Your attention to this information will help your student enrollment
The summer is vacation time for children and adults. Children, when they return, may want to try something new. Adults may feel that they’ve been left behind. Often, both are reluctant to start up again because:
a) they have lost their week-to-week training enthusiasm;
b) they feel like they’ve fallen behind and would have to work extra hard to catch up ( for some it is easier to quit );
c) They may fell rusty or out of shape and fear the hard workouts ahead.
We urge you not to make the mistake of simply sitting in your Do Jang waiting for students to return. You must “ take action” to make coming back a positive experience. Below are several ideas to help bring students back in.
1. Send a personal letter to the students welcoming him (or her) back and reminding them of the reasons they started training and how you or a senior Dan member they know (and like) will work with them individually to get them back on the track. Try to mail the letter just before they scheduled to return so it will sit on the top of their pile of mail. If you publish a newsletter or monthly calendar include the issues they missed so they can get caught up on what has happened. Remember that your studio is a social experience and you want returning students to feel like they’re still a part of the group.
2. Schedule a special series of “rust removal” classes for returning students to help them get back in shape. Make sure you let them know the classes and basic, that they can review the material they may have forgotten and that these classes will not be physically strenuous.
3. For kids, schedule a sleep over, or “spar-a-thon”, or board breaking class. These are very popular and will help to bring the children back.
4. Call the students personally or have a senior student call them to say: “Master Smith ask me to call you to welcome you back, He’s looking forward to seeing you and hearing about your vacation.”
5. For adults, schedule a pizza party, a movie-night out, a bowling night, or some other social activity. While maintaining a MOO DO atmosphere become “familiar” with your students, but constantly reinforce the positive relationships they have with you.
6. Make sure at the beginning of any vacation period (Christmas is next) that you give your students cards to fill out with their departure and return dates and where they will be going. This will help you contact them when they return, and will assist in many other administrative matters.
Quick recommendation: Do not wait your office for children’s classes to start. Get up front, greet moms and dads as they come in the door. Have a senior student adjust children’s uniforms as they walk in You must maintain close ties with the parents as well as the children and regularly remind the parents of the benefits of Soo Bahk do and of the progress their children are making.
The first most important tool is the referral. There is no better advertisement than a happy student who is telling his/her friends. Each week you should have prospects coming in that were referred by your students.
Here are some ways to generate more referrals:
1) when a student refers someone---“THANK THEM”sent them a thank you card and thank them in person. Consider the possibility of a small token of appreciation. Follow up that with “thank you Joe for recommending your friend, we appreciate when a students is enjoying his training and refers his friend. I’m looking for more dedicated students like you. Here’s a couple of free guest passes in case you think of any friends that would enjoy training.”
2) Get guess passes made up! --- Send out a letter to 10 students a month stating that you appreciate their dedication and are looking for more dedicated students like them. If they have anyone who they think would enjoy training, give them a few guests passes.
3) Buddy Month --- Offer a special package for friend of your students, something they can value. Post flyers in various visible locations that have high traffic. Enclose a copy or send one home with the newsletter. Make announcements at the end of class and recognize the students who referred people in class and in the next newsletter, send them a thank you card also. Make a sign to post in a visible area and list the students who referred friends on the board titled “ thank you for your referrals!” Also possibly consider buying a Polariod camera to take snapshots of the students and their referred friend! A Polariod camera has many uses in a DO JANG. Snapshots of: Students of the month, New students, A+ student’s etc.
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