Enrollment · Martial Arts Schools

The Complete Phone Script

Chief Master Greg Moody, Ph.D. · Founder, KarateBuilt Martial Arts · Senior Consultant, Martial Arts Wealth Mastery · August 5, 2026

The phone is the first job inside the school. Everything you spend on marketing funnels into a ringing phone and a person who either sets a good appointment or doesn’t. And you can’t teach a lesson to someone who never booked one.

What makes a phone appointment a good one?

The phone is the first job inside the school. Not the most glamorous one. The first one.

Everything else you do funnels into a ringing phone and a person who either sets a good appointment or doesn’t. You can’t teach a lesson to someone who never booked one, which is where most arguments about what counts as a lead actually end up.

When you’re deciding whether a line stays in your script, that’s the test. If it doesn’t move the caller toward showing up ready, it’s decoration.

What are the general phone rules?

These sit above the script. Break one and the best script in the industry won’t save the call.

• Smile. They hear it. It changes your pacing, and the person on the other end registers it as warmth. Staff who won’t do it sound like they’re reading a warranty.
• Answer on the second ring. The first ring reads as desperate. The fourth reads as nobody is home.
• Keep the script obviously available at every phone. A script nobody can reach during the call exists for your comfort, not theirs.
• Take notes on every call: the child’s name, the age, the reason they called, the friend’s name. You’ll use all of it later.
• Return information calls immediately. Not today. Immediately. That caller is comparing you to three other schools and the first callback wins.
• Return student calls within 24 hours.
• Check voicemail any time a call could have come in: your main line, your local line, and your internet leads.
• One message per week, maximum. Follow up daily or more for two weeks, then monthly. Three voicemails in two days doesn’t read as diligent; it reads as a school with no students.

What do you say in Part One, the introduction?

Part One: Introduction

“KarateBuilt Martial Arts and Karate for Kids, how may I help you?...”

“Great, my name is ____. Who am I speaking with?”

“Is this for you or someone else?”

If for them: “Great! How old are you? That’s a terrific age to start.”

If for someone else: “Who? What’s his/her name? How old is he/she?... That’s a terrific age to start.”

You got their name and gave yours. Now it’s two people talking instead of an inquiry. You’ll use their name six more times before you hang up, and every use makes it harder to brush you off.

You found out who the student is. A mother calling about her son needs a different conversation than a 34-year-old calling for himself. Ask early and you never have to guess.

“That’s a terrific age to start” is doing real work. Every caller is privately wondering whether their kid is too young, or whether they themselves are too old. You answered it before they had to admit they were asking.

Why does the referral and sponsor question matter?

Part Two: Pre-Qualification

“Now we only accept new students on a referral basis.”

“Did someone recommend the academy to you, or do you know anyone who trains at one of our academies, so he or she can be your personal sponsor?”

If yes: “May I ask the student’s name?”

If no: “Then how did you hear about our academy?...Because you weren’t referred by one of our students, the only alternative is for one of our instructors to personally be your sponsor.”

“Have you taken martial arts before?”

If yes: “What style? Where? How long? Did you earn a belt rank? Congratulations.”

If no: “How long have you been thinking about it?”

“If you don’t mind my asking, what specifically do you want to accomplish with a martial arts program?...That’s great. A lot of our students enrolled for the same reason.”

This is the part owners cut, and cutting it’s why their show rate is bad.

A school that takes anyone who calls has no standard, and parents can feel that. The sponsor line gives them a way in rather than a wall. You aren’t turning anyone away, you’re explaining that an instructor will personally sponsor them, which is a better offer than the one they called for.

The history question tells you what you’re dealing with. A former Brown Belt from another style needs a different first lesson than a total beginner. And when they earned a rank, congratulate them. It costs nothing and it lands every time.

“What specifically do you want to accomplish” is the most valuable question on the sheet. Write the answer down word for word. That sentence is what you build the enrollment conversation around.

How do you set the appointment?

Part Three: Appointment

If referred: “Because we are a referral-based academy, we offer all our new members a free 30 day trial program so they can find out about our academy and see what we have to offer. How does that sound?”

If not referred: “In order for one of our instructors to be your sponsor, we’d like to meet with you and give you a free lesson. This way we can get to know you (and your family), and you can see exactly what we have to offer. How does that sound?... Now, just so you are aware, because we are a referral-based academy, if everything goes well, and after the lesson you think you would like to continue, we do offer all our new members a free 30 day trial program, okay?”

“(Offer lesson times.) I have an opening today at ____ or ____. Which is better for you?”

“____, what is your last name?...phone number (cell is best)?...And home? work?”

“____, do you know how to get to the academy? (Give directions.)”

“Which is better for you” isn’t optional phrasing. You offer two specific times. “When works for you?” is an invitation to think about it, and thinking about it happens after you hang up, permanently. That’s decision anxiety doing its work against you.

“I have an opening today” (today, whenever you can get it). The gap between the call and the appointment is where enrollments die. Whether you run one intro or two is a separate decision; getting them on the book today isn’t.

Always give directions, even when they say they know where you are. Half of them are wrong, and the ones who are right just got a free reason to keep listening to you.

How do you close the appointment?

Part Four: Appointment Closing

“When you get to the academy, I’ll make sure we meet. Again, my name is ____. The lesson will take about 45 minutes, so plan accordingly...”

“You are welcome to bring a friend. Who would you like to bring?”

If reluctant: “You see, ____, sometimes a new student may feel a bit awkward or nervous. Some of our best students felt that way when they first got started. And you know what we found? If a new student brings a friend, they have a lot of fun together, and this takes away the anxiety. Who would you like to bring to your first lesson?”

“Terrific. May I have your friend’s name and telephone number, so I can call him/her and give him/her all the information?”

“Last thing... Your address so I can send an info packet? Thanks!... Email address?”

“Excellent! I am also going to text you our Contact Card. Make sure when you get it, click on it and add it to your contacts so you’ll have all our information, OK?”

“If for some reason you cannot make the appointment, please call because we work by appointment only, okay? I look forward to seeing you on ____ at ____. Thank you for calling [YOUR SCHOOL NAME].”

“I’ll make sure we meet.” They now have a person to look for. People keep appointments with people, not with buildings.

“Who would you like to bring?” Not “would you like to bring someone?” The open question assumes the friend. It’s the same move as handing a parent a uniform instead of asking: an instruction, not an invitation. A caller who names a friend has told a second household about your school before they ever walk in.

The awkward-or-nervous line disarms the real objection. They aren’t worried about the drive. They’re worried about looking foolish in front of strangers.

The Contact Card is your whole confirmation system in one text. Your school is now in their phone with a name attached, so tomorrow you aren’t an unknown number.

What do you say when they object?

The non-committal objection

Script: verbatim

“Listen, I can appreciate [reason]. And what I would like to suggest is that we go ahead and pencil in a tentative time, then you get back with me.”

“The reason I say this is because your first lesson is by appointment only, and our schedule gets pretty booked up.”

“This way, if the time works, I will have already blocked off time for your lesson. The next times I have are ____ or ____. Which is better for you?”

“Pencil in” is the pressure valve. You lowered the commitment to almost nothing and still got a specific time on a calendar, which is the only thing that matters.

The price objection

Four rungs, in order:

1. First time: ignore and continue. No acknowledgment, no apology, no explanation.
2. Second time: “It depends” and continue.
3. Third time: “It depends on which program we get you started on” and continue.
4. Fourth time and up: variety, then redirect.

Script: verbatim

“____, we have a variety of different courses for people with different budgets, and our tuition prices are both reasonable and competitive. Let’s go ahead and set up your first free lesson, and then I can sit down with you and give you all the course information...”

or, if they push: “If all you’re worried about is the price, our least expensive course we have is only [YOUR LOWEST-PRICE PROGRAM] a month. However, let’s go ahead and set up your first free lesson...”

“And continue” is the technique. Every response is four words or fewer, then the next scripted question. Answer and go quiet, and the caller fills the silence with the same question, now with an edge on it.

We never say “We charge $497 a month” on the phone. You’re going to tell them. In person, after you know which program fits. Quoting a number to someone who hasn’t been evaluated is guessing.

“I just want to watch a class”

Script: verbatim

“We evaluate each student to determine what program they qualify for so the first step is to have them come in with an instructor 1 on 1. I have tonight at 5 or 7 available, which is better for you?”

Never allow the watch. A parent in a folding chair is evaluating whether the class looks fun. A parent whose child just finished a private first lesson is evaluating whether to enroll. Those are not the same appointment.

If a watch gets scheduled by accident, ignore that it was ever a watch and run a normal intro. If the parent arrives without the child, reschedule using the line above.

“Do you do Taekwondo?” (or Karate, or Kung Fu)

Script: verbatim

“What interests you about Taekwondo?” And discuss...

Never answer yes or no. They may love that style or they may have had a terrible experience with it, and you have no idea which until you ask. A yes to the wrong person ends the call as fast as a no to the right one.

What has to happen right after you hang up?

• Enter all the information now, while your notes are in front of you: local system, scheduler and CRM.
• Send the information packet. Send physical mail if the appointment is more than three days out.
• Print the Student Information Sheet and the schedule for the appointment.
• Prepare. Read your own notes. Know the child’s name, the age, and the sentence they gave you about what they want to accomplish.

the enrollment-day staff guide covers what happens on the floor once they arrive.

How do you confirm an appointment?

Confirmation: day before

“Hi, is ____ there?” “____, this is ____. How are you tonight?”

“____, I’m calling you to confirm your lesson with us tomorrow night at [YOUR SCHOOL NAME], and I want to go over a few things with you.”

“First, do you have directions to the school?”

[“Next, does your friend ____, who will be joining you, know how to get here? If you’d like, I could give him/her a call. What is ____’s number?”]

“When you arrive to the school, I’ll make sure we meet. I’ll bring you on a tour of the school, and then take you through your first lesson, so you’ll know exactly what the school has to offer.”

“As we mentioned before, it’s required that _____’s dad/mom attend as well - did you let them know about the time?”

“____, if for any reason you are unable to make your first lesson, please give me a call, because we teach first lessons by appointment only.”

“Did you get to add our contact card to your phone?”

“Let me get a little more information to make your time go faster.” (fill out Student Info Sheet with them)

“I look forward to seeing you, _____ and _____’s dad/mom on ____ at ____. Have a great day!”

Discuss any issue with the second parent attending, but don’t reschedule the first lesson over it. And filling out the information sheet on this call isn’t busywork. Every question they answer tonight is a question they’ve already committed to answering.

Confirmation: day of

“Hello again, this is ____ from KarateBuilt Martial Arts and Karate for Kids. I thought I would call to let you know we are on schedule for your first lesson tonight at ____ with you, _____ and _____’s dad/mom.”

“If you would like, you are welcome to come a little earlier so you can check out the school before we get started.”

“And please remember to wear loose-fitting clothes for your first black belt lesson. It’s going to be fun! I’ll see you tonight. Thank you.”

If the day-before call didn’t connect, redo the contact card and fill out the information sheet on this one.

What do you do when they miss the appointment?

Missed appointment: 15 minutes after

“____, this is ____ from [YOUR SCHOOL NAME]. How are you tonight? Is everything okay?”

“I’m glad I caught you. I was looking forward to our first lesson together at [time].”

“____, this happens a lot at this time of year. However, you’re in luck. I have two openings this evening/tomorrow, one at ____ and one at ____. Which is better for you?”

“____, do you have directions to the school?”

“I look forward to seeing you at ____. Drive safely, good afternoon/night.”

“Is everything okay?” comes first, before anything about the appointment. They know they missed it and they’re braced to be scolded. Concern instead of accusation is why this call works.

“This happens a lot at this time of year” hands them an exit from embarrassment. “You’re in luck” reframes the call from failure to opportunity.

The day-after call is the same, opening with: “I was reviewing my schedule from last night, and I see we missed your first black belt lesson.”

What are the voicemail and text scripts?

Contact card text

“Hi! This is _________ from KarateBuilt! Great speaking with you just now! This is my Contact Card” (attach Contact Card)

“Click on it and then add it to your contact list so you have all our info :) See you _____ at _____ !”

Confirmation text: day before

“Hi____, this is ____. I’m reminding you about ____’s lesson tomorrow at [YOUR SCHOOL NAME] at ____. See you there!”

Missed appointment text: two lines

“Hi____, this is ____. I hope all is OK! We had ____’s lesson at ______. Text or call me at” NUMBER

“We have ____ or ___ available or we can setup another time to use your free lessons!”

On the missed-appointment voicemail, lead with “I hope everything is okay,” say you were looking forward to the lesson, run the “this happens a lot” and “you’re in luck” lines, give two specific times, and give your number.

How do you train someone to run this?

The script is the easy part. It’s on paper and you can hand it to someone in four seconds. Two errors kill it, and owners commit them in order.

Error one: no script. Somebody improvises on the most valuable sixty seconds in the business.

Error two, the expensive one: a script poorly trained on. It’s printed, it’s by the phone, it got read aloud once in a staff meeting, and the owner now believes the problem is solved. That belief is what makes it worse than error one.

Step	What you run	You’re done when
1	The script straight through, out loud, to a mirror or a cooperative partner.	They don’t need the paper.
2	Nothing but price and non-committal objections, back to back.	You handle them without looking.
3	Random objections, mixed conditions, games and rapid-fire drills.	Nothing thrown at you stops the call.
4	Steps 1–3 again, on a set interval.	It’s on the calendar, not on your intentions.

Note which step owners skip. Nobody ever asks me how to answer the phone. They ask how to handle the price question. Objections are the part that gives you anxiety, so that’s the part you want to train, and training it first is punching your staff in the face before they’ve learned to block. the Standard Training Protocol covers the whole protocol.

The certification standard at KarateBuilt: write the script out by hand, pass a 171-point written test at 95% or better (163 points), then nine role plays with an instructor from your own school, two with an instructor from a different school, and one with me.

The different-school requirement matters more than it looks. Your own team goes easy on you because they like you and they already know the answers.

Role playing rules: stay in character; don’t discuss it, do it; be tough without overdoing it. The most common failure in role play is two people talking about the script for eleven minutes and running it twice.

Does this actually work?

Ten-year-olds aren’t my ideal age range for the phone. Which should settle any question about whether your adult staff can run this.

What to do this week

1. Put the script next to every phone in the building, visible, tonight.
2. Call your own school from an unfamiliar number and open with “How much is it?” Ask three times. Write down what you get.
3. Schedule role plays as a standing block. Not “when it slows down.” It doesn’t slow down.
4. Start one staff member at Step 1, twenty minutes, out loud, no objections.
5. Confirm every appointment on your book for the next two weeks, day before and day of, by call and text and email.

You can’t out-market a bad phone call. Every dollar you spend on advertising walks through those sixty seconds, and at most schools most of it walks back out.

Fix the sixty seconds first.