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Handling the "I Want to Quit" ObjectionChris Millares Overview Martial arts school owners far and wide have had to deal with students wanting to quit yearly, monthly, weekly and daily. Unfortunately in our society today, many people succumb to the “play now, pay later” philosophy. The price of discipline and determination often takes a back seat to regret and the “pay later” ideal. When a student decides to quit, he has sold himself on the idea that the freedom of “quitting” outweighs the benefits of “sticking with the martial arts.” The mound of empowering benefits that the martial arts have to offer becomes a two time per week activity. Meanwhile, going out with friends, having more personal time, video games, vacations and extra time on mindless internet sites combine with objections to the martial arts and play a dominate role in the minds of our students. Long term success is replaced with short term desires and it becomes easy to give up. As martial arts leaders, it is our duty to inspire students to change their train of thought and continue as members of the martial arts community. The bad news is that it is nearly impossible to make someone change their mind. The good news is, however, that new information can be provided by the instructor to help the student make a new decision. In essence, it is all about making another positive sale. The following items are action steps that we can take to handle the “I want to quit” objection. Determine the real decision maker Obviously, your adult students who decide to quit are the primary decision makers and thus, this first action step is nullified. If the student happens to be in the kids program however, simply ask his/ her parent the following: “Mrs. Prospect, whose decision is it to quit? Is it little Johnny’s decision or is it yours?” This is a powerful question that forces your prospect to give a definitive answer. This, in turn, provides valuable information as to how to structure your re-sale. Nothing is worst than going through a great, enthusiastic, energetic pep talk with a student when all along it was his mom’s decision to stop karate. Take your time and ensure that the details are as specific as possible. Make sure to note the body language, tonality and word phrasing of your prospect as they will provide even more vital information pertaining to the re-sale process. Another useful tip in pinpointing the decision maker has to do with passage of blame. Sometimes, a parent will give you the impression that it was their child’s decision when in actuality the decision was ultimately theirs. Watch out for a laid back body posture, weak tonality and airy statements that seem to beat around the bush. For example, a parent might say, “Well…Johnny might be starting soccer, swimming, etc in the fall and we are trying to free up some of our schedule. He just has his hands full and we’re not sure if we want to push him too hard.” Meanwhile, little Johnny is on the karate mat demonstrating a required form with intensity, focus and power. Keep your critical thought process in high gear as you attempt to find the real decision maker. Once you have successfully completed this step, the time comes to re-establish rapport. Re-establish rapport Rapport is an essential tool for any martial arts sales team. It sets the stage for trust between the prospect and the martial arts professional and creates an environment fit for a buying decision. Re-establish a level of rapport and discuss positive aspects of the martial arts as seen by both parties. In some cases this may be as simple as citing a time when a student performed and achieved a goal. “Mr. Prospect, remember when little Johnny broke that board at belt graduation. I know you were excited and our instructors couldn’t have been prouder. Let’s set a plan of action to get Johnny re-motivated and back on the road toward black belt.” One of the most powerful ways to save a student is to communicate your care for their progress and overall well being. Have empathy for the situation at hand and communicate your intent to find an effective solution. Successfully re-establishing rapport allows you to move on to uncovering the main objection. Uncovering the major objection “We can’t make the times.” “The class size is too big.” “We have too much going on.” “He doesn’t like jump kicks.” There are literally hundreds of objections that your students might have but only one stands in your way of successfully re-selling your martial arts program. This is not to say that there is only one objection. There may be many reasons that your students may be considering but nonetheless, there is one objection that serves as the glue for all the others. Think of this concept like opening a gift on your birthday. On the outside there is decorative wrapping, tape, a card and bold letters that read “HAPPY BIRTHDAY.” Although this is appealing and extremely thoughtful, you are not as concerned about the outside as you are about finding out what is on the inside. It drives your curiosity and ultimately your emotions. Unravel your prospects objections by using a series of well intended questions. As you continue through this process the real objection will reveal itself. In order to confirm your discovery, re-state the objection in the form of a question. For example, if your student says “Little Johnny is concerned about learning sparring” simply say “So as you have stated, the major obstacle standing in Johnny’s way at this point in time is sparring? AM I CORRECT?” Since you have just re-stated your prospect’s exact words in the form of a question he/ she will have no choice but to agree. Congratulations! You have uncovered the major objection. Provide remedy and create excitement for the future. Let us assume that the major objection is sparring. For reasons dictated by modern media, fellow classmates or perhaps a billboard image of an intimidating boxing champion in an aggressive stance, your student develops a false impression of what sparring is really about. Your job is now to educate your prospect on benefits and then create excitement about the learning process. For example, “Mrs. Prospect, the modern media often depicts a false image about what martial art sparring is all about. Our goal here at XYZ karate school is to guide the children in a safe, focused, goal oriented environment. Johnny is a great kid and we think very highly of him. Let us work with him and show him how fun sparring can be.” As stated above, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of different objections that your students might have. Nonetheless, the principle that works to alleviate these objections remains constant. Provide remedy and create excitement! Your students will thank you. If not now, they will thank you for your commitment and dedication to them in the long run. Follow up The last step in this process of saving a quitting student is to follow up. Sometimes following up can fall by the way side. The daily operations of the school, lesson planning, running amazing classes and prospecting are just a few of the things that pop up on any given day. Do not let these tasks get in your way of following up. Give a quick phone call, send an email, a text message, mail a letter, a post card or a thank you note. Do “what ever it takes” to ensure your student’s success. In summary, take these action steps
and run with them. Our society has a tendency, at
times, to take in great ideas, become motivated and then
do nothing. Take action to ensure your success and the
success of your students! |
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