This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
How do you attract and keep your pupils?


Attracting pupils is one thing, keeping them is something else. How do you ensure you attract pupils that stay with you through to test?


The Editor


• Discounts and Offers. If you are feeling very generous you can even offer one free Theory Test booking, but team this up with a block booking, so if they book 20 lessons and prepay you will include a FREE Theory Test. Block bookings are an ideal way of encouraging your pupils to stay with you, it also helps with your cash flow as you receive the money up front. You will have to look after your weekly budgets though ,as if you do take a block bookings you will not be receiving any weekly fees from that pupil and may need to teach them for 10 weeks. You will have to bear this in mind. You can also add in an introduce a friend, i.e for every pupil they introduce who books with your driving school, they get a 1/2 price lesson.


Pupils are becoming more savvy when it comes to lesson prices. With changing times and greater competition, many independent ADI’s need to find new ways to compete with the large franchises to attract and more importantly keep pupils on their books.


There are several ways to do this. With lesson prices averaging around £21 per hour, each new learner wants value for money,so offer it.


• Theory and Hazard perception Test preparation. Why not sign up to an online system such as Theory Test Pro, a service that will cost you a small fee monthly. It is a service that can be offered free to your pupils. With your own branded portal for your pupils to log into, you can monitor your pupils progress. With online mock tests you can identify areas of weakness. Ensure that whilst you are driving, you work on these weaknesses , this makes your pupils feel you care and are investing in them. A small cost can pay dividends when it comes to recommendations. Instead of an online system there are plenty of DVD’s and paper publications that can be offered to you pupils. They can also be re-used giving a cost effective solution. You don’t need to offer free lessons, or price yourself so low you make nothing its all, its all about the added extras.


• Pupil handouts and Welcome pack Make pupil handouts and offer a welcome pack. Detail your list of services and include a lesson plan guide. Ensure it contains a few business cars, maybe a diary for the pupil to detail what they have learnt and give them homework. This can be asking the pupil to go away and learn certain road signs for the next lesson. Its all about keeping your pupils engaged. After all learning to drive is taking an exam and you are the teacher. Show them that you have a real interest in their progression, that way they will want to stay with you and will be more likely to recommend your services.


• Regular contact Making regular contact with your pupils if they have re-arranged lessons or have missed a week, this will make them feel like you care and also lets you identify if they are considering leaving you. Talk them round and ask why? Offer a solution to help them. If they work all day or different shifts it may mean you have to be more flexible offering lessons at the weekend or at night time. Being an ADi is never going to be a 9 to 5 job and shouldn’t be viewed as such. Your flexibility will pay dividends.


• ADI Diary / Support services. Are you able to answer your pupils when they need to speak to you, if you are out teaching probably not. Most people hate answer phones and its easy for you to miss understand messages, which wastes your time and may loose you business. Why not consider using one of the ADI support services out there. For a fixed fee each month, all your enquiries are answered on your behalf, lessons booked and paid for and test arranged and re-arranged, you set the guidelines and the support services take care of your business. ADI support services are like having a personal assistant and can save you valuable time to spend teaching not administrating.


• Branding Is you car attractive to pupils,? Remember a pupil who does not know you, will have to go on looks and recommendations, but they will have to be able to search you out. It sounds shallow, but having a 17 year old daughter who has just started to learn to drive, she certainly had a view in what car she would like to be seen driving in. She choose a MINI and guess what - she is learning to drive in a MINI. This is not true of everyone, but in reality pupils have preferences. If you cannot afford a brand new car, make your stand out with eye catching logo decals and ensure your signage is prominent. Go for a catchy name, remember if you drive past a person or potential pupil you will have only a few seconds to get noticed. Don’t go for a name such as Peter Bloggs School of Motoring, I have seen ADI cars with every name under the


The Instructor : September / October 2011 Picture: DSA Crown copyright Visit www.ukdicmagazine.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44