Getting Ready for a Great 2016 Flight School Operators Conference - February 9-12, 2016

 

As we all get ready for the upcoming conference next year, we are continuing to put together the benefits list for attendees. We will be announcing our program in the very near future, but in the mean time as you get ready to attend, we wanted to share several opportunities.

For the first time, the FSANA conference committee will be adding a special GUEST program
for those who would like to join their spouse, partner or friend during the conference. Highlights of the Guest program will be included in the conference information coming out next month. 

 

Mears ground transportation is offering the ability for conference attendees to get a special discount on shuttle services from Orlando International Airport. To get the discount, click the banner to the right.

 

While we know you will be attending the event for professional reasons, it does not mean that all of your time or if you happen to have family or friends joining you on the trip has to be spent without some fun. Since we are staying at a Disney property, attendees will have the ability to purchase some discounted tickets and access to additional services.

 

These tickets offer pre-arrival savings of 10% on our Full-Multi-Day (2 days or longer).

 

Tickets include a complimentary bonus visit to an additional Disney Experience at any one of the following (additional details are listed on the web site):

• Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
• Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park
• ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
• Disney's Winter Summerland or Disney's Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Courses (before 4 p.m.)
• A round of golf at Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course 

The site also contains our partial-day tickets, After - 2 pm and After - 4 pm tickets, which are exclusive to the meetings market. 

 

Click Here or on one of the banners for more information.

 

Haven't made your reservations yet? Be sure to do it soon to take advantage of the conference rates. Room reservations are now open.

 

Click here or on the image on the right for the B Resort and Spa to make reservations online or call directly at 800-248-7890. which is hosting the 2016 conference. FSANA encourages everyone who plans to attend to reserve your room as soon as possible!

 

Conference registration for attendees is scheduled to open in October. We expect to have a link for reservation in the next newsletter.

 

Interested in becoming a conference exhibitor and/or sponsor click here for more information about becoming a Sponsor or Exhibitor a the 2016 Flight School Operators Conference.

Active AeroCampers in Harrisburg

FSANA Members Benefit Hub 

 

We have great news. Why not increase revenue, reduce expenses and build your bottom by utilizing the FSANA Member Benefit Hub of supply chain Partners. They are experts in their respective fields and will help to strengthen your business model.

From specific mailing lists to target AeroCamp prospects, or advertising a new segment within your school, to reducing your insurance costs, we have you covered. Maybe one of your Instructors would like to earn a degree online. Our Partners Thomas Edison State College and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University both have exceptional online programs to suit any schedule or budget.

Some of our generous Partners have factored in revenue sharing just for YOU! Imagine every time a student acquires Renters Insurance through Regal Aviation Insurance, you get to share profit. They understand low margins in the flight training business and want to help you thrive.

As security becomes an even bigger concern for flight training providers, we formed an alliance with One Source, The Background Check Company. They are an accredited back ground check company that takes background checks to a whole new level to protect your investment of staff, students and infrastructure. Give Greg Simmons a call; you'll be glad you did!

Perhaps you need a little help managing your contacts and resources. Gene Marks of The Marks Group is amazingly talented in the CRM realm, and in addition, Gene holds weekly webinars free of charge on a host of marketing subjects.

These are just a few example of how to take advantage of your membership. You spoke, we listened and are growing our list all the time to help your business model and increase profits.

Please contact Debbie Sparks to discuss any future Partnerships YOU would like to see added at (561) 767-6826, or email dsparks@fsana.com. 

Five Marketing Tasks You Can Accomplish Using Social Media Tools  

by Paula Williams

Many people have preconceived notions about social media - and nobody is neutral. Some folks think it's going to save the world, some folks think it's going to ruin it. In reality, though, we like to think of social media as just another set of tools - like a set of socket wrenches, that are sometimes useful, but can't be used on everything.

So, people ask us:

"What kind of tasks could I accomplish using social media tools?"

Here are a few of our favorites:

1. Research your Top Ten most wanted customers.

You should have at least ten "future customers" that you are pursuing at all times- and you can ethically "stalk" them by observing what they publish in social media. Follow their accounts, read what they write, and comment when appropriate.

This is also a great resource to learn about a prospect before a meeting or sales call. (There is no excuse, in this day and age, for a "cold" call - you have plenty of research tools at your fingertips and can customize your reason for calling!)

Best tools for this task: LinkedIn, Facebook Company Pages

2. Plan your Trade Show Appearance.

It's expensive to travel to trade shows, but it's also a "target rich environment," to quote Top Gun. There is no excuse for wasting a spare moment. Use the show's official hashtag (#OSH15, #NBAA15) to discover competitors, customers and prospects that will be attending, and to connect and arrange times to meet for coffee or dinner or just to drop by their booth. .

Best tools for this task: Twitter, Instagram

3. Find out more about your customers.

Enter a list of email addresses and you can get detailed reports on the demographics of the people that "like" your page on Facebook, or that visit your website, or serveral other variables.Best tool for this task: Google Ads Manager (Note - you can use a free account and don't have to purchase any ads.)

Best tool for this: Facebook Ads Manager, Twitter Ads Dashboard

4. Advertise an Event to specific groups.

Want to advertise an event for to licensed CFIs in certain zip codes in Texas? No problem!

Best tool for this task: Facebook Events + Ads Manager

Note: We also recommend that you acquire a targeted list from AirPac or JetNet and send postcards about your event if time & budget allows. An additional media compounds the effectiveness of your advertising.

5. Educate prospects and customers.

ABCI and many of our clients sell products and services that aren't as simple as a socket wrench. We need to let people know what it is, why they want it, what the alternatives are, and how to use it properly. At the same time, we simply can't get our casual prospects to spend hours poring over a manual. So, a "tip of the week" or "Did you know . . ." series of information snacks can be very helpful to increase sales, improve customer satisfaction, and reduce returns and chargebacks.

Best tool for this task: Any social media that your customers and/or prospects use!

Any powerful tool has risks associated with it. It's important to know how to use them properly and take safety precautions. In the case of social media, it's necessary to take many of these precautions (i.e. monitoring the reputation of your company, your product(s) and your brand) whether or not you personally are an active social media user. Whatever you and your employees do, you cannot control the actions of your customers and competitors on social media - so it pays to watch what they do.