News You Can Use from the DHSMV

From time to time, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) communicates important news to traffic schools operating in the state. As your curriculum provider, Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., (TSC) in turn, forwards those messages along to you.

Over the past several weeks, the DHSMV has issued the following bulletins:

• The DHSMV is concerned that the Failure to Complete (FTC) rate for Advanced Driver Improvement courses is extremely low. There were 1495 FTCs reported in August 2009, but only 12 reported in March 2010. Please make sure that you are reporting all ADI FTCs on Form 77057. (Check out TSC's blog post from June on this topic.)
• The DHSMV is no longer correcting erroneous certificates for students or traffic schools. If any student—including an Internet student—provides incorrect information for a certificate, the school must issue another certificate to correct the error. For example, if a student provides the wrong citation number or driver license number for a certificate, you must mark the erroneous certificate as a "no show" and create another class to issue a different certificate with the correct information.
• Citation numbers must appear on all BDI, ADI, and 3 Crashes/3 Years certificates. These are the only certificates which must list a citation number for DHSMV purposes, but other, court-ordered courses may require a citation or case number for the certificate to be accepted. Check with the appropriate court to verify their needs.

If you have any questions about these directives from the DHSMV, please email Donna or call her at 800-252-9951.

It's Who You Know!

Consider the adage "It's not what you know, it's who you know." While you'll only get so far in the face of ignorance and gross incompetence, the point is that social contacts can help you. Sales are frequently developed through the relationships we create with other people. Everyone you meet is a potential customer!

Networking is defined as "the developing of contacts or the exchanging of information with others." Always present yourself in an informative and helpful manner. Even if the person doesn't need your services at that time, they're likely to remember you when they do have a need you can satisfy. And, if you've made a good impression, you can be sure that they'll refer you to others they know. Networking will help you to build a strong customer base. So…how do you get started? Below are some tips:

• Always remember that networking is about being genuine and authentic, building trust and relationships, and seeing how you can help others. When you are known as a strong resource, people will turn to you for suggestions, ideas, names of other people, etc.
• Holding volunteer positions in organizations is a great way to meet new people, stay visible, and give back to the groups that have helped you.
• You have exactly one opportunity to make a positive first impression. Develop a great handshake; approach people with a natural, genuine smile; make good eye contact; and be authentically interested in and attentive to the person you're meeting.
• To avoid being tongue-tied when you try to start a conversation with someone you don't know, prepare a self-introduction that is clear, concise (no more than 8 – 10 seconds), and interesting. Although practicing your introduction might at first seem silly and artificial, it will eventually help you to sound natural, confident, and smooth.
• Ask open-ended questions in networking conversations. This means questions that ask who, what, where, when, and how, as opposed to those that can be answered with a simple yes or no. This form of questioning opens up the discussion and shows that you are interested. Remember:
• People enjoy talking about themselves. Ask them questions to get them started.
• People feel flattered when you show an interest in them and their work/organization, and they're likely to reciprocate your demonstrations of sincere interest.
• Have a clear understanding of what you do and for whom. Be able to articulate what makes your product or service special and superior to what others are offering.
• Follow up quickly and efficiently with referrals you are given. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honor that, and your referrals will grow.
• Finally, some individuals may not respond to you in the way you'd like. It happens. If it does, don't take it personally and just move on. As long as you maintain an outgoing and friendly attitude, networking success will follow!

Keep Yourself Cyber-Safe

It used to be that a good deadbolt was likely to keep you safe from all but the most determined bandits. In the Information Age, with your (intellectual) property dispersed over the far-flung reaches of the Internet, it might seem like a difficult task to protect yourself. But it's actually fairly simple. All you really need are a few good "digital deadbolts."

Password Protection

Most people think that identity theft is the result of sophisticated hacking attacks on large databases—and those exploits do make for sensational news stories. But the most common way that "hackers" gain access to your computer files is through good old-fashioned snooping (click here for a humorous video).

The passwords to your online accounts will protect you, but you need to protect them! Keep your passwords in a secure place, and out of plain sight. Don't share them on the Internet, over email, or on the phone. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) should never ask for your password.

In addition, hackers may try to figure out your passwords to gain access to your computer. To make it tougher for them:

• Do not use password (or something very close to that) as your password!
• Use passwords that have at least eight characters and include numbers or symbols. The longer the password, the tougher it is to crack.
• Avoid common words. Some hackers use programs that can quickly try every word in the dictionary.
• Don't use your personal information, your login name, or adjacent keys on the keyboard as passwords.
• Change your passwords regularly, and don't use the same password for all of your online accounts.

Avoid Scams

How do criminals get your personal information online? One way is by lying about who they are in order to convince you to share your information with them. This scam is known as phishing—criminals send emails, text messages (texts), or instant messages (IMs) that appear to come from your bank, a government agency, an online seller, or another organization with which you do business.

To avoid phishing scams:

• Don't reply to an email, text, or IM that asks for personal or financial information, and don't click on links in the message. If you want to go to the website of your bank or a business, type the web address into your browser yourself.
• Don't respond if you get a message—by email, text, IM, or phone—that asks you to call a phone number to update your account or give your personal information to access a refund. If you need to reach an organization with which you do business, call the number on your financial statement or use a telephone directory.

Keep Your Operating System and 
Web Browser Updated

Hackers also take advantage of computers running software that doesn't have the latest security updates. Software companies issue security patches for flaws that they find in their systems, so it's important to set your applications to download and install security patches automatically.

In addition, you can increase your online security by changing the built-in security and privacy settings in your operating system or browser. Check the "Tools" or "Options" menus to learn how to upgrade from the default settings. Use your "Help" function for more information about your choices.

If you won't be using your computer for an extended period of time, unplug its Internet connection. When it's disconnected, the computer can't send or receive information from the Internet and isn't vulnerable to hackers.

Consider Security Applications

Keep your security software active and current. At a minimum, your computer should have anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a firewall (click here for more details). You can buy stand-alone programs for each element, or a security suite that includes these programs from a variety of sources, including commercial vendors or your ISP. Security software that comes pre-installed on a computer generally works only for a short time unless you pay a subscription fee to keep it updated. It's also critical to set your security software to auto-update regularly.

Some scam artists distribute malicious software (malware) disguised as anti-spyware software. Resist buying software in response to unexpected pop-up messages or emails, especially ads that claim to have scanned your computer and detected malware. That's a tactic scammers have used to spread malware. GetNetWise, a project of the Internet Education Foundation, provides a list of tools from legitimate security vendors.

Responding to an E-mergency

If you suspect that you've had a digital security breach, OnGuard Online recommends some recovery resources to help.


(Much of the information contained in this blog post was researched on OnGuard Online, a website maintained by the Federal Trade Commission, with significant contributions from other government agencies and non-government partners. Check out the site for more information, educational videos, and fun games.)

New Florida Laws for 2010

A blog post from the end of June alerted you to legislative changes pertaining to the traffic school industry that would go into effect on July 1. At that time, you were also promised an update regarding changes that would take effect on September 1, 2010. For your convenience, the curriculum development staff at Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., (TSC) have prepared materials that will address those changes to our lesson plans.

For those of you offering live-classroom courses, please read the handy summary and note the changes at the appropriate places in your Lesson Plan binder(s).  If your traffic school employs multiple teachers, please either share the link with them or download the file and distribute electronic or print copies as needed.

Insert sheets are also available for the booklet and video/DVD versions of TSC's course. Please include a copy of the appropriate insert sheet with each product that you ship. The insert sheets are cumulative; if you've previously been shipping insert sheets, you may replace you old stock with this new version.

Please click on the links below to access the files you need. You may read/print them online or download them to your local computer for easier access whenever you need them.

• Classroom instructor summary
• Booklet insert - English
• Booklet insert - Spanish
• Video/DVD insert

Please make sure that you familiarize yourself with these updates and ship the new home study inserts, as you will be responsible for teaching this new material to students.

Naturally, the Internet-based curriculum will be revised as needed to reflect these modifications, and no action is required on your part to address the updates for this format. If you have any questions about the updates, please feel free to email Donna, or call her at 800 . 252 . 9951.

Quick Tips for Marketing Success

Below are some great ideas that you can use to quickly jump-start your marketing campaign:

• Change the copy on your marketing materials (coupons, brochure, website, etc.) from a focus on your company to a focus on your clients, from a focus on selling to a focus on helping.
• Present price in context, by explaining the value and benefits of the products you offer. If potential customers don't understand the value you provide, a reasonable price might seem high and become a barrier to sales.
• Invest the time to write articles to establish yourself as an expert. Let your passion, personality, and professionalism stand out in all of your communications.
• Thank each student who completes your course, and request feedback on how you might improve the customer experience.
• Expand your business by finding ways to maintain contact with your customers and explain how you can help them to find solutions to their problems. Periodically (weekly or monthly) provide driving tips or updates to traffic laws to educate customers and encourage them to explore your website for further information.
• Cross-promote. Educate your existing customers about other products you offer that are closely related to a product they have just purchased.
• Start a viral marketing campaign on social bookmarking or Web 2.0 sites. Do something exciting and different (e.g., post humorous-but-educational videos to YouTube, or run contests on Facebook) and you can draw customers that you may never have thought to attract.

How You Doin'?

Are you doing everything you can to maximize your sales and profits? The first step to making helpful changes to your marketing strategies is to assess what you're doing now. Perhaps what you've been doing is delivering satisfactory results. At the very least, you'll save time and energy by targeting your efforts on those areas that will make the biggest improvement.

By answering the following questions, you'll pinpoint your areas of success as well as opportunities for improvement. Missing or incomplete answers to these questions may highlight aspects of your marketing strategy that require attention. Ask yourself:

• What advertising methods am I using now? Which of these successfully deliver customers and which fail to drive traffic to myoffice/website?
• What call-to-action messages do I employ, and do they consistently prompt sales?
• What is the average age of the prospective customers I'm targeting? Is my advertising/signage/website appropriate for those prospects?
• Your website: The sites designed by the Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., (TSC) Web development team for our affiliated partners have been optimized to maximize sales. If you're maintaining your own site, however, or if you've contributed to your site's content, ask yourself:
• Does my site look professional?
• Is the customer's path to purchase direct, requiring a minimal number of clicks?

IMPORTANT! Once you've identified areas that might need attention and decided upon a course of action, be sure implement your changes one at a time and track the results. That way, you'll know which tactics to incorporate into your regular marketing efforts and which you should discontinue.

New Florida Laws Take Effect July 1, 2010

A pair of laws relating to traffic school in the state of Florida will take effect on July 1, 2010.

First, the good news: Florida State Statute (F.S.S.) 322.0261(4) requires the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to mail notices to drivers who must take traffic school pursuant to that section. If adjudication is withheld for any offense requiring traffic school, the traffic school requirement shall be waived, unless specifically ordered by the court. However, drivers convicted of passing a school bus in violation of F.S.S. 316.172 must complete a traffic school course even if adjudication of guilt is withheld.

The bad news (for traffic school providers—and motorists) is that F.S.S. 381.14(9) limits the numbers of times that drivers may elect to take traffic school in order to remove points from their records to no more than five attendances in a lifetime.

Other changes related to legislative updates will take effect on Sep. 1 (and a few on Oct. 1). Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., will be updating its approved curricula and will provide you with more information closer to that time.

TSC is on the Move!

Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., (TSC) has been operating out of its current location for many years. However, due in part to the success of our affiliate programs—i.e., to your success—we have found that our current office space no longer meets our business needs. We are, therefore, pleased to announce the relocation of our California corporate offices to the following address:

Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc.
14526 Roscoe Boulevard
Suite 218
Panorama City, California 91402

Effective July 19, 2010, please direct all correspondence to this new address.

The move itself is being coordinated so as to negate any impact on daily operations, and TSC will continue to deliver the same great service and support that our affiliate family has always enjoyed. Nonetheless, should you have any questions about the relocation, please feel free to email Gloria Verver, our Director of Affiliate Programs, or give her a call at 1-800-252-9488.

Affiliate Marketing Misconceptions

Affiliate programs offer outstanding financial opportunities, but your business will require some promotional efforts on your part to be successful. Here are some misconceptions that can keep affiliates from realizing the full potential of their traffic school enterprise.

Misconception #1: I Don't Need a Marketing Campaign

Every business needs a marketing campaign. This is so important that it bears repeating: every business needs a marketing campaign! At the very least, it's a sign in a window somewhere; but more effective campaigns will generate more customers—and more revenue. You don't have to live and breathe marketing, but you can see a significant increase in business by making a thoughtful effort to implement a few small changes over time. Hopefully these blog posts will inspire you and provide some useful suggestions.

Misconception #2: One Marketing Strategy is Enough to Build an Effective Campaign

One or two marketing techniques make a good start, not necessarily an effective campaign. We understand that there are lots of other duties that occupy your time each day, but not all strategies require constant tending. Issuing coupons (which we highly recommend!) involves the initial layout and an occasional reprint; beyond that, you just have to hand them out. And a magnetic sign attached to the side of your vehicle (another great suggestion!) requires nothing more than a small investment in design and application. In short, it's not all work all of the time. Merely following through with a simple but well-conceived plan can go a long way.

Misconception #3: Marketing Campaigns Run on Auto-Pilot

Marketing channels are constantly changing. Think of the recent shifts from traditional forms of mass communication to new media. Even within the new systems, there have been great transformations. Website aesthetics have evolved and functionality has dramatically improved over just the past few years. To be effective, your marketing techniques need to remain current. You don't have to embrace every fad—an exhausting and fruitless exercise. You might, however, periodically (at least on a yearly basis) review and revise your marketing plan to ensure that you're capturing all of the business that you can. It's unlikely that you'll need to completely revamp your system, but some tweaks from time to time can optimize your results.



It can seem daunting, but the purpose of all of this talk isn't to discourage you. Good marketing simply involves building your name as a trusted provider of traffic safety education. Professionalism, credibility, and regular, small improvements are the key to growing your customer base and your bottom line. And, as always, TSC is here to help you every step of the way.

Mandatory Reporting for 12-Hour ADI

Students who must complete a 12-Hour Advanced Driver Improvement (ADI) course are serious hazards on the roadway—and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) is understandably serious about those students' obligation to complete their traffic safety education. DHSMV, therefore, requires traffic schools to report certain students who enroll in, but fail to complete, an ADI course.

The reporting requirement applies to students who are taking an ADI course because they have had their license suspended for exceeding the point limit or because they have been classified as an habitual traffic offender (HTO). If these students reserve a spot in an ADI class and subsequently fail to attend the class for which they enrolled, DHSMV requires the traffic school to report the no-show. Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., (TSC) conveniently makes the reporting form available to its affiliates via the link below. You may download this PDF (Adobe Acrobat) file and print the form as needed; each printed sheet will contain two copies of the form. Reporting will be performed on a monthly basis, using Form 77057: Student Status Report. Completed forms must be mailed to DHSMV by the 3rd business day of each month, reporting no-shows for the previous calendar month.