Speeches & Sound Bites

It’s a common affliction among martial arts school owners to complain that the biggest school in town is a belt factory McDojo and that the reason someone else is better known is because of his or her tournament record or that they are more popular.

None of this is actually true and to use an excuse is a cop-out for underperformance.

If you really want to become well known in your area, you can’t hide in your school and complain that no one has discovered you.

You have to get out and hustle. The good news is that odds are no one else in your town will do what I am going to describe, so you can quickly become the martial arts celebrity in your town if you are willing to follow these steps.

You are one of the most unique business people in your community. Few people work in a business with the exotic allure and appeal of martial arts. This is a huge advantage, but only if you take advantage of it.

The essence of marketing is communication. Your ability to communicate in an effective, emotional and consistent manner will determine much of your success.

Rather than risk hard-earned dollars in a lot of paid advertising, I suggest you invest the time and effort into developing one or more 20-minute presentations on various aspects of the martial arts as you teach it and then get in front of as many audiences as you can each week.

The martial arts offer so many benefits that you can tailor a presentation to virtually any group.

For example self-defense alone can be:

• How to Get a Black Belt in Life
• Self Defense for Children
• Self Defense for Seniors
• Self Defense for Executives
• Self Defense for Teachers
• Martial Arts Fitness
• Martial Arts Attitudes of Success
• How Martial Arts Builds Strong Families I used to teach a Disciplines of Success seminar for salespeople. I was paid $500 for the first seminar. The company loved it, doubled my pay and booked six more. However, this is not about earning money as a speaker, though you can in time. This is about getting your name in the community by learning to write and speak and then getting in front of as many audiences as you can.

  Your pay will be in new students. Every community has clubs, organizations and events that are actively seeking speakers just like you. Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs, The Optimist club, schools, churches, Boy Scouts, apartment Committees, Awards Dinners, business networking groups and other similar venues not only offer captive audiences but often the organizers and attendees are some of the movers and shakers in your community.

  Not only can they bring you students but they will help you build your name and reputation once they hear you and believe in what you do.

  Each time, that you speak, think of a way to invite your audience to get involved in your school.

  This could be by adding you as a friend on Facebook, inviting them to contact you about working with another group their affiliated with, offering the group a special free seminar at your school, etc;

  Martial Arts Teachers.com has over 30 motivational mini-speeches that will help stimulate your thinking for what you want to present.

  But, the point is to simply start booking these presentations today.

  If you want to become well known in your town, you have to make the effort to get your name out there.

  Take full advantage of the unique opportunity you have as a black belt expert to get in front of audiences and spread the good word about your school and what you teach.

  Action Steps: What to do now

  1. Make a list of at least three different speeches that you’d enjoy giving. Create an outline for each, so that you have it for reference.

  2. Make a list of potential schools, organizations, business networking groups, etc; that may be interested in having you guest speaker. You can ask your students what groups they belong to if you’d like and start with those.

  3. Write an email or letter that you can send to each organization. Be sure to briefly explain who you are, how your speech can benefit their group, the topics they have to choose from, and how they would go about scheduling a speech with you.

  4. Add the tagline “Need a motivational guest speaker? Ask us about our motivational talks for schools, groups and businesses” to your website’s home page, your voice mail, window display and even brochures and business cards if you have space.

  5. Practice your speeches on video. Remember, it’s not what you say but how you say it that matters. Be sure to make eye contact, project your voice, avoid um, uh, or over explaining; use your body to support your words; and keep your hands at your sides to avoid the classic fig leaf position.