You likely already advertise and promote your business to draw in people who are interested in martial arts or mixed martial arts, but have you ever considered the possibility of encountering a random walk-in customer?
If you’ve never had a walk-in customer, ask yourself “Why not?” Take a walk outside your front door and look at your business like someone passing by would. What’s the first thing you see? What does the sign(s) on your door say? Is the parking lot and sidewalk clean?
Now walk through your front door. What is the first thing you see or hear? Does it look friendly and inviting, or is it intimidating?
Creating the Right Look
It’s easy to create a look and culture that provides a great experience for existing members. But with walk-ins, you need to create a positive experience RIGHT AWAY, then you need to begin building a relationship with the person.
If someone walks into your facility, they must have some kind of interest in martial arts, but you need to have a staff member communicate with them right away and find out the specifics of their interest. Don’t make them stand there with nobody to talk to. Have a “new customer” form they can sit down and fill out. This will at least give you a name and contact information for moving forward.
Get to Know Them
Find out what the person wants to achieve and why they decided to walk through your door. For adults, those reasons could vary from weight loss to self-defense or general fitness. Simply assure them that “there is nothing better than martial arts training for (fill in the blank).”
For children, it depends on their age. Conduct a “tell me about your son/daughter” session with the parent(s). Find out what they are hoping their child gets out of MMA/MA lessons. If they have time, put the child on a grappling mat right then and there and give them an easy 10-15-minute lesson. And make sure the child leaves with a patch or a photo with their trainer. A short, positive intro session like this will impress the parents and will make the child WANT to come back!