| The trial program, in its many configurations, has | | | | paid in five months, or a single payment with a |
| been a staple in the martial arts school enrollment | | | | significant discount. |
| process for a very long time. A trial program | | | | This is a pretty standard presentation strategy, |
| invites the prospect to come into the school to | | | | with the exception being that the instructor then |
| try anything from a single class to a month of | | | | offers to discount the membership further by |
| classes for free or a small fee. | | | | crediting the value of the VIP pass off the annual |
| A good trial program takes the pressure off of | | | | program. So if the annual was $999, the student |
| sales and onto teaching, which is where you want | | | | can reduce that $100 more by signing on that |
| it. It’s hard to get someone to enroll in your | | | | day. You would be amazed how many students |
| school for a year with just a visit. To do so | | | | will then cut you a big check. |
| requires more sales skills than most of us are | | | | Trial Month Offer |
| capable of on a consistent basis. The trial program | | | | Tiger Shulmann Karate, arguably the most |
| allows your teaching skills to do the selling for you. | | | | successful franchise in the industry, currently uses |
| This is more comfortable for you and the | | | | a $79 trial month offer that includes two private |
| prospective student. | | | | lessons and a uniform. Again, the idea is to enroll |
| We’re going to look at a few proven trial and | | | | them after the two lessons. |
| non-trial strategies and then discuss the process | | | | You may be thinking, that’s what I do or |
| as it relates to your school. | | | | that’s a good idea. Look a little closer. Reread |
| I have always advocated a two-lesson trial for | | | | them and you will notice that some of the largest, |
| $19.95 that includes a uniform. Essentially, I’m | | | | wealthiest, and most successful martial arts school |
| selling the uniform for $19.95 and providing the | | | | owners in history use the trial lesson concept. |
| two 20-minute lessons as a bonus. | | | | Certainly, Tiger Shulmann and Bill Clark are in that |
| I like this process for good reasons. People who | | | | picture. |
| will pay $19.95 to take two lessons have already | | | | This is not to take anything away from Rick Bell |
| pre-qualified themselves for joining. Free lessons | | | | and Andrew Wood but, for the most part, they |
| often bring shoppers, not buyers; in other words, | | | | dealt with small schools. Both are excellent |
| people who are interested in martial arts but do | | | | salesmen, and that’s an important |
| not have the means to pay. | | | | requirement to make any non-trial introductory |
| When people call, close on the appointment for | | | | program work. You have to be able to close |
| taking the trial lessons and use a visit to the | | | | someone within 15 to 20 minutes of his walking in |
| school as a fall back if they won’t commit to | | | | the door. |
| taking the trial lesson course. This has worked at | | | | The intro tour and the eight-page info book |
| hundreds, if not thousands, of schools. | | | | quickie lesson put the burden of enrolling on the |
| Guaranteed Enrollment Tour | | | | salesmanship of the instructor instead of the |
| In the early 1990s, Rick Bell of EasyPay | | | | experience of the student. It’s very difficult |
| introduced the Guaranteed Enrollment Tour. This | | | | and a bit intimidating to have to make a decision |
| took the student through five stations that | | | | to join a martial arts school within a half hour of |
| presented the benefits of martial arts to the | | | | walking in the door. It’s like getting married |
| prospect and finished at a custom poster that | | | | without dating first. It’s fast. |
| EasyPay had designed. The poster helped the | | | | If you agree that the three dominant learning |
| salesman convey the benefits in a pretty | | | | methods for the human population are divided into |
| emotional manner. If the student balked at the | | | | visual, kinesthetic, and auditory learners, you can |
| financial presentation, the sense of risk was | | | | be sure the kinesthetic will be hesitant to join |
| alleviated by a 30-day money back guarantee. | | | | without first physically experiencing the classes. |
| Information Kit | | | | That’s one third of your market. The visual |
| Andrew Wood used a hybrid approach at his | | | | learner often needs time to go through your |
| Martial Arts America schools. He invited a | | | | materials to help him get a grasp of what you are |
| prospect to the school to get an eight-page | | | | offering. That’s another third of your market. |
| information kit. When the prospect arrived, the | | | | The auditory learner may be best suited to listen |
| instructor invited him to take a trial lesson on the | | | | to your pitch and act. |
| spot. This lesson concluded at the point the | | | | I’m not saying these are definitive |
| instructor felt the student was at his or her height | | | | percentages, and I don’t believe anyone is |
| of excitement. This was often a six- to | | | | 100 percent one way or the other. But the fact is |
| eight-minute lesson followed by a presentation in | | | | that you would not buy a car without driving it |
| the office for the close. | | | | first. I like people to know how we teach before |
| Member Referral | | | | joining. I want high-quality students, not only in |
| A successful strategy that involves free lessons | | | | terms of their ability to pay but also in their |
| has been done best by Bill Clark in Jacksonville, | | | | commitment to stay. |
| Florida. His concept is not a new one, but the | | | | This is especially true if you are enrolling students |
| execution is. He calls it the VIP enrollment process. | | | | into 12-month agreements when they join. Many |
| He developed it with the help of Fred Mertens. | | | | areas allow people to cancel a contract before |
| The concept is that the only way to join his | | | | three days has elapsed. This is a “cooling |
| school is to be recommended or referred by an | | | | off” period that allows people with |
| existing member. That is not a new idea. | | | | buyer’s remorse to get out of an agreement. |
| However, he has taken this to a new level. He | | | | Buyer’s remorse is common, and we’ve |
| requires his staff to go into the community and | | | | all experienced it, whether someone persuaded us |
| strike up conversations with prospects in shops, | | | | to make a bad purchase or we persuaded |
| standing in line, walking the sidewalk, in | | | | ourselves and wish we hadn’t. The ratio of |
| restaurants, and anywhere else they might be. | | | | buyer’s remorse cancellations for hard-sell |
| The conversation determines if the prospect has | | | | enrollments is far higher than for more trial lesson |
| any interest in training. If so, the staff member | | | | based selling enrollments. |
| presents the prospect with a VIP card, which | | | | Imagine hard selling as the instructor on one side |
| entitles her to a 30-day trial membership that | | | | pulling a rope, with the prospect on the other side |
| includes a uniform at no charge. The instructor | | | | pulling back. He who pulls the longest usually wins. |
| explains that the school only allows referrals in, so | | | | That’s why car salesmen will babble on about |
| the instructor will refer her. | | | | anything and even step between you and your |
| The strategy is to have them take two private | | | | car to keep you on the car lot. They know the |
| lessons that are essentially the same as any | | | | longer you are there, the more they will wear |
| two-lesson trial course. After the first or second | | | | you down and the odds of closing you increase. |
| lesson, depending on how well each went, an | | | | It’s not a fun process for either party. I |
| enrollment conference is made. The conference | | | | know because I have pressure-sold many martial |
| strategy is to offer three options for paying: a | | | | arts courses. |
| high monthly tuition, a slightly discounted tuition | | | | |