TRAINING Are You Giving Money Away? – by Patrick Hammer, PADI Lifetime Platinum Course Director, CD-4325, Chicago, IL & Phoenix, AZ
Publisher’s note: Pat was awarded PADI’s first Lifetime Platinum Course Director honor. Congratulations Pat for certifying nearly 14,000 instructors! Dive stores might be missing the boat and losing thousands of dollars.
all the way to dive instructor. You don’t have to make a for- tune all at once. Think long-term and recognize the value of keeping that pool full. Not teaching Divemaster classes because you’re afraid of creating competition? That’s a mistake. Divers who want the rating will find another shop – and those shops may be- come your competitors. Why not train them yourself? Bring them onto your team. No one sells classes like an enthusi- astic new DM. And if you want to reduce your workload,
Teaching continuing education can channel thousands of additional dollars into your dive center. Here is my simple business plan.
training pro-level divers is the best way to create reliable help. I have never taught a DM or higher who put me out of business or even harmed it. I always remember the saying: “I taught you everything you know; I didn’t teach you everything I know.” Your years of experience will al- ways give you the edge. Their support will help you avoid burnout. If you pay people a fair wage, you can make money – and so can they. That is suc- cess. You don’t need huge margins on pro- grams you aren’t offering today – swimming, children’s classes, and more. A small piece of the pie is better than no pie
Most of us are already teaching CPR and AED. Put signs up in your store offering on-site training at the student’s location. Create a business card specifically promot- ing CPR classes. Plenty of businesses need this training, and if they trust you with scuba, they will trust your emergency-care knowledge too. Be sure to ask what they have been paying – you may be shocked at how much you can reasonably charge for CPR and AED training. In Illinois, teachers must maintain emer- gency-care certification, and I’ve t aught entire schools – sometimes forty teach-
Pat & Sherry Hammer
ers at a time , spread over a few days. The best part? Once they learn I also teach scuba, several have signed up for my dive programs. Be prepared to float the cost up front, be- cause schools can take time to pay. But in the long run, it’s worth it.
at all. Grow your business by expanding your training program. It is good to be busy every day. When you appear successful,
customers feel confident spending money with you. But if you look like you might be closing, they will hold back – and that can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Everyone loves a winner, and you can be that winner. Never complain to customers about slow times or difficult stu- dents. They come to you to escape their problems – not to hear yours.
If you have a pool, is it being used every day? You need a dedi- cated person to manage the pool schedule. A swim program alone can cover your monthly bills – and still turn a profit. Start offer- ing swimming lessons. Several agencies provide swim-program materials, and if yours doesn’t, hire a qualified swim instructor and pay
A swim program is a great diver feeder program.
them well. Your pool will see more use, store traffic will in- crease, and your business will look and feel more success- ful. Swim programs are a perfect feeder system, especially with kids. We’ve had children start in swim lessons and go
Diving is fun, and you need to maintain that image. Expand your dive center and take your operation to new heights. You already have the skills to suc- ceed; you may just need a little guidance to get there. I wish you well and great success.
email Pat
PAGE EIGHTEEN | SCUBA DIVING INDUSTRY
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker