On the latest episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, Eliot sits down with Easton Training Center's President and CEO, Mike Tousignant and Ian Lieberman, Easton’s Vice President and Director of General Managers, to discuss the most essential elements when it comes to opening a new martial arts academy.

There are many ways to run a martial arts school, ranging from passion hobby to small neighborhood dojos to multiple-location enterprises like Easton. 

We’ve been through the range – starting as someone’s passion, growing to a neighborhood dojo and then expanding to one, two and now finally eight locations. While we're not saying our way is the only way to do something, it’s worked for us. 

Whether you do everything yourself or have a team working with you, we can confidently say that if you follow our systems and procedures, you’ll too see results in a fraction of the time you’d otherwise spend trying. 

The most important thing is to get yourself a team you can trust, don’t shoot yourself in the foot by selling cheap memberships, and create authentic interactions.

Set up support

To begin with, before you even have a building, if you plan on hiring a GM to handle daily operations, start your interview process. Put out ads, contact connections, get your people lined out. 

You need to know you have someone who can do it all: teach, coach classes, schedule appointments, sell memberships. 

Initially, while your profit margins are low, you may not have the capacity to hire more staff, so the one or ones you do have should be multifaceted and proficient in a variety of areas.

These people you have on the floor will ultimately be the ones who sell the memberships - in a manner of speaking. They may or may not technically be signing members up and taking payment, but the way they treat visitors and new students can make or break whether somebody joins after their first visit.

If you implement a strong culture (link) early on that values compassion, stewardship and growth over ego and exclusivity, you’ll kick off your academy on the right foot as soon as your doors open.

Students first

One of the ways to set yourself up for success as a brand new martial arts academy is to have already built your membership base up before the doors even open. How do you do that? 

It may seem counterintuitive, but it goes back to knowing your product. (link believing in ur prod.) While your product may look like a class – a service that must show up day after day in the same consistent manner – part of what you offer doesn’t actually require a building.

All of that other stuff that comes along with Jiu Jitsu or Muay Thai classes – the community, the confidence, the drive to excel and grow – all of that may start on the mats but it exists outside of them as well. These are the things you can lean into even while you’re still building your school (and technically have no mats.)

As you call people, build email lists and send out marketing materials, remember that what you offer goes so far beyond the physical school itself. 

Tap into people’s sense of self, their aspirations and their desire for personal growth – for health, fitness, looking great on the beach, running around with their kids. You’re speaking to their Why.

So how can you get students before you even open your school? One of the best ways is marketing that gives them something great. Run ads in your local newspaper, build a social media presence, hire someone who works with Google Ads or SEO. 

If you have an existing academy already, utilize the same process you already have with lead generation there. You can schedule appointments and hold orientations for people there who want to get started right away, even setting them at the existing school until the new one opens.

Special offers

For those new students, it’ll be extremely important to run a fantastic Founding Members special. This means that on top of whatever you do for a trial class - or a discounted trial month, if you have one - you will also run a special promotion exclusively available to the first batch of people who sign up with you.

This could look something like a membership of $99 a month for the first six months, for the first 25 members who sign up. Even if they don’t yet know the full benefits of Jiu Jitsu, most people can feel the benefits of a great deal. 

We actually try not to use the word deal when speaking to members – opting for offer instead – but that’s what it is. You’re offering something special at a very discounted price to new potential customers, and they’re getting a deal – if not a steal.

Just don’t forget to switch those memberships back to full price on the day you say you will. 

This is the most important part, not only because you know you’ve got an increase in revenue coming in which allows you to pay bills and salaries, but because this is the moment that determines which students will leave and which will remain to become loyal members and lifelong advocates.

This isn’t a “they must be loyal to me or else” ultimatum, but rather an observation of what students you’ll attract. Trust us, cheap memberships got us cheap members. They drop you as quickly as they picked you up. 

They never had much invested, so there was never anything real at stake. Quality people will appreciate a quality product. (link)

Tailor your approach

As a martial arts academy owner, you’re going to encounter a lot of people – from young athletic types wanting to join the UFC to retirees looking for a new hobby and everything in between. The way you approach the sales process starts with the first time you connect. 

Make people feel seen, heard and special, and carve their experience such that they remember you. This means treating potential customers as humans first. Why are they interested in martial arts? Do they have any experience? What does their schedule look like?

Asking these questions doesn’t just help you determine where in your program they’d fit, but it helps you understand what aspects of your academy you’ll want to emphasize over your interaction with them.

If they seem nervous or out of their element, you’ll probably want to talk about the awesome benefits of Jiu Jitsu – from health, energy and confidence to community. Alternatively, if they’re biting at the bit to get in the cage, you could go right into how martial arts will set them up for success in their dream career. (Obviously with the necessary safety precautions.)

If someone works afternoons but you only offer afternoon classes, it doesn’t matter how much they like you; the schedule doesn’t fit. Knowing how to confidently lead a conversation by asking the right questions leads to better engagement, more open communication and very often, higher lead turnover rates.

100 Member Bootcamp for New Schools

100 members by opening day is our goal for any school we open. We have a specific process we use, from marketing, to ads, to new member specials that helps us get to this number. We don’t always hit 100 by day one, but we easily surpass that number by the end of the academy’s first month of business.

If you’re opening a new school, or your current school has less than 100 members, let us help. Our three month bootcamp comes with all the assets and processes we use to open new schools, as well as 1 on 1 coaching to help you through the process. 

Let’s get you to 100 members in the black so you can focus on growing your academy organically instead of panicking about climbing out of a financial hole.

For a deeper dive into these topics, as well as how to connect with your customers - both over the phone and in person - and nurture leads into loyal, life-long members of your martial arts community, watch the full podcast episode!