How to increase your sales as a scuba diving instructor, this is how I did it
For some people, a scuba diving instructor's salary is not always that high. It is important to know how to increase your sales as a scuba diving instructor to make sure you earn enough money and can continue to live a fantastic lifestyle.
I found out that you can easily increase your scuba diving instructor income with up sales. In this blog, I will give you my tips on how to increase your sales as a scuba diving instructor and how I did it.
I found out that you can easily increase your scuba diving instructor income with up sales. In this blog, I will give you my tips on how to increase your sales as a scuba diving instructor and how I did it.
We will look at:
- See sales as something positive
- Continuo education vs dive equipment sales
- Make a list of how to become the best scuba diving instructor
- Entertainment is key
- Best moments to sell during a course
- Colors to use on a whiteboard
- Social Media Marketing
- After-sales and commissions
Don’t see sales as negative - The positive approach selling method
The first step is to not see sales as something negative, but a positive way to help give people what they want and need.
I hear too many scuba diving instructors complain that they have to sell so much to keep a job and it is supposed to be about giving people a scuba diving experience and not selling them something.
I hear too many scuba diving instructors complain that they have to sell so much to keep a job and it is supposed to be about giving people a scuba diving experience and not selling them something.
I understand that safety and enjoyment come first in teaching people to scuba dive, but sales don’t have to be negative. If you as a scuba diving instructor start seeing sales as something positive then you get much better at it and you will notice an increase in your scuba diving instructor salary.
Continuo education vs scuba dive equipment sales
Should we focus more on continuo education (follow-up diving courses), on equipment sales, or both? Our scuba diving students might not always have a big budget and they can sometimes only afford or the next course or some dive gear. This presents a dilemma for us scuba diving instructors as to when we sell some diving equipment they might not have enough money for continuo education.
The best answer to this question is to find out what will be the most beneficial for the customer (diving student) and not our commission. If you find out that your scuba diving students want and need the next course more than a piece of diving equipment you should try and sell the next course and vice versa.
“Always sell only what your dive student wants and needs”
“Always sell only what your dive student wants and needs”
Make a list of how to become the best in everything as a scuba diving instructor
The better you are as a scuba diving instructor the more people want to learn from you. To become the best doesn’t just mean to have only good scuba diving skills. To become a successful diving instructor you need to have a fantastic attitude, smile, give customer service, entertain your students, be calm, be safety-minded and the list goes on and on.
I recommend you to take some time and make a few lists writing down what is needed to become the best and then try to become that teacher. My biggest tip is to see your role as a scuba diving instructor from different angles and perspectives.
Imagine that you are the owner of the dive shop
First, imagine that you are the owner of a scuba dive shop and make a list of what the perfect scuba diving instructor employee would be for your dive shop.
For example, do you want that person to be on time, look healthy, always smile, work hard, do extra jobs for the dive shop after you finished teaching, have ideas, use social media to promote the dive shop, etc.
Write as many bullet points as you can and then try and be that scuba diving instructor. The more an owner likes you, the more work you get, the more chance for upsells, the more money you make and you are less likely to get fired if he might have to reduce staff at one point. Who knows you might even get promoted to dive shop manager etc.
Write as many bullet points as you can and then try and be that scuba diving instructor. The more an owner likes you, the more work you get, the more chance for upsells, the more money you make and you are less likely to get fired if he might have to reduce staff at one point. Who knows you might even get promoted to dive shop manager etc.
Imagine that you are a diving student
Second, imagine that you are an Open Water Diver student (you can also choose Advanced, Rescue, etc.). Now make a list with bullet points on how you would picture your perfect scuba diving instructor.
Would you like someone confident, is nice, has a lot of patience, will do anything for the student, help with travel information, recommend diving spots all over the world, is slow underwater, caring, etc. Now again, try to become that person when you teach scuba diving.
Imagine that you are a fun diver
Third, make a list imagining that you are a fun diver and write down the perfect dive leader for you and again try to become that person. You can keep making a list of different scenarios and see yourself as a dive instructor from the perspective of your customers, manager, and dive shop owners.
You might not be able to become or do all the bullet points that you have written down, but the closer you get, the better you are as a scuba diving instructor.
And trust me on this one that people love to stay with you for continuo education courses or are more willing to buy dive equipment from you as you are a superstar dive instructor, and everyone trusts a superstar!
And trust me on this one that people love to stay with you for continuo education courses or are more willing to buy dive equipment from you as you are a superstar dive instructor, and everyone trusts a superstar!
Entertaining your students is key to increase your sales as a scuba diving instructor
This is a game-changer and most of the time when I see scuba diving instructors not selling well, I also notice that they don't entertain their students enough. Entertaining your scuba students is key to increase your sales and income.
I know good dive instructors that have great diving skills and are very knowledgeable but are not good entertainers and because of that don't sell much. Try to put yourself in the shoes of your students, they don’t just do the diving course to become divers on their holidays, they also want to have a great time.
I know good dive instructors that have great diving skills and are very knowledgeable but are not good entertainers and because of that don't sell much. Try to put yourself in the shoes of your students, they don’t just do the diving course to become divers on their holidays, they also want to have a great time.
This doesn’t mean you should only focus on entertaining them and don’t care about training. You should do both, teach them to become great divers with fantastic diving skills and teach them all the knowledge you can and on top of that entertain them until they leave. Not only do they now want to stay longer with you (continuo education), but they will also recommend you to new potential diving students on their future travels.
Different ways to entertain your students as a scuba diving instructor
First of all, try and meet your students early on, by picking them up from transportation, help them to check in to their accommodation, maybe have some coffee or lunch with them before the course. I know this is not always possible, but if you can I recommend it.
Always do a proper orientation before the start of the PADI Open Water Diver course or any other course. In this orientation, you explain the schedule and logistics but it is also a great way to ask about them (and genuinely be interested) and add some jokes here and there. Tell them that the next few days will become the best day’s of their holiday or even their lives and then try and keep your word! :)
Always do a proper orientation before the start of the PADI Open Water Diver course or any other course. In this orientation, you explain the schedule and logistics but it is also a great way to ask about them (and genuinely be interested) and add some jokes here and there. Tell them that the next few days will become the best day’s of their holiday or even their lives and then try and keep your word! :)
Second, try and be entertain full throughout the PADI Open Water Diver course, try and make jokes when you are teaching, smile and answer any questions your students have positively. Also always join your students before dives and during surface intervals. Don’t just hang out with your colleagues. You are here for the enjoyment of your diving students, not just your own.
Lastly and one of the best tips to increase your sales as a scuba diving instructor is to take your students out for lunch or dinner. I found that taking them out for dinner works best. You can do this during the course, on the certification day, or both.
If you can only take them out of dinner once then I recommend organizing a dinner on the last day of the PADI Open Water Diver course when they received their (temporary) scuba diving certification card.
If you can only take them out of dinner once then I recommend organizing a dinner on the last day of the PADI Open Water Diver course when they received their (temporary) scuba diving certification card.
Taking your scuba diving students out to dinner
This is one of the best ways to increase your sales as a scuba diving Instructor. By taking them out to dinner you are giving them lot’s of entertainment and it shows to them that you care about their enjoyment as they know that this is your free time.
But it gets better! During dinner, there will always be 1 or 2 students that start asking you questions about the next course or other scuba diving experiences.
Every time I take my PADI Open Water Diver students out for dinner and they ask me about the Advanced Course.
But it gets better! During dinner, there will always be 1 or 2 students that start asking you questions about the next course or other scuba diving experiences.
Every time I take my PADI Open Water Diver students out for dinner and they ask me about the Advanced Course.
This is fantastic and you are not selling as you are just answering their questions. Like is the deep dive scary? How cool is the night dive really? Tell us more about the wreck? And many more. The best thing is that while you are answering these questions to some of your students that asked for them, the other students are overhearing them. They usually don’t mind as they think you are just answering people's questions and are not selling.
An important note is that you should try and sit in the middle of the table, right in between your students so you can talk and listen to everyone. I have seen a lot of scuba diving instructors and Divemaster’s sit at the head of the table, but then you can’t talk to everyone and the selling process become less effective plus you are not entertaining everyone.
An important note is that you should try and sit in the middle of the table, right in between your students so you can talk and listen to everyone. I have seen a lot of scuba diving instructors and Divemaster’s sit at the head of the table, but then you can’t talk to everyone and the selling process become less effective plus you are not entertaining everyone.
Best moments to sell continuo education or diving equipment during the PADI Open Water Diver Course
Overselling the next course is bad as students don’t want to be sold something. While underselling is also not good as your students won’t buy anything they don’t know about. The trick is to find that sweet spot by mentioning the PADI Advanced Diver course enough to get them excited and not too much that it becomes overselling.
Orientation:
Get your students excited from the start that there is another course after the PADI Open Water Diver Course and that it is amazing!
Don’t oversell, “just plant the seed that you can then later give water and let it grow throughout the course”.
Don’t oversell, “just plant the seed that you can then later give water and let it grow throughout the course”.
The best time to do this is after you explained the PADI Open Water Diver course schedule to your students. Now you should also explain the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver schedule briefly after.
I recommend having both the Open Water course schedule and the Advanced schedule on the whiteboard throughout your orientation. This way it will be in the line of sight of your scuba students at all times.
I recommend having both the Open Water course schedule and the Advanced schedule on the whiteboard throughout your orientation. This way it will be in the line of sight of your scuba students at all times.
Confined Water Dives:
Don’t talk too much about the PADI Advanced course during the confined water dives. Now it is time to focus on their first PADI Open Water Course skills. You might mention the advanced during a break, but don’t push it to prevent overselling.
Dive theory chapter 1, 2, and 3 Classroom sessions:
During your classroom session where you explain the PADI Open Water Diver Manual Answers of Chapters 1, 2, and 3, I would not try and promote the Advanced course too much.
You can mention it a few times, like watering the plant, but you don’t need to be overselling. The reason why I recommend not to mention the Advanced course too much during your PADI Confined water dives and the first classroom sessions is that in most cases they haven’t experience the Open Water part yet. So they don’t know yet how cool scuba diving is!
Open Water Dive 1 and 2
Before or during the surface interval of open water dive 1 and 2, I would not recommend you to mention the Advanced Course at all. But after you finish dives 1 and 2, I highly recommend you to start selling the Advanced Open Water Diver Course.
The reason is that your PADI Open Water Diver students are now super excited after their first scuba diving experience in the open water. They experienced breathing underwater, conquered fears, saw incredible marine life and so much more.
The reason is that your PADI Open Water Diver students are now super excited after their first scuba diving experience in the open water. They experienced breathing underwater, conquered fears, saw incredible marine life and so much more.
After an experience like that, they just want more. And how do they get more? Exactly by joining the Advanced course after the Open Water Diver course.
Dive theory chapter 4 and 5 Classroom sessions:
This is where the magic happens! A lot of scuba diving instructors think that they should do fewer classroom sessions and more diving to keep their students happy, but if you are a good instructor and presenter, it is the opposite.
In the classroom, you have the best opportunity to talk to your students, reflect on their dive 1 and 2 and sell the next experience which is the advanced course.
In the classroom, you have the best opportunity to talk to your students, reflect on their dive 1 and 2 and sell the next experience which is the advanced course.
I recommend not having a separate talk about why the advanced course is so great, just explain every single PADI Open Water Knowledge Review question and answer of chapters 4 and 5. On many of these questions, you can integrate or relate them to your positive experiences during an advanced course.
Then in the end just before the PADI Open Water Diver Exam you briefly remind them again of the schedule of the Advanced course and how they can sign up at the end of the course. Never pressure them in making a decision now as we still have open water dive 3 and 4 to do.
Then in the end just before the PADI Open Water Diver Exam you briefly remind them again of the schedule of the Advanced course and how they can sign up at the end of the course. Never pressure them in making a decision now as we still have open water dive 3 and 4 to do.
Open Water Dive 3 and 4
After promoting, selling, and talking about the Advanced course that much during the dive theory chapter 4 and 5 classroom sessions, I recommend you to not try and sell the continuo education course before and during the surface interval of open water dive 3 and 4.
Just enjoy the experience, try and dive really slow and let your open water diver students truly experience the details of the marine life.
Just enjoy the experience, try and dive really slow and let your open water diver students truly experience the details of the marine life.
Then when they surface after dive 4 and they had one of the best experiences of their lives, it is now time to give them a friendly reminder about staying a bit longer and experience an even better scuba diving adventure with the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course.
Scuba Diving Certification and Paperwork
The last thing to complete in the course is completing the paperwork and the PADI Open Water Diver certification details. This is a great time to congratulate your students and to ask them how much they liked the diving course.
Let them talk and give them a chance to explain how much they liked the experience, the dive shop, and hopefully you as a Scuba Diving Instructor. This will be a great time to sell more continuo education, which is the Advanced course in this case.
Let them talk and give them a chance to explain how much they liked the experience, the dive shop, and hopefully you as a Scuba Diving Instructor. This will be a great time to sell more continuo education, which is the Advanced course in this case.
Don’t do it too much as they just finished their PADI Open Water Diver course and are happy with that, you don’t want them to feel that only the Advanced is great.
This is also a good time to invite them for some sunset drinks and a student course dinner to celebrate that they are PADI Open Water Divers.
When they show up for dinner they all had a rest, a shower, are dressed up, and are in good moods, now it is time to sell the continuo education during dinner, by answering questions as I explained before. This is the final touch that makes most if not all students sign up and join the next course.
Hopefully, by this time the group bonding is strong and many want to stay together for a few more days.
This is also a good time to invite them for some sunset drinks and a student course dinner to celebrate that they are PADI Open Water Divers.
When they show up for dinner they all had a rest, a shower, are dressed up, and are in good moods, now it is time to sell the continuo education during dinner, by answering questions as I explained before. This is the final touch that makes most if not all students sign up and join the next course.
Hopefully, by this time the group bonding is strong and many want to stay together for a few more days.
PADI Divemaster Candidates, Divemasters, and Instructor Interns increase sales even better
Don’t let your ego to your head thinking that only are selling the continuo education. Actually, I found out that most of the time my assistants like my PADI Divemasters and Instructor Interns were selling the continuo education (next diving course) much better than me.
The reason for this is that a lot of students know that you are trying to sell the next course to earn more money. It very quickly leads to overselling if you keep talking about the next course.
The reason for this is that a lot of students know that you are trying to sell the next course to earn more money. It very quickly leads to overselling if you keep talking about the next course.
However, they usually know that your Divemasters and interns are probably not earning from this (or less) so they trust them more. Divemasters, interns, and especially DMT’s/DMC’s are also closer to the student level, which makes students relate to them more.
That is why I always recommend having assistants joining your PADI Open Water Diver course. Besides them helping with logistics, add extra safety and entertainment your Divemasters and interns are priceless when it comes to selling continuo education.
Also if they did help you to increase your sales, then don’t forget to reward them at the end of the course with compliments, free dinner, some free drinks or/and some extra money. This will make them feel appreciated, create team bonding which in return will lead to them trying to help you increase sales even more on the next course.
That is why I always recommend having assistants joining your PADI Open Water Diver course. Besides them helping with logistics, add extra safety and entertainment your Divemasters and interns are priceless when it comes to selling continuo education.
Also if they did help you to increase your sales, then don’t forget to reward them at the end of the course with compliments, free dinner, some free drinks or/and some extra money. This will make them feel appreciated, create team bonding which in return will lead to them trying to help you increase sales even more on the next course.
Specialty courses and scuba diving equipment
You can increase your sales as a scuba diving instructor even more by getting people excited about PADI Specialty courses to add-on to their Advanced course or even easier and better to ingrate a specialty course like a PADI Enriched Air Nitrox Diver course.
This course is easy to teach, doesn’t take a lot of time and students get a great benefit from being a PADI Enriched Air Nitrox Diver as they can stay longer at a certain depth depending on their air supply. You can easily ingrate this course in the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course.
This course is easy to teach, doesn’t take a lot of time and students get a great benefit from being a PADI Enriched Air Nitrox Diver as they can stay longer at a certain depth depending on their air supply. You can easily ingrate this course in the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course.
Another great way to increase sales and earn more money is by promoting scuba dive gear. People that own diving equipment usually tends to do more diving which leads to better continuo education sales.
However, as I mentioned before, be a bit careful by selling them too much dive equipment as they might run low on budget and might not be able to join the next course. Ask them what they prefer and help them to get that.
However, as I mentioned before, be a bit careful by selling them too much dive equipment as they might run low on budget and might not be able to join the next course. Ask them what they prefer and help them to get that.
Color whiteboard markers do make a difference in increasing sales
I know this might be strange what I am about to tell you, but I strongly recommend you to not use a red whiteboard marker when you try to sell something. Or at least reduce using them.
People react emotionally to colors. For example, the color Blue is the color of trust, water, and the sky. We relate the color green to nature, conservation and money. And red reminds us of war, love, sex, blood, and danger.
People react emotionally to colors. For example, the color Blue is the color of trust, water, and the sky. We relate the color green to nature, conservation and money. And red reminds us of war, love, sex, blood, and danger.
In other words, if you write the PADI Advanced Open Water course schedule on your whiteboard to try and promote it with a red whiteboard marker, you risk that your students associate the course as aggressive and dangerous.
I recommend you to always use a blue color whiteboard marker when you try and promote continuo education courses and dive equipment as your students trust that color more. It sounds a bit much, but these small details truly help in how to increase your sales as a scuba diving instructor.
I recommend you to always use a blue color whiteboard marker when you try and promote continuo education courses and dive equipment as your students trust that color more. It sounds a bit much, but these small details truly help in how to increase your sales as a scuba diving instructor.
Use Social Media Marketing to increase future sales as a scuba diving instructor
While teaching a diving course I recommend you to post at least one picture or video a day on your social media and tag your students and the dive shop in it.
Students, their friends, and the dive shop owner will now see your teaching style and how amazing the course is going. Owners might now give you more students for the next course, increasing your chances for more sales. You might also get more recommendations from the students and their friends to come and do scuba diving courses with you.
After-sales and extra commissions as a scuba diving instructor
Let’s say that you did a fantastic job and your PADI Open Water Diver course students decided to also do the Advanced course with you, some of them a Nitrox specialty, a few others bought a new scuba mask with you and some rented some underwater camera’s. It is going fantastic!
You reach the end of all their course and enjoy a beverage with them just before they travel onwards. Is this the end of promoting them more or can you increase even more sales?
You reach the end of all their course and enjoy a beverage with them just before they travel onwards. Is this the end of promoting them more or can you increase even more sales?
You can increase even more sales by asking them in the end where they are traveling next or what their plans are with their newly earned scuba diving certification levels.
Some of them might answer that they would love to go scuba diving around the world or on their next destination, but don’t know where to go. This is where you step in and help them to recommend other great dive shops or/and scuba diving travel.
Especially recommending them a Liveaboard trip can be a fantastic way to increase sales as they usually pay high referral commissions. Do make sure you recommend a really good Liveaboard company so that your students truly receive another amazing scuba diving experience!
Some of them might answer that they would love to go scuba diving around the world or on their next destination, but don’t know where to go. This is where you step in and help them to recommend other great dive shops or/and scuba diving travel.
Especially recommending them a Liveaboard trip can be a fantastic way to increase sales as they usually pay high referral commissions. Do make sure you recommend a really good Liveaboard company so that your students truly receive another amazing scuba diving experience!
Conclusion on how to increase your sales as a scuba diving instructor
After all this talk about sales, you might think that you should only care about that, but that is not true at all. Selling is not something bad if you are honest and truly care about your scuba diving students.
Remember that by selling them something you help them to get what they want and need. If done well they will be thanking you for it while your increase your sales as a scuba diving instructor.
I can go on and on about this topic and have tons of more tips on how you can become a successful scuba diving instructor but that is too much information to write here. If you want to learn more you can join my PADI Divemaster and PADI IDC Course on Koh Tao.
Remember that by selling them something you help them to get what they want and need. If done well they will be thanking you for it while your increase your sales as a scuba diving instructor.
I can go on and on about this topic and have tons of more tips on how you can become a successful scuba diving instructor but that is too much information to write here. If you want to learn more you can join my PADI Divemaster and PADI IDC Course on Koh Tao.
If you want to start increasing your sales as a Scuba Diving Instructor you can recommend someone to do the PADI Divemaster or PADI IDC Course with me at Sairee Cottage Diving for a high referral commission. Please contact me for more information.
I wish you all the best of success and just remember “You can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pocket” - Arnold Schwarzenegger
Work hard, smile, truly care, be honest, have great diving skills, be safe, passionate, and eco-friendly and you be surprised how easy it is to increase your sales as a scuba diving instructor.
I wish you all the best of success and just remember “You can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pocket” - Arnold Schwarzenegger
Work hard, smile, truly care, be honest, have great diving skills, be safe, passionate, and eco-friendly and you be surprised how easy it is to increase your sales as a scuba diving instructor.
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Marcel van den Berg
PADI Platinum Course Director
PADI Platinum Course Director
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Copyright 2017 - 2022 | All Rights Reserved
Disclaimer
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
All content on this website and URL are owned by Sairee Cottage Diving PADI 5-Star IDC Center S-36452
Copyright 2017 - 2022 | All Rights Reserved