How to create the perfect offer to attract anyone looking for Martial Arts..7 Things to get right.
We have experienced an overwhelming amount of changes that have impacted the entire fitness industry with the Martial Arts industry taking a brunt of the force that COVID-19 hit us with. Many have persevered and adapted which has meant for a lot of the Martial Arts schools services have evolved, Thus creating a business that offers both an offline and online service. If you run a Martial Arts school with a full-time location and an online service then you are now considered to be functioning as a ‘hybrid business’ this means you offer a multi-formatted approach to Martial Arts to benefit both children and adults on their journey to becoming better versions of themselves.
As your business evolves so must your Marketing, sales and administration to ensure you can manage your business and your time successfully. If your Martial Arts business has evolved then your approach to promotion and sales must as well. How do you now acquire and close clients? do you have a sales function in place? and is the whole team aware of it?
The promotion and sales process is complex for Martial Arts schools nowadays due to the many things on offer for both adults and children, adapting your offering to suit each individual. Offering everything at once is overwhelming for someone new and if they will not use or benefit from your entire offering does it add value to their life?
Market Research has found that businesses similar to Martial Arts schools who offer a tailored approach to assist in a child’s or adults Martial Arts development see higher ROI and higher levels of student retention.
In this blog, we will break down the key elements you need to be aware of to ensure your business is communicating your services effectively.
Many Martial Arts schools had to adapt their school during lockdown whilst the majority of their paying students were stuck at home whilst schools, businesses and places of work were closed, this meant Martial Arts schools started online training to generate income without their students stepping foot into their dojo. Although Martial Arts schools are now open as off 25th July and back to face to face training their still some health and safety regulations that need to be met and one of them is operating at a reduced capacity whilst maintaining strict social distancing guidelines.
There is still a huge demand for online training as people are still easing to this ‘new norm’ lifestyle which means there will be a slow increase in people committing to face to face training or the financial commitment of joining a Martial Arts school post lockdown.
Consumer Expectation: The increase in flexibility & convenience
Whilst we’re aware that to reach Martial Arts Mastery it takes dedication and commitment. The ‘fitness & wellness’ industry has an ever-changing landscape of expectation. There is an expectation from consumers who want a service that is suited around their lifestyle thus convenience and flexibility are important factors to consider when pitching your service to prospects. That’s why offering both your physical location service and your online service to a potential student gives them the decision to see what suits them best.
Create a new target audience by offering a dynamic service to suit each one of your personas. Creating an easy to process offering helps people in the decision-making process to make a choice quickly and easily. Make the sales journey the easiest part of the user journey for a potential student. When it comes to closing a potential Martial Arts prospect you will often be faced with the same questions how much is it? where is it? and what times do you offer your training? with a multi-dimensional offering, you can offer more solutions to prospects queries. Now you can move the sales process forward and quicker without these obstacles that may have been there before.
How to create a perfect offer to attract anyone looking for Martial Arts
A good offering is easy to digest and easy for you to communicate. It gives your sales team the information they need to focus on building relationships and connecting with people to solve their core problems. How can you communicate the right offer to the right audience and thus have a flawless sales pitch?
1. Define your target audience and create a real-life persona.
Creating personas for your business can seem like a pointless task because you just want to get leads and sign people up. Well in hindsight that’s right but if you truly want your marketing to work and you want your marketing to do all the hard work for you. Understanding your audience is vital. Having a hybrid business model means your audience will have new problems, new needs and they’re looking to adapt their current lifestyle into the new norm.
New personas traits since lockdown:
- The working from home parent
- The 30MIN quick workout crowd
- The Bored child
- The unhealthy dieter
- Scared/anxious to go out, homebody.
- Lack of money due to the work and impact of COVID.
Define your personas by looking at your database of students and parents you talk to regularly. What has changed for them? what do they need now? and how can you provide a solution but also communicate it effectively so they receive the message and its sticks in their mind?
2. An offer for everyone, not a message for everyone.
Every Martial Arts school is different, and your offerings will vary. Some may have a myMA members site which allows you connect your students to a virtual class easily, 1-1 training outdoors or online and since 25th July you may have begun onsite face to face training in your full time or part-time location.
Asking the right questions and listening to the response of your current students will help you define and distribute the right message to future leads which will land you in the perfect position. People like to be understood.
The more research you do we will find out what your current students want and need from your business, it will enable you to find out how to offer the best solution for prospects. You now have the power to offer something for everyone with your Hybrid Business Model.
3. Get the message right
When you or your sales team are talking to potential students you don’t want to be caught off guard, you need to have a host of Marketing arsenal to be able to convince a prospect why you provide more value than other Martial Arts schools out there.
Write down a list of all common excuses you hear from potential prospects. Most common excuses are time, money, or location. How can you add value to each one of those so they’re convinced they can accommodate your school in their purchasing decision.
4. People by From people, Build rapport with your prospect.
Now you understand your potential prospect through the persona analysis and observation of your current students. It will be easy for you to react and respond to the wants and needs of the leads that come in. Show off the traits of your personality like humour, empathy, care and kindness is something everyone responds to well. Let the prospect address their wants and needs before you tell them what you offer.
5. Be the expert and the industry leader
People are looking for a solution. They’re looking for an expert in their field to take them to the path of success. You can help them specifically by being a figure of authority in your field. As Martial Arts instructor you should come across passionately about every aspect of your school down to the procedures you’ve put in place ensure your Martial Arts space is the best that you know off.
6. Options and Flexibility
Having a hybrid business model you will now be able to offer a range of flexible ways for people to consume your service. Think about your pricing and packages and ask yourself whether you’re offering value, flexibility and are they all well communicated to your prospect.
It’s important to match the membership to the individual and their needs. You need to provide the best solution to their problem. By creating an irresistible offer tailored to your prospect, you can move smoothly through the sales journey.
7. Get the sale
Once you have nurtured your leads and been as personal as possible throughout the process. Its time to ask for the sale and this might not something you do once. Usually, people don’t respond or commit to something the first time you ask them. Why not add them to your Automated email workflow and send them an email first to see if they are ready to sign up. If they don’t respond ask your sales team to call them. If they still don’t respond leave them a message via email, SMS+ text with the offer listed and inform them that you will call them again in a few days. Create a sense of urgency by stating the offer will only be LIVE for X amount of days before it ends.
In Summary
Your sales approach will guide your leads on a journey and provide your team with a starting point to start communicating and nurturing that lead. As a hybrid fitness business, you infuse digital and physical services to create a new type of experience. Your marketing, sales and communication approach must reflect your business and the services you provide effectivelyMarket
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