How to Keep Your Close Rates High at Your Martial Arts School

Insights from the Black Belt Business Podcast – Episode 47

Running a successful martial arts school goes beyond the mats. In this episode, Eliot Marshall sits down with Easton Training Center’s executive team—COO Ian Lieberman and CEO Mike Tousignant—to break down one of the most critical aspects of running a thriving academy: how to keep your close rates high when selling memberships.

Step 1: Put the Right People in the Right Seats (GWC)

The first big takeaway? Don’t just throw someone at the front desk. Use the GWC framework from the book Traction by Gino Wickman:

• Get It: Do they understand the job and what’s expected?

• Want It: Do they actually want to do the job?

• Capacity for It: Do they have the emotional intelligence, skills, and communication ability to do it well?

If someone doesn’t want the job or lacks the capacity, they’ll fail. You can train someone who doesn’t “get it,” but not someone who doesn’t care or isn’t equipped.

Step 2: Track the Four Stages of the Sales Funnel

Too many school owners only track leads and conversions. That’s not enough. Easton recommends tracking all four stages:

1. Leads generated

2. Appointments set

3. Appointments that show up

4. Closes (memberships sold)

You should expect about a 15–20% drop-off at each stage. This clarity shows you where the real problem is—maybe it's not sales, but weak appointment-setting instead. 

Step 3: Relentless Training and Role Playing

Just like Jiu Jitsu, you can’t expect to stay sharp without constant practice. Sales isn't like learning an armbar—you don’t retain it forever. It’s more like brushing your teeth—stop doing it, and it decays.

• Role play often

• Drill specific parts of the sales call (not just the full pitch)

• Use written and video training resources

• Keep improving communication, tone, and objection handling

Step 4: Secret Shoppers and Accountability

Your staff might perform great in front of you—but what about when you’re not around? Easton uses secret shoppers to test real-world performance and identify areas where training is slipping. Even if you’re a single-school owner, you can simulate this by asking friends to go through your sales process and report back.

Step 5: Build Systems and Leaders

Eventually, your best front desk people will move on. That’s why the focus must be on building systems and training successors:

• Delegate responsibility as your team grows

• Create multiple leaders who understand the process

• Your goal should be to watch the system run, not spin all the plates yourself

Listen to the podcast to get all the details on how we build great sales teams in our schools and routinely close 60-80% of people who walk through our doors.

Want Help Implementing a Better Sales Protocol?

Easton Online offers two programs:

• Launch Program – For schools under 100 members

• Accelerator Program – For schools looking to scale toward 400+ members

Whether you're just getting started or ready to optimize, they’ve built proven frameworks from years of success.

Visit Easton.Online or DM Eliot and the team to get started.