What does your flight school look like?

Whatever you’re using, it’s worked! A customer drives into your parking lot. What’s waiting for them as they step out of the car?

Does your signage look professional? Are your offices clean and organized? This can be a challenge because of the pace of instructor and student activity. A cluttered workspace does not give a good impression to prospective students.

What about the appearance of your staff and their attitudes? A lot has been written about both—and how you fare on those counts can convince a student whether to choose you or not. Both areas need continual monitoring.

Your communication skills and those of your staff can always be improved. Don’t forget the impressions that a could-be student makes of your receptionist, your dispatcher, and your flight instructors are critical. They are your front-line contacts with both potential and current students. The purpose of these people is to sell your flight school and its products.

I recommend that all public contact staff receive quarterly sales training. Such training could have a drastic impact on the closure success of introductory flights. Marketing and sales consultants can be found in cities throughout the country and may even trade time meeting with your staff for flight training. The cost associated with sales training is an investment to improve your bottom-line profit statement.

In addition to the above, how do you try to impress first-time visitors to your flight school? This would be the time to show off the school’s ground and flight syllabus that provides lesson-by-lesson, building-block learning objectives. The syllabus is a checklist of what to teach and in what order for efficient learning. Emphasize how your syllabus incorporates progress checks with a senior flight instructor who will assure that your students are mastering how to safely operate an airplane. An analysis of progress check results allows constant improvement of the instructional staff and the flight school. With documented high first-time pass rates for FAA certificates and ratings, you can justifiably brag about the excellent flight training at your flight school. The point here is to use your branded training material as a marketing tool.

What else would be impressive to see in your front office? How about a list of FAA certificates and ratings earned by your students hanging on the wall for everyone to see? If your pass rate is 80 percent or higher, brag about it. How about employee of the month and student of the month photos on the wall to let the world know you give deserving people a pat on the back?

Photos of a few airplanes would emphasize that you’re passionate about aviation. Quotes from famous aviators can also be inspiring to both young and older pilots. This can give your place of business a unique atmosphere that’ll be remembered.  I visited a flight school a few months ago that, after operating out of a new facility for three months, still had blank walls. Posters are not expensive, and a frame adds class.

Finally, look at your fleet of airplanes on your ramp. Would your prospective students find clean airplanes without trash in the backseat? We all know how important first impressions are, but an airplane that is dirty and looks unkept makes one wonder if it is getting good mechanical maintenance. Let your prospective customers know you are proud of the appearance and maintenance of your airplanes. One step further, which is becoming increasingly common, is to brand your airplanes with your logo. Your logo on the airplane tells everyone you have an airplane and flight school business that you, your staff, and your students are proud of.

If you look at your flight school as a prospective student would, would you see the best flight school in your region? If you don’t, your prospective students won’t either. The “best” is always achieved by constant and never-ending improvement, whether by an individual or business. Think of how your flight school can provide a superior pilot training and airplane rental experience. Those points are marketing points to be made to prospective students.  In this era of keen competition, hanging out a sign announcing “Learn to Fly Here” is not enough for a prosperous business model.