In Response to "a Unified Dive Industry"

[Slonda828]

I'll have to disagree...

SNIP


I've shared just a little of what we do.... This is why we're the dive shop of the future... and this is why manufacturers, the big internet sellers, other LDS's and consumers are paying an awful lot of attention to us...

Peace

In all honesty, I would actually shop at my LDS if they were anything like you say yours is. I have an entire garage full of dive gear, but I am sure I would find something if I actually felt like people weren't trying to pimp me to buy something every time I went into most dive shops. People may love to argue with you on this board, but it sounds like you have figured out how to treat a customer.

 

[RJP]

His job: “Making consumers buy stuff they didn't even know they wanted.” He was just part-time in the not-too-distant past; has that changed? If not he should have plenty of time and motivation to get-r-done. Go for it scuba dudes!

Alas, I've been dragged out of retirement recently and have returned to the "Dark Side." Now that I'm back at a senior-level spot at one of the largest ad agencies in the world, how could I possibly be of any assistance in this matter?

Hey, wait a minute...

 

[Scott L]

I always thought this was the fault of an impatient instructor. I've only taught about 200 OW students, but I've never had one fail to clear if you're patient with them. To be fair, I've never taught in cold or less than 50 foot vis water. I did have one lady who had to have the wax plugs removed from her ears from jamming q-tips in there, but that's for another thread.

The real issue here is instructors jamming out students. You'd think that with fewer and fewer students to teach, the large pool of instructors out there would have lots and lots of time on their hands. You'd think with the dropping standards (I no longer read the Undersea Journal or Quarterly updates, I get my teaching information right here) like not having to teach tables or buddy breathing anymore, those instructors would have all the time in the world to let nervous divers clear their ears...

I was not faulting instructors at all. The point I was trying to make is far too many would be dive candidates view diving as a dangerous sport and use their lack of technique with bad snorkeling days as an excuse why they do not want to get certified. I have traditionally sponsored two divers a year because I so love the sport but its getting more and more difficult to recruit new divers as PADI and the dive industry as a whole do not advertise like they used to. Regional TV spots of ads like Be a Diver by DEMA would work well if run enough IMO...

 

[Scott L]

I'll have to disagree... We've just completed our second year in business - signed a new lease and we're the only dive shop in our market (that I'm aware of) whose 2009 sales topped 2008.

No sense posting stories about us that no one wants to hear or cares about... that's not what this thread is about and I won't turn it into a Hooray for Off the Wall thread...

The issues are too important. Those of you in the Baltimore market already know what we're doing. For those not in the Baltimore market - specifically dive shop owners out there reading this thread... here are some things you can do to drive all these caring customers to your store... build it, and they will come:

1. Have an internet presence. No need specifically to sell on the internet, but you must use google adwords, free campaigns, and other web driven ways to be at the top of the search engine for your local market. No one uses the phone book anymore, they search scuba on the web... be it google, yahoo, msn etc... Spend a few bucks on this and it will come back to you tenfold.
2. Match every internet seller on price... even if it means lower margins. The word of mouth doing this brings you in your local dive community will pay off.
3. Offer web shopping right on your showroom floor. When a customer is browsing, trying things on etc... pull up the price of the item on the cheapest web seller sites, show the customer and then beat the price - buy just $1.00 is all you have to do. Give them more off and they'll never go anywhere else
4. Embrace the internet, love the internet, don't bad mouth the internet
5. Stop using the terms gray market goods etc... no one cares
6.Greet every customer instantly upon entering the store, then let them shop uninterrupted. Greeting: Hi, I'm Ken - What's your name? (get reply.) the say, Welcome to (your store name,) if you need any help just let me know, I'll be happy to answer any questions you have. IMPORTANT - Every Customer.
7. Don't just certify them - befriend them. Don't hound them to take specialties or buy gear. Certify them, befriend them and invite them to dive with you whenever and wherever you or your staff are going diving.
8.Give stuff away - lots of stuff. Spend some of your advertising dollars on divers instead of putting it in the hands of newspapers, radio, tv or even the internet. Simply giving good customers - even the not so good customers on the spur of the moment... they're looking at something - really like it - but don't have the money - GIVE IT TO THEM. Deduct the cost from your advertising budget.
9. Put diving in front of as many people as you can. Talk about it everywhere you go to anyone that will listen. Invite them in to try scuba FREE.
10. Price things in your store. Price it intelligently. Don't price gouge. Where possible - blow people away. If your cost on an item is $50... and LP or someone else is selling it for $100... sell it for $70. This tiny profit will bring the customer back time and again... and they'll tell all the divers they know!

There is so much more we do... and I'm willing to share it with anyone who is willing to transform themselves from a shop of yesterday - into a shop of tomorrow.

I'm not out to make a gazillion dollars like the greedy I so like to talk about. I'm out to grow the sport... make an honest fair living... and teach others how to do the same.

I've shared just a little of what we do.... This is why we're the dive shop of the future... and this is why manufacturers, the big internet sellers, other LDS's and consumers are paying an awful lot of attention to us...

Peace

With that mind set and additude my fellow diver, you will be in business for a long, long time.

 

[DaleC]

A very good thread still. Thanks for the link wookie. It looks like someone is trying but they have a few problems there. First, they are still approaching it from the traditional POV (trying to get existing OW divers to take interest and, they haven't built the neccisary infrastructure). But anyways...

I'll stop harping on about that GREAT idea.

Along the lines of LDS's; here's a way they could stop driving divers away:

Let's say a hypothetical Diver looks at a Sunnto Gecko but is told he should buy a more expensive Viper because they can PC download. Later that same diver meets Diver 2 who also owns a Gecko but claims he downloads his logs. "How?" says Diver 1. "Just buy a PC/comp interface lead and download the software. The Gecko is just a Viper with the feature turned off". Divers 1 and 2 talk to Diver 3 and soon everyone can download off their Geckos.

The next time they are in the LDS the subject comes up and the owner insists that you cannot download dive logs from a Sunnto Gecko - "You need the more expensive Cobra or Viper for that". The divers shut up and leave the store, wondering what other stories they've been told.

Isn't that a funny hypothetical story.

 

[DaleC]

Here's another thought.

If I'm not wrong the second largest product one agency sells besides OW certs is professional qualifications. People pay for a ticket to earn a living via teaching. Do these same people develop a business plan or do their own, independant market research? Or do they just trust in that agency to do all that for them.

If the agency were entirely honest about the state of the "dive industry" would they still sell as many instructor certifications? Is it in their best finacial interest to do so? I'm trying not to sound cynical but I can't help seeing a big ol eye winking and saying "Trust me, it's a great way of life and you'll be able to make a living. Now hurry up and sign that check".

Perhaps that's one place the problem starts.

 

[Slonda828]

Here's another thought.

If I'm not wrong the second largest product one agency sells besides OW certs is professional qualifications. People pay for a ticket to earn a living via teaching. Do these same people develop a business plan or do their own, independant market research? Or do they just trust in that agency to do all that for them.

If the agency were entirely honest about the state of the "dive industry" would they still sell as many instructor certifications? Is it in their best finacial interest to do so? I'm trying not to sound cynical but I can't help seeing a big ol eye winking and saying "Trust me, it's a great way of life and you'll be able to make a living. Now hurry up and sign that check".

Perhaps that's one place the problem starts.

Dude, pro ratings are a racket. You should get one, then you can start getting thinly veiled agency propaganda in the mail under the guise of a "dive magazine". I love being a divemaster, but until I find someone that doesn't expect me to work for free, I'll DM charters for my friends only. The only way you can make a living in diving is if you resign yourself to being single and broke, which is funny, because that is not what people representing agencies will tell you. Besides using the instructor rating as a method of income automatically places you in a conflict of interest with standards. You can fail someone and give them their money back, or make 250 bucks. Hmm....

Yet again we agree. Having said that, I am still inspired by the good instructors and divemasters that I run into, especially considering how crappy the pay and conditions sometimes are.

 

[Viscya]

I understand all of what you just mentioned. Answer me this though, how hard would it be for a charter boat operator to have a policy that says if you find me 6 divers that are trained and qualified to do a harder dive, then I'll find you one if you are willing to pay X price? I do not want to become an oceanographer, I just want to go dive a cool wreck once or twice a month that is new (to me at least). That doesn't seem like too much to ask. Maybe I will just have to start asking around and see if I can convince a charter boat to do this for me if I find enough people.

Most boats in NJ do this. If your qualified to do the dives, they will tell you the price to get there. They just have to get capable crew.

 

[Slonda828]

Most boats in NJ do this. If your qualified to do the dives, they will tell you the price to get there. They just have to get capable crew.

It seems like a lot of the edgier open water diving is done in NJ. You are like the upteenth person to tell me that the more challenging charters run out of that area. I am going to have to figure out a way to get up there sometime soon.

 

[Scott L]

It seems like a lot of the edgier open water diving is done in NJ. You are like the upteenth person to tell me that the more challenging charters run out of that area. I am going to have to figure out a way to get up there sometime soon.

Ft lauderdale & SE Fla is a major wreck diving destination. Due south of you with a multitude of charter posiabilities.