The Core Principle of the Black Belt Club
Posted on | May 1, 2010 | No Comments
Offering membership in a Black Belt Club or a similar designation in your school is a powerful tool that can be used to dramatically increase retention. I’m often asked about how we do our Black Belt Club. What kind of a discount do members get on retail? Do they have a special class only for them? Do they get to wear a cool uniform? How long do they enroll for?
The truth… for us anyway… is that the Black Belt Club (BBC) doesn’t have anything to do with wearing a red Gi that has a neon BBC patch on it, or enrolling in a 3½ year program, or having a special “members only” training class. I guess there is nothing wrong with any of that, as long as no one is confused with what the real goal of BBC is. The real purpose is to have the student make a public commitment to getting their Black Belt.
As most of us are aware, it’s a lot more challenging to go back on a promise we’ve made publicly. So, I believe that it is the instructor’s goal to have their student not only commit during the BBC meeting, but he or she must also make the promise publicly by wearing a patch or announcing the goal in front of a class. The BBC Commitment that our students sign has nothing to do about money. It is a simple pledge of commitment that basically says:
I am committed to obtaining the rank of Black Belt and am willing to do what ever it takes to do so. I also understand that my instructor will not let me quit and will be there every step of the way to help me reach my goal.
There is a bit more to the wording, but you get the idea. When you perform the BBC interview, your goal is to encourage the student to promise publicly and personally that they will earn their black belt. Then, if the student ever wavers in their commitment, you can recall that meeting and pull out their written promise to persuade them to keep pushing through a challenging time. Remind them that you don’t know of anyone who is sorry they earned their black belt, especially those who considered quitting at one time or another.
Remember, in order for this to work most effectively, your school must be running well and be able to meet the needs of your students. Be sure to make an honest assessment of the product you’re offering if you hear from multiple students that they’re thinking of quitting.
By focusing on getting a Black Belt commitment from your students, you can build retention and insure the future of your martial arts school.
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About Dave Kovar
Mr. Kovar has been teaching Martial Arts professionally since 1978. Dave is a multi-style Black Belt who has been committed to ever-improving his Martial Arts skills. He updates this blog to provide tips and insights to martial arts instructors around the country. To learn more, click here.
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