Promote your glider operation

Pull is good, but conversion is harder. The sad fact is that we fail
miserably at converting first rides into long-time pilots. For each
ride, how many get a license? For each license, how many are still
flying 3 years later? Typical numbers I've heard are about one in a
thousand. If that were even one in a hundred, we'd have 10 times more
glider pilots!
John Cochrane

Yeah, conversion is difficult from my experience. At least for short
term conversion, here's a couple of reasons why and how to address
them.

- Misconceptions about safety. I do my best to point out that a glider
is way safer than an airplane and why. I like saying the most
dangerous part of soaring is the drive to the gliderport.
- Misconceptions about price. Everybody who doesn't know anything
about soaring assumes this it's a rich man's sport. I point out that
tow costs are cheap, and with good conditions and well trained pilot
amounts to a whole afternoon's worth of fun. I also point out that my
Libelle is my most prized possession and only cost me around $15,000
and that a 1-26 is considerably cheaper. Oh and that maintenance costs
next to nothing. Soaring if done right, can be cheaper than other
hobbies such as golf or travel.
- Give rides for the customer, not for yourself. Find out about what
your passengers expectations are. Find out if your passenger wants a
smooth ride and if so avoid the thermals, point out local landmarks,
etc... If you passenger is an adrenaline junkie, pull a few loops.
Offer to let the passenger at the controls, and teach them the basics.
Also find out if your passenger has any flight knowledge or experience
(flight simulators count) and adjust accordingly. Thermalling sharply
with a newbie is a sure way to make them sick and ensure they wont
come back.
- Personality counts. Project your passion for the sport, its
contagious. Be friendly and humorous. Be professional enough to
instill confidence in your piloting skills, but not too stiff to suck
the fun out of the experience. Do your best to comfort those who are a
little nervous. Show interest in your passengers.

Happy Soaring,
Omri Kalinsky aka SL

Here is a practical suggestion:

SSA should provide a section on the site for the media. A press kit,
if you will. This would contain:

* Beautiful high resolution photographs of the sport, with permission
to publish (video as well?)
* Short FAQs geared towards the general public, including "myth
busters" like what happens when the wind dies?
* A section of short quotes that can be dropped into a piece, or
"sound bytes"
* Web tools and "Snippets" that can be imbedded in online articles or
web sites, like html logo with link to SSA "where to fly" or an applet
that lets you type in your zip code to find the closest place to fly.
* explanatory material and artwork for FastPass program
* contact information for media support
* links to recently published articles or events
* what else???

SSA has a "Publicity" section now, but it is targeted at it's members,
not the media. News outlets today are overwhelmed, understaffed, and
underfunded. We need to make it as easy as possible for the media to
produce compelling and accurate stories about our sport. It's
actually a very interesting topic! Every competent corporation does
this. We should too.

Matt

On Nov 23, 11:45*am, John Cochrane
wrote:
Pull is good, but conversion is harder. The sad fact is that we fail
miserably at converting first rides into long-time pilots. For each
ride, how many get a license? For each license, how many are still
flying 3 years later? Typical numbers I've heard are about one in a
thousand. If that were even one in a hundred, we'd have 10 times more
glider pilots!
John Cochrane

Rough statistics from one club- Valley Soaring Club- Middletown NY
Close estimates for '09
About 1600 tows/Yr
About 160 introductory flights(360 the year the NY Times article came
out).
About 40 four flight intro packages which lets prospect see what it's
really about- then they join or find out it's not for them.
About 15 new members
About 10 new solo pilots
About 8 new certificated pilots
FWIW
UH

I think all of the above posters have the right idea...the concept is
to "grow" the sport,
but nobody has any grasp of what the numbers are of active glider
pilots,
instructor pilots, new rides, FAST offers, Calls to local glider
ports,
rate of activity.

I do believe that statistics, numbers need to be compiled.
We can't figure out if we need pull marketing, viral marketing,
publicity campaigns, and any other types of publicity until we know
what we are pushing for!
One Example of what we need to know:
Do we want to approach pilots with power tickets? Do we have better
success with youth? or better success at converting the power pilot,
or do we have a better success rate with the person that calls for a
"joy ride".

Omri has a a great idea that an individual giving the ride should have
the passion and personality to address the needs of the person
enquiring and taking a test ride.

the bottom line for me, is that we need to compile some data. Regular
surveys of the clubs, or reporting of how many calls/rides/instruction
requests/new members. Can't market what you don't know.
just my 2cents
Micki

On Nov 24, 10:33*am, MickiMinner wrote:
I think all of the above posters have the right idea...the concept is
to "grow" the sport,
but nobody has any grasp of what the numbers are of active glider
pilots,
instructor pilots, new rides, FAST offers, Calls to local glider
ports,
rate of activity.

I do believe that statistics, numbers need to be compiled.
We can't figure out if we need pull marketing, viral marketing,
publicity campaigns, and any other types of publicity until we know
what we are pushing for!
One Example of what we need to know:
Do we want to approach pilots with power tickets? *Do we have better
success with youth? or better success at converting the power pilot,
or do we have a better success rate with the person that calls for a
"joy ride".

Omri has a a great idea that an individual giving the ride should have
the passion and personality to address the needs of the person
enquiring and taking a test ride.

the bottom line for me, is that we need to compile some data. *Regular
surveys of the clubs, or reporting of how many calls/rides/instruction
requests/new members. *Can't market what you don't know.
just my 2cents
Micki

Pulling hen's teeth while herding cats;^)

Actually, part of the digital revolution is that we are at the cusp of
such data retrieval. Most operations are likely using some sort of
accounting software from which reports may be derived. How, I've also
heard from COBM that commercial operators will be unlikely to share
such data. Among chapters, many are non-profit entities and must
provide information upon request (though may charge reasonable re-
production costs). However, past performance is not prediction of the
future. Both commercial operations and clubs can change in appeal and
performance, usually to a knee-jerk reaction to some event or a change
in internal politics, so I'm not sure a study will help market, though
it may help define what works.

Part of the problem has been the difficulty to keeping current contact
information for chapter leadership. The clubs & chapters committee
compiled that information and surveyed for about 110 chapters under
Dave Newill. However, club and chapter leadership changes every year
or two. The committee also used the WTF contact info to try and have
chapters complete some online information updates. We eventually got
about forty inputs out of 140 clubs and chapters, yet it remained time
intensive. This year the SSA office included a request for chapter
leadership functions in the chapter renewal process. Response has
been very good, thank you very much. Doug Easton has recently
provided the committee with a leadership view which will help us
communicate better with chapters.

Statistics and data collection is part of that digital media
experience that I've included within my draft proposal for formation
of an SSA Digital Media Working Group. This group will hopefully
examine, propose, and implement actions to leverage audio, video,
imagery, web techniques, social networking, webinars, mentoring, and
story boarding to place some strategic on-target, on-message links to
our sport and organizations. Internal data collection and
introspection is part of the mix. Annually I submit an input to the
world gliding report, but it's very limited due to the lack of
resources available.

As John Seaborn mentions, this will take some aggressive and committed
volunteers. I agree. We have significant individual talent and
effort out there. If we could get those individual to put ten or
twenty percent of that effort into a focused package of strategies
with a national, regional, and local emphasis, we'd move forward
rapidly. Without that framework, I think hiring national marketing
expertise would not give us the results hoped for. We need the
resources first. Yesterday, while sorting through some Soaring
magazines with a soaring friend, he mentioned that the SSA staffed a
marketing expert in the late 1970's. Before my time as an SSA member
(1980), so perhaps someone else can give us a history lesson on Sunny
Vesgo, "The Sunny Side" column, and the eventual outcomes. I'm told
there was much dis-satisfaction at the end of the day.

As far as what may work, see my committee post on the SSA web site
today on Leveraging the SSA FAST and SSA Introductory Membership for
chapter growth.

Frank Whiteley

Frank-
Sometimes I think that many SSA members don't know the tools developed
and thus already have in hand!

"Sales" is a hurtle race requiring a sequence of activities to flow
adequately well...Awareness (GMA, Disney, all activities NOT at the
airport), trial Interest (FAST, positve experience via a rides,
convienence, fun website, airshow booths), Qualifiying (safety/
finances/rank against alternatives), Closing ("the ask" to join,
friendly faces, SSA Intro program), and maintaining involvement (SSA
badges, club activities, secondary benefits, clean WC facilities).
Stumble on one of these hurtles or misdiagnois the problem and the
whole process is certainly less efficent. Every organization is
different and thus has different areas to focus on, often fixing one
problem in the waterfall creates a pooling in the next level (aka "The
problem I want to have"). That is why we have so many solutions
because at the field level we who run soaring organizations actually
have many different marketing problems. That's why the solutions can
seem so complicated...it is a complex problem.

Frank W, Dave N, Val P have created many great tools to grow soaring.
The improved SSA Growbook is online...when was the last time you
looked at that? It's all there. It's hard to be "viral" without a
compelling club website, being "social" takes a team of individuals
working in concert..OK make it happen, the whole SSA website is a
media section. Quit wishing and start moving. You have everyones
permission you need. Ask yourself if you could change just one or two
things to grow soaring at your local soaring site, what would they
be? We don't lack solutions, IMHO many lack initiative.

Now ducking behind the soapbox to avoid the tomatoes....

LT

PS- A big congrats to Tucson Soaring for doing something "the first
time"! THAT IS THE BEST THING I HAVE READ IN THIS THREAD. We need
everyone to do something more, different, or "the first time". The
answers are all around us, each local organization just needs to (re)
assemble them. This should be the primary subject for discussion
around the grog bowl at every end of year soaring gathering. Have an
"improved club marketing membership plan" for 2010.

NOTE: OCSA used to have a growing soaring club...now OCSA's problem is
completely different. I'm learning again, see:
http://groups.google.com/group/save-...et-today?hl=en






As far as what may work, see my committee post on the SSA web site
today on Leveraging the SSA FAST and SSA Introductory Membership for
chapter growth.

Frank Whiteley- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I was one of the volunteers at the recent Tucson Soaring Club Open
House and the response from the public was just amazing. We gave over
120 guest rides in two days over the weekend (even managed a couple on
the Friday for folks who showed up early). I have never seen so many
continuous launches - two towplanes on the go intertwined with Roman's
winch. We also did another first - a dual aerotow (two gliders, one
towplane) for a demonstration aerobatics program.

Many people said the same thing - we didn't know that your club was
here or gliding was such a cool sport.

Since then, we have added five new members, two or three more than we
would typically expect. We currently have around 120 members and are
shooting for 150, a goal we expect to meet within the year.

Even better than adding new members, the Open House brought our
existing membership together and we had just a fantastic club weekend.

Pilots are invited to come and experience our wonderful club for
themselves - guest members are always welcome - or just sign up for
Region 9 South, which we are hosting next May.

We also aim to become the number one US cross-country site next year
(at least on OLC score)

Mike

On Nov 24, 1:30 pm, HoUdino wrote:
Frank-
Sometimes I think that many SSA members don't know the tools developed
and thus already have in hand!

Yes, mentoring WRT the web site is needed as the member and committee
level (in my draft). The SSA web site is more member resource than
recruit the new person. Much material is in there, but not up front
and in their face.

"Sales" is a hurtle race requiring a sequence of activities to flow
adequately well...Awareness (GMA, Disney, all activities NOT at the
airport), trial Interest (FAST, positve experience via a rides,
convienence, fun website, airshow booths), Qualifiying (safety/
finances/rank against alternatives), Closing ("the ask" to join,
friendly faces, SSA Intro program), and maintaining involvement (SSA
badges, club activities, secondary benefits, clean WC facilities).
Stumble on one of these hurtles or misdiagnois the problem and the
whole process is certainly less efficent. Every organization is
different and thus has different areas to focus on, often fixing one
problem in the waterfall creates a pooling in the next level (aka "The
problem I want to have"). That is why we have so many solutions
because at the field level we who run soaring organizations actually
have many different marketing problems. That's why the solutions can
seem so complicated...it is a complex problem.

Good points.

Frank W, Dave N, Val P have created many great tools to grow soaring.
The improved SSA Growbook is online...when was the last time you
looked at that? It's all there. It's hard to be "viral" without a
compelling club website, being "social" takes a team of individuals
working in concert..OK make it happen, the whole SSA website is a
media section. Quit wishing and start moving. You have everyones
permission you need. Ask yourself if you could change just one or two
things to grow soaring at your local soaring site, what would they
be? We don't lack solutions, IMHO many lack initiative.

Absolutely, there are many ad hoc opportunities.

Now ducking behind the soapbox to avoid the tomatoes....

LT

PS- A big congrats to Tucson Soaring for doing something "the first
time"! THAT IS THE BEST THING I HAVE READ IN THIS THREAD. We need
everyone to do something more, different, or "the first time". The
answers are all around us, each local organization just needs to (re)
assemble them. This should be the primary subject for discussion
around the grog bowl at every end of year soaring gathering. Have an
"improved club marketing membership plan" for 2010.

On that topic, I sent the AZ SSA governor (and TSC member) the Intro
member concept. I've been in a club that did 130 'rides' during a one
day open house. It did not generate a single member, but the
underlying intent was really fund-raising. Since 1995 in my current
club, I don't recall a single new member resulting from a scenic
ride. However, on the three lesson min-courses we sold, 80% of those
that got a soaring flight or two joined. We stopped doing those for
insurance reasons for a period, but the SSA Introductory Membership
has opened the door again, so we've added a three-month club Intro
membership into the by-laws. So TSC could offer a ride, or the full
monty. The Intro allows a prospective pilot to see if they are a good
fit and gives the club an opportunity to prove what they've said is
true. The price point filters out the drive-bys from the seekers.

Chapters operate under some different constraints than commercial
operators. Some are restricted from giving rides due to IRS rules.
Other clubs have gross receipts limitations and exist where there are
no commercial operations. Under the SSA Group Plan, membership is
required for trial/introductory lessons. This concept solves that
issue.

NOTE: OCSA used to have a growing soaring club...now OCSA's problem is
completely different. I'm learning again, see:http://groups.google.com/group/save-...et-today?hl=en

You are quite right to defend access to that public airport.

Frank Whiteley

On Nov 24, 10:33*pm, Frank Whiteley wrote:
On Nov 24, 1:30 pm, HoUdino wrote: Frank-
Sometimes I think that many SSA members don't know the tools developed
and thus already have in hand!

Yes, mentoring WRT the web site is needed as the member and committee
level (in my draft). *The SSA web site is more member resource than
recruit the new person. *Much material is in there, but not up front
and in their face.





"Sales" is a hurtle race requiring a sequence of activities to flow
adequately well...Awareness (GMA, Disney, all activities NOT at the
airport), trial Interest (FAST, positve experience via a rides,
convienence, fun website, airshow booths), Qualifiying (safety/
finances/rank against alternatives), Closing ("the ask" to join,
friendly faces, SSA Intro program), and maintaining involvement (SSA
badges, club activities, secondary benefits, clean WC facilities).
Stumble on one of these hurtles or misdiagnois the problem and the
whole process is certainly less efficent. *Every organization is
different and thus has different areas to focus on, often fixing one
problem in the waterfall creates a pooling in the next level (aka "The
problem I want to have"). *That is why we have so many solutions
because at the field level we who run soaring organizations actually
have many different marketing problems. That's why the solutions can
seem so complicated...it is a complex problem.

Good points.

Frank W, Dave N, Val P have created many great tools to grow soaring.
The improved SSA Growbook is online...when was the last time you
looked at that? *It's all there. *It's hard to be "viral" without a
compelling club website, being "social" takes a team of individuals
working in concert..OK make it happen, the whole SSA website is a
media section. *Quit wishing and start moving. You have everyones
permission you need. Ask yourself if you could change just one or two
things to grow soaring at your local soaring site, what would they
be? *We don't lack solutions, IMHO many lack initiative.

Absolutely, there are many ad hoc opportunities.

Now ducking behind the soapbox to avoid the tomatoes....

LT

PS- A big congrats to Tucson Soaring for doing something "the first
time"! *THAT IS THE BEST THING I HAVE READ IN THIS THREAD. We need
everyone to do something more, different, or "the first time". The
answers are all around us, each local organization just needs to (re)
assemble them. This should be the primary subject for discussion
around the grog bowl at every end of year soaring gathering. *Have an
"improved club marketing membership plan" for 2010.

On that topic, I sent the AZ SSA governor (and TSC member) the Intro
member concept. *I've been in a club that did 130 'rides' during a one
day open house. *It did not generate a single member, but the
underlying intent was really fund-raising. *Since 1995 in my current
club, I don't recall a single new member resulting from a scenic
ride. *However, on the three lesson min-courses we sold, 80% of those
that got a soaring flight or two joined. *We stopped doing those for
insurance reasons for a period, but the SSA Introductory Membership
has opened the door again, so we've added a three-month club Intro
membership into the by-laws. *So TSC could offer a ride, or the full
monty. *The Intro allows a prospective pilot to see if they are a good
fit and gives the club an opportunity to prove what they've said is
true. *The price point filters out the drive-bys from the seekers.

Chapters operate under some different constraints than commercial
operators. *Some are restricted from giving rides due to IRS rules.
Other clubs have gross receipts limitations and exist where there are
no commercial operations. *Under the SSA Group Plan, membership is
required for trial/introductory lessons. *This concept solves that
issue.

NOTE: OCSA used to have a growing soaring club...now OCSA's problem is
completely different. *I'm learning again, see:http://groups.google.com/group/save-...et-today?hl=en

You are quite right to defend access to that public airport.

Frank Whiteley- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Experience my club has had(see VSC above) is that the multiple flight
intro package is very effective in giving the prospect a chance to
really see what it is all about. It also gets them out a couple of
times so they can meet other members and decide if they like the
group. This turns out to be a big selling point.
Interestingly, when we had the big ride activity after the NY Times
article, only a very small number, maybe 10 out of the 350 or so, went
on to become members. We handled them the same way, so out conclusion
was that htis was the "I'm bored what do we do Sunday" crowd.
One other thing we do is pair up the young people immediately with one
of our juniors to show them around. This way, they don't feel like
they are the only kid there. We have lots of juniors so this is easy
to do.
It's quite important, as noted above, to have the right mentality
about intro flights. Our folks see it as a way to sell our sport and
not just a revenue stream.
FWIW
UH