How can you increase driving school sales? Is it possible to watch your sales explode to the 7-figure level? Yes, it is. My driving schools did it in three short years. You can too with these 10 mindset shifts.

Throughout the years, I’ve learned through trial and error that mindset shifts are necessary and critical to increase driving school sales.

What is a mindset shift?

Merriam-Webster defines “mindset” as…

A mental attitude or inclination or a fixed state of mind.

So, a mindset shift is defined as changing your mental attitude, inclination or fixed state of mind. In other words, out with the old and in with the new. It’s time for an attitude adjustment. Although most people resist it, change is the only way to increase driving school sales and soar past the 7-figure level.

Increase driving school sales by shifting your mindset

Most six-figure driving schools all operate about the same. They tend to utilize the same old strategies and tactics. In some cases, owners are their own worst enemies. If you’re not willing to shift your mindset, you’ll always be stuck in the muck.

Don’t be intimidated by change. Simply follow these mindset shifts and watch your driving school sales soar.

Mindset shift #1: Invest in your website

Let’s face it. Driving school websites are not very exciting. Believe it or not, some don’t even offer online ordering. What? That’s archaic, to say the least.

The ideal website to increase driving school sales must…

• Be easy to navigate
• Convert well with the least amount of clicks
• Feature simple design
• Brands your school
• Be easy to update and maintain

KISS Websites

According to marketing guru Neil Patel, the most successful websites follow the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle. As Patel explained on Quicksprout …

Something that’s sometimes overlooked is the simplicity of the website. Far too often I see websites try to jam too much information into a very small space.

The navigation is confusing, and it’s overwhelming for anyone viewing the site.

If this is starting to sound like the layout of your website, it could be the reason why your conversion rates are unsatisfactory.

Website speed is critical

If you’re trying to cram ten pounds of seed into a five-lb. bag, you’re doing it all wrong. Customers are busier than ever, and their time is a precious commodity.

When potential customers are looking for a product or service to purchase, they want it fast. Lightning fast. Then, if interested, they want to make a purchase right then and there. There’s no time to lose, so your website better be up to speed. If you want to increase driving school sales fast, look at your website speed.

Simple, clean, responsive web designs work!

A simple, thoughtfully designed website paired with strong brand messaging can increase driving school sales to the next level!

Drive Scout recently launched a new simple, clean and responsive site for a client who experienced amazing results.  During the last six months, the new site achieved a 30.5% increase in sales, a 49.7% increase in website revenue, and a 26.7% increase in the total number of transactions. Also, their percentage of online revenue versus total sales is a whopping 74%.

Easy navigation means higher sales

It all comes down to a fully functional website that is easy to navigate and takes the least number of clicks to make a purchase. However, it must also provide just the right amount of information needed to motivate a customer to purchase.

When designing a client’s website, Drive Scout puts a strong emphasis on reducing the number of clicks to make a purchase.  In a perfect world, it should take three (or less) clicks to checkout. Customers do not want to hunt and click all around to find what they need. One, two, three and done to increase driving school sales.

Clean sites convert more sales

Cleaner and more simple driving school websites load faster, which in turn improves your bounce rate. Adding a clear and concise call-to-action like “Register Now” or “Sign Up for Our Newsletter” also helps. This is why our client’s Conversion Rate increased and Bounce Rate decreased after launching the latest snappy version of their website.

In addition, the driving school’s website is optimized for mobile purchases, a critical key to success. 80% of Americans have made an online purchase in the last month. If your website isn’t offering E-commerce transactions, you’re leaving thousands of dollars on the table each and every month.

Continue to invest in your website!

For most driving school owners, launching a website is a “one and done” issue. However, this is the wrong approach to take. If you want to increase driving school sales to the 7-figure level, you need to continually invest in your website and update when necessary.

According to Forbes, here are six reasons to update your website:
1. It looks outdated.
2. It’s not responsive and does not provide a seamless experience across all devices.
3. Your site is hard to navigate and gives the user a bad experience.
4. The website does not reflect your latest business and marketing strategy.
5. You cannot update the content.
6. Features on the site don’t work properly.

It’s a no-brainer!

Investing in your website is a no-brainer that will give you the highest ROI. It’s your #1 way to stand out among your competition. Plus, it brands your driving school.

If someone is online searching a local driving school, they will most likely choose the one with the best website. You should invest in your website every year simply because the return on your investment (ROI) is so high. This small annual investment will increase your driving school sales (perhaps to the 7-figure level!).

Mindset shift #2: Leverage technology to automate and drive profit

If your website is your star running back, then technology is your quarterback. When you leverage technology, you call the plays. The right driving school technology can drive your team down the field for the score.

Benefits of leveraging technology

When your driving school leverages technology, your overall expenses go down. Plain and simple. Technology is a catalyst for cutting costs and reducing expenses.

Successful driving school owners don’t look at technology as merely an operational expense, but as a competitive advantage. The right technology can help your driving school gain market share and enhance your services. You should use technology to your advantage to get an edge on your competition.

How to find the right technology tools

Driving schools can be quite profitable when they use the right tools to save both time and money. The easiest way to leverage technology is to first choose an all-in-one software program.

Drive Scout was designed specifically for driving schools. Whether you have 1 or 100 employees, it has all the features you need to save time and drive profits.

Benefits of Drive Scout

Drive Scout is an easy-to-use tool that streamlines payments, scheduling, website management and more. Below are some more benefits to Drive Scout to help you increase driving school sales.

• Save time – Eliminate data entry with one integrated system that connects your website seamlessly.
• Drive profit – Reduce payroll costs by spending up to 70% less time managing schedules, calls and payments.
• Website management – Stop stressing over your website. Drive Scout can build you a new site and manage it.
• Customer payments – Integrated credit card processing allows you to process payments quickly and easily.
• Free support – Drive Scout offers free email and chat support.
• Anywhere, anytime – Stay on top of your customers and staff from anywhere – in the office or on the go, on ANY device.

Get Your Demo Today!

Other technology tools to increase driving school sales

Here are some other software programs that I use on a daily basis.

• Constant Contact -Email marketing program
• Google AdWords – Pay-per-click advertising to help customers easily find your driving school online.
• Google Analytics – A web-based platform that lets you collect data about your website and its visitors. The best news is that it’s completely free of charge.
• Microsoft Office 365 from GoDaddy – Offers 24/7 expert support, domain-based email addresses, and upgrades to the latest versions of Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint.
• Trello – Task management software for busy driving school owners, like you!
• QuickBooks Online Plus – Tracks income and expenses so you can see exactly how much money your driving school is making. It saves valuable time by automatically organizing bank and credit card transactions.

Mindset shift #3: Your job is to think, not do

As a driving school owner, it’s all too easy to get caught in the daily grind of checking things off your to-do list. If you’re not careful, you’ll star in your own version of Groundhog Day.

Sports superstars excel at leaving the daily grind behind and getting their head in the game. Somehow, they always manage to maintain perseverance and achieve their long-term goals.

While you’re not Tom Brady, you too can accomplish own driving school goals by hiring extra staff and breaking out of the daily grind. This will result in a path to increase driving school sales.

Mindset shift #4: Stop chasing shiny objects

Do you have “Shiny Object Syndrome?” According to Entrepreneur.com, many small business owners suffer from this affliction. It’s a disease of distraction that can lead your driving school down the wrong path.

Like a small child chasing a shiny object, this syndrome is all-encompassing and extremely time-consuming. If you suffer from this syndrome, it can cause you to burn through cash and even confuse your staff.

I still struggle with chasing shiny objects, but I’m working on it. I now sit on ideas before launching them. What seemed like a great idea in February can seem like a terrible one in April. Instead of launching ten new projects, I might choose one or two. I also set long- and short-term goals to increase sales.

Mindset shift #5: Think outside the box

Instead of chasing shiny objects, a better plan is to think outside the box. Most driving school owners operate “inside the box” about 90% of the time. Familiarity means you’re operating within your comfort level. However, that’s not always a good thing.

Most driving schools look the same and sell the same services. Think outside the box with your brand identity to stand out. Instead of using stock photography, hire a professional designer to develop your unique brand image to separate you from the competition.

Mindset shift #6: Stop spending unnecessarily

Operating a driving school can be costly. The price to purchase, maintain, insure and fuel your driving school vehicles definitely take a gigantic bite out of your profit.

The cost to purchase supplies also affects your bottom line. However, many driving school owners have no purchase plan in place.

Negotiation is key to increase driving school profit. Call vendors and suppliers frequently and simply ask for a better price.

If you continually pay “sticker price,” you’re paying too much. Keep a sharp eye on all expenses and negotiate frequently to increase driving school profit.

Mindset shift #7: Don’t focus just on sales

As posted by Entrepreneur, there are three kinds of cash and revenue that you must focus on to increase driving school sales and scale up to 7 figures.

1. Cash generated
2. Cash collected
3. Liability

Cash generated + cash collected – liability = gross revenue.

It’s a simple equation that most driving school owners get wrong. They tend to focus only on cash generated. It’s much more important to focus on gross revenue.

Mindset shift #8: Focus on three assets

Driving school owners tend to focus only on the money end of the business. However, if you focus on these three types of assets, you’ll increase driving school sales.

1. Financial assets (profit and loss)
2. Relationships (your team members)
3. Audience (present and potential customers)

Once you focus on these three assets, your driving school will be able to weather any storm.

Mindset shift #9: Don’t be a perfectionist

Being a perfectionist just isn’t a good thing, but it can also be a dangerous compulsion. Driving school owners who strive to be perfect tend to be control freaks.

If you’ve succeeded at becoming a 6-figure driving school, you won’t reach the 7-figure level by continuing to control everything. You need to shift gears and let go of control. Instead, empower those around you to increase driving school sales and soar to the next level.

Mindset shift #10: Always analyze risk

Many driving school owners try new ideas to increase driving school sales, but they don’t plan them out and analyze its risks. Instead, they throw the new idea on the wall to see if it sticks.

In my opinion, the most successful driving school owners are not always the smartest or most dedicated. They are the best risk analyzers.

In review:

To increase driving school sales and soar past 7 figures, driving school owners should make these 10 mindset shifts:

1. Invest in your website
2. Leverage technology
3. Think, not do
4. Stop chasing shiny objects
5. Think outside the box
6. Stop spending unnecessarily
7. Don’t focus just on sales
8. Focus on 3 assets
9. Don’t be a perfectionist
10. Always analyze risks