What does your school do to bring in students?

[Lucas]

Be creative and reach into the soul of people, more often than not, there will be genitals there.

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

[Oso]

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

nice! love it!

[Oso]

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

lazy bastaard

[ktkungfu]

Hey did you try out the contest boxes?

[TenTigers]

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!)

[BoulderDawg]

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.

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

[BruceSteveRoy]

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.

[Lama Pai Sifu]

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.

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!!! )...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!

[Reverend Tap]

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)

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.

[Tainan Mantis]

forearm pads cost me about 5.00

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.

[TenTigers]

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)

[Oso]

www.iprint.com

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)

[Oso]

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.

[Lama Pai Sifu]

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.

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

[taai gihk yahn]

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?