The first shop I taught for had a decrepit, white Chevy van. Actually it used to be white; it had about as much white paint left on it as I have on me right now. It was a sad sight,…
Greg LasloJanuary 23, 2009
Close your eyes and dream. You are going to a place where you can dive all day, every day. Spectacular scuba diving is literally at your feet. You are surrounded by your best customers, who are delighted by the service…
Donna AskewJanuary 22, 2009
Conquering the scuba dropout rate continues to be the holy grail of scuba marketing. The guy or gal who solves that problem for good should receive some kind of award at the DEMA Show, or at least a couple rounds…
Donna AskewJanuary 22, 2009
Between dives, get them talking about other trips and classes they have been a part of. You don't want to do all the talking, but it will be to your advantage to make sure the topics of the day are…
Donna AskewJanuary 21, 2009
I am a child of the '60s. No doubt, like many kids of my generation my view of the world was greatly shaped by the politics, military actions and social turmoil of that era. For me, the result of all…
Marty SnydermanJanuary 21, 2009
Broach the idea of hosting a fundraiser to build dive retail business, and you can raise a few eyebrows among the uninitiated, and even among some of the stores that have done them. It's not that most retailers don't favor…
Donna AskewJanuary 15, 2009
To run profitable trips, you need to set precedents that encourage your customers to make commitments. Remember, when a client cancels it is possible that you might end up losing money or have to cancel a trip, and that affects…
Marty SnydermanJanuary 13, 2009
It's a pretty good bet that if you gave us a list of topics that you would like to see covered in this magazine, an article about gift cards would be way at the bottom of your list, if at…
Barry K. ShusterJanuary 13, 2009
Bill Matthies, president of Minnesota School of Diving Inc., sent us this letter on how local diving benefits his business. His Midwest dive center is near a number of flooded mines, which provide local diving opportunities for his students and…
Bill MatthiesJanuary 13, 2009
