Classique Fingers

Lately we have seen national driving schools offering lessons for a very cheap price. Is it therefore really possible to make a good living as a driving instructor as the advertising would have us believe?

I believe that there are currently twice as many instructors as there were 4/5 years ago and new pupils wanting to learn to drive are down about 5% over the same period. Very competitive times indeed and offers like those of the national driving schools are indicative of this situation.

Resting on ones laurels is no longer an option and any instructor/driving school needs to be very pro-active if they are to sustain, or dare I say grow, their business. This would include networking, a website for your driving school (not a stale historic site but an evolving, growing site - pupil testimonials is a must), directory listings etc. Yes, it may be a bit of work but, being an independent driving instructor is not a job, it is a business - your business.

Give yourself a competitive advantage whenever you can. I see many listings on the Driving Schools Directory that basically say, as an example:

Towns:
Staines

Additional School Information:
Pleasant & relaxed instructor.

On the application they are encouraged/told to complete ALL towns & villages and not just the principal towns - it is amazing what some people will search for - but they don’t. Staines, Egham, Laleham, Thorpe, Thorpe Lea, Stanwell, Stanwell Village etc. should have been inserted.

Additional info - come on, is that all they really offer? What about some background, track record, pass rates, type of car, why they are different/unique etc. Entice them to make some sort of contact with you.

Like it or not, it is a sales process/advert and prospects are likely to be attracted to a listing that has a little more to say about themselves - prospects are searching for information to make a decision about who to take their driving lessons with - help them make their decision! Don’t rely on them phoning you to start a relationship, you just may not get that far!

I think what I am trying to say here is that I am sure there are better things to compete on other than just price. If everyone did that we as driving instructors may well be registering as charities as part of the training process in the not too distant future.

1) Show up at the first tee with the idea of having fun, try to relax and enjoy your golf game.

2) Always do some kind of warm-up exercises before you arrive at the first tee and your body will thank you for it the next day, and you will play better golf. Make a real effort to Keep the ball in play. Always try to advance the ball so your next shot is improved. The worst shot in golf is one where you have to take a penalty stroke for a lost, or out of bounds ball.

3) Pay attention to how you are hitting your shots, which of your clubs are working and which aren’t, your ball flight tendencies, etc. and try to make better club selections during your round.

4) Always remember that not all of your shots will be perfect, and do not get discouraged over a few mishits, and stay relaxed. Take the good and forget about the bad. your next shot might be your best and completely turn momentum in your favour. Good golf requires focus and determination.

5) Never give up on any of your golf shots, as good golf is physical, as well as a mental game.

6) Be sure to stay down on the ball to finish the shot you want. Don’t get ahead of yourself and pull out of your swing too early. Lifting your head up is probably the most common symptom, you can’t wait to see where the ball goes. Resist the impulse, to do this.

7) Learning to chip and putt, can go along way to lower your golf score.

Focus on where you want the ball to land, and trust your swing.

9) Perfecting your alignment, is the first step to completing a good golf shot or putt.

10) Always have a notebook with you, to keep track of your game like fairways hit, greens in regulation, par saves, putts etc. If you do this for a while, you’ll learn what shots your good at and what part of your game needs to be improved.

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