3 Step Process to Sign More Family Member Agreements

Referral leads are more valuable than leads coming from any other source. They convert at a higher rate and are happier once they become students. You know this, either by intuition or your lead conversion data. So naturally, you want more referral leads.

One of the best ways to get referral leads is through your current students’ family members. But where do you start? And how can you make the process repeatable? Through conversations with industry experts and martial arts school owners, we learned the three steps you need to take to sign more family member agreements.

Step 1: Hold In-School Events

Events are the perfect way to expose family members to martial arts. From belt ceremonies, tournaments and Parent’s Night Outs, to bigger events like spring breaks and summer camps, events bring family members in and get them interested. Once family members are in your school, your programs can sell themselves, so getting them in is crucial for signing more family member agreements.

Industry experts like MAIA recommend hosting one in-school event a month. Start by planning your events for a six-month period. Once you get in the habit of holding an event a month, the planning and execution process will become easier.

Step 2: Personally Invite Family Members to Try a Class

Your students and parents look up to you. They appreciate your feedback and suggestions. Because you’re respected so highly, convincing family members to try martial arts can be as simple as inviting them to a class. Take advantage of your events by striking up a conversation when family members come in. Ask to see if there’s anyone in else in a family who might want to train with you.

For instance, when you see a sibling at a belt promotion ceremony, ask them if they’ve ever considered trying martial arts. Something as simple as, “have you ever wanted to try martial arts? I know your brother enjoys it,” would get the conversation started.

Your instructors can do the same when they interact with family members, both at events and after classes. To encourage them to look for opportunities and extend invitations, you can offer up a team challenge and reward for the instructor who brings in the most family-member students. Manage this by tracking new prospects coming from instructor invitations (as lead source), and then reward the instructor who brings in the most each month.

Step 3: Offer Family Member Incentives and Promotions

Incentives and promotions are the final step in getting more family members to sign agreements. Consider offering a discount for each additional family member who trains with you. You can also run special promotions throughout the year. For instance, offering a free uniform for additional siblings who sign up for summer camp would be a great way to get parents thinking about including a brother or sister.

Even though summers are a slower time of year, your school doesn’t have to be empty. You can still add as many new students to your roster as you do in September or January, and you can do it with valuable family member students. Just set the goal to add more family members and doing it by instituting the three steps we shared above.

Ever wondered what the average student demographics are for competing martial arts schools, such as how many of their students are children or adults, male or female? Get insight into data like this and much more in our Martial Arts Benchmark Report. Download your copy for free today!