Getting Your Divers to Go Pro

Getting people into diving is easy. Behold, the underwater world and all the pretty things contained therein! Getting people to keep diving is trickier. Getting people to be so hooked on diving that they want to REALLY get in there and go pro? Definitely trickier.

Going pro isn't going to be for all your divers. Some people just have no interest in taking on that level of responsibility. Some people never want to teach. And some people just.... Hate people. Totally fair. But you will end up with a small percentage of divers who have that spark and that interest, and decide that - hell yeah - diving could become a big part of their life.

Show them the lifestyle.

Diving isn't just a sport. It's a legit lifestyle. From the social outings to go diving to the dive travel and just plain old dive facility antics - going pro means your divers are being welcomed into your dive family. Their lives will definitely become focused on diving for the first while as they complete their training, and as time goes by - it will become embedded in their minds, and ultimately shape their lifestyle as well. Show potential candidates what it means to be a diver - invite them along when you teach, when you have social outings with other staff members, invite them to book a spot on an upcoming trip that staff are going to be travelling on - and start cultivating that relationship. Make them want to be a part of that lifestyle.

Entice them with perks.

Going pro is expensive. The courses alone are super pricey, plus the expectation that you need to have your own gear can make the cost even higher. Offer some serious staff discounts for active teaching members, but get creative with it. Some include:

-Higher discounts on certain pieces of gear you want to push with students (students will buy what the instructor wears/recommends, offer killer staff pricing on items you want your instructors to promote)

-Discount tiers based on classes taught (encourages your DM's and Instructors to teach more, especially if they have some larger purchases in mind)

-Awards based on certifications completed or classes taught (everyone likes to be recognized for their hard work!)

-Introduce a commission system for gear your instructors sell during their classes (Come on. Almost every pool and class session results in students buying masks, and if your staff manage to get them to buy computers too - bonus!)

-Most manufacturers/dealers will give you key-man pricing on a limited number of items annually. Leverage this as a reward for your staff. If you teach a certain number of classes, you can be eligible to get this piece of gear for key-man pricing. And guys - key-man pricing can often be KILLER.

Organize regular staff events.

This ties in to the lifestyle. Have dive events just for staff. No students. Just fun diving. Show your staff you appreciate them. And invite potential pro candidates to these events to help show them what being a part of your dive family is all about. It also gives your team a chance to get together and do the whole dreaded 'team-building' thing! Even if it's just as simple as inviting everyone to your place for a BBQ and a beer - keep the camaraderie going, and your staff will talk to potential candidates on how awesome it is to hang out.

Organize Pro Nights - and have your staff there to share their experiences.

It's all fine and dandy that you can organize a Going Pro Info Night, and share all that knowledge you have. What makes a bigger impact? Having your staff (especially newer Instructors and DM's) get in there and share their experiences and their journey with going the pro route. It helps potential candidates get out of the 'I'm so intimidated' mindset and into the 'I can TOTALLY do this' mindset.

Start talking about it early. Like Open Water early.

If you see someone who has a serious knack for diving, and may just have the passion to go pro - talk to them. I mention it in my Pool and Class sessions all the time. I talk about where I started, and how I got to be an instructor. And I talk about all the amazing things I did along the way. Plant that seed early. It gets your students thinking that maybe they should try their Advanced, now that the idea of possibly being on the other side of the classroom exists. Maybe they should do their Rescue. You know, good skills. And then all of a sudden - WHABAM! Maybe it's time to talk about DM! It does happen! Get them thinking of the possibilities early, and show them how to get there. For a lot of students, after their Open Water they don't know what to do to keep diving. This is a way to keep those wheels turning.

You want perks? Staff-led trips!

If your facility organizes dive trips, this is an awesome opportunity to have your staff push dive travel, and an incentive to do so could be that they get their spot for free! Hear me out here.

A lot of dive travel operators (liveaboards, etc) will give your facility a spot at a seriously reduced rate (sometimes even free!) if a certain number of spots are booked. Look into this. If you can pull it off, you have the opportunity to turn this into a serious perk. Staff who sell spots on said trip are eligible to win the free spot and effectively get a free dive vacation out of it. Even if the spot is at a reduced rate, cover the cost for your staff member to go, as the payback will be huge - you'll have a whole bunch of divers that have booked a trip with you, and you'll have a staff member with them to make the experience more personalized - meaning that these lovely folks are more likely to book another trip with you.

Show them where their potential qualifications could take them.

Not all divers who go pro stay in Canada and teach. We train tons of divers who then move to Australia, Cayman, Bonaire, Mexico - pretty much anywhere with visibility - and teach out there. One thing that we have going for us when we do our pro level training here - Canadian instructors are respected around the world because of the conditions we dive in (Let's be honest. If you train in a mountain lake, anything else is a veritable treat!). We train in some of the most obnoxious conditions out there (cold, low vis, altitude, crappy shore access, heavier gear), so Canadian-trained instructors have a reputation for being - how shall I put this - tougher than most. Show them that living the dream is possible - show them that they can amass these skills, and literally take them anywhere.

Make your staff approachable, and talk about them lots.

Nothing entices potential candidates like a buddy who already teaches (happened to me!). Your staff should be friendly, approachable, and you should be damn proud to have them teaching for you - show that pride! Have a wall of staff. Have sections on your website devoted to your staff and their stories. Feature them on your social media platforms. Share what your staff are doing. Students have a tendency to look at Instructors and DM's as Scuba Gods/Goddesses. Make your staff appear more human and approachable, and get them out there hanging out with students. It'snot just for the candidates you want to have join you - your staff will love it too, as it puts the spotlight on their achievements, and really is a lot of fun!

Once you snag 'em - support 'em!

Once you do have someone interested in Going Pro, be sure to offer them support. Don't just sign them up, then leave them to the course. Make sure that all your staff is supporting them. This can be as simple as having everyone involved in getting the candidates assisting on classes, to staff offering to help candidates with skill circuits or mapping projects. Make sure they're supported in their pro journey, and set them up to do the same for future candidates.

Above all, emphasize the value of going pro: you get to do what you love, and introduce others to that passion. All this is so, so worth it at the end of the day - you're not just teaching, you're inspiring (both verb and adjective here). And that's a pretty fantastic thing to be able to do.

Happy Diving,

-Sab

#ProLevel #BusinessDevelopment