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[sarguy]

I know I've seen mention of a few different marketing books on here, but in my short (and probably lame) search on the forum here I didn't see any compilation of them all in one place. Perhaps we could start on? (or merge this one with the original, if I was stupid enough to miss it?)

I just have one to add now, since I have to get to class.

Guerrilla Marketing. (The book is highly recommended by Dave Ramsey) The author's website http://www.gmarketing.com/ also has a lot of interesting ideas.

(edit: I don't know that the book must be directly related to MA. As Mr. Liu points out below, there are not that many out there in relation to other "business building" books. Like the Guerrilla Marketing, there might still be some good info nonetheless.)

[Kentbob]

"In Search of Excellence".  It's a study of some of the most successful companies in the U.S., and what makes them successful.  Success, in this instance, is not measured in purely monetary terms as many people would.  Unfortunately, I cannot remember the authors.

Kent

[Benjamin Liu]

There are not many books on this specific subject.

Type in "martial arts marketing" or "martial arts business" into Amazon and you'll find a few, and also books on topics like "be a black belt in marketing" which have nothing to do with MA schools.

I have three books, and I'll give short reviews:


"Starting and Running Your Own Martial Arts School" by Karen Levitz Vactor

This is the most comprehensive of the three.  It showed me that a dojo would be several times more expensive than I thought it would be before reading the book.  It deals with typical commercial dojos, and IMO is better for established schools rather than those starting from scratch.  It isn't a book on starting on a shoestring by any stretch, you need lots of money to build a school like she advises. 

"Black Belt Management" by John Graden

This is a shorter read but IMO a bit more useful.  The section on why students quit a dojo is almost a checkist of the teaching styles of a couple former instructors of mine, aside from the sparring part.   The basic idea here is to plan for the long term and building a student's skills from the ground up, advancing them in skill and then sparring when they are comfortable with it.  He advocates having a "black belt club" but not tournaments or testing fees IIRC.  IMO it is a good program, but more for those with typical Karate or Tae Kwon Do schools, not so much for those teaching self-defense skills for a student to use right away.

[Benjamin Liu]

(Continued- for some reason my posting window acts up when I post more than a few lines)

"Martial Arts Game" by Rodney King

This book as a different program and probably not something for most instructors.  He is opposed to teaching for sport, tradition, or self-defense and instead advocates teaching martial arts for life coaching.  He says that most adults don't care about belts, trophies, competition, fighting, or self-defense, and that few people really ever need to defend themselves.  Basically this is being something like a personal trainer for small classes (about 6 students a class) and helping them achieve their personal goals in MA.  You don't just teach a small class, each student gets personal attention, and for this personal attention he says to charge about $300.00/mo. or so.  Basically it would be the same thing as when people sign up for semi-private fitness classes.


There are not many books on the topic, and these three are on the entire subject of running a school, not just marketing.  You could probably fit all the books on MA teaching, marketing, running a school, and related topics on half a shelf.

Graden has two other books, Turtle Press has a new one, and Jerry Beasly also has one.  There is also an E-book by Michael Massie titled "Small Dojo Big Profits." 

[Hock]

Annnnnd, just for the record?

Some of the aforementioned names have lost many schools. But that hasn't stopped them from selling their methods.

While in Florida I was talking with a successful school owner (about 20 years now) and he said he got a kick out of all these books and outfits like NAPMA - so many people that have lost their schools and are telling you "how to also."

A lot of the materials are just regurgitated info from other books and outlines.

Hock

[Kelly Knight]

If you are brand new to the game (or are just looking for some new ideas), I can't recommend these two methods highly enough:

• Take advantage of this board, while it lasts. There are a lot of good people who will share every bit of knowledge with you as an SFC member (or interested party). Ask questions, read the previous threads and suck in the cutting edge stuff that's going on right now! It won't last, as I say, because there will be invariably some knucklehead troll that will come along and ruin it for everybody. Then the really knowledgeable folks will clam up. Hock does an absolutely superb job of controlling this, but you know how it goes...it's only a matter of time.
• Get yourself to every Hock seminar that you can. The networking that I've done so far supersedes what I pay for the seminar....it's better than any NAPMA, I tell ya! You can, too. You just gotta make the time and the money, keep your ears and eyes open and talk to everybody you can there. This is mainly because most SFC seminars are made up of long-time martial artists, MABOs, LEOs and military folks, with vast knowledge and the willingness to share.

Otherwise, if you absolutely need some books (all of which are limited in design), I'd also add the books by Sang H. Kim to the lists. I have "Teaching Martial Arts" and "Martial Arts Instructor's Desk Reference". I think I've flipped through both a couple of times and thought they had some pretty useful information. Worth buying...

But, seriously, go to a SFC seminar and make sure you go to dinner afterward with the gang. Buy a round, ask some questions, open your mind, ears and heart and be prepared to be overwhelmed with great info!

Kelly Knight

[Webby]

Why don't you guy's and girl's organise a pure networking event. Hire a cheap venue. Advertise and get everyone to do their pitch ( limit this to two minutes as people can go on a bit )

Then help each other out. Cross training, finding new partners in business, sourcing contracts, information exchange.

There's more than enough work out there for everybody to earn a living !!

Just a suggestion, I believe it's an idea who's time has come.

LOL Webby..

   

[whitewolf]

Ben- I have the same problem-i trype in the box and have to make pat 2 to finish a long paragraph-

Webb- how about going into that a little more- WW

[Hock]

(Continued- for some reason my posting window acts up when I post more than a few lines)


Ever since I hooked up to the newer Windows Internet Explorers (the last 2) I cannot type more than two or three paragraphs on this talk forum, without the lines jumping all over. But I also use Mozilla Firefox on my laptops and other internet servers in hotels. never have a problem.

I am thinking the line-jumping is a unique problem with Internet Explorer and these Simple Machine Talk forums. Like a glitch. I always use Firefox for looking at this and other forums.

Hock

[Webby]

Wolfie,
          I've been to a number of successful networking event's in London. People from different areas at different levels in there organisations or businesses meet for a few hour's. They explain what they do and what they need. Someone might need a space to teach, others are there to recruit staff for there own group's. It's a bit of a mix. People offering new services and product's with people looking for funding. The trick is to network. Get those offering services ( self-defense training for staff at airport's for example ) and get them together some one who's in airport security who's looking for more trainers. Get these two hooked up and everyone is happy.

It needs a venue, advertising ( E-mail ) and a bit of organising, charge a small fee !!

Bingo !

Webby....!     

[whitewolf]

Webb-thanks-hopefully your info on networking will help-in the town i am in i am up against schools that have been in existance for a long long time-so i am slowly trying to make up a base of students that can go out and recruit for the school-i all ready discussed making the 2 deputies as assistants so they can run a class while i go out and do some visiting to businesses and giving a seminar-(these guys have a lot of experience in controling criminals during altercations so they are a good asset.
(They are going to run the class when I go to Hocks seminar the 25th)
WW

[Webby]

WW..The link's between good martial artist's and good businessmen and women should go hand in hand. I'm amazed that so many class's fail because of bad accounting and a poor business planning.

Plan the work and work the plan.

Key in all thing's money wise, is networking and don't give up. All companies go though hard times ( I have ) get creative. Get busy. If people have established businesses like your local MA classes do they network ? have they ever done a one day joint seminar to show case there skill's ? There's your route in !! Six month's ago I was running out of idea's and I set up a whole new business, now I have a full year's contract to teach.
Never give up..Webby.