Archives for August 25, 2022

Retention: Keeping Students Long Term

Retention- Keeping Students Long Term

The most important thing we can do as school owners is to keep our students long-term.

Retention is super important not just from a business standpoint, but the longer you keep your students training the better it is for them because as martial artists we know it can help them. We know that we can get them to the next stage of their life.

One of the things, why people stay with your school in a long term is when you identify how they will fall in love with martial arts. So, if you want people to stick with you in a long term, you have to nail identifying how to make people fall in love with martial arts at a very early stage.

The foundation that you’ve built in the very beginning is so crucial for their long-term experience. Here’s the tip, identity what you can do in your program for the first 6 weeks to 6 months to make sure they fall in love with your program and with the martial arts. According to research, 70% of students quit any sport because of a lack of fun and because they didn’t have a good time.

Another tip is the importance of the trial program, we believe that the trial program set us up for success. Don’t throw your new students into group class right away, the first trial needs to be one-on-one that will make them feel comfortable, then put them in a group of people who just started just like them so they won’t feel confused. 

Lastly, re-assess your class and make sure that the instructor teaches the class well by following the curriculum and that it is being taught at a high and fun level. Also by making sure that your instructor is not being too overly critical of the students.

So by making your curriculum exciting, they are making progress towards their goal, your communication with them is consistent and your school has a clear path for them towards becoming black belts. 

Read the related blog: The Best Martial Arts Summer Camp Idea To Increase Attendance

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