Why 95 Percent of Service Providers Are Fighting Over 5 Percent of the Market

For the past four months, I have been studying martial arts gym websites.

Almost 1000 of them so far.

I do my due diligence before I reach out.

I look at their messaging. I look at their offers. I look at where they are leaking potential students.

And then I reach out with a sequence of four messages.

Message one: short initial hello. I offer some value. I offer a free Loom video where I walk through their website and show them what I would change. Three to four minutes. No charge. No catch.

Message two: a bump. Most outreach stops at the first attempt. I give them more value and remind them the Loom video is still available. Still free. Still no catch.

Message three: even more value. Specific things they can improve on their website. And another reminder that the Loom video is waiting if they want it.

Message four: the breakup. Timing is off. They are not in enough pain. I leave the door open if they want the Loom video or if they want a Dojo Diagnostic where we look at their conversion numbers and find the biggest leak in their bucket. Then I move on.

Nowhere in those four messages am I trying to sell my services. I am building trust. I am showing expertise. I am giving value before I ask for anything.

And the reason this works, when it works, is because I am not fighting over the 10 percent of gym owners who are ready to buy right now.

I am serving the 90 percent who are not ready yet. Who are in pain but do not know what will fix it.

Who need education.

Who need trust.

Who need someone to walk them through the process of figuring out what they actually need.

That is the pattern I am not seeing across almost 1000 gym websites.

And the lesson applies to you whether you run a business or you are an employee.

Because if you are employed, you are the CEO of You, Inc.

And if you are not learning how to educate people about the value you provide long before you try to sell them on the service you sell, you are fighting for scraps in a crowded market.

The Pyramid

There is a framework called the Five Stages of Buyer Awareness.

I share it with gym owners in those Loom videos.

Most of them have never seen it before. And once they see it, they understand why their website is not working.

The pyramid has five levels.

At the bottom, 40 percent of buyers are Unaware.

They do not even know they have a problem. They are not searching for a solution. They are not comparing options. They are living their lives and something feels off but they cannot name what it is.

The next level up, 30 percent are Problem Aware.

They know something is wrong. They know they feel out of shape or stressed or disconnected. But they do not know what will fix it. They are starting to look. They are starting to ask questions.

The next level, 20 percent are Solution Aware.

They know martial arts is a possible answer. They know gyms exist. They are starting to narrow the field. They are trying to figure out what kind of training fits their life.

The next level, 7 percent are Product Aware.

They know about specific gyms in their area. They are comparing. They are reading reviews. They are looking at pricing. They are close to making a decision.

At the top, 3 percent are Most Aware.

They are ready to buy. They have decided on martial arts. They have decided on a gym. They are just looking for the right timing or the right offer to pull the trigger.

Most gym owners build their entire website to serve the top 10 percent.

The ones who are already comparing and ready to buy.

They put up a homepage that says “Train with us” and a big button that says “Start your free trial.”

And then they wonder why they are not getting enough students.

The Problem with Free Trials

Offering a free trial makes you a commodity.

You are now compared to the gym down the street that is also offering a free trial.

And how is a brand-new person supposed to make that comparison?

They do not know what to look for in a good gym versus a bad gym.

And I have seen plenty of bad gyms in my years and while doing my due diligence.

Even if your gym is good, is it good for them?

Do they need the hardcore intensity of a competition team or the community of a hobbyist gym?

Do they need the structure of traditional martial arts or the chaos of live sparring?

They do not know.

And the website is not helping them figure it out.

Because the website is asking them to raise their hand and give their contact information before the gym has built any trust.

Before the have demonstrated any expertise, I mean let's be honest, being a black belt and having medals are a dime a dozen, a business unto themselves.

Before they have given them any value.

That feels icky. That feels like they care more about selling them than serving.

And the visitor can feel that.

So they leave.

And they go to the next gym website. Which is asking for the same thing. And they leave that one too.

And eventually they do not sign up anywhere because the whole experience feels like a used car lot.

The Red Ocean

There is a concept in business called red ocean versus blue ocean.

A red ocean is a crowded market where everyone is competing for the same customers using the same tactics.

The water is red because everyone is bleeding.

• Margins are thin
• Customers are price-sensitive
• Differentiation is hard

A blue ocean is an uncrowded market.

You have created space where competition is irrelevant because you are serving a need nobody else is serving.

Or you are serving it in a way nobody else is.

Ninety-five percent of service providers are in the red ocean.

They are all fighting over the top 5 percent of buyers who are ready to buy.

And they are all using the same tactics.

• Free trials
• Discounts
• Urgency
• Scarcity
• Book a call
• Sign up now

They are ignoring the bottom 90 percent.

The people who are unaware, problem aware, and solution aware.

The people who need education.

Who need trust.

Who need someone to walk them through the process of figuring out what they actually need.

If you build your business to serve the bottom 90 percent, you are in a blue ocean.

You have no competition.

Because nobody else is doing it.

How the Four-Message Sequence Works

My four-message sequence is designed to serve the bottom 90 percent.

And it is designed to build trust over time instead of asking for a sale on day one.

Message one is value.

Here is who I am. Here is what I do.

Here is something I noticed on your website that you can improve.

No charge. No obligation.

And if you want, I will make you a free Loom video showing you exactly what I would change.

Three to four minutes of your time. That is it.

Most people do not respond. That is fine.

They are not in enough pain yet. Or the timing is off. Or they do not trust me yet.

I am not trying to close them on message one.

I am trying to plant a seed.

Message two is a bump.

Most outreach stops at the first attempt. So I follow up.

I give them more value.

I remind them the Loom video is still available.

I respect their time. I do not pressure them. I just remind them I am here if they need me.

Again, most people do not respond. That is fine.

I am building trust. I am demonstrating that I am not going away after one no.

I am showing up consistently. I am giving value every time I show up.

Message three is more value.

Here are more specific things you can improve on your website. Here is why they matter. Here is what they are costing you.

And one more time, the Loom video is waiting if you want it.

Most people still do not respond. And that is when I know the timing is off.

They are not in enough pain to take action. Or they do not believe I can help.

Or they are too busy to think about it. So I move to message four.

Message four is the breakup.

I tell them the timing is not right.

I leave the door open if they want the Loom video or if they want a Dojo Diagnostic where we look at their conversion numbers and find the biggest leak.

But I am moving on. I am not chasing. I am not begging.

I am respecting their time and mine.

That sequence does three things. It builds trust. It demonstrates expertise.

And it sorts. The people who are not ready self-select out.

The people who are ready raise their hand.

And when someone does raise their hand, they are not comparing me to three other consultants.

They have already decided I know what I am talking about.

Because I showed them. Four times. For free.

What I Learned Helping My Wife

I learned this framework when I was helping my wife build her somatic healing practice.​

She was phenomenal at her craft. But nobody knew who she was.

Nobody understood what she did.

And nobody was signing up.

So I stopped her from trying to get more clients. And instead, I helped her to start educating people about what somatic healing is.

What problems it solves.

Who it is for.

How it is different from massage or therapy or chiropractic.

We wrote articles. We recorded videos. We answered questions.

She built trust. She demonstrated expertise. She gave value long before we asked for a sale.

And when people finally booked a session, they were not price shopping.

They were not comparing her to three other practitioners.

They had already decided.

Because we had educated them. We had built trust. We had served them before they ever gave us a dollar.

That same approach turned my construction career around.

I was an electrician for thirty-five years.

And for most of those years, I was just another guy on the jobsite. I did the work. I collected the paycheck. I went home.

But when I started applying this framework, I stopped being just another electrician.

I started educating foremen and project managers about how I could save them time, money and headaches by putting me on certain projects.

Then when they did, I made sure to take ownership of the project, handling everything that I could so my boss wouldn't have to.

Plus because it was work that I actually preferred doing, I made sure to get it done faster, better and cleaner than most of his crew would.

I became the guy they called when they had needed certain projects done.

The guy they trusted. The guy they wanted on their crew.

And my career changed.

Not because I got better at running conduit. Because I got better at building trust and demonstrating expertise before anyone asked me to sell.

Why the Hundreds Will Become Thousands

Right now I am reaching out to hundreds of gyms.

Soon it will be thousands.

And most of them will not respond.

That is the point.

I am not trying to close everyone.

I am trying to find the people who are in enough pain and whose timing is right.

And I am trying to be around long enough so that when the timing does match, I am the first person they think of.

That is the game.

Not converting everyone who sees your message.

Finding the right people at the right time.

And building enough trust before that moment arrives that when they are ready, they do not need to think about it.

They already know you are the answer.

Most service providers give up after one or two attempts.

They send a cold email. They get no response. They move on.

They never build trust. They never demonstrate expertise. They never give value.

So when someone finally is ready to buy, they have no relationship to lean on.

I am building relationships with hundreds of gym owners who are not ready yet.

Some of them will never be ready.

Some of them will be ready in six months.

Some of them will be ready in two years.

And when they are ready, I will be the one they call.

Because I was the one who showed up. Who gave value. Who built trust. Who respected their time.

That is a blue ocean.

The water is calm because nobody else is willing to do the work.

How to Get Out of the Red Ocean

If you are struggling in your business, or if you are struggling to advance in your career, the problem is probably the same.

You are competing in a red ocean.

You are fighting for the top 10 percent.

And you are using the same tactics everyone else is using.

The fix is simple. Start serving the bottom 90 percent.

Educate people who do not know they have a problem.

Write about the pain they feel and name it for them. Help them see what they have been missing.

When I was in construction, I would literally tell my boss, "Put me on the fire alarm work. I have a ton of experience doing it and I love doing that work. I will take the prints and handle it on my own, freeing up your time and energy."

Then I would get it done and blow them away with how much easier I made their life at work.

Educate people who know they have a problem but do not know what will fix it.

• Show them the range of solutions.
• Teach them what to look for.
• Help them make an informed decision.

Educate people who know the solution but do not know which provider to choose.

• Teach them how to evaluate quality.
• Show them what good looks like.
• Give them the framework to make the right choice for them.

Do all of that before you ask them for anything.

Before you ask for their email.

Before you ask for a call.

Before you ask for a sale.

Just give. Just serve. Just build trust.

And when they are ready to buy, they will not be comparing you to anyone else.

Because you are the one who educated them.

You are the one who served them. You are the one they trust.

That is a blue ocean. And the water is calm because you are the only one in it.

The Lesson for Employees

If you are reading this and thinking, “I am not a business owner, this does not apply to me,” you are wrong.

You are the CEO of You, Inc.

Your employer is your customer.

Your coworkers are your customers.

Your boss is your customer.

And if you are not educating them about the value you provide long before you ask for a raise or a promotion or a better project, you are in the red ocean with everyone else who just does their job and hopes to get noticed.

The employees who advance are not the ones who work the hardest.

They are the ones who build trust.

Who demonstrate expertise.

Who serve before they ask.

They are the ones who educate their boss about what is actually happening on the ground.

Who help their coworkers solve problems before the problems become crises.

Who see patterns nobody else sees and share what they see instead of hoarding it.

They are the ones who get out of the red ocean.

Who stop competing with everyone else for the same limited opportunities.

Who create blue oceans where the opportunities come to them because they are the only ones anyone trusts to do the work.

The Takeaway

Ninety-five percent of service providers are fighting over 5 percent of the market.

They are all asking for the sale before they have built trust.

Before they have demonstrated expertise.

Before they have served.

You do not have to be one of them.

You can serve the bottom 90 percent. You can educate instead of sell.

You can build trust instead of asking for it.

You can give value long before you ask for anything in return.

My four-message sequence is just one way to do it.

The principle is the same whether you are reaching out to gym owners, applying for jobs, pitching clients, or trying to get promoted.

Build trust first.

Demonstrate expertise first.

Serve first. Ask later.

That is how you get out of the red ocean.

That is how you find your blue ocean.

That is how you build a business or a career that does not feel like a fight.

The water is calmer when you are the only one in it.

⚔ The Dojo Drill

Today’s training:

The Compliment Drill

Give someone a specific compliment today.

Not flattery.

Observation.

📚 Leader’s Library

Book I recommend this week:

​​Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card​​

Why?

To find out how even the smallest weakest little kid can become the greatest leader and the most badass fighter in all the world.

P.S. Know a martial arts gym owner who’s stressed about money or student numbers?

Do them a favor: send them to The Leader's Dōjō, my website where I help owners get more students and keep them longer with simple systems.

One forward from you could change their gym: The Leader's Dōjō​

Chuck