Pupils

 Pupils who want to learn to drive come from all age groups, from all walks of life and from every race and creed on the planet, both male and female - and some in between. If as an instructor you think all you have to do is teach them to drive you are very mistaken. You will find that you need many more skills to offer them other than just being their driving instructor. You will have to ‘mother’ them, calm them, encourage them, listen to their problems, council them, advise them, and even in some cases be their confessor. In fact you will be all things to all people. It is amazing what a pupil will tell an instructor who has no connection with either their friends or family. Throughout all this you are still expected to teach them to drive and if you want to keep them until they pass their test there are a few things you will need to know.

1.        Learning to drive is considered to be one of the most stressful things many people have to tackle. As such you should be aware of the signs which a pupil shows when under stress and DRIVERS WORLD has prepared a free guide called ‘Signs of Nerves’ which you should familiarise yourself with and act accordingly. You should not pressurise a pupil who is struggling with a problem - let them learn at their own pace. You will lose them if you don’t.

2.        Use properly structured lessons so that a pupil knows exactly where they stand and what to expect. When you start a lesson recap the last one, tell them what they are going to be doing on the current one and at the end what they will be doing on the next one. To help you with this DRIVERS WORLD has produced a series of structured LESSON PLANS which will help a pupil understand exactly what is required on each lesson. This professional approach will give you credibility and will give them confidence that you are the one to teach them to drive. You are more likely to keep a pupil this way.

3.        Being a driving instructor is not generally considered to be a 9 to 5 job. Although some instructors try to adopt this approach, they only do so because, due to circumstances, they are treating it purely as a pocket money earner. If this is your main source of income you will find that in practice it does not work. Because of other commitments and the pressures of life in general, pupils cannot always be available for lessons during the day. Good instructors should therefore be available for lessons at all times, especially in the early stages of their careers. Give the customers what they want, when they want it and at a price they want. This way you are more likely to keep them.

On the question of price you should not try to undercut all the opposition by offering lessons at hugely reduced rates per hour. Offering lessons at a rate of £7.50 per hour when all around you are charging £20, or more, fools nobody. By doing this you lose all credibility and pupils will wonder about your professionalism and whether they will actually learn anything from you. The only pupils you are likely to get are those who are looking for some cheap driving practice. This benefits nobody in the long run because when the five lessons are complete they will go elsewhere and will have learned nothing. It probably will not even cover your costs. If you feel the need to offer a discount to attract business during a quiet period then make it a plausible one – say £5 off for each of the first five lessons. It is then not too big a jump to the normal rate and you are more likely to retain their business when the discount period is finished

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