MA Business Success 8: Converting Enquiries to Business

ttps://soundcloud.com/tima-38/martial-arts-business-success-8-converting-enquiries-to-business Alex: This time, we're discussing strategies for converting inquiries. Into business. Now Phil it's essential isn't it? You've got somebody through the door, or you've got them on the phone. What are your tips to making that leap? Phil: Sure, yeah. Look, the first...really it is imperative the very first thing you need to do is build rapport. Alex: Yes. Phil: You want someone to like you, basically. If they don't like you, they're not gonna come into your business. So the first thing you need to do is mirror or match their behavior, to some regard. So how they talk, how they stand, the hand gestures that they use. All those little things about building rapport, the same sort of language. And it's not trying to be someone that you're not. It's just showing them that...people like people that are like them. Alex: Yes. Phil: And once you can get past that awkward first meeting...most people have had a meeting before, and had that instant of going, "I don't like that person". Alex: Yes, yes. Phil: And we don't want that in business. Alex: No, no. Phil: You want them to like you instantly, and then we're gonna build more and more rapport as time goes on in that inquiry procedure. Alex: So that's you teach your front line staff, is it? Very much to mirror... Phil: Absolutely, yeah we do. We are training very, very regularly on how to build rapport. Not only in person, like face to face, but even over the phone. Alex: Okay. Phil: So matching the tone of voice that they use, their tonality, their pauses, how fast they speak, the language they use. So that instantly there's a connection, even over the phone. Alex: Right, okay. Graham: You know, I've touched on it before that it's all about being likable. Because, again, studies that we've done, research that we've done traveling the world is people will buy from people they like. Again, you may have an awesome product, but if you're not the right fit, they're gonna choose somewhere else that they feel comfortable. So in this industry now, we've got to get away from thinking, "Okay, we're here to sell," and try and you know, bamboozle them. We want to help them to buy, and choose us. So therefore we need to make them feel comfortable, we need to help them relax, which therefore they're a little more open to what it is that we actually do. So once they're relaxed, then we can obviously show them the process and go through from there. Which is always great. Alex: Yeah. Phil: That connection, all the way through. Asking the right questions, as well. Like, "What benefits do you want to gain out of martial arts?" finding out the benefits, and then really meeting their needs. Rather than saying, "Well, this is how good we are". Alex: Yes, "This is what we do. Phil: Yeah, "This is the way we can actually help you." Because you've told us what you want, and now we're gonna give that to you. Alex: So it's tailoring it to what they need. Phil: To the individual, because everyone's different. Alex: Rather than, "This is what we offer." Phil: A parent might want their child to learn how to defend themselves, because they're getting bullied a lot. A parent might want their child to come out of being shy. So we need to be able to go...if it's a kid who is being bullied, we're gonna treat them a little bit differently than the person who needs to be brought out of their shell. Equally, if their child is a bully, he's coming to us because he is the person that needs work. Well, we're gonna be a little more authoritative with that person, but also show the parent that we're kind and caring, but we're not gonna take any nasty business. Alex: Yeah. absolutely. Graham: Once you start building that rapport, as we discussed, and they start to feel comfortable around you, and then you sort of match what it is their needs are, it's really important to get what we call the 'elephant' out of the room. And that is, get the fees out, get the price out. Let them know exactly what it is they're up for. Because years and years and years of myself and Phil being front-liners and salespeople and driving that, the system we used before was wait until the very last moment, and tell them how much it is. Alex: Right. Graham: And geez, you'd almost be petrified and panicked that are they going to enjoy that, oh my god. So what we do now is pretty much, within 10 minutes of them being in the business, we're telling them exactly how much it's going to be. So that way the person has a good understanding, they can look around and, "Okay." We talk a lot about cost versus investment. Yes we want to try and outlay that there is an investment, and this is how much, but then build the value around that. Because if we simply just lay down a cost, you're gonna just see it as that. Okay, this is how much it is, okay. And then they sort of start crunching numbers in their head, where as we sort of outlay it as an investment and then show what they get from that, the value of actually being at our school, the price is almost irrelevant. Alex: Okay, so would you be more expensive than other schools? Phil: Yeah, look. We are probably one of the more expensive martial arts schools in Australia, if not across the world. But like to match that, we'll actually over-match that in the experience that WAIMA has to offer. And just to touch sort of on what Graham was saying, mentioning the fee, we don't, as soon as they come in, go "This is how much we are!" It's important that we've done all the building of rapport, and we're sitting down and so, "I don't know if you know much about us, we're a high end martial arts school, our values are this." The class cost range between the lowest fee and the highest fee per class. So that way, in their mind they're trying to work out where they fit. Alex: Yes. Phil: So we haven't really told them exactly, but we tell them, "You could be as low as this, or as high as this. So in their mind they're trying to work it out. So it is a little bit of a smart way of doing it, but then we'll talk about that later. Then we show them the experience of the martial arts WAIMA has to offer. And then we bring them down, back into the introductory room and we actually go, "You know what? I recommend this program." And it's generally in the middle. So they're thinking, "Whew. Lucky I'm not on the top," and, "Look, it's nice of them to recommend the middle package." And we're sincere in this. If I thought that that person would be a better fit for an all-styles high end martial arts package, I would ask them, "I think this is best for you." If I think that they're at the lower end, committing maybe once a week, I would recommend that. But more often than not, they end up landing in the middle, so they're pretty happy with that. And that's just sort of how we outweigh investment verses cost, and how we get the elephant out of the room. Alex: And everybody wants to get a deal don't they? So as long as they're seeing, "Oh, well if I sign up for one course a week then it's gonna be x, but I save a bit of money if I sign up for two a week." Phil: That's right. Graham: Most definitely, and to add to...and this is a great way that we do have great success in getting people to see the value is, "Here's the fee, but honestly, try it first. See if you like it. Test it out." That way you know that what you do in class...does it meet the actual level of investment? I've made a financial commitment. Are the classes meeting that, are they past that? And then what we do is we'd finalize...after a week or so that they've done some classes and tested it out, we'll sit down for a final meeting and obviously just review. And if they make it to that stage, you know they're pretty committed to want to continue on. Phil: It reminds me, as Graham mentioned, like back in the day when it would be like, "Don't tell anyone how much classes are," and people would ask, and they'd feel like they were being tricked. And then the worst thing is the program director who's actually saying, this is how much it is. So the person's come in. They've experienced some free classes, then you're like, "This is how much it is." And the person's meanwhile, "Ah, are they gonna do it?" And it is it's a very...a very dry relationship, like they're still not sure. Whereas the way that we do it now, we get the elephant out of the room, then they experience the class, and if they come to the join-up it's so easy for them to sign up. Because if they're there, they know how much it is, they know what the classes are like. Alex: There's no surprises. Phil: There's no surprises, they're ready to go. Graham: To be honest with you, also another thing that we do, Alex, is we are really genuine, and we try and be congruent with their values and what not. But we've also had plenty of people sit down and honestly can't afford our packages. So what we do is, "That's not a problem. What we can do, though, is recommend a few places around here that may be a little bit more within your price range." So it's not like we shun them, and kick them out the door and say, "See you later." It's more so, "Hey, we don't match what you need. That's okay." There are going to be a few people around you that will help. And to be honest with you, we've actually had a few people refer friends to us because we treated them so nice. They didn't become a member at our school. They went elsewhere, because they couldn't afford it. But they said, "What a great experience I had at this school, that I'm gonna recommend it to my other friends who may be able to obviously afford it." So treating people well, in every process, in every stage of the process is really, really important. And I guess, one of the final ones is...I wont say final, but one of the really great successes we've had with conversion is following up. If you say you're going to do something or someone has done an inquire, they've done a class and they haven't maybe made it in. They may have been a bit sick or unwell, rather than just waiting for them to come to the school, follow up. Genuinely care. "Look, ah geez, I was hoping to see you today, you didn't turn up to class, is everything okay?" Again, when we talk about conversions from inquiry phone call, they made the appointment, but they never turned up. We generally call, and care. "Look. Hey guys, I was waiting for you, is everything okay?" So these little follow ups and being genuine, rather than how you're the dollar amount that I see and I want to just get you as a sale. Alex: Yes. Yep. That personal touch is so important, isn't it? Graham: Yeah. In this day and age, because customers and clients are getting smarter and they're a little bit more calculated with their money that they want to spend and invest in an activity or a place. So if you were just simply treating them like that dollar, and that's it, they will soon see right through that facade and go, "Look I'm on to somewhere else." So if you just, "This is the investment for you, which is...we have to do that to keep the lights on. But our focus is to give you the best possible service outright, and obviously have you as a client for the next 20 years." And that's our goal. Alex: Do you put a lot of emphasis on making sure that your clients or potential clients are phoned, rather than emailed or texted? Graham: Absolutely, definitely. Alex: That one to one. Phil: Yeah, there's almost gonna be like a level of contact. So it's always phone first, then it's text then it's email. We always want to be able to talk to them face to face or over the phone. And if we can't get in touch with them there, then we're gonna send them a text, a short one, just saying, "Hey, I just tried to call you, just wondering if everything's okay." Alex: Yeah. Phil: Now, it's more to that, not like, "Where are you? You know, I'm waiting." It's gonna be more, "I'm sure you would have come if you could have made it." Something must have happened. Alex: Yes. Phil: Because we're coming from that expectation that we believe that you should be here. Alex: Yes, absolutely. And I do think it's just too easy to fall back on email these days, and I think a lot of people do that. And to the detriment of their business. Graham: Definitely, and something I've noticed too, through the years of us doing this is the way that people engage now, they're almost...a lot of businesses are afraid to make that phone call. So they think it's easier to send a text or send an email and it's impersonal, there's not that connection, that relationship. Building rapport via over text, how can you do that? Alex: Exactly. Graham: How do you build a rapport via email? Very challenging. There's things where we have been up against it, where we haven't been able to make any contact. What we've asked our staff and instructors to do, is do a 30 second video clip and email it to them. So that way they turn around and say, "Hi, Alex. We didn't get a chance to see you when you inquired. I'd love to see if I can help you out." So they put a name to the face, and email that to them. So that's then building a different type of rapport, rather then just sending a text email. So it's just captivating them slightly differently. Alex: Exactly. Graham: And that way they know who they're gonna be connecting with, who's on the other end, and we're not so scary. Alex: Yeah, that personal touch makes all the difference. And great advice Phil and Graham, thank you very much, indeed. Graham: Pleasure. Phil: Pleasure. Announcer: You've been listening to the Martial Arts Business Success podcast. For more information, please visit our website at tima.com.au