.  
I am learning that things I assume would work don't.

Here is a MUST read:  http://martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42320

From that, I found this:



> Marketing Things That Tend To Not Work
> 
> Free local shopper newspaper ads tend to not work for us.
> 
> ...



I have found this to be true so far.  I have my ad running in five different newspapers and "shopper papers" and have not gotten a bite from that.

Also, on that above Martial Talk thread link, I found this:



> Marketing Things That Tend To Work
> 
> Coupon Books: We are chronically in the coupon books that are sold, often by charities, in the community. We offer a coupon for one months free lessons. We generally generate between fifteen and twenty students per coupon book. Those student then convert as normal. The key is the bang we get for absolutely no buck. Coupon books are free. Great media-no cash spent.
> 
> ...




That was a very helpful article to me and I even saved a copy into my hard drive.  There may be something there for you.

I did get some students on one odd way though: I went to http://groups.yahoo.com and found some home schooling groups in my area.  I posted my notice there at those Yahoo groups and got four students that way.  Four students is great seeing it was a free way to get word out.

AoG


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## The Kidd (Jan 5, 2007)

If you are looking to get more adults then the best way is thru their children, we get more adults because their kids begin taking and they want to come as a family. Have a family discount with the first 2 people paying the rest of the family is free.


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## ShinKen (Jan 5, 2007)

Create gift cards that offer a free month and a free uniform.  Give them out to your current students to give to friends and family and try to use the "New Years Resulution" line.  Advertize them as "Free month of Karate for children or Free month of self-defese classes for Adults".  Most adults don't understand what the martial arts really are.  They usally don't understand that self-defense doesn't exist alone.  It always comes from some type of martial art.  I had a girl come in a few years ago.  She wanted to take a self-defense course.  I started to talk about our martial arts program and she said she wasn't interested in that and started to leave.  I then told her she can do just the self-defese course if she wants and I gave her the same class times as our karate.  She is now a black belt.  She came in, not knowing the truth because of so many mis-leading programs and would have left, never benefitting from training the last several years.

We give them out as stocking stuffers around Christmas, but it is never too late to get new students.

The other question is this:  are you haveing a hard time getting them to sign up, or a hard time keeping them after they did a trial?


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## Cryozombie (Jan 7, 2007)

ShinKen said:


> I had a girl come in a few years ago.  She wanted to take a self-defense course.  I started to talk about our martial arts program and she said she wasn't interested in that and started to leave.  I then told her she can do just the self-defese course if she wants and I gave her the same class times as our karate.  She is now a black belt.



So you lied to her to get a student.  I see what kind of man you really are now.  Its no wonder your wife follows you to class now... its a trust thing, eh?


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## kicksindabank (Jan 7, 2007)

The other question is this: are you haveing a hard time getting them to sign up, or a hard time keeping them after they did a trial?01-05-2007 09:30 AM

It is a mixture of both. So many the adults in our area give the excuse of "too busy", "That is more for kids, than adults" or my personal favorite, "I am not old for that."

When they do come in, they only stay for so long and then they leave. I think, most have the thoughts of what they see on TV is how a true martial art is done. So when, they get into journey of the art and see the real picture, they want to quit. 

It is so dishearting...


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## ArmorOfGod (Jan 20, 2007)

I have my ad running in one weekly "shopper" paper for 10 weeks now, another weekly for 7 weeks, and one daily for a few times.  I learned the hard way what the article I linked to said, and that was newspapers and shopper papers don't work.

One odd thing I found that worked is Yahoo! groups.  I found some local home schooling Yahoo! groups and posted my class info there (which was free) and immediately got two new students with two more coming next week.  That link is http://groups.yahoo.com  Search for your city and see if any sports or home schooling groups in your area comes up.  To post, you only need a Yahoo! user name.

Also, I put 3 months of classes on eBay for a very low rate and no one bid on it, but later got a phone call from someone who saw the auction and wanted details, so in a way it worked.  That auction got 30 views and I had the city name put in the title, so it did get a little bit of notice.  If that family that called me joins, it was worth the one dollar listing fee.

One thing I haven't tried yet, but am about to is to open a Myspace Page for my school.  That would get hundreds of hits from people in your zipcode, so it may be worth a shot.

AoG


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