Sometimes business is easy. A new person walks in your door, asks to join your martial arts studio or dojo, and signs up there on the spot. Congratulations! That is great, but this isn’t how most people sign up, and if this is your only way of getting new clients, you’re leaving a significant amount of money on the table.The fortune in your martial arts business is in your follow-up process, where the truly exceptional businesses separate themselves from the average ones.Use the strategies below together with your martial arts software, to convert more members and grow a booming martial arts business.

1. Understand their motivation to tailor your marketing and offers

From the moment a lead hits your inbox, calls you, or walks into your school, you have two goals: (1) Understand their motivation and (2) Book them for an initial session.By understanding your potential client's motivation to join you, you can better tailor your message as to how your martial arts studio can help them.By booking them for one-on-one session, you can sell them the benefits of your dojo without distraction. You've worked hard to generate the lead, so make sure you have the time to really sell them on your business.Track all of your clients’ motivations for joining your school in your martial arts software to gain powerful insights about your clientele. With your market research in hand, you can tailor future marketing messages and even change the offers at your studio to reflect what your clients want.

2. Automate your follow-up process with emails that contain social proof or advice that demonstrates your value proposition

Many people want to consider their purchase before signing up, but don’t let them just walk away. Add them to your list and follow up with testimonials about your studio, training, and community.Send them blog posts demonstrating how you've helped people in the past, and include offers for future conversion, like a voucher for a free class. This keeps your studio at the top of their mind and positions you as the ideal choice when they’re ready to sign up.People are more likely to convert to your martial arts business if you can PROVE to them that you will deliver on the outcome they want. Become their trusted advisor and demonstrate your results through testimonials and sound advice.

3. Call your lost leads to find out why they didn't sign up

Every lead should have a status. These could include initial call, booked for class, follow up in 60 days, etc. Find out why those who haven’t yet signed up are hesitating, or why they have opted out of your communications.This is as important as finding out why they were interested to begin with, but it is often overlooked. This critical feedback loop will help you improve your marketing process to avoid losing precious leads in the future.

• Were they intimidated because of their current skill level?
• Did they doubt they could complete a full session?
• Could they not envision themselves becoming a Black Belt in your dojo?

Over the course of a year, you may start seeing patterns that will give you opportunities to review your onboarding process. Is there a better way to help these people take the first step? Can you show them the pathway to their fitness goals? Can you pair them with someone who achieved the same goal?

Standing out from the crowd

In today’s crowded marketplace, you have to use every advantage to make your martial arts business stand out from the crowd, and these activities make a material difference over time.If you can convert an extra ten potential clients per month into paying members using these strategies, how does that change your business in a year?How do you get new members? Tell us in the comments below!

‍Contact us to trial Clubworx or not ready yet.. why not download our high converting email templates to help get your started on your follow-up process.