The ABCs of the Right Name

What's in a name? Having the right name can immediately boost your exposure—and your bottom line. Your school's name is the natural thing to lead with when introducing yourself to new prospects and in maintaining presence of mind with existing students. It provides immediately information to customers and potential customers about whether you provide the services they require and whether they're likely to have a positive experience.

First, pick a name that conveys something about your school. If you want students to enjoy taking a traffic safety course from you, think about incorporating words such as "fun," "great," "easy," or "pleasant," etc., into your name. Or, if you're playing up the bargain aspect of your school, you might use terms like "cheap," "economical," or "low-price," etc.

Further, not also state regulatory agencies include schools' URLs in their listings of approved providers. In those cases (e.g., California) you omight consider including "www" and/or "com" and/or the term "Online" in your school name, in order to help prospective students to understand that you have an Internet-based program. There's no need to completely abandon your existing name; you could simply modify the name to include one of the above-mentioned extensions. For instance, "Example Traffic School" might become "www Example Traffic School Online com."

(Remember that official name changes may require regulatory filings. California affiliates who need help with this paperwork should contact Chris, via email or by calling 800 . 487 . 1699.)

The Art of Maintaining Good Office Practices

Maintaining a strong, consistent, professional relationship with your customers is critical in today's expanding marketplace. Driving higher standards for customer service, you can "beat out" the competition and "win over" customers now and in the future. To achieve the best results, you'll need to implement good office practices and follow an actionable plan for meeting your customers' needs.

Open the Lines of Communication Today!
Be a Leader in Customer Support Tomorrow!

Regulatory requirements dictate that your traffic school must have a dedicated phone line where customers can reach a member of your knowledgeable support team during normal business hours. Regulations aside, however, the best and easiest way to capture a sale is to answer your phone and make your sales pitch to potential students. If you provide a dedicated email address on your website for general inquiries—and you should!—that email address should include your existing business name. Having a "Contact Us Page" on your school's website simply is not enough. Open the lines of communication so that you may widen your pathway to new customers.

Customer Expectation

The fastest way to drive down sales is through poor customer support and a failure to meet customer expectations for service. But more than dollars and cents, not answering your phone or waiting long periods of time to respond to a customer's inquiry—whether be it by phone or by email—could have lasting damaging effects on your business. Benjamin Franklin put it best when he said, "It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it."

A Simplified Guide to SEO

It doesn't have to be this complicated!

We've published to this blog many useful posts about Web marketing, including information about social media and search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns. This is because—particularly as more and more students attend online traffic safety education courses—Internet marketing is a primary means of driving business to your school. If you've already incorporated some of those tips into your marketing efforts, good for you and keep up the great work; we hope you've seen a bump in your business!

But if you haven't yet taken steps to boost your Web traffic, why haven't you? It's probably because some of the concepts can be hard to understand, or because you think the changes will be too difficult to implement on your site.

That's why we wanted to share this simplified guide to SEO. In addition to an easy-to-understand, step-by-step infographic, the article also contains links to a few other helpful pieces to get you started on the road to an optimized website.

So, what are you waiting for? Just a few simple tweaks could start sending more traffic—and more traffic safety students—your way!

What Drivers Need to Know About Points on Their Records

What happens when a driver gets a citation? There are the obvious, immediate effects—having to pay the fine, for example. But there are other effects down the line that can lead to an insurance premium increase or even a loss of license. What's the real story behind points, and what can drivers do to minimize the damage?

Points on the Driving Record

Most states, but not all, use points to keep track of the quality of motorists' driving. In states that track such things, most moving violations (e.g., speeding, failing to make a complete stop, reckless driving) and at-fault collisions will add points to a driver's record. The point scales vary widely from state to state, but it's generally the case that more serious violations are assigned higher point values.

Points remain on the record for one to ten years. Again, this varies widely, but it's generally the case that points assigned for more serious violations will remain on the record for longer periods of time. And all those points can add up! Drivers who accumulate "too many" points (this determination, again, varies widely by jurisdiction) can face a "licensing action"—suspension or revocation—from the licensing authority in their state.

Insurance Premium Increases

Auto insurers monitor their policy holders' driving records and modify premiums accordingly—drivers with more points will pay more for insurance. But, while licensing authorities and insurers both use point systems, it's not necessarily the same system. Some insurers merely monitor insured drivers' records and assign points for various infractions based on their own point structures.

What Can Drivers Do?

Drivers who get a ticket or otherwise accumulate points on their driving record do have some recourse. Many states allow drivers to complete a defensive driving course to dismiss or mask violations from their official driving records, with the exception of major offenses like DUI. And drivers are wise to take advantage of such programs: An analysis published by Insurance.com found that just a single violation led to an average auto policy premium increase of 18%! But, again, the rules vary, so drivers are encouraged to get the details from the licensing authority and/or state insurance commission in the state where they reside.


For more fun facts about points, check out "10 Things You Need to Know About Driver's License Points" from Insurance.com.

How to Teach Anything to Anyone

Your success in the traffic school industry is dependent upon your ability to effectively educate drivers who take your course. In fact, some regulatory agencies even require on-going evidence of the value of your program (e.g., an effectiveness study) in order for your school to remain in operation. How, then, do you ensure that your customers are really learning what you're teaching?

Have a Clear Curriculum

Often, teachers fail before they begin because they don't have a clear plan. Successful teaching requires structured content with clear objectives and milestones. Fortunately for you, you've got this part under control. You've licensed your curricula from Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc. (TSC), a proven leader in curriculum development for the traffic safety education industry!

Make the Material Matter

The only thing worse than trying to learn with no learning materials is dealing with learning materials that are incomplete, vague, or nonsensical. The best way to foster learning is to use detailed documents, images, and videos that clearly demonstrate the concepts being taught. Again, TSC has you covered. Our professionally designed programs deliver easy-to-read text, helpful illustrations, and colorful multimedia presentations that thoroughly explain the material to students. And we provide the tools to help you to use humor to reinforce the lessons.

Present with Purpose and Passion

The whole idea behind teaching is to engage and excite learners so they proactively explore the issues on their own. To do this you need to be enthusiastic about the subject. If you don't care about the material, why should they? Don't just casually throw information out there; demonstrate your passion with energy and focus. Use humor, visuals, and storytelling to engage the learners and make the course entertaining. Remember: The information you're sharing with your students might just save a life!

Let the Learners Lead the Learning

You have to follow the prescribed lesson plan, of course—the regulatory authorities insist upon it. But remember that lecture is statistically the least effective method for content delivery. People lose interest or get distracted and ultimately retain less information. Make use of the interactive tools and exercises designed into the curriculum, and incorporate your own activities where appropriate. Anything you can do to actively involve your students will heighten their awareness while they learn and help them to proactively fill in their own gaps in retention.

Reinforce with Repetition and Response

Just because the material is presented and the discussion is done doesn't mean that your job as a teacher is finished. Guide learners through the process and give them the tools to self-evaluate and make adjustments in the future. In this way, they'll continue to practice what they've learned and enhance everyone's safety on the roadway.


Teaching is a skill that can be learned, practiced, and enhanced. By following the strategies above, you can make your instruction more engaging, more effective—and hopefully more fun for everyone involved!

(An expanded version of this article originally appeared on Inc.com.)

How to Handle Bad Online Reviews

So…you've got an Internet-based business, you've been putting yourself out there on social media, and you've been working the localized marketing sites like Yelp or Google Places. You've embraced the Internet! Then, you find the unthinkable has happened: One of your customers gives you a negative review!

A good reputation is vital to the success of any business. How should you respond if your status comes under fire? The tips below will help you perform damage control the right way, and maybe even turn a negative experience into a positive one.


What Not to Do

• Don't deny the problem exists or argue with the reviewer. It's only natural to feel hurt or angry when someone posts negative criticism about your business. But when a customer has a complaint, insisting that they're wrong in a public forum is a big mistake. Even if you're convinced that the problem was on their end, you should acknowledge the issue.
• Don't try to game the system. Some business owners, faced with multiple negative reviews, have solicited friends or paid people to write positive reviews and counter the impact. This is not only a bad idea, but also comes with the very likely possibility that you'll get caught. Some consumer review sites have systems in place to warn readers of suspected paid reviews.
• Don't do nothing! While it's impossible to fend off all negative comments (especially over time), ignoring bad reviews is a poor strategy. It sends the message that your business doesn't care when people have negative experiences.

How to Take Action

It's important to monitor your social media pages and respond to concerns there. But you should also check out major consumer review sites to see what people are saying about your business. The simplest way to do this is to set up a Google Alert for your business name.

If you find any less-than-stellar reviews…

• Take an objective look. If the review or comment is obviously not serious, or if the poster is using anger and abusive language, your best option is probably to ignore it. If possible, have it removed. Most consumer review sites offer a way to flag or report reviews that violate their terms of service.
• Respond with tact. When addressing a negative review, always remain professional. You can choose to respond privately (useful when you disagree with a reviewer's take on a situation) or publicly, which helps to demonstrate to other readers that you're addressing the problem.
• Apologize and ask for input. Most often, the best response to an upset customer is to say you're sorry without qualifying the apology to redirect the blame toward the reviewer's feelings. If a mistake was made, ask what you can do to resolve the situation. And, of course, make sure you follow up appropriately.

With a consistent response policy, you can turn a bad online review into a positive outlook for your business.

New California Laws for 2014

A new year brings new traffic laws to California. Several new laws will take effect in 2014. As a provider of traffic violator school (TVS) instruction, you should familiarize yourself with these changes so you can provide proper education and assistance to your students.

Internet Curriculum Update

As your curriculum provider, Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., (TSC) has already updated the Internet-based curriculum, and your students are using it now. You need to do nothing further.

Booklet Curriculum Update

Those of you who are offering the home study booklet must ensure that you are providing students with updated curriculum materials. Download from the CA Course Provider Administration website the latest final exam forms and answer keys, available now, and begin using those immediately.

The copyright notice is at the
bottom of the Table of Contents page.

The next order of books that you receive from TSC will be the latest edition. You may continue to use "old" booklets from your inventory. However, if the bottom of the Table of Contents page of a book that you are sending to a student does not have a 2014 copyright (see example picture), you must include a "new laws insert" (available for download from the CA Course Provider Administration website) in the packet.

Make sure that you ship the latest versions of the home study booklet (or include an insert) and testing materials, as you will be responsible for teaching/testing students on this new material!

Does New Car Tech Boost Safety?

Beyond anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC)—both of which are now standard on all new cars—automobile manufacturers have recently introduced a handful of sophisticated crash avoidance technologies. Do these systems really help to improve roadway safety, or do they simply cost money that car buyers are better off saving or spending on other options?

What Are They?

New, high-tech safety systems are usually available only as expensive options on luxury vehicles, but they eventually work their way down-market and become commonplace. They include:

• Forward collision-avoidance systems detect objects in front of the car and alert the driver to hit the brakes—or even apply the brakes themselves—if an impact appears imminent.
• Adaptive cruise control automatically slows or accelerates a vehicle in order to maintain the set speed and a safe following distance from the vehicle ahead.
• Lane-departure warning systems alert drivers when their vehicle strays from its lane. Some systems apply the brakes or make steering adjustments to keep the vehicle on-course.
• Blind-spot detection systems alert drivers to nearby vehicles in adjacent lanes. Some systems automatically brake or steer to keep the vehicle in its lane if the driver signals a turn and there's an object in the blind spot.
• Back-over prevention systems alert drivers to objects directly behind the vehicle. Some systems automatically apply the brakes. Those with cross-traffic detection identify objects approaching from the side as well.
• Adaptive headlights pivot, as the steering wheel is turned, to better light the driver's intended path.

Do They Help?

The critical question is: Do these systems really help drivers to avoid collisions? The short answer is that the effectiveness of these systems varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, based on the specific system's components and programming and on the type and number of sensors employed.

The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) recently released a report suggesting that forward-collision warning systems can help drivers to avoid rear-end collisions. The HLDI has also found adaptive headlights to be effective in reducing crashes. They warn, however, that lane-departure warnings systems are not that beneficial, speculating that drivers may suffer from "warning overload" and tune out the alarms.

In the end, it appears that some high-tech crash avoidance systems are effective at…well, avoiding crashes. Still, the best way to promote highway safety is for an alert driver to carefully operate the vehicle.

Tips for Social Media Marketing

While social media have been around for a few years, they're still the new frontier in marketing. Because the medium is so new, keeping up with social media marketing tactics isn't easy. Check out these helpful tips for a successful social media presence:

• Use images to amplify your social media posts. Let's face it: people like pretty pictures. If you're not getting the amount of engagement that you're looking for out of your social media audience, you can often attract more attention by posting pictures rather than just text updates. Look into free stock photography, or snap some pics of your own.
• Choose the right image. A picture is worth a thousand words, and images can help to grab attention and clarify a message. Unfortunately, images are open to interpretation. Before you select an image for a social media update, make sure it communicates what you want it to. Text overlays can be added quickly and easily with online image editing tools such as PicMonkey or Pixlr. A few words can make the difference between your content being overlooked and attracting your target audience.
• Go deep, not broad, with social media. When it comes to social media, businesses should go deep, not broad. It's better to become a master of one or two channels of communication than to waste your efforts on many. Presently, the two most popular platforms are Facebook and Twitter. But if photos or videos are your thing, you might consider options such as Instagram or YouTube. There's no harm in having more than one social media outlet, of course. But make sure whatever you're using is appropriate to your wants and needs.
• Focus on the platforms your customers use. While you need to play to your strengths, consider also where your clients are. Find out where your customers are hanging out online, choose a platform or two that you enjoy and that align with your interests, and then focus deeply on those platforms. Setting up Google Alerts for your business name, industry, and/or topics of interest can give you insight into where your customers are interacting online.
• Build online influence. Influence is the secret ingredient for social media success. By focusing on becoming a person of influence in your industry, you'll build trust and loyalty; people will know that you're sincere and that you truly care about helping them. This is a long-term investment that involves constant enthusiasm and professionalism. But keep up the hard work—it's worth it in the long run.

The use of social media in marketing can cause anxiety because of it's newness. But a comforting thought is that no one really knows yet what's certain to work. Have fun and try some experiments and see what works for you. You might just pick up some customers along the way!

Marketing Initiatives: Trackers and Coupons

Completion Trackers: Upgrading the Upgrade

For some time now, you have been able to offer to your students the "Completion Tracker" service upgrade from Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc. (TSC). This beneficial service for students provides traffic violator school (TVS) course graduates with a notification that the court with jurisdiction over their case has viewed their TVS completion report via the Department of Motor Vehicles' computer system. While this sort of confirmation is valuable, processing times at the courts can, unfortunately, delay peace of mind by days or even weeks after the student's completion.

At the request of our students, we have developed a supplemental product that enhances our existing Completion Tracker program. The new Proof of DMV Submission service delivers to students an email that includes the date, time, and sequence number of their completion that was posted successfully to the DMV's Traffic Violator Course Completion (TVCC) database. For the low price of $8.95, students will receive their Proof of DMV Submission notification immediately upon the successful submission of their completion; this service has been rolled into the Completion Tracker product, and students will receive a second email when the report of their completion is viewed by their court.

The addition of the Proof of Submission service requires no work or effort on your part; it will be implemented as part of your existing Completion Tracker offering. Best of all, it should cut down on the number of customer service calls you need to field from students who are concerned about whether or not their completion was reported. (Affiliates will get an additional $0.50 credit on their account statements for the new Proof of Submission.)

This is yet another example of TSC's constant striving to improve the product offerings that we license to our affiliates, and we hope that your students enjoy the advanced customer service experience that this functionality provides.

Coupons

Years of experience in the traffic school industry has taught TSC that repeat and referral business are primary sources of customers. We are, therefore, extending to affiliates a highly successful marketing program that we have been experimenting with at the corporate level.

A student's congratulatory e-mail (the e-mail that is generated automatically upon a student's successful completion of an Internet TVS course) now includes a coupon code that they may redeem the next time they attend traffic school, or that they can pass along to friends and family members who may need traffic school. This encourages graduates to return, or to refer others, to your school, rather than to go to the list of approved schools to randomly select a provider.

The coupon code is "SAVE3," and can be redeemed for $3 off the price of tuition for traffic school.

This coupon marketing initiative, like the Proof of Submission service, requires no action on your part. Both of these programs will be implemented starting December 1, 2013.