Student are the best Sales People
It’s good to know that some things don’t change at Shoreham. It sounds very like my first attempt to get flight training in 1991. Despite the big friendly sign outside the school door, no one approached and asked if they could help when we walked in. Members at the bar stopped and stared, then carried on with their discussions. Two lots of ‘paid up front’ training money (yes, my then girlfriend and I were dumb enough to do that) walked out the door. Probably leaving everyone in the club to lament the lack of new PPL starts and the generally parlous state of flight training.
The thing that those of us who have been in light aviation for longer than is good for our health or bank balance tend to forget how off-putting it is to take that first step. Perhaps folk these days join internet forums and generally get themselves well informed before they venture in to the actual world of the flying school. I know that when I started it took some determination and in the end a blind leap of faith. If anyone remembers the Air South adverts in the flying magazines they will know what I mean.
One thought that comes to mind, particularly in the light of the ‘my staff are too busy to deal with walk-in punters’ operation, is to ask some of the present crop of students at the school talk to the Prospects. They may well not have all the answers and possibly not stick to the party line, but will be full of enthusiasm. They will usually know more than the prospect and can always ask an instructor if they don’t know the answer.
Prospect: “I use Flight Sim, can I do CAT IIIc approaches in this Cessna 152?”
Student: “Er, I'm not sure, we don’t normally take our pets flying. I’ll ask the instructor when he gets back”.
I've no proof that the student is your best salesman approach works, but the number of times I’ve spoken to people who were put off or snubbed (as they saw it) by the school and later went on to do some flight training, makes me think it’s worth a try. If your school is so busy that you can’t afford any ‘official’ time to talk to prospects, you are obviously doing well (or are very under staffed). It’s not going to cost anything. If you don’t talk to the prospect you will loose them anyway. Besides, the student will feel good about showing their knowledge and helping recruit another student to the organisation.