How do you attract and keep your pupils?
sun, but a few roll off my tongue, The L Team, Mr Instructor, Pass & Go, all had great signage and an instant reaction from me, oh that’s clever, but most importantly I remembered the name stuck it into google and found their contact details. Remember your car is your free advertisement roaming the streets, get it right and you will attract pupils, this is what you want. You can get branded everything these days from polo shirts to key rings. If you finish work and walk into a supermarket wearing a polo shirt with your driving school on it you are a walking advert even whilst shopping..... Give you pupils a key ring this means every time they go out they take you with them, as a reminder to attend a lesson or to call you - it works. With branding its all about repetitive, consistent awareness. Its not what you know, its who knows who you are!
• Web sites Having your own web site is so important, just relying on Yell or Thompson Local listing your home and mobile number is not enough. You need visibility. Your web site can speak volumes about your business and can include pictures of your car, past and current pupils, testimonials and a personal profile. Together with advice, tips and video content to provide your pupils with a comprehensive online resource. There are several ways to ensure your web site gets noticed. Make it easy to find, ensure your domain name matches your Driving School, buy several domains that will point to your site, for example if you are Joebloggssom, based in Leicester, have
www.Joebloggssom.co.uk and www.
drivinglessonsinleicester.co.uk. Obviously it depends on availability, but if you are starting out, a domain name search should be one of your first tasks in choosing a name for your school. Therefore ensuring you can get noticed. Don’t go for a really cheap web site that you have to administrate yourself, as cheap really does mean cheap. A good ADI web site design service will take care of everything for you and will offer assistance and advice for free. Remember its a one time investment and most companies are flexible over cost and will allow monthly payments, if they don’t , ask! Once your web site id up and running make sure your web address is on every listing for your business. Its displayed on your car, business cards and handouts, remember its all about branding and your web site is an important partner in that branding.
• Advertising There are lots of ways to get your driving school noticed and I have talked about this under branding. Advertising can bring business in but can be expensive. Register your web site on as many directories as possible, this takes time but is well worth it. Search around your local area, they may be a local business forum and listing that displays local businesses for free. Get a few hundred flyers printed and beg and plead with local schools/ colleges to display on notice boards, ask them if they have a school or college newsletter you can advertise or sponsor - this is a very cheap
The Instructor : September / October 2011 Visit
www.ukdicmagazine.co.uk
The Editor
way to get noticed. Look out for local events being held, attend and take some leaflets with you. Be visible at all times and never miss an opportunity to promote yourself. Create a face book or twitter account that can be linked to your web site. If you are feeling like an amateur film maker, get someone to video your car or lesson and get it on you tube, you can also embed this on your web site. Its all about google, are you visible.?
• The driving environment Remember you spend all day in your car, make sure it doesn’t smell and look like you have. It sounds obvious but your personal space is also you office space so keep it inviting and smelling fresh. Give yourself and your car regular valleting!!
• Telephone and Email contact. Your mobile is your best friend when it comes to organising your working day, ensure your emails are sent to your mobile so you never miss a message. Try using a service like adi-talk it gives you a free 0843 number that notifies you by email when you have had a call with the number, location and time listed. You can also have it diverted to a land line or mobile and control like a switch board with a personal greeting and it also has voice mail service. A paid for 0800 number can also be used, making a call to your school a FREE call. Allow your pupils to text you with enquiries. Really just make it as easy as possible for your pupils to speak to you.
• Testimonials Once your pupils have passed their test, ask them to write a testimonial of their experience this can be displayed on your web site and will help potential pupils decide. Don’t be tempted to make up or edit testimonials as you have to be aware of the rules surrounding giving out misleading or false information, which now apply to online media as they do with printed.
• Further driving courses Pass Plus is an ideal way to finish a course of lessons with a pupil. You have seen them through their test, now you can ensure they gain additional the skills which will make them a safer driver and could save them money on their car insurance. Motorway driving an important part of everyday life these days and can be a daunting place for a newly qualified driver. If the correct procedures are taught from the start, it makes for a safer drive for all concerned. Safer driving is something that should be promoted through a pupils lessons and beyond and can be also be used as part of your lesson plans.
In conclusion the more you think about and offer to your pupils, the more likely they are to join you and most importantly stay with you. As an ADI you are a professional, just make sure your driving school is a true reflection of your professionalism and you will
make a success of your business.
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