The LDS of the future
- Thread starter jaycanwk
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While I generally agree with your point and I, too, pay a premium for instruction. You may rethink your approach here. This line of messaging isn't likely to land you many customers. The dive shop of the future will serve their customers by communicating the value in paying the premium and by showing the benefits of what they'll receive for it...
DiverG
Reached My 2nd Goal!
Brendon, why worry about what some other instructor charges and talking him down. He is free to set his price as he sees fit, and you are free to set your price. Both of you seem to be happy with your fees.
It has been interesting to read the wrangling between Bob and Brendon. I know Bob, and I'd pay $400 for his class in a heartbeat. I don't know Brendon, but apparently people feel his is worth $1000.
I am, I think, a reasonably affluent person as a diver, and I have thrown an awful lot of money at this sport. But two years ago, I had to choose between two classes at the same level. There were definitely going to be differences in the amount of material covered, and quite possibly differences in the standards to which students were held. Both instructors had very good reputations and were known to me personally. I had a strong personal bias toward one class, but it was THREE TIMES the cost of the other (and neither was cheap). I really had to sit back and do an "it's better, but is it three times better?" analysis for myself, and I took the less expensive class.
If you're going to price yourself wildly out of the mainstream, you're going to have to do an awfully good job of selling yourself -- because even someone like me, who isn't averse to spending money and who understands the differences between one class and another, is going to have a breaking point where better is the enemy of good.
I am, I think, a reasonably affluent person as a diver, and I have thrown an awful lot of money at this sport. But two years ago, I had to choose between two classes at the same level. There were definitely going to be differences in the amount of material covered, and quite possibly differences in the standards to which students were held. Both instructors had very good reputations and were known to me personally. I had a strong personal bias toward one class, but it was THREE TIMES the cost of the other (and neither was cheap). I really had to sit back and do an "it's better, but is it three times better?" analysis for myself, and I took the less expensive class.
If you're going to price yourself wildly out of the mainstream, you're going to have to do an awfully good job of selling yourself -- because even someone like me, who isn't averse to spending money and who understands the differences between one class and another, is going to have a breaking point where better is the enemy of good.
Lynn, he's a Combat diver. Around here, if there was a Navy SEAL (or Combat Diver, assuming the prospective student knows the difference) teaching an OW class or AOW people would line up and pay whatever the asking price. I just happen to know a few people who have travelled to 1,500 miles for the sole purpose of learning to dive from a Navy SEAL. Being a Combat Diver I'm sure there's a certain notoriety that comes with it that may attract those willing to pay and put aside the nickel-and-dime mentality. People will justify paying for whatever it is they want, whatever is the price. Being trained by a military diver just sounds more interesting than being trained by your local Sport Chalet Course Director, despite that the training isn't going to be any different (well, I'm sure the intensity and standards will be higher but the skills will be the same mostly) other than the war stories.
Personally, I throw money at SCUBA like it grows on trees. But I will not pay more than $500 for a non-technical diving class even if it was taught by JJ or Custeau himself. I was not even cheap when I started, I paid $495 in 2006 for myself for a 10-day OW class and again for my wife than dropped $4,500 or so each on new set of gear a few days into the class. The shop had me by the balls and it is why I am so sensitive to spending unrealistic amounts in diving when I know it doesn't have to be that way, but I also understand what is fair and reasonable and have no problems with it.
Personally, I throw money at SCUBA like it grows on trees. But I will not pay more than $500 for a non-technical diving class even if it was taught by JJ or Custeau himself. I was not even cheap when I started, I paid $495 in 2006 for myself for a 10-day OW class and again for my wife than dropped $4,500 or so each on new set of gear a few days into the class. The shop had me by the balls and it is why I am so sensitive to spending unrealistic amounts in diving when I know it doesn't have to be that way, but I also understand what is fair and reasonable and have no problems with it.
Rich Keller
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w ripley
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You know, this tread started out as something that might be helpful providing an insight as to where the industry was -or should be - going, but instead has turned out to be dying - like so many good threads do - by drowning in dribble. I wish you guys could stay on topic.
flots am
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The best divers I know would happily teach SCUBA for nothing, since they don't rely on diving for income.
The entire concept of SCUBA as an "industry" is deelpy flawed.
There's no reason non-divers couldn't learn how to dive from publicly available materials, and another diver who has managed to not kill himself over the course of a few hundred dives.
flots.
I don't rely on diving for income to pay the regular bills. But I work a blue collar job that pays nothing near what a doctor, lawyer, or ceo makes. Diving is the only interest I've found that has managed to hold my interest for more than a couple years. In order to do it as much as I like I need to have a source of funds separate from my regular job. It turns out I have a knack for teaching. Now to teach in the USA where people refuse to take responsibility for themselves I need to have insurance. That costs money. More money in fact than my brother-in-laws insurance as an RN. More than a psycho-therapist I know pays. I also need to issue cards so my students can get air fills. That means going thru an agency or spending a couple grand on a card machine. Then setting up my own agency. Developing course materials (which is no biggie as I do that now any way) has costs associated with printing.
So I need to charge for my classes. Not living in a particularly affluent area I need to charge what the market will bear. That may change as this season I'm going to start going after the Marcellus Shale money that is coming to this area. Not many people are really benefitting from the whole thing directly from this area. But the people from texas, oklahoma, etc that are actually getting the good jobs are coming and they may need to do more than work.
They can afford premium prices for QUALITY instruction and those are the students I want.
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So I need to charge for my classes. Not living in a particularly affluent area I need to charge what the market will bear. That may change as this season I'm going to start going after the Marcellus Shale money that is coming to this area. Not many people are really benefitting from the whole thing directly from this area. But the people from texas, oklahoma, etc that are actually getting the good jobs are coming and they may need to do more than work.
They can afford premium prices for QUALITY instruction and those are the students I want.
Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk
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