🎄 7 Holiday Sales Secrets

As the festive season approaches, it's time to think beyond the typical holiday rush and craft a holiday sale that not only delights your members but also significantly boosts your bottom line. Whether you’re a seasoned school owner or just starting out, mastering the art of a holiday sale can transform a routine discount event into a standout seasonal spectacle.

From timing your sale to outshine the big box stores to creating an irresistible shopping environment, these seven secrets will help you plan a holiday sale that's both joyful and wildly profitable. Ready to deck the halls with sales? Let's dive in!

1. Time It Right: Avoid the Big Box Showdown Start your holiday buzz early by planning your sale before the Black Friday frenzy. A strategic 3-hour sale on a Saturday or Sunday can capture attention (and wallets) before they’re drained by mainstream madness. This timing lets you shine in the spotlight, away from the shadows of big box stores.

2. Exclusivity Draws Crowds Create a must-visit event with items that can’t be found anywhere else. Exclusive products like custom ornaments, ugly sweater t-shirts, and branded tumblers not only enhance your brand’s uniqueness but also make your sale a can’t-miss event. Consider adding limited edition merchandise to give your regular offerings a festive twist and keep your members excited about collecting them all. Fun items we have seen this year: glow-in-the-dark t-shirts, ninja bread ornaments, branded coloring books, etc.

3. Your Catalog is Your Best Salesman Channel the magic of a holiday catalog to capture the imagination of your community. Much like the coveted toy catalogs of yesteryear, your catalog should be a visually appealing preview of exclusive offers and bundles. Incorporate interactive elements such as wish lists and kid-friendly puzzles to keep families engaged and talking about your offerings well before the sale begins.

4. Transform Your Space into a Festive Destination Decoration does more than beautify—it inspires. Convert your school into a Winter Wonderland to spark the holiday spirit and remind everyone that something special is brewing. Use sensory triggers like holiday music and scents reminiscent of winter treats to build anticipation. On the day of the sale, ensure your space is bustling with activities like indoor snowball fights (check amazon.com), crafts, and photo ops with Santa to make it the festive focal point of your community. And don’t forget holiday treats!

5. Let Your Instructors Model the Merch Utilize the influence of your instructors by having them wear and promote the merchandise ahead of the sale. If you will be selling exclusive t-shirts, they should be modeling them while they teach every class for the two weeks leading up to the sale. Add in some Santa and Elf hats while they teach and every student will be buzzing about getting the new merch at the holiday sale.

6. Price Smart, Not Just Low Profitability doesn’t have to be a casualty of discounting. Structure your pricing by incorporating all costs, including shipping, and then applying a strategic markup. This ensures that even with discounts, you’re operating within a profitable margin. We recommend taking your wholesale price, add in shipping and multiply it by 2x. This will give you room to do a slight discount and still make a profit.

7. Doorbusters That Make a Difference Boost early traffic by offering irresistible doorbuster deals to the first few attendees. Equip these special swag bags with items like custom ornaments or exclusive merchandise vouchers. This not only rewards early birds but also creates buzz and a line that automatically screams “demand is high”. Take a picture of the line and use it to market your sale next year. Make sure these doorbusters are well advertised ahead of the event to maximize turnout at the opening.

What’s Kickin’ on Social This Week…

Each week, we shine a light on five standout social media posts from top industry figures. Explore innovative techniques, training insights, motivational stories, and strategic advice that will enrich your practice and business. Engage with the community and infuse fresh ideas into your dojo.

1. My 3 Favorite New Hire Interview Questions - Kelly Murray

2. How to Gain More Focus as a Business Owner - Leila Hormozi

3. Everything We Do is Giving - Jennifer Waters

4. Getting Out of Your Feelings - Jadi Tention

5. What Profit Margin Should You Want For Your School - Matthew Brenner

💪 What’s Inspiring Us This Week: Teddy Atlas in Action

This week, we're drawing powerful motivation from a video of Teddy Atlas, a legendary boxing trainer, as he coaches his fighter with fiery passion in the corner. His words serve as a reminder to not just meet our students where they are but to inspire them to ascend to the heights of their potential.

As we guide our martial arts students and athletes, let's channel Teddy’s spirit: Encourage them to dig deep and push beyond their limits in the final stretch. Let's not lower our standards; instead, let's lift our students to meet them, igniting their drive to excel and conquer challenges.

😂 Martial Memes

Sometimes we need a break from the non-stop craziness of running a business to clear our mind and laugh out loud. The Kick has you covered, you’re welcome : )

Have a MEME that you want feaured? Send them to us at [email protected] or tag our instagram account @thekicknewsletter.