Being Service Minded
Wouldn’t it be nice if when a perspective student came into the dojo for the first time, they just signed up and stayed for 20 years?
Well, unfortunately this doesn’t often happen. But from this comes a practical question: How do you get students to stay?
*Let’s leave strict quality of teaching out for the purpose of this piece.
When you go to a golf club, or even a regular restaurant; do you feel welcome? Have you ever had a bad experience where you felt that you were not even wanted in the establishment?
What a terrible feeling right?
Joining a Martial Art school is the same way, if they do not feel welcome, students do not feel a part of the ‘family’ how can you expect them to be loyal and stay? What is needed is a service minded attitude.
What is a Service Minded Attitude? Simply put you are trying to offer your students what they want, when they want it. Now this doesn’t mean you bend to their every whim, rather it means you are offering a standard package and attitude that TELLS the student (or potential student) that you actually care about them and want them, as part of your club.
People come to Karate clubs for a variety of reasons namely they want to change, be it physical fitness, to stop harassment, get involved with sport….something in their lifestyle changed & they think MA is the answer.
While you cannot guarantee that they will stay; you certainly can make them feel welcome.
Here are some suggestions to better understand the concept of applying a service minded attitude to your Karate school.
Walk a perspective student through their first class personally; no one likes to feel left out or clumsy; going the extra mile and working with a new student helps them relax. Remember to explain that every student has trouble when they first start; be friendly and patient.
Encourage after class conversations with the students & parents, greet them warmly when they come in to pick up their child; take the time to get to know their names. In short, be approachable.
The key point here is to let potential students (and existing students) know that you actually care what they think, and are trying to help make their training experience a more enjoyable one. Of course the quality and effectiveness of the art is an issue; however clients (in this case your student body) also want to belong to something that makes them feel important and respected; your attitude and business practices need to do just that.
Your students should be able to feel this and enjoy being part of your school.