Don’t sleep on Father’s Day

Now it’s up to you to convert these introductory flights into prospective customers.

Any introductory flight is a prospective long-term customer, but I suspect Mother’s and Father’s Day gift certificates hold more than the usual possibility. If they bring the gift certificate to your door, these are people who likely always wanted to fly but put off the notion because of work or family or money.

Now they’re in a better position to start flying, and you need to remind them of that. Work with your flight instructors to ensure they’re putting forth their best efforts on introductory flights. Be cognizant that you need to follow up with these prospective clients after the airplane has been stowed and Mom or Dad leaves your flight school with a big smile.

Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are opportunities to market your flight school well beyond a gift certificate. It’s never too late to start planning for next year. Here are a few other ideas:

• Offer a package of three flight lessons, a T-shirt, and a logbook. If possible, price the package so that the combination of products and services is cheaper than if purchased separately.
• Host an open house where moms and dads are the special guests and can look at airplanes and ask questions as much as they want. (Make it kid friendly, too.) Be sure to invite past recipients of gift certificates. Maybe they didn’t bite last year, but this year could be completely different.
• Retailers hold sales for Father’s and Mother’s Day, and you can, too. Be sure to promote the sale with a sign inside your flight school as well as via social media outlets or email.
• Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are good social media opportunities. Solicit photos of your customers’ parents (if they’re already pilots, so much the better!). Post them with simple hashtags like #thanksmom, #thanksdad, #flyingwithdad, or #flyingwithmom and tie that into your marketing campaign.