Get Ready for Winter!

As we drift further into autumn and approach the end of Daylight Saving Time, now is a good time to think about getting vehicles ready for winter. While this is obviously more important for students of our affiliates in northern climes, it never hurts to give vehicles a periodic once-over to make sure everything's operating correctly. Encourage your students to…

• check the battery. Performing a battery load test (or having a mechanic do it) will ensure that the battery turns over on cold mornings.
• monitor tires for tread wear. Tires should always have plenty of tread to ensure proper grip, but it's critical in wet and/or snowy weather. Having the proper tires—with plenty of tread—will help to ensure safety on bad winter roads. Further, vehicles that will be driven in mountainous areas should be equipped with snow tires, and tire chains should be carried in case they are necessary.
• remember that bad weather reduces visibility. Vehicle lighting systems should be kept clean and in good working order; visibility can be enhanced by activating the headlights even during daylight hours. Windows—especially the windshield—should be kept clean and clear of obstructions. Climate controls, including the defroster, should be in good working condition, and windshield wipers should be replaced every couple of years (more often, as needed, if there are cracks in the rubber or if the wipers leave streaks on the windshield).
• avoid sudden turns and hard braking. Abrupt maneuvers on slippery roads can cause a vehicle to skid or lose control. Drivers must accelerate, steer, and brake gently when traction is limited. Ultimately, motorists should slow down and increase following distance when road conditions are poor.
• check weather and traffic conditions before they leave. Drivers should always allow themselves plenty of time to get to their destination, but this is even more important when the weather is bad. Travelers should plan ahead and leave route and destination information with friends or relatives, so rescue personnel know where to look if they don't arrive. Drivers should also consider abandoning the trip if weather conditions are exceptionally poor.

With these simple tips and some common sense, drivers can make it through even the harshest of winters. Encourage your students to stay safe!

National Teen Driver Safety Week 2013

Next week (October 20 – 26, 2013) is National Teen Driver Safety Week. The idea is to get teens from all across America to team up to tackle the greatest danger they face—vehicle crashes.

This year's theme is "It Takes Two: Shared Expectations for Teens and Parents for Driving." Part of the program is advocacy for 65+ hours of supervised driving practice for new drivers. While supervised driving practice is important, it's not the end of the story. Studies suggest that teen drivers often underestimate their level of driving experience and conflate the mere acquisition of a driver license with driving competence. It is critical, then, that parents remain engaged and supportive of their child's new responsibility.

In light of next week's event, there couldn't be a better time to encourage your students (or a family member or friend) to pick up a copy of Traffic Safety Consultants' outstanding parent-teen driving guide, Teach Your Teen to Drive…and stay alive. This fantastic parent-teen guide provides life-saving tips and easy-to-follow, structured exercises to reduce the stress factors associated with the up to 60 hours of supervised driving practice that's required by all 50 states.

If your stock of books is running low, or to get started with this excellent product, contact our Director of Affiliate Operations, Gloria Verver, for great affiliate pricing (via email or by calling 800 . 252 . 9488). Of course, you can always order via Amazon.com as well.

So…what are you waiting for? Let's get together and save some lives!

Reminder: Quarterly Reports are Due to CA DMV

Just a reminder to our California affiliates that quarterly reports for the third quarter of 2013 are due to the Sacramento office of the California Department of Motor Vehicles by October 30.

If you have any questions about preparing and submitting your reports, please contact Chris via email or by calling 800 . 487 . 1699.

We Have a Winner!

…well, four, actually!

The Sizzlin' Summer Sales competition, which ran from the beginning of July through the end of August, asked you to increase the number of paid student registrations, and the percentage of students who upgraded to the Completion Tracker, relative to your numbers in those categories for the month of June. We also included some useful marketing tips to help you meet your new goals.

After two months of heated, head-to-head competition, we're back to announce our winners:

• Student Registrations
  • First Place - $150: Fast and Easy Traffic School
  • Second Place - $75: Newport Driving School
• Completion Trackers
  • First Place - $100: Fast and Easy Traffic School
  • Second Place - $50: Nice and Easy Traffic School

Congratulations to our prize winners! Chris will mail prize checks to the winners in the next few weeks.

But, of course, remember that everyone is a winner simply by increasing sales and growing your business. Good job, everyone, and good fortune to you all!

Marketing Tips: Small Changes Can Net Big Results

A few small changes to your existing marketing strategies can reap big results when it comes to attracting customers. Better still, many of these approaches involve free or low-cost techniques.

Consider employing these great tactics:

• Turn the back of your business card into a promotional item. The back of your business card is advertising real estate that you already own. Use that space to provide a list of your services, or a 10%-off coupon, to turn it into a powerful marketing tool. The information can be a conversation starter and conveys important facts about your business at a time when you already have someone's attention.
• Put a link to your social media account(s) in your email signature. You should always use an email signature with any business-related correspondence. It's professional, and it reinforces your brand every time you hit the "send" button. Including a link to your social media account(s) in the signature makes it easy for recipients to keep in touch with you—and the valuable information you provide—over time.
• Position yourself as an expert. Nothing builds your brand faster than free advice. Dole out a few juicy tips on your website or social media account(s). Once people know that you know, they'll seek you out. Soon, you'll have customers knocking at your door, offering to pay you to solve their problems.
• Test, measure, and test again. Don't sink your entire marketing budget into a single effort. If you try something new as a test, measure the results (and refine your plan) to maximize your returns.

You don't have to have a huge marketing budget to get your customers' attention. Just a few simple tweaks could net you a load of new business!