Double your Gross Easily!!!

What should I charge??? How can I double my gross??  Many instructors think that they must take a vow of poverty to teach traditional martial arts.

Let's compare the avg education of a martial arts instructor with the avg education of a college graduate.

A High School Diploma is the equivalent of a 1st Degree Black Belt, from a legitimate self defense oriented organization. So this means you have spent approximately 16 years in martial arts education by learning and training for approximately 3 1/2 to 4 yrs.

A Masters Degree is typically 5th Degree Black Belt or Higher which equates to studying a subject for approximately 15 yrs additional for about 20 years vested in. What does a typical doctor or lawyer make that spends that much time in school?

The national avg for martial arts tuition is $149/mo  that means that the avg full time school down the street should be charging this much for tuition.

I know of some schools that charge less and some that charge more, now if you can't back up the perceived value you are offering then charge what you think you are worth.

You can say well my market can't afford that much, really, look around you, the next time ask your
prospective student if they have a cable bill, a internet bill and where do they like to go out and eat.

Don't just go out and ask but build some rapport then ask these questions, since you and I both know that martial arts lessons are better than cable/satellite TV and won't rot your brain.

It's a matter of perceived value and avoidance of PAIN.  We as humans do things for two reasons

and two reasons only, the gaining of pleasure and the avoidance of PAIN.  If they customer doesn't

take your lessons what will happen to them if they continue on their path?  Does your customer have

a plan B and if they do what is it and how long will they maintain it.

If you want to double your gross, just double your prices, but you say I'll lose my students, don't be

a do-do head, use your new pricing structure for only your new students. Tell you current students

that next year, you will be increasing tuition but since they are loyal students you will let them lock in their current rate for X number of years.  You can even put them on a Month to Month agreement if they are hesitant.

Now two things will happen, the new students you get will be less of problem, you will still make the same amount of income less the headaches you had with the other students who didn't see or understand the perceived value you were providing them. 

If you truly have a quality service you can then be more selective on who can take your training, you now can help the truly struggling by offering them a scholarship program, since you won't have to worry about making your rent payments and such.

If you are a true MASTER your mission should be to help as many people as possible and the only way to do that is to have the income and resources necessary to advertise and market your services.  Newspaper ads aren't cheap, Google Adwords aren't either, higher response marketing is not cheap by any means.