How To Leave An Outgoing Message For Your Academy
One of my Mentors, Mr. Fred Mertens, once said this about “first impressions.”
“Because of the first impression factor… you’d be better off letting your incoming inquires for classes…. go directly to your voice-mail, than to risk them being talked ‘out of joining’ by an unskilled, un-enthusiastic, un-professional representative.”
I couldn’t agree more.
In fact, if I’m not feeling 100% “with it” mentally (which is rare) I, myself, would rather let my best “recorded self” do the work that my “unprepared self” would otherwise mishandle.
In short: If ya aint razor-sharp on the phone… and if you don’t have razor-sharp people to handle your incoming inquiries for classes (potential new students) you should record an OGM (out-going message) on your voicemail that will make your prospects think:
1) These are really nice people with a helpful spirit… and….
2) They also sound trustworthy.
Yes, just like good ole’ Dale Carnegie said, “People don’t care how much you know til’ they know how much you care” — likewise, I say this:
Even if you run a “macho mixed martial arts” program… or..
Even if you run a “traditional old-school dojo”… and/or…
Even if you’re the type of academy-owner who is SO successful that you do NOT need new members, and want to portray this “take-away” aura like even I like to do sometimes (acting as if you don’t “need” new business, or “desperate” for clients)…
YOU WOULD DO WELL TO HAVE THE FRIENDLY, POLITE, AND MAYBE EVEN POLITICALLY-CORRECT “IMPRESSION”, BLEED THROUGH WHEN POTENTIAL (and current) CLIENTS CALL YOUR PLACE OF BUSINESS!
This is where I’ll take a backseat and simply confess my lack of couth… and direct your attention to my other mentor, Professor Keith Hafner.
Have you ever called his academy and heard his OGM?
Probably not, and, if you did… you probably STILL wouldn’t get to hear it because his team ALWAYS answers the phone!
Now, don’t go bothering Keith… I’m going to help you… (by the way, if you’re not a subscriber to his amazing and way-under-priced monthly “Mastermind Program” you’re making a mistake that is costing you big time)… and here’s how:
I have included in this blogpost, Keith’s complete OGM at his thousand-active student academy in Ann Arbor, MI
Here it is:
…ring…ring:
“Hi… Thanks so much for calling Keith Hafner’s Karate! To register for your FREE, One-Week Trial Membership… leave your name, your address, and your phone number… OR… if you’ve just called to leave a message, wait for the sound of the sound of the tone! Thanks! See ya soon! Bye!”
Doesn’t that sound simple, friendly, and “trusting”? But it’s not only the genious behind the simple words he puts together… it’s the way he actually says it too.
You can hear his character in the message itself.
Naturally, because I always strive to make things easier for you, instead of having you bother Keith by calling his school at midnight and using up valuable space on his voice-mail with hang-up calls, I’ve taken the liberty of recording his OGM last night after calling him to say “Happy Thanksgiving”, and uploading it for you here
More about Keith Hafner and his school (and “No”, I’m not being “taken care of” to plug Keith here in my blog — you heard for yourself, what kind of man he is)
First, did you know he’s located in a windowless basement… with practically zero visibility… and if it weren’t for all the people with Karate uniforms coming and going, you’d probably not find the place even with GPS!?)
Yeah, that obscure.
Only great thing about his location in Ann Arbor is that he IS in a pretty densely-populated down town area.
Point is:
When Keith speaks, I listen.
And, seeing how Professor Hafner has (still, I think) the single largest single-dojo operation in the U.S.A… apparently every prospect who calls and gets his OGM instead of a live person, also listens. And shows for an intro course, and eventually enrolls, and further, commits (Keith’s Student Value is around 7,520 last time we spoke — by the way, ‘Student Value’ equals the average amount of income Keith’s academy will gernerate from each new enrollee.
More about that (Student Value) in an upcoming issue/post.
Til then, go change your OGM! Test it for a week!
I did!
And I had clients say, “Sensei sounds so nice on the voice greeting!”
Implying that in real life, I guess I don’t come across so nice… (but I’m working on it!)
Til next, time, I remain,
The world’s most knowledgeable Martial Arts Business Consultant,
Master Scott Palangi
