NOVEMBER 2008
The Rising Tide Lifts All Boats Also featuring: Ë Teaching Safety to Kids Ë Using Stealth Stats Ë Answers for New School Owners
Are you making any of these 5 mistakes in managing your martial arts school? å Failure to have in place an effective internal and external marketing system that generates at least 20 new members per month
ç Lack of a deep understanding of how to have excellent student retention
é Not charging the correct tuition amount
è Not owning your own school building
ê Wearing the hats of both martial
Nicholas Cokinos EFC Chairman
artist and bill collector
Dependability
Many Educational Funding Company clients
Trustworthiness
Today, they are teaching 300 students and more!
Rock Solid Integrity
started with only 50 students in their schools. Call today to order your free audio CD entitled “Double Your Gross at No Additional Cost”
Call today to begin solving these problems EFC Tuition Billing Rate as low as
3%
EFC USA/ Canada 4740 Chevy Chase Drive Suite 200 Chevy Chase, MD 20815
EFC UK/ Ireland 6 Barton Cour† 11-12 High Street, Highworth Swindon, England SN6 7AG
EFC Australia/ New Zealand Level2, Suite 205,451 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
301-654-8677
01793-764550
02-9211-4719
or visit us at www.efconline.com
EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
1
CONTENTS
EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
COVER STORY
6 20
24
6
Medley of Past Summits
FEATURES
18
Transform Your School From 50 to 250 By Kathy Olevsky
20 24
Stealth Stats By Mark Seidman
26 28
Dimensions of Student Retention By Bridget Johnson
Incorporating Child Safety Training in Your School By Phil Sage
Success With a New School? Interview with Garland Johnson by Daniel Diaz-cervo
IN EVERY ISSUE
34
32
4
Inside Scoop
29 32 34
Take a Minute With the Chairman Did You Know
Staff Training Dojo Drills & Skills
EFC Publications Team
Visit our website at
www.efconline.com
Publisher Editor-In-Chief Executive Editor Talking Newsletter Host Talking Newsletter Editor Editor/Writer Graphics Manager Graphic Artist Web/Graphic Designers
Nicholas Cokinos, EFC Chairman Mark Cokinos, EFC Vice President John Cokinos, EFC President Ned Muffley, General Manager Joe Guiton Ananya Bhattacharyya Shavanthi Mendis Suchandra Maity Jairo Rodriguez Sumana Samanta
Contributing Writers & Consultants
EFC BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dennis Brown Jim Clapp David Deaton Buzz Durkin Garland Johnson Steve LaVallee Nick Patakos Chris Robinson Joyce Santamaria Greg Tearney Keith Thompson
EFC UK ADVISORY BOARD John Lynn Ken Pankiewicz Ken Robson
EFC ADVISORY BOARD Anthony Arango Tim Barchard Charles Chi Kathy Faust John Godwin Ivan Kravitz Teri Lee Steve Sohn Bill Taylor Debbie Thompson Angelo Vitale
EFC Headquarters
EFC USA/CANADA
4740 Chevy Chase Dr. Suite 200 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 Tel: 301-654-8677 Fax: 301-654-7750 E-mail: info@efconline.com General Manager: Ned Muffley
EFC UNITED KINGDOM/IRELAND Unit 6 Barton Court 11-12 High Street Highworth Swindon, England SN6 7AG Tel: 01793-764550 Fax: 01793-764557 Email: office@efcuk.org.uk General Manager: Mike Allen
EFC AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND Level 2, Suite 205 451 Pitt Street Sydney, NSW 2000 Tel: 02-9211-4719 Fax: 02-9211-0970 Email: aus@efconline.com
OUR MISSION
Our job is to make people more successful. We recognize that each job in our day-to-day operation contributes to the success of others. We pledge ourselves to the pursuit of excellence. By consistent example, we develop the passion for excellence in others. The Eagle Express is published monthly by the Educational Funding Company.
SATORI ROCKS! All EFC Gold Package Premium subscribers can access two training videos—covering business and staff training—via the web every week. “I always appreciate the knowledge I receive from you, including the Satori System. I want to grow my school and help many people in their lives. One of the things I have noticed is that you seem to understand my goals. All the information not only helps to make better martial artists, but also better people. Thanks for all of your help.”
—Larry H. Adams
EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
3
INSIDE SCOOP YEAR-END ‘TO DO’ LIST BY KEITH HAFNER
Ó
Fall is a great time for getting people back together. Schedule a “class reunion” for former members. Provide refreshments; have your demo team perform; give a little “State of the School” talk. Take some group photos. Give everybody an opportunity to visit. This can easily turn into an annual event that will eventually encourage former students to reactivate their memberships.
Ó
Get your personal and school calendar organized for the months ahead.
Ó
Set a year-end goal and a new enrollment goal for your staff. Create some prizes, bonuses, or other incentives for reaching different numbers of enrollments. Set aside time in each staff meeting, between now and the end of the year, to work on this goal. If you focus on this tip, you will be very pleased when 2008 comes to a close.
Ó
Review all attendance keeping proce-
dures. Whether you use an attendance book, a card system, or a computer method, review all steps with each staff member. Emphasize the importance of keeping accurate records. Let your staff know that you will be paying close attention to the accuracy of these records, and that you want to see 90% of all active students attending each week.
Ó
Make a wall display called “The Wall of Gratitude.” Put up photos and articles about people who have had a hand in the success of your school. As time goes by, rotate the pictures and articles. Update it by adding people who have made more recent contributions to your school.
Ó
Do a little “fitness checkup” of all fulltime employees, part-time employees and SWAT volunteers. They will make a more serious commitment to their fitness training when they know you are paying attention.
YOUR STUDENT WHO WANTS TO CANCEL IS OUR OPPORTUNITY SNIPPET FROM EFC’S NERVE CENTER According to our Senior Account Executives an important way EFC makes clients happy is by providing excellent service to their students. Our motto: We build client confidence through the students! You must believe in the power of our EFC Account Executive mantra!
EFC Account Executives say Hi!
4 EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
“Every student call is our chance to promote the continuing education of martial arts training! To us ʻI want to cancelʼ means we ʻmustʼ find a way to get this student back into your class! We practice every day the art of saving courses. When we offer to your canceling student a private lesson please be ready to jump in and reactivate this student!” Clients only have to talk to their students to be reassured that their businesses are in truly trustworthy hands.
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y e s l t i d e m m st sum a p of 1995
A young Mike Swain (bronze medalist in Judo at the 1988 Olympic Games) is temporarily subdued by the Chairman.
1995
Good times! Board of directors in full sartorial splendor.
1995
Longter aroun m friends d Lou is
Senior Account Executive Aruna Silva with top gun Louis Hurtado.
Olympian
Fellowship
1995
EFC clients care! A $128,000 check to Kick Drugs Out of America.
6 EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
1996
An unrehearsed moment on Nov. 24, 1996. CDR Ned Muffley is overwhelmed by the surprising announcement that he is the father of a son while on stage at the Summit.
s ing new
ris ts surp Ned ge
1996
“Let the power protect you.”
1998
Gala night at the convention. Scenes from a spectacular demo. EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
7
1999
General Patton: Mobilized to globalize.
1998
Ernest McPeek: a life of dedication to the martial arts.
1999
An excerpt from Dr. Wayne W. Dyer’s speech in the 1999 EFC Summit: “When
you understand that the ancestor to every action is a thought, you get real careful about what you think. The thing that distinguishes people living at higher levels of consciousness from all the rest of us, is that they never put their energy, that is, their inner world, into anything that they do not want, and that is what expands, and the things we don’t want and despise shows up continually in our lives.”
1998
Stephen K. Hayes, captures the imagination of the EFC crowd.
8 EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
2000
Superman: Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s… Ned!
2000
ch in An excerpt from Jay Abraham’s spee is the eting mark the 2000 EFC Summit: “All
2000
The Tran brothers showed fellowColoradoans that they are a force to be reckoned with.
process of astutely identifying and targeting your most viable and highest qualified atprospective audience, informing and educ nadva and fit bene the see ing them to clearly ling avai by lives tage that will accrue in their themselves of your product or service, and then to desire it from you more than your competitors, and from you more than the r alternatives—either no training or some othe ns mea g vatin Inno . type of athletic endeavor et, to bring a greater advantage to the mark to you to humanity, to people. I challenge become an innovator or value provider of n the highest magnitude because perceptio fit bene and e ntag adva of value, innovation, e mak le peop is the whole core reason why buying decisions.”
EFC Heavy Hitters
2000
This was an exciting Summit for all heavy hitters on the AllStars Journal. Record-breaking batting averages (high grosses) earned these sluggers their own engraved Louisville Sluggers. EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
9
Tony Thompson: Snoop Dogg called… wants his wig back.
2000
Ernie Reyes’ supersonic, superlative, demo team.
Ernie Reyes: I put out an APB on my shirt. Did anyone find it?
Cher and Tony. Good times.
Ernie Reyes Sr.— Follow the drum.
Kevin Ruby—Let the show begin.
10 EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
n
Benedictio
2001
Fresh Prince of Laurel. Bam Johnson infuses martial arts with hip hop.
2000
The internationally-known evangelist and highest-ranked non-Asian in Taekwondo shares a passionate benediction.
2000
2000
John and Ned take a breather at the famous Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs.
“Breath�
At this Summit, the Chairman attempts to put the EFC audience in a trance.
EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
11
ter nd Thea Power a
So Funny!
2003
The Last Samurai: Bobby LaMattina, always dramatic, always surprising and always the ultimate showman.
2001 & 2003 Famous ventriloquist Todd Oliver had the EFC audience on its knees laughing.
re! No Bullying He
2003
Terrence Webster Doyle brings understanding on handling bullying through the martial arts at the 2003 Summit.
12 EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
NAPMA visits EFC
2005
Restl g and Youn
EFC Chairman Nicholas Cokinos with Rob Colasanti (NAPMA).
ess
2005
Sharing a moment with his mentor Nick Adler is 26-year-old Angelo Vitale from Long Island.
2005
2005
EFC Vice President Mark Cokinos with U.K. heavyweights John Lynn, Ken Pankiewicz and Ken Robson (left to right).
Party
mile and S
Candadian client Mark Gildemeester with Senior Account Executive Saiqa and the Chairman.
EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
13
2005
Holy cow, Batman. We’re at the Summit.
Power Team
2006
Assembly of Martial Arts Brilliance. Commander Ned introduces the panel of speakers.
2005
U.K. clients dressed to the nines.
14 EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
2007
Fists of fury. Dennis Brown; CDR Ned; Ernie Reyes, Sr.; Dave Kovar.
2006 Teamwork on display—Garland and Bridget Johnson.
The Ritz!
2007
2007
The following is Debbie Th ompson’s account of her pre sentation in the 2007 EFC Summit on turning weaknesses into str engths: “But having a weakness
Circle of fitness— the Key Biscayne Beach Workout.
is OK. It is good to know you r weaknesses. My staff is never afraid to sho w us their stats or their weakne sses. You need to let your staff know tha t the great thing about weakne sses is that you can make them better. If your staff is afraid to tell you about their weaknesses, then you are probably doing something wro ng. You too need to be good at eve rything that your staff needs to be good at, so that you can train them well. If your phone script is a problem, you need to find a few schools that are better than you at this, then take their phone scri pt and rehearse it. This practic ing of the script over and over again till one gets good at it is the dirt work. After you get better at each wea kness, you need to move on and get better at your next weakness. It’s important to remember tha t wea knesses may change. You need to revisit all your strengths too , to make sure they remain strengths. Als o, at our school, we believe in cross training and we have several people who can do one job, wh ich is a big advantage for the school.”
EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
15
s r e d Leaare saying!
w hat the
“ “ TM
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The shoe designed by Mr. Patakos is a real breakthrough. Even a traditionalist will be comfortable wearing them during practice.
Hy-Gens shoes are an innovative product that is overdue. They are comfortable, attractive and they will enhance cleanliness in our dojos. I’m eager and excited to share them with my students! Master Steve LaVallee EFC Board Member
Master Buzz Durkin 8th Dan Okinawan Uechi Ryu Karate
This shoe will sell like hotcakes. Our school already has footwear that is far too expensive for kids. This is a perfect alternative to keep our schools clean, our students safe, and address people’s concern for hygiene and price. This could revolutionize the martial arts field!
At last a product that takes the worry out of students possibly picking up planters warts and other infections from working out in bare feet.
Master Keith Thompson Tri-Star Martial Arts EFC Board Member
Grand Master Greg Tearney EFC Board Member
I believe that your concept on your martial arts Hy-Gens shoe is a great idea that is long overdue. I can see where this is practical, affordable and makes perfect sense. Count me in.
As a kung-fu stylist who always wore shoes, I’ve always had problems going barefooted. We’ve had parents asking why students couldn’t wear socks with their safety gear. This solves that problem completely. Good Job. I’m on board.
“
Sifu Dennis Brown
The martial arts shoes designed by Nick Patakos are an absolute necessity for the industry. They would be a benefit and a hit in any school. This would increase our bottom line, sanitary conditions and make training more comfortable for all.
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Our 900 students love the Hy-Gens shoes. It keeps their feet clean and keeps my schools beautiful. The new no-scuff bottoms are awesome and I am delighted that we finally have a soft shoe to wear in the classrooms. My student’s parents are also purchasing the shoes to wear at home. Thank you AWMA! – This is the best thing since sparring gear. Master Nick Patakos Family Karate Super Center EFC Senior Board Member
Professor Garland R. Johnson
Master Chris Robinson Canada EFC Board Member
This is a great product. As a long time sufferer of foot fungus caught from the dojo floor, I highly recommend this. Mark Cokinos EFC Vice President
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EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
17
transform
your school from
50 250 to
BY KATHY OLEVSKY KARATE INTERNATIONAL
We bring to you an outline of Kathy Olevsky’s session at the EFC Summit 2008. For clients who are attending the Summit, this detailed outline will reveal the quality and content of the session (the actual session will be much more detailed), and for those not attending, this is an opportunity for us to bring you a morsel from the Summit. (We hope you will consider attending next year.) Kathy Olevsky with husband, Rob Olevsky
18 EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
å The first rule of growth is to know where you are right now.
a. How many members do you have? b. How many new enrollments did you
do last month? c. How many renewals did you do last
month? d. Getting people in the door does not mean that you will have more students. If you let some go out the back door, the new people only catch you up to where you have been. You wind up on a constant revolving situation where you lose some and then get some new ones, which results in zero growth.
ç The second rule of growth is to set
goals and know how to achieve them. You should have a vision board for what your ultimate goal is and smaller goals to achieve the ultimate goal. Make your ultimate goal reasonable. Let’s say your goal is school growth. If you are at 50 members, your ultimate goal right now might be 100. If you are at 100, your ultimate goal might be 150 or even 200. What amount of time do you need to achieve that goal? Well, let’s break it down into how many a month you need. a. If you start with 50 students—how do you get to 100? If you can get new people in the door and add 5 new members a month for a year, that will net you 60 new people at the end of one year. Have you achieved your goal? NO. If you calculate the average attrition rate of 10%, with 50 members, in the first month you might lose 5 members, so if you enroll 5 new, you have only maintained your student body number of 50. The larger your school gets, the larger this problem becomes. When you have a school of 300, if you have a 10% attrition rate, you will need to enroll more than 30 new members per month to grow. b. So, what if you set a goal of 8 new members per month for a year. With 50 students, and an attrition rate of 10%, at the end of the year you would be at 72 students. So, either
you have to realize now that your goal should be to get to 72 students in a year, or you ought to set your new enrollment goal even higher, and possibly adjust it half-way through the year.
é So, with these figures in mind, you need to work on two areas to achieve your goal. You need to close the back door, thereby reducing your attrition rate. You need to increase the number
Internal Marketing
Ó Birthday parties Ó Bring a buddy day Ó Bring a Parent Buddy Day Ó VIP passes External Marketing
Ó Internet, Internet, Internet Ó Newspaper Ó Direct Mail Ó Drop Boxes Ó Demonstrations/Health Fairs
When you have a school of 300, if you have a 10% attrition rate, you will need to enroll more than 30 new members per month to grow. of marketing strategies you have going to get the right number of people in the door. a. So back to the original example— you have 50 students and you want to grow to 100. Reduce the attrition rate to 5% and get 8 new members a month. At this attrition rate, you will have 100 students at the end of a year! Sometimes, growth is not just about finding new members, but more importantly keeping old ones. Close the back door!
(There are many experts within EFC who can tell you much more about external advertising.)
è Closing the back door all boils
í Retailing
down to customer service. What do you do to keep your customers coming back? Is it as simple as teaching good classes? No, that is a small part. You need to examine your entire package and see what will guarantee you that your students will stay for more than the national average of two years. You need to give your customers so many reasons not to quit that it will be hard for them to quit. The Summit session will take a thorough look at customer service from A to Z.
ê Now—how do we get those new students in the front door?
ë Growth Management
a. Complaints occur if you plan your b. c. d. e. f.
growth but don’t manage it. Testing and promotions Floor manager Office staff Teaching staff—bench strength Space/class size, locker rooms, chairs
a. Use displays, change around
displays b. Offer product packages for each belt
level c. Offer seminars and include a new d. e.
f. g. h.
weapon in cost of seminar Summer t-shirt uniform Understand how retail sales can help produce income for your school. Plan your sales at Christmas time—two by Thanksgiving Custom Catalogs from Century, Holiday Catalogs by Century Custom embroidery—fleece jackets, demo uniforms, staff shirts
EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
19
stealth stats BY MARK SEIDMAN KOVAR’S SATORI ACADEMY
A
lmost all martial arts schools track their basic stats like inquiries, new enrollments and quits. But there are a number of statistics that are less obvious that can be very beneficial for schools to track as well. At Kovar’s Satori Academy we refer to these as “Stealth Stats.” As the name implies, a stealth stat is usually invisible to a school operator unless they know to look for them. In this article, we’ll take a close look at two useful stealth stats. When we speak to school operators, they generally have a pretty good idea about the age and rank distribution of their students. These two stats are very easily measured, so they don’t fall into the category of “stealth stats.” Many school owners invest time, money and effort to recruit students that are the same ages as the students that they see on their mats. But just because you have a lot of 8-, 9and 10-year-olds training, doesn’t meant that you’ll have your best success targeting this same age group for new enrollments. So, an important stealth stat to track is the age your students are when they enroll. Monitoring this less obvious statistic will help you do a better job pinpointing your marketing to prospects that have the highest probability to enroll. Consider this graph of girls training at a school:
20 EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
What you see is that most of the girls who train at this school are between eight and eleven. But what you also see is that when these same girls enrolled, they were between the ages of six and eight. This is important to understand as you determine where to invest your marketing dollars and your time. If this graph reflects the pattern at your school, you would be wise to invest your time and money recruiting girls in, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades, but you would focus less effort on students in higher grades. Here is a great example of why this matters. Let’s say you’ve decided to pursue Girl Scout troops to recruit new students. If you targeted the age group you see on your mat, you’d naturally focus on Junior Girl Scouts, who are 8 to 11 years old. But you’d probably be wiser to focus on the 6- to 8-year-old Brownies who are the same age as most of the girls you actually enroll. Paying very close attention to the ages of your students when they enroll enables you to make highly informed marketing decisions. And this will have a positive impact on your new enrollment figures. Now let’s look at another stealth stat that can help you identify if you need to make adjustments in your program or your procedures. Analyzing quits by belt ranks can give you some valuable insight into why your students leave, but the real stealth stat that can provide valuable insight to track quit reasons by belt rank. You might have four white belts quit and four students at an advanced rank quit and if so, you can be virtually certain that they didn’t quit for the same reasons. If you look for trends in quit reasons at each belt rank, you’ll get valuable insights that can help you refine your program. Here’s an example. In our program, the first part of our belt progression goes white, gold, orange. We detected a small spike in quits at orange belt. But we were unsure why. When we examined the reasons why students were quitting at this level, we discovered two trends: 1. When students advance to orange belt, they move from our beginner class to our intermediate class. A number of students were intimidated by the more challenging curriculum which included sparring. 2. Another group of students were challenged by the change in class time, which caused conflicts for them. While there were other reasons stated, these two were mentioned more often than the others. We gathered our senior team and worked out a plan to address each of these two issues. We improved our preframing on sparring to make it more exciting and we introduced new students to sparring more gradually so they weren’t jolted by the experience. We also began planning farther in advance to handle the issue of the class time change. We began discussing this several weeks in advance of their promotion to orange belt. When we discover potential conflicts, we now have time to work on creative solutions in advance so we can help students find ways to make the transition to their new class a more positive experience than before. By closely studying the stealth stat of quit reasons by belt rank, you’ll be able to identify trends. And knowing these trends, you can make small adjustments that can make a big difference in your retention. There are several other stealth stats that will give you valuable insights into your business. Ultimately, there are only two major metrics that matter: the number of students you enroll and the number that quit. But if you look closely at the enrollment trends and develop a detailed understanding of why students quit and then use that knowledge to make effective adjustments, you’ll maximize your new enrollments and minimize your quits.
EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
21
YOU’VE GOTTA GO! Here’s why....
If you think you cannot afford to go, then that is the precise reason why you need to go. The benefits you will receive from the Summit are networking, staff development, curriculum development. Itʼs your chance to be in breakouts with some of the most awesome martial arts business owners in the country, like Kyoshi LaVallee, Garland Johnson, Ernie Reyes, etc. Everything that EFC has to offer is at the Summit. When I went to my first convention, my EFC check was just $5,000. We started with just myself going, then my wife and I going, and now we have fundraisers throughout the year—private lesson marathons, movie nights—so that we can take our entire staff with us now. They come back energized and the weeks after the Summit, our enrollments, renewals and retention all increase. —Tom Hould Red Dragon Karate
I think itʼs good for stimulating great ideas. Whether youʼve heard it in the past or not, you see it from a different perspective—and you can go back and apply it in your school. When you look through the eyes of experience, the same things tend to have a different meaning. Going to the Summit is like investing in your school. —Al Bartlinski Bartlinskiʼs Karate Supercenter
22 EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
EFC SUMMIT 2008 November 13,14 & 15 Gaylord Hotel, Opryland Nashville, TN The banquet will be held at the General Jackson Showboat featured here.
BY ANANYA BHATTACHARYYA
Room reservations:
Call 1-866-972-6779 or 615-889-1000 and ask for “EFC Summit Room Rates” to qualify for $179 per room rate. Hurry! This special offer expires on October 7th, 2008.
Iʼm Iʼm going going to to the the Summit Summit for for the the networking, networking, and and for for the the amount amount of of knowledge knowledge that that is is there there to to learn learn from, from, from from people people who who have have been been in in my my place place before before me. me. Mr. Mr. C. C. says says you you should should learn learn from from experiexperience, ence, but but it it shouldnʼt shouldnʼt always always be be from from your your own own painful painful experience! experience! As As Garland Garland Johnson Johnson would would say, say, “By “By hanging hanging out out with with smart smart people, people, you you can can learn learn from from their their mistakes.” mistakes.” The The best best business business minds minds in in the the martial martial arts arts industry industry in in the the world world will will be be there there in in Nashville, Nashville, TN. TN. When When EFC EFC says says they they will will double double your your growth, growth, they they truly truly mean mean that that they they will will double double your your growth growth and and double double your your knowledge. knowledge. All All of of the the great great leaders leaders are are there there to to network network with with and and the the level level of of energy energy and and enthusiasm enthusiasm must must be be experienced experienced in in person; person; it it cannot cannot be be captured captured at at the the same same level level by by recordings. recordings. It It is is always always an an amazing amazing experience experience to to meet meet Steve Steve LaVallee, LaVallee, John John Godwin, Godwin, the the Kovars Kovars and and the the EFC EFC team. team. —Mary —Mary Treacy Treacy Eagle Eagle Academy Academy of of Martial Martial Arts Arts Because Because in in order order for for you you to to stay stay on on top top of of the the martial martial arts arts game, game, you you have have to to go go to to the the best best conferconference. ence. For For instance, instance, when when we we are are talking talking about about 45 45 minute minute classes, classes, where where did did we we get get that that idea idea from? from? EFC. EFC. Did Did it it work work well? well? Yes. Yes. When When we we first first started started our our business business and and talked talked about about contract contract amount amount vs. vs. people people taking taking money money in in each each day, day, it it gives gives us us longevity, longevity, because because we we know know that that the the contract contract amount amount will will be be there. there. Where Where did did we we learn learn this this from? from? EFC. EFC. So So if if you you donʼt donʼt want want to to go go to to the the EFC EFC Summit, Summit, it it is is almost almost like like you you donʼt donʼt want want to to be be in in the the martial martial arts arts business business for for aa long long time. time. —Tony —Tony Thompson Thompson West West Coast Coast Tae Tae Kwon Kwon Do Do EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
23
A police ofďŹ cer and martial arts school owner talks about implementing child safety in his martial arts program.
incorporating
child safety training
Phil Sage with daughter Niko Sage
PREPARED BY PHIL SAGE ABILENE MARTIAL ART CENTER
24 EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
in your school
I
started training in the martial arts at a very young age, and I have been a police officer for the past nine years. One of the things I remember most about my martial art training is all of the tools and tips my teacher gave me to protect myself from strangers and bad situations. Our training incorporated drills, games, and role playing and that information stuck with me over the years. My police training opened my eyes to the dangers that lurk in every community and provided me with an insight on how to make my community safer. I decided to incorporate the information I have learned and we have created an awesome child safety program at our martial art center, but keep in mind that it is ever evolving. First of all it is important for us to realize that not all strangers are bad and we definitely do not want to raise children that live in a constant state of fear. Some strangers can prove to be very helpful if we are in trouble and in need of immediate assistance. Some examples of good strangers would be fire fighters, police officers, and paramedics that are on duty. These three groups of individuals work closely together and can usually communicate through the same channels. Can you think of another good stranger? According to missingkids.com, over 40 percent of those who experienced one of the most serious forms of child abduction were victims of opportunity. Therefore we have to take the opportunity away from the “bad guy.” We need to educate our children on a regular basis on the dangers of strangers and other hazardous situations. When I was a patrol officer I would often observe children at play in the community. These children may have been at the park or simply riding their bike, but more often than not I noticed that they were alone. Taking into consideration that some of them were considerably young, I thought it could have created an opportunity for foul play. Here are some safety rules for you to remember and teach to your children and students to keep them safe and sound:
Rule #1: Children should never go places alone. Children should always take a sibling or friend whenever they go anywhere. Rule #2: Children should always inform parents and care givers of exactly where they are going and who they will be with. Parents should keep close tabs on their children and know who they are hanging out with. Rule #3: It is important to teach children to run away from strangers when there is danger present. Not only should they run, they should yell for help. This will let other people know that they are in trouble. Running is not enough because children run while playing everyday.
Rule #6: Make sure children know their home address and phone number. This can prove to very useful if a child is lost. I recently had a child tell me that his father’s phone number was *4. Although it was amusing it was not very helpful. We teach these basic rules to our children and we review them regularly. We also perform drills and scenario based activities to help our children remember these basic rules. One of the drills we perform involves role playing. We set up a mini obstacle course and approach the children as a stranger. When we attempt to grab the children they must escape by running the obstacle
Incorporate a good child safety program in your school. It will help keep our children safe and the parents will love it. Rule #3: Families should create a safety password. This password can be used if a babysitter or relative picks children up from school or any other place. Many predators are people that kids already know. Sometimes they are close friends of the family. It is necessary to teach children not to go with them if they do not know the password. Be sure to change the password occasionally. Rule #4: Teach children to be aware of their surroundings and of any potential dangers. Some of those dangers include: strangers, traffic, electricity, and fire. Children should tell adults whenever they see anything suspicious or dangerous. Rule #5: Teach children that it is OK to say ‘no’ if someone is trying to do something that is bad or makes them feel uncomfortable. We teach our children to mind and respect their elders, but at the same time they need to know that it is OK to say no when necessary for their own protection.
course and yell, “Help! Stranger!” We also teach them to, “bite, scratch, kick, punch, scream, and run” if a bad person gets a hold of them. These are just a few tips and tools we use at our martial art center. Incorporate a good child safety program in your school. It will help keep our children safe and the parents will love it. We have learned the awesome benefit of networking with other EFC clients so feel free to call or e-mail me or my staff if you have any questions.
Sa Bum Nim Phil Sage is the owner of Abilene Martial Art Center (AMAC) in
Abilene, TX and a member of the Abilene Police Department. AMAC has been a
member of the EFC since 2005 and has
approximately 100 students. Sa Bum Nim Sage is currently preparing to make the transition to a full-time school owner.
Phone: 325 692-0100, Email: info@abilene martialartcenter.com
EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
25
7
Bridget Johnson’s Bridget Johnson was in our headquarters recently and she told us that the issue that preoccupied her the most was customer service. Her husband, Garland Johnson, and she have decided to have distinctive roles in their schools: he focuses on marketing and new enrollments and she focuses on customer service and retention.
dimensions of
student retention She elaborated on the areas she concentrates on in order to improve customer service:
1.
Universal Kempo Karate offers motivational workshops on a monthly basis, with weapons of choice.
DNS calls. When students don’t show up for one week, “Did Not Show” calls need to be made. This is what differentiates a martial arts school from a gym, which makes no such calls. According to Bridget Johnson, this is one of the most important retention tools.
5. Sell of the month. This varies
members log in to the computers at Universal Kempo Karate schools in the morning, the SgarWare program opens up showing birthday dates of students for each month. The staff members then make birthday calls on appropriate dates.
7. Talks about character building.
2. Birthday calls. As soon as staff
3. Testing calls. This is to remind
students about their monthly testings, along with an inquiry on whether they would be needing any additional equipment and who they will be bringing to watch their graduation.
26 EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
4. Motivational workshops.
from month to month, and may be a product such as a t-shirt.
6. Academic achievement.
Universal Kempo Karate requires kids to bring in report cards, and instructors are looking for improvements in these. (Parents love this.)
This is done frequently by instructors by way of our parables and storytelling focused on the inspirational words of the week. Other than these important steps, what is necessary to improve customer service and retention is a group of skilled and motivated instructors that deeply care about the students and are teaching outstanding martial arts.
EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
27
A CONVERSATION BETWEEN DANIEL DIAZ-CERVO AND GARLAND JOHNSON
success with a
new school
Daniel Diaz-Cervo, a new EFC client, had some questions for EFC Board of Directors member Garland Johnson, who gladly answered them (in a welcome display of EFC’s ideology of networking and cooperation). We thought this exchange might be an interesting one for the rest of our clients, especially our new ones:
What is the best marketing tool to use in advertising our school? We are finding that our referral programs are the best. Print, TV and radio are good for top-of-mind awareness. However, our number one form of getting new students has always been referrals. We have a small ad in the Yellow Pages and do a cable show twice a week. However, both of those are for top-of-mind awareness. If we do advertise it will be in August (getting ready for the new school year) and in December (getting ready for the New Year). However, word of mouth is still our best. As far as running a new school, is it best to pack two days of the week full of classes in our schedule? Or is it better to spread them out during the week? I like spreading them out during the week. It provides more individual instruction, especially at the beginning. That is where we develop the future instructors of the school, by anchoring
28 EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
in a great relationship with them from the very start. Is it good to start with a 6-month program for a lower cost than normal tuition to bring people through the door? At the beginning I find it best to start with and stay with what we are going to go with. Meaning that, we do a one-year basic program at $299 registration fee and then 12 month of tuition at $139 a month. They always get a VIP Pass that will take off $100 from the $299 registration fee. The registration fee includes their basic equipment safety package, a black uniform and their first month of tuition. When opening a new school we do a special of $99 registration fee (no equipment package) and $99 a month for the first 50 that sign up. After the first 50, we go into our regular basic program. Is the buddy day system a good event to use? If so, how many
times throughout a year should we hold a buddy day? We have found best success with offering a buddy week. This is the week that students are allowed and encouraged to bring in their buddies and family members to introduce them to our instructors and martial arts school. We have had best success with doing two of those per month, with one to follow the week after testing graduations in which we have encouraged students to bring their buddies and family members to their belt graduation here at the school. I know that growing is important, but so is retention. What do you do to make sure you have a high student retention percentage? There are many ways to do so. Welcome Aboard Calls, DNS Calls, 2-4-6 Calls, testing students on time, providing great student service, staying in contact and talking often with the students and their families are just a few.
TAKE A MINUTE WITH THE CHAIRMAN
Nicholas Cokinos Chairman, EFC
Will I hear more about this at the 2008 EFC Summit? Chairman Cokinos: Yes, and you
will get convincing arguments on how this practice will substantially add to your bottom line.
Does asking for this kind of money and the upgrades with additional tuition requirements smack of high pressure selling? Chairman Cokinos: Absolutely. You canʼt hide it.
But it is so nice to have cash. Chairman Cokinos: Getting
Do you still feel firmly against asking for a lot of money up front? Chairman Cokinos: I do, and I think this is a self-
defeating purpose. Hereʼs why: often a discount is offered as an incentive for the cash. There goes a big bite out of the profit. You have received money which you have yet to earn. That means you have established an I.O.U. Also with this money in your bank account, you are tempted to spend it. The result is a disaster because in the future you are faced with expenses, with no money coming in. The bigger schools and the successful ones rely on that fat monthly check coming in to take care of their expenses, leaving a nice surplus, which is totally theirs.
that big monthly check doesnʼt reduce your cash but rather enhances it. You have complete control over earnings vs. spendings. Think about it. I must say again and again getting a large check better helps you to allocate P.R. money, expense money, miscellaneous and personal income. It is so helpful to be able to meet these obligations on a monthly basis.
What about the Summit? Chairman Cokinos: Be sure to be there. The staff
has been diligently working on a great program. There will be special meetings with owners and a very educational program in staff members. The fellowship and camaraderie generated by this gathering has a very long and positive effect on everyone. EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
29
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DID YOU KNOW… In this regular Eagle Express feature, we bring to you information about our clients that’s sure to be astonishing to many of our readers.
Ó STAFF
17
YEARS
Ó AFF EFC ST L SPECIA
32 EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
8
YEARS
Did you know that Leonce (Assistant Resource Manager) plays soccer and basketball? He was a state soccer champion in high school. He is originally from Haiti and is involved in humanitarian work there.
R FO
EFC
Ó
STAFF
R FO
EFC
Did you know that martial arts school owner Dr. Frank LoPinto has an MBA, a PhD, and is a Professor of Business Management and Information Systems? Did you also know that his Kaizen Martial Arts School is a family affair? His wife Stacie and their four sons, Frankie, Dominic, Vincent, and Joseph, all help out around the school.
Did you know that Nayani (EFC Receptionist), the face behind the pretty voice, has been a volunteer artist for the last nine years in an assisted living facility? She has a diploma in designing from UK and has designed clothes for film stars in Sri Lanka. Her husband, Aruna, is a Senior Account Executive.
EFC S TA SPEC FF IAL
Ó
Ó
Did you know that Rod Sanford loves hot rods? He bought his first hot rod in 1962. Today he is having his dream show car built. Itʼs a 1940 Ford deluxe coupe. Every nut, bolt and piece of wire is new except that it has an original all-steel body. It has a custom built chassis, front end and suspension, a GM 383 stroker, 425-horse power engine that is running 3-2ʼs and is polished and chromed. It has all the modern conveniences: air conditioning, power seats with seat heaters, navigation, backup camera, CD/DVD and an incredible sound system. The car is being painted a 4-stage candy apple red with some candy brandy-wine in it. He has been invited to show it at the National Roadster Show in January and he hopes it will be done by then. His family has joined him in his car madness. His son has a beautiful 1966 Mustang. And his 15year old daughter has a 1969 Camaro SS that is gorgeous. They both won first place in their divisions at a recent car show. And his son-inlaw has a 1979 limited edition TransAm that is pristine. You can often find the family at a car show or taking a cruise along the beautiful Monterey Bay coastline.
Did you know that Peter Polander has ten locations in Poland and 300 students who follow his teaching? He travels to Poland three times a year in order to oversee these schools. He organizes summer camps in the land next to the two 800year-old castles (one of which can be seen in this photograph) in the south of Poland for all the students from Poland and U.S. This medieval location with its unbelievable view of the snowcapped Tatry Mountains is an ideal spot as it motivates students to perform better.
EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
33
STAFF TRAINING:
DOJO DRILLS & SKILLS
COMPLAINING MOTHER BY CHAIRMAN NICHOLAS COKINOS
Here’s a classic article by EFC Chairman Nicholas Cokinos about how to deal with disgruntled parents. Many ears are still ringing from the raucous complaints of a mother who was unhappy with the way her child was treated in his karate class. I listened very carefully for a long time to this tirade. I eventually saw that she was an overly protective mother who apparently felt her child was being picked on. It turns out that the child was spoiled, over active, disobedient and willful. I had a long talk with the director of the school and heard all the gruesome details. It was difficult to work with the child when obviously we have a problem mother—over-protective and defensive and for whatever reason has failed to control her childʼs behavior. How do we treat the matter? How do we treat the child? The director and I decided to start with the mother. An appointment was made to discuss the matter. The mother arrived promptly as scheduled, with her arms folded across the chest and a fierce look in her eyes. We decided to be more relaxed, understanding and compassionate when approaching the mother. The director went on to say discipline in the classroom was an essential part of the schoolʼs rules and regulations. Discipline, especially self-discipline, was imperative. It was explained that when the child was out of line and disruptive, he would be sharply reminded to conform. It was also pointed out that when he did something well, he would be profusely complimented and recognized. The belt exam was explained in many ways as a positive affirmation of work well done. The directorʼs intention was to use every incentive he could to make sure the child was prepared to do well on the test. The director then explained to the mother who appeared to have relaxed somewhat that he had taught children for many years who were lethargic, slow, defiant, boisterous and misbehaved. He pointed out that teaching martial arts for a number of years has enabled him to establish an outstanding record. If given a chance, he will train the child to become an outstanding citizen. It was clear that it was the mother who needed some adjustment. He summed it up by saying, “I need
34 EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
your support and cooperation to prepare your son for a wonderful experience with us. As long as he is obedient and conforming to the rules of the class, we will be glad to have him among us.” He added, “We need you to put a positive spin on attending classes and expecting a wonderful, interesting and fun experience.” He also added that it is important for the mother to explain to her child what is to be expected. Finally, he explained two or three months were needed to set a good pattern and he was sure that he could do it. He then told her that after three months, if she was not thrilled with the results, she could terminate the agreement. Later, during my follow-up call with the mother, she was filled with profuse gratitude. It made my day!
AUTHORITY VS. INFLUENCE COURTESY OF KOVARS, INC. In teaching martial arts, hopefully, we are not disciplining our students as much as we are teaching them self-discipline. When we discipline our students, we are using authority to get them to take action. This usually works in the short term but does little to cultivate the studentsʼ desire to be self-motivated. Instead, it can create resentment, laziness or perhaps even divide their spirit. On the other hand, using your ability to influence students into action, rather than forcing them into action creates self-discipline. A selfdisciplined person knows what to do
and then does it. They are internally motivated and therefore much easier to teach. Example: If you push someone, their natural reaction is to push back, to fight you. On the other hand, if you gently take them by the hand and guide them, they will gladly go your way. This can be demonstrated by role-playing in class.
Positive influence
How can you use your influence instead of your authority while
The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.
Buddha
Any fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Albert Einstein
You can do it if you believe you can!
Napoleon Hill
And in the end, itʼs not the years in your life that count. Itʼs the life in your years.
Abraham Lincoln
Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.
Eleanor Roosevelt
The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say “I.” And thatʼs not
teaching? One of the most important ways is by using positive reinforcement. Look for the good in your students and then tell them about it. This may seem too idealistic, but it is incredibly effective. Donʼt tell them what they shouldnʼt do; it is impossible to concentrate on the negative of an idea. Instead, show them what they should do. Example: Saying, “Donʼt strike out!” forces the ball player to think about striking out. Saying, “Get a Hit!” would be a better phrase to get the results needed.
because they have trained themselves not to say “I.” They donʼt think “I.” They think “we”; they think “team.” They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and donʼt sidestep it, but “we” gets the credit. This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done.
Peter Drucker
You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.
Winston Churchill
The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.
Pearl S. Buck
Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.
Henry Ford
The dream was always running ahead of me. To catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it, that was the miracle.
Anais Nin
EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
35
HOP please use the same page from last issue with SWAIN and MBI ads. Thank you.
36 EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
News About Your
Gold Package Subscription!
Itʼs happening again. We are adding more value to the Gold Package. Added to your Gold Package will be the
spectacular new Sgarware Customer and Statistical programs. With the Customer Program, reports are designed the way you like them. At the click of a button, you can access an Exam List, Deposit List, Active Count, Renewal Targets, and many more. The Statistical Program is designed to keep track of the vital statistics necessary in the daily operation of a martial arts school. With easy to read and easy to compare reports, this program will help you track and manage the growth of your school. The EFC Gold Package subscription rate including this new addition will be a total of $97.50/month. The date when this will take effect will be announced shortly. Your account will be automatically debited just as before. EFC provides you with a 100% satisfaction commitment. (customization of Sgarware is not included)
Here are some great testimonials for Sgarware:
Here’s what will be included in your Gold Package subscription: • Sgarware Statistical and Customer program • Dave Kovar’s Satori Systems • Eagle Express • Marketing CD and Marketing Campaign • Talking Newsletter • Allstars Journal • Student Express Newsletter • EFC audio and video streams
“For years, we tried several different software products before Sgarware was created. The Sgarware program has met all of our needs and more. Operating 10 locations and preparing to run 10 more, Sgarware allows me to monitor each location 24/7 and itʼs extremely user friendly for our staff. Most important, the stats program is absolutely the best Iʼve ever seen!”
—Kyoshi Steve LaVallee LaVallee’s USA Black Belt Champions
“I love Sgarware. We have tried many martial arts software products to help us manage our student information and Sgarware is by far the easiest to understand, with very little learning curve and the customer service and response time to request are “best in breed” as they would say in the corporate world. If you have not invested in the Sgarware Software Product, then my advice is to invest. It will be well worth your time and money.”
—Assistant Professor Garland R. Johnson Universal Kempo-Karate Schools Association
“There is only one word that I can use to describe Sgarware and itʼs ʻwowʼ! Who would have thought that keeping stats could be so fun! It has made our transition from two schools to four a dream come true. I spend less time monitoring my stats of four schools than I did when I only had two. The customers program has been a gem as well. To be able to access student information from the other locations has been great! The Sgarware customer service and ability to be there during the set up and beyond has been wonderful. Keep up the great work!”
—Sensei Jason Gabriele Gabrieles Karate Inc.
EAGLE EXPRESS | NOVEMBER 2008
37
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