Driving Schools Today.
Author: Malcolm Hornsby
February 2006
Part One.
What is a driving school?
Over my time in the industry I’ve seen many potentially good driver trainers make
the decision to start their own driving school. The overwhelming result of this
action is total failure and either a return to an established driving school or
the person leaves the industry. Either way this is a disruptive interlude in that
person’s career.
There are many reasons for instructors to think they are capable of developing a
driving school the predominant reason though is total ignorance of what is required
to be successful. A driving school has if you like two major functions, one is marketing
and the other is training. To market driver trainers to the public the manager of
the school must have a clear strategy. This will require a marketing plan. And to
train the public the school manager must have a training plan. Yes yet again it
comes down to planing.
Market Plan
Here are the major components that you should consider when writing your marketing
plan.
Mission (or vision) statement
This is an external communication of your company’s values. You’re answering the
question, “Who am I and what am I doing here.” Keep this statement simple and objective.
Company objective
This section communicates what you want to do, by when, and how (what are your resources?).
It is specific, quantifiable, and includes your entire company. It is not merely
a sales goal. It may include corporate of even personal goals.
Market analysis
This section reports on the findings of the research that you have pursued and prepared.
You’ll need to look at the various factors in the market environment and their impact
on your product or service. These factors include an understanding of your customers:
such as consumer confidence and spending power. They also include an understanding
of the bigger picture, such as legal, social, political, economic, and technological
considerations.
Target audience
Based on your research, discuss who your customers are and how you can reach them.
You need to know:
- what to say about your product or service. In other words, you need to understand
their wants and needs
- what tone of voice to use (an understanding of their beliefs, opinions and education
will help here)
- what media they use (even down to what TV shows they are likely to watch)
- whether you can subdivide this audience - by age or gender or income levels, or
even just in terms of where they live (urban vs rural, hot vs cold climate)
- whether to focus your attention on just one of these audience segments (i.e. a niche
market) or to try and capture the whole market
Competitive analysis
Your advance research should reveal your competitors. This includes your direct
competitors as well as indirect competitors.
For instance, McDonalds may view Hungry Jacks as a direct competitor and Dominos
Pizza as an indirect one.
Either way they are all fighting for a slice of the "convenience food" market. How
does what your competitors are doing relate to your product? What advantages do
you have? How can you keep the advantage? What advantages do they have over you?
How can you whittle these advantages away?
Action plan
You’ve made your map. Now is the time, as the Nike ad says, to "just do it." Now
you can define the best route to reach your customers. This section of your marketing
plan outlines what media mix you’ll use to reach your audience:
Advertising -- where, how often, and at what cost.
Public relations -- specific programs and promotions of interest
to the specific segments of the community.
Sales strategies -- incentive programs for representatives and
distributors as well as prospective customers.
If you’ve made your plan well, then you will be confident in your actions. Each
dollar spent on your plan will be an investment, not a gamble. And as you progress,
keep looking at your plan. Are you still sticking to the guidelines it set? Are
conditions in the market place changing? Such changes may require an adjustment
in you plans, so don’t be afraid to change it. But make sure you put as much care
and consideration into these changes as you did in the original plan.
Next I look at the training plan.