An Interview With Sifu Laurence Sandum

Laurence Sandum

 

Q. Tell us a little bit about your martial arts style and curriculum.

A. At our academy, we teach the following arts: Jun Fan Martial Arts, Filipino Martial Arts (also known as Kali), Maphilindo Silat, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Judo, Sombo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I am privileged to hold instructor certificates from Guro Dan Inosanto in Jun Fan Gung Fu and JKD, Filipino Martial Arts and Maphilindo Silat. I have black belts and coaching qualifications in Judo and Sombo under Grandmaster Martin Clarke, Sensei John Clarke and Sensei John McCarthy. I have black belts and instructor certificates in Kickboxing and Muay Thai. My academy is affiliated with Pedro Sauer Jiu Jitsu Association for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I am aiming next year to work towards Wing Chun certification with the amazing Sifu Francis Fong. I have been training and studying in martial arts continuously for 30 years and it is what I have done ever since I chose martial arts as both my career and love.

 

Q. Can you give us a background about your school.

A. It’s called Laurence Sandum’s Black Belt Martial Arts Academy. It is based in Essex. In March 1999, I bought a post office, newsagent and bungalow after I had obtained planning permission to join them all together to create a martial arts academy. I have done numerous improvements to the academy over the years, including extensions. In 2005, I purchased the next-door property to enlarge my training space.

Before I purchased my academy, I taught full time for three years in sports halls, village halls and community centres, creating a good student base. I then put together a 30-page detailed business plan stating my projections for the next year, as well as for the next three years and five years. I submitted this to the bank and obtained a mortgage to purchase the property needed for my academy.

I like to keep a white belt mentality, realizing that I always have lots to learn and I can always improve. I surround myself with people I consider to be the best martial artists in the world. I am fortunate that for the past 16 years, I have been able to concentrate full time on training and studying martial arts and passing my knowledge on to my students and a great team of UK Martial Arts Self Defence Association (UK MA SDA) instructors.

 

Q. What are your most important teaching methods? And what are the most important qualities for a student to become proficient?

A. There are so many great teaching methods and being with an organisation like EFC has taught me a lot of great drills and skills and methods of teaching, which we use at our UK MA SDA-recognized instructor training program. Really great teaching is not just about teaching methods, but about observation of what is really going on in front of you, a genuine interest in the student, love of your students and love of the arts. I believe I have seen this with Guro Dan Inosanto in the last 15 years I have spent with him, and also for the last 15 years with my Judo and Sombo instructor Sensei John McCarthy, and more recently with my exposure to some other great masters such as Sifu Francis Fong and Professor Pedro Sauer. These masters have so much love and passion for the art and helping students and such great observational skills that how could one not be inspired to be the best that they can be?

For a student to become really proficient, they need to search out an instructor who is not in it for the money but in it for the love of the arts and the improvement of their students. Students themselves have to have a white belt mentality, even if they have some previous experience, and must be invested in self development and love of the art and not interested in competing against others. Students will grow and become proficient if they realize that it is a never-ending journey to be enjoyed everyday and not a single destination to be reached.

 

Q. You travel to the US frequently. What is the purpose behind this?

A. That’s correct. At the EFC Summit, I always learn massive amounts on topics such as teaching skills, student service and retention and many other areas. I booked the September 2013 Washington Summit as soon as the date was announced. I make sure that the staff I take attend all of the sessions, including the ones starting at 7 a.m.! They are inspired and learn new drills and skills to share with students. For the past two years, I have especially enjoyed Nubreed Academy’s sessions, though they are all great and worthwhile. I would encourage everyone to attend the next EFC Summit and to get fully involved while you are there.

The main purpose of my trips abroad is to train with masters of martial arts. In LA and New York I studied with the amazing Guro Dan Inosanto. I have also booked to go to Sifu Francis Fong’s “Train with the Masters” seminar in Atlanta this September, where over a long weekend I will get to train with Sifu Fong, Guro Inosanto, Professor Sauer and Ajarn Chai Sirisute. I can’t wait. I train for the love of the arts and to pass the knowledge on to my dedicated team of instructors and students. The primary purpose of the trips is not business, but it has a positive knock on effect on the business in that I always return energized and inspired from training with such amazing people. My students feel this increased positive energy, enjoy their training more and hence refer more people.

 

Q. Please share your thoughts on EFC.

A. I think the EFC is great. “Dependability, Trustworthiness, Rock Solid Integrity.” This is what the EFC is about. This is what my academy and association are about, and I am so glad I found EFC. Because everything EFC does is honourable and with integrity, I am not afraid to use all their systems. If you love martial arts, train with the best of the best, follow the EFC systems and do it all with integrity and love of the arts, you will be successful and happy and so will your students.

EFC is great for networking with the best of the best in whatever arts you study. In particular, EFC has introduced me to Sifu Luigi Cuellar and Sifu Alex Chan. These two are not only great martial arts, but also really know how to look after their students, and they follow EFC systems closely. Sifu Francis Fong is also another great Kali, Jun Fan and Wing Chun Master within EFC. In December I flew Sifu Francis Fong and Sifu Luigi Cuellar to my academy to conduct a seminar and I have already booked Sifu Francis Fong to return in February 2013. I consider them friends as well as mentors and instructors.

If you are with EFC and are not yet regularly networking and training with the best of the best in whatever art you study, you are missing out on improving both your life and the quality of training at your school.

Positive Energy Trumps Negative Attitude

Francis Fong

Talent is not everything. If people have negative energy and a negative attitude, they never will succeed, no matter what they do in life. They blame other people for their failures, or blame it on something instead of taking responsibility for their actions. Your enemy is your own self. Control your temper, selfishness, attitude, and discipline. Martial arts will help to ground you and understand who you are. You have to keep your balance.

It is very important to have positive energy. Attitude will determine your behavior. I always tell my students, “trying doesn’t work.” “Trying” never works, because when people try, their mind is set on trying and not doing. When you try, you don’t put 100 percent effort into what you do. When someone asks you if you can do a job, do you say you’ll “try the best” or do you say you will “do the best”?

The Famous Extension Conference

By Nicholas Cokinos, EFC Chairman

By Nicholas Cokinos, EFC Chairman

Let’s assume you’ve already conducted a highly motivating and energy filled intro class and you are now at the point of doing an extension conference.

First, is the analysis of the strong points or weak points that the intro lesson reveals. Coordination, learning speed, physical condition and flexibility are revised to establish a beginning and generally outlining a path of progress.

Now we turn to the 7.5 Magic Questions. The phrase is introduced by merely saying, “We need your cooperation answering questions so that we can qualify you for any of the programs you may be interested in.” The scene is now set.

Keep in mind that the questions are very carefully outlined, in specific order so that very quickly the receptivity of the student can be determined. It doesn’t make any difference whether we are talking about an adult or a child with a parent present. This is not a selling session. This is not a sales talk. Rather, it’s to be considered a low-pressure approach to affect a sale.

The beautiful part is that it is a series of questions allowing the student to respond and to express his own feelings. The interviewer needs to be listening carefully and asking questions to determine if this is the right activity for the student. All questions require a yes or no answer, with some discussion on the part of the student. The first four questions are:

* Will you be living in this area for at least the next year?
* Do you have any physical problems or take any medication?
* Do you have a place to practice what you will be learning in class?
* Is your schedule such that you can arrange to take your lessons at least twice a week?

When receiving the answers to these questions, do not take “maybe” as an acceptable answer. Any question answered, “no” terminates the interview, since a considerable amount of work is required from both parties. If the answer to all the questions is, “yes,” then you can proceed. As you can see, the answers to these questions indicate to yourself that you have an eager and cooperative potential student.

By what means do you follow up with new members during the first hundred days?

Teri Lee

We have used most of the EFC principles for following up with our new students. The most important thing is to consistently communicate with new students and their parents. Communication means they know and understand what to do before they have to ask. It means you have policies and procedures in place to guide them from their first class to their first test and on to their next program. That communication could be via your program director, website, signs, phone calls, emails, Twitter, Facebook, or whatever means of communication you have in place for your students and parents.

 

They must feel they are part of the community.

They must know you care about them.

They must also feel successful.

This excerpt is from an interview scheduled to appear in the next EFC Allstars Journal.

Two Most Important Numbers for Growth and Prosperity

Kyoshi Steve LaVallee

For many years, Mr. C. has reminded us to stay focused on the two most important numbers there are to run a highly successful martial arts school. Do you remember them?

1. Exam Numbers. This is the measurement of student progress. Said another way, this is your QQS, or Quality-Quantity-Spirit. When your QQS is up, it’s a sign of progress-oriented teaching and it’s also a sign of great retention and overall communications between you and your student body.
Whether you test every month, bi-monthly, quarterly or otherwise, your goal should be to continually increase your overall QQS factor. Progress leads to high interest and interest leads to attendance and attendance leads to examinees. This always leads to retention, referrals, renewals, reactivations and revenues.

 

2. Contract Amount. Your focus to the area above automatically leads to the second most important number, which is your Contract Amount. Look at the combined total between new members and renewals for your total contract amount. Whatever your average was for 2010, you should aim to increase that number by 10%-20% or higher for 2011.
An intense focus on these two areas will allow you to increase your monthly gross revenues, your monthly billing check and your accounts receivables.

 

New Ideas for Mother’s and Father’s Days

Mother’s Day Roses. Buy real (or if you prefer, artificial) roses for mothers who drop off their kids. You can also send these home with kids to give to their mothers. Attach a VIP pass to each rose, inviting moms for a free set of lessons.

Father’s Day Boxing Glove Keyring. Give dads coupons or VIP gift passes for free martial arts lessons along with a cute Boxing Glove Key ring in a small gift box.

Kung Fu Panda 2

“Kung Fu Panda 2″ is scheduled to be released on May 26, 2011. The film features the voices of Angelina Jolie, Jack Black, Jackie Chan and Seth Rogen. We bring to you to the blueprint of what a school owner did with “Karate Kid,” for you to plan your “Kung Fu Panda 2″ promotions:
Debbie and Mike Garelli, co-owners of Carolina Karate in South Carolina, promoted their school in different ways during the release of the “Karate Kid.” After learning about promotional ideas from Tatyana at EFC, Mike went right to the local cinema and spoke to the Promotions Manager. This was back in May–five weeks prior to the film coming out. They were given a huge space to set up a promotional booth, complete with raffle and informational flyers about the school. They were given full access to the whole cinema. They set up a karate school in the center area, where people come in to purchase treats and tickets. All classes for the day were taught there and the demonstration team did several performances. The entire cinema staff wore Carolina Karate t-shirts and everyone buying a ticket for any movie that day was given a VIP 30-day free trial pass. The school was allowed to leave their booth up for the week after the film started as well. It was a great promotion for the Garellis. The cinema management said it was the best they ever did and even sent photographs of the demonstration to Sony Theaters in Los Angeles.

An Interview With Sheeba Lee

Bob and Sheeba Lee run the Black Belt Martial Arts Centre in Maryland USA grossing £38K ($60K) per month. They own their own building and they are very focussed on student service.

Who is the biggest martial arts influence in your life?

That’s an easy question to answer. It’s Mr. Cokinos. He has been with us since day one. He hired my husband for his first job in the martial arts.

What is your thinking regarding loyalty?

Like respect, loyalty comes from the top down. If you show loyalty to your staff and students, they will be loyal to you.

What is your school’s philosophy about classroom instruction?

I’d like to break it down into three parts:
1. There’s a lot of student contact. We make sure students know we’re paying them a lot of individualized attention.
2. All the reinforcement we do is positive. We never point them out and say negative things in front of other people. All private communication is also very positive.
3. Finally, as Kyoshi Steve LaVallee says, “Make sure students leave you sweaty and smiling.” Because this means they’ve had a great workout. So whether students are leaving the school sweaty and smiling is a great tool to see how well instructors are doing their jobs.

How do you keep your students motivated?

Motivation, like a smile, is contagious. If you’re leading by example and motivating yourself as well as others, it becomes contagious.
We also help students establish short-term goals that are reachable. So when they achieve their goals, they feel good about themselves, and we can go ahead and set up some new goals for them. Ongoing progress helps them feel motivated.

By what means do you follow up with new members during the first 100 days?

When they walk in, they’re greeted. Whether they enroll or not, we’ll send them a postcard saying, “Thank you for visiting.” We do 2-4-6 calls. We do continuous attendance checks. When students are absent, we send postcards or make phone calls. Even when students are good about attending, we still make personal contact so they know we care about them. And we don’t end the personal attention in the first 100 days, but keep it going for the entire enrollment period.

What do you do to ensure your high student retention percentage?

The main thing is to ensure students are happy. If they make progress, they’ll keep attending. We make sure that the examinee numbers are up and the contract amount is up. Those are two great reflections of how our school is doing. It’s like taking the temperature of our school to see how it is faring. And it all depends on how our student service is.

How was your 2010 EFC Summit experience?

Phenomenal! We’ve been going to EFC Summits for many years, and it gets better and stronger every year. This year we took 12 of our staff members with us. Afterwards, we found that each and every one of them was excited and energized. They had a list of ideas they wanted our school to try out. They also brought back ideas they wanted to adopt regarding personal development.

After a successful Summit experience, what are your plans for a successful 2011?

We will be focusing on our basics. Student service is our greatest priority. We also want to implement some ideas we picked up at the Summit and integrate them into how we run the school. In 2011, we will keep an eye on our statistics on a daily basis, and not just on a weekly or monthly basis.

Do you have any advice for clients reading this interview?

Just follow what EFC says. The “Take a Minute” booklet featuring Mr. C. that EFC sent us is like our Bible. We use that each and every week at our staff meetings, following through with what it recommends. These are systems that have been tried, tested and proven. Don’t cut out anything! If you stick with it 100%, you will definitely see improvement. Our school is proof positive. We’ve shown a lot of improvement in the past few years. We are at the highest level that we’ve ever been in terms of student count, contract amount and collections. And it’s all because we’ve been sticking with the basics and following every single step that EFC has recommended.

Message of the Month

Nicholas Cokinos, EFC Chairman

“Enlarge your borders. See beyond the horizon. Stretch your mind. Visualise your goals. Soar from your present place”

You sign up for the jumbo package of lessons. You head home. And on the way home, you start to rethink your decision. “what have I gotten myself into?”

By Keith Hafner

You know how it works. You are really hot to sign up for tennis lessons. The salesperson is smooth and persuasive. This is something you really want to do. You sign up for the jumbo package of lessons. You head home.

And on the way home, you start to rethink your decision. “Oh my gosh, what have I gotten myself into? Maybe I would have been better off waiting until next spring? I’m so busy with other commitments right now.”

We all experience this to a degree. Usually it’s not enough to make us change our minds. But if we get home and the spouse says, “Oh, you signed up there, huh? All the people at work say the other club is better.”

Or maybe an unexpected bill arrives in the next day’s post.

Buyer’s remorse might put the sale of the tennis lessons in jeopardy.

But what if, when you get home, there’s a voice on the voice mail, saying, “Hi, Alexis… it’s Sean from the tennis club. I’m the head teacher. The manager told me you signed up… and I just wanted to say I’m excited about working with you.”

Then, a day or so later, here comes a post card from the club. It’s a note, signed by about a dozen staff members. “Glad to have you on the team!” it says.

Then, a day or two before the first lesson, Alexis finds a package in her mailbox. It’s a can of three bright green tennis balls. A note is taped to the outside, “Alexis, I know you will have a ball in our club.”

Now, Alexis is sold. There is little danger she will be rethinking her decision at this point. Why? Because the sales process (or could we say the “courting” process?) didn’t stop when she paid her money. The tennis club wisely demonstrated that they valued her decision to sign with them.

Are you a problem maker or a problem solver? Too many people get these two situations confused!

By EFC Chairman Nicholas Cokinos

Are you a problem maker or a problem solver? Too many people get these two situations confused. Some people think that consistently pointing out problems is really helpful. Think how much better everything would have been if you were capable of identifying and coming up with solutions. Pointing out problems often is intercepted as complaints.

The blame game is all too prevalent. Pointing the finger at someone else is a common phenomenon. It’s doubly harmful in a business. All too often, we blame others when things are not going our way. We have come to expect too much from our company and our surroundings and too little from ourselves. Check to see if you are a “moaner and a groaner.”

Just think for a moment about the difference that can be made by asking the right questions: “If I can’t stand the way things are around here, what am I going to do about it?” Or do you say, “wouldn’t it be great if we could have a discussion to find out what could be done to make things run more smoothly?”

The point is obvious: train yourself to think positively. See through the problem to the solution. Be among the first to suggest positive solutions and, best of all, if you can solve a problem without calling attention to it, you would be really ahead of the game. You are the kind of a person the boss is looking for!

Now here is a key sentence: “Make sure you contribute more than you cost.” A great attitude, positive approach to problems, viewing problems as temporary “challenges,” makes a world of difference. By the way, do you hate change? Become part of the “change.” Help to make it work.

Things to remember:

  • Do not waste energy.
  • Do not get angry.
  • Do not give into grief about what has already happened.
  • Do not be emotional. Use logic and seize every opportunity to be a problem solver!

A Massive Karate Kid Promotion

Claude Bergernon of Bergeron Karate in Ottawa, Ontario has not only managed to arrange for a promotional event for his school at the local theatre during the release of Karate Kid, but will also have the theatre staff wear his school uniforms during the event. He says he was able to do this by being in touch with the theatre manager and forming a relationship with her during the release of Kung Fu Panda, when he had first made the offer about the uniform. It didn’t work out back then, but when he got in touch with the manager again about Karate Kid, she brought up the subject of the uniforms, and agreed to her staff wearing them.

During the release of Karate Kid, Bergeron Karate will set up a booth with a prize wheel and will also do three demos, one in the morning and two in the afternoon. In addition, VIP passes for the school will be handed out with each ticket to movie watchers. The pass includes an offer for one free month of lessons. At the booth, the Bergeron Karate staff will work hard toward getting contact info from parents, so that they can later call and email them with invitations for Bully Buster or Stranger Danger classes.

Belt Testing Redefined

By Zulfi Ahmed

We don’t test beginners at all. We evaluate them in class and we do graduations… It’s just that we prefer the word “evaluation” to “testing,” and very seldom does someone fail at this level. We start putting our students in the “testing” mindset at brown belt level. Only in the black belt testing level is there a possibility that they may have to re-take the tests. Testing puts a lot of pressure on students and their families, and we do it only when it is required.

This is an excerpt from an insightful interview scheduled to appear in the next Eagle.

Invite a Guest Instructor

Anthony Arango

Anthony Arango

Consider the impact of bringing in a guest instructor. Would a guest instructor add a fresh, new dimension to your program for advanced students? Anthony Arango had the idea of offering his advanced students something that really stirred up his school. According to him, “Our jiu-jitsu training with Gene Dunn has really elevated our retention level and our excitement. This is because

1. It’s giving them a new reason to train extra, instead of going through the normal routine, especially for those who have been with me for 10 plus years.
2. They feel they can advance in an area of martial arts that was not explored as well as I would have liked. Now they are able to work the stand-up game and do their ground and finishing game with someone who is the best. I couldn’t think of somebody better to teach the art in his methodical way of being able to transfer what he knows to a new student learning that art.”

Here’s a great idea courtesy of Kovars, Inc.

Dave Kovar

Dave Kovar

Want great retention? Learn to communicate in a positive and empowering way. As every successful martial arts instructor knows, effective communication consists of so much more than using the appropriate words. It consists of being completely engaged on every level of communication possible. Let’s look at four different aspects of communication.
Here’s a great idea courtesy of Kovars, Inc.

Physiology. This is our body movement and posture. Imagine someone videotaping you teaching class and then watching it with sound muted. What story is your body telling? Would it appear irritable or angry, limp and lazy, or engaged and powerful?

Tip for implementation. Concentrate on keeping your shoulders back, your chin up and your arms moving freely. Avoid the “master stance” (arms crossed, weight on back leg, chin down, etc.)

To read about other transformational communication skills, read the next issue of the Eagle Express.

Don’t get in your own way

Master Vince Cassar

Master Vince Cassar

At the last EFC Summit in Florida, during the banquet, Keith Thompson, John Lynn and Mike Allen suggested that it would be a good idea to have me talk at the next EFC Meeting of Minds in the UK, on how I managed to grow the Cassar Academy of Choi Kwang Do by 300% in just 17 months, during the worst recession in living memory.

My first reaction was, “no way!” I thought to myself, “What on earth could I talk about that the other speakers haven’t already done so brilliantly. Besides that, I’m a rookie school owner and still have so much to learn and grow myself.”  Someone had mentioned to Mike that when they had asked me what I did to achieve this, I just said, “I didn’t get in my own way” and he suggested this would make a good topic for my talk. I don’t know whether it was the atmosphere and excitement of the evening or Keith, John or Mike’s enthusiasm and encouragement that swayed me but by the end of the night I agreed.

The Meeting of Minds in Wales last year was a fantastic weekend. John Lynn and his amazing team put on a great event and were the perfect hosts; Keith and Debbie Thompson were again Guest speakers. The last time they were in the UK was 4 years ago and that was my first ever EFC event. After one of Debbie’s sessions I got the chance to have a chat with her and as we parted she said “you’re going to do very well, I’m going to keep an eye on you”.

Hearing that from Debbie Thompson had an amazing effect on me. I went home and couldn’t stop thinking, if someone like Debbie Thompson says that I can be successful at opening a full time centre then maybe I can, all I’ve got to do is get out of my own way and stop thinking the way I have been and start thinking the way the top school owners do. At this time I was teaching Choi Kwang Do part time and only had about 75 students.

I want to share with you some of the thoughts I used to have back then.
1.    My school is different from theirs
2.    Won’t work with my students
3.    Won’t work with my style
4.    My students won’t pay that
5.    Hard to find new students
6.    Successful schools are in better areas
7.    Can’t find the right staff
8.    Can’t find the right property
9.    Don’t know how to run this type of business
10.    Marketing costs too much
11.    Advertising doesn’t work

When I look at this now it’s so clear to me why I wasn’t growing my school, I was standing in the way of my own success, I had to get out of the way, start introducing all the EFC systems and change my way of thinking. So this is how I did it, I just started saying to myself:
1.    If the top schools can do it then I can
2.    How do I introduce this to my students?
3.    Doesn’t matter what style I teach, it will work
4.    I must increase our fees/gross as our classes are great value
5.    Look for lots of different ways to increase enrolments
6.    Our success has nothing to do with the location of our school
7.    I have great staff
8.    Contact all the real estate agents and find a location for a full time centre
9.    Use the EFC systems and manuals and start learning the business skills I need to run a professional Martial Arts centre
10.    I must start spending at least 10% of my gross on marketing
11.    I must Increase advertising streams

Once I started doing this, then everything began to fall into place. We found a location a year later. 6 months after that on May 4th 2008 we opened. Our gross at the time was under £5,000.00 including tuition fees, gradings and sales. Just eighteen months later our gross is £22,000.00 a month with a steady increase of 2.5% every month. We now have 340 students and the Cassar Academy of Choi Kwang Do is rocking! All the students and team are very excited about what’s happening and we have very big plans for the year ahead. Thank you EFC, Debbie and Keith Thompson, Dave Kovar, Nick and Donnalynn Patakos, John Lynn and all the other great people that have not only helped me develop the skill needed to succeed but also change the way I think so I will never again stand in my own way!

When Students Want To Quit

By John Cokinos, EFC President

By John Cokinos, EFC President

One of my teenage daughters is in a ballet class. She complains that the teacher is not simply strict but almost abusive. She actually feels stressed out, and it’s an uphill fight just to get her to go each week.

When she came to me insisting that she quit, I said, “I have nothing to do with it. You must contact the owner.” We know this person, Rachel, on a first name basis. When my daughter went to her, we found out that not only does Rachel have a gift for talking to my daughter but also for talking to her ballet teacher. She reminded my daughter of her progress, re-established her goals, while simultaneously straightening out the teacher.

From a parent’s perspective, I was totally relieved that my daughter can’t come to me but must speak to Rachel. In my case it worked like a charm and got me out of the hot seat as a parent.

Why not implement a similar policy in your school? Indoctrinate the parent from the beginning that this scenario may arise, and they must refer their child to a certain staff member whom you designate. The parents will appreciate not having to deal with this difficult scenario and it will also help you with retention.

Influencing Students Positively

Tim Barchard

Tim Barchard

My staff have really taken an interest in our students’ lives. For example, we have a 90-day fitness challenge and a presidential fitness challenge. The feedback we have received from out students is that this is the greatest they’ve felt in a long time. They feel greater now than they did when they were in their 20s. Their confidence is high and their attitude is great. They’re finding out that things are much better around them. So the fact that our staff is taking an interest in our students, not as a group but as individuals, is helping.

What Students Need

By Charles Chapman

By Charles Chapman

Young students need direction and growth and experience of life in general. They are always looking for a good role model. Some of the kids have been bullied at school. They come and talk to us about that. We’ve got to talk to them about it and help them see how the bully operates. Bullies are looking for victims and we must teach them not to look like victims. They must learn to defeat the bully with confidence and the right attitude.

Constant Improvement Leads to Great Results – An Interview With Michael Nebgen Kwan Jang

Michael & Kaori Nebgen

Michael & Kaori Nebgen

Q-Your gross went up to $60,000 in the last one year. What steps did you take that helped improve your gross?
I watch the stats closely and prioritize our daily activities based on our C.I.A.s (critical impact areas) where we want to see improvements so we determine a weekly M.A.P. (massive action plan) for the staff to work on collectively and individually. This allows us to be as effective as possible. So our Monday staff meeting is when we establish that. We also have a brief “productivity meeting” on Tuesday and Thursday after instructor training, to ensure focus on weekly goals.

Q-How did you train your staff for this big change?
Well this “big change” did not happen over night. I remember Master Keith Hafner said years ago, “We don’t hit a lot of home runs at our school, but we try to get base hits every day. “The metaphor made a lot of sense then, and it makes even more now. Signing up a big contract or a big cash amount on occasion is great, but consistently writing gold paper day in and day out is the right way to solidify your contract amount and A/R. We are still learning!
We always attend the EFC Summit, and I regularly attend MAUI. The combination of these keeps us highly motivated and on the cutting edge of the best practices and principles in the industry.
We meet every Monday with our entire staff for an extended lunch meeting that takes two hours. During this time we iron out objectives and challenges, plan the week, watch teaching videos, listen to audio messages, and review procedures.
I also try to hire staff to D.I.E. for! That is my code for hiring dependable/intelligent/enthusiastic people. So we try to start with great people and make them even better!!

Q-What steps did you take in terms of extension and renewal of contracts?
Of late I have spent a lot of time looking at our quit rate. By watching this stat and assessing a value to it, I can emphasize more easily to staff members the high value of retaining students vs. replacing them… this is very motivating. While we certainly do not want to diminish the personal and human aspect of training by “numbering” a student, we must peek at things like quit rate and student value in order to accurately monitor the progress of the business… after all, a prosperous school is in the best interest of everyone, owners, staff, and the student!
We constantly monitor the status of upcoming renewals. (By the way the new EFC online report “accounts to be renewed” really helps—thanks). We facilitate VIP enrollments at every opportunity.

Q-What actions did you take to keep your retention high?
Over the last couple of years we have:
- Implemented an Elite STORM Team. This has provided a high level goal for many young students to aim for after Black   Belt. We have seen some better retention from post-graduates as a result.
- Implemented a rotating curriculum that allows better skill retention on the mat, resulting in higher student   satisfaction.
- Eliminated some non-productive or time-wasting activities.

Q-What is your recommendation for school owners who want to see a similar improvement in their monthly grosses?
- Train, train, train.
- Keep you eyes on your stats—be a stats master. I know it sounds dull but there is no easier way to see what to fix.   Stats give you the big picture. And only you as the owner, have the power to make changes.
- Be a marketing master—get good at it, then keep at it!
- Network—you are among the best and brightest, what more could you ask for!
- Stand guard at the door of your mind—think, act and be around the positive!
- Monitor where you spend time—you might be surprised were you could be more efficient!

Ensuring Student Retention Through Five Simple Steps

Buzz Durkin

Buzz Durkin

Every business should have the following five things:

1. A friendly greeting. Be happy and thankful when someone comes in through the door to do business. We have a “stand up” rule in our school. If someone speaks to you, you stand up.
2. A personal interest in the customer/student is necessary.
3. Make the customer/student feel special. Each student should feel as if s/he has been taught a private lesson.
4. Every school should have not just a “no problem” attitude, but a “my pleasure” attitude.
5. Schools must think about staying in business for the long-term by being forward-thinking. Instead of thinking about the achievements of the last year, you must think about the goals of the next five years.

All this adds more value to the student experience, preventing them from thinking about leaving.

Program Directors: Back to Basics 101

Bridget Johnson

Bridget Johnson

At the Summit I talked about how to answer the phone. First, when a parent calls, nobody answers the phone in many martial arts schools. But we have students join our school just because we answered the phone. Second, I conveyed a whole script on how they should answer the phone. When you answer the phone, your goal is to set an appointment, getting information instead of giving information, and taking control of the conversation with questions. Another thing we covered was the extension call.

The other area we covered was the introductory class, which is very important. We include the Seven Magic Questions in the personal analysis that we hand out even before the introductory class. Through the personal analysis, we get a sense of what they are hoping to get out of martial arts. So when we go into the introductory class, we have the personal analysis form to look at to help us to a better job.

After you’ve done a fantastic introductory class, you ask the magic question: “Are you ready to start classes?” So we go ahead on to the paperwork.

Dave Kovar’s New Blog

Dave Kovar has just released a new blog filled with great tips and valuable
insights on a variety of topics of interest to all school owners and instructors.

At Mr. Kovar’s blog you’ll find:

·        Mat Management tips

·        Inspirational thoughts

·        Business and Marketing Tip

·        Videos of Mr. Kovar’s renowned character development cirriculum
·        And much more

Mr. Kovar’s blog can be found at: http://kovarsblog.kovarsystems.com