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Effective Business Management is about balance

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I was asked yesterday to give some thought to exactly what it takes to run a successful retail operation. Any retail operation, even a candy store at the main gates of the largest public school in the state, takes a special mix of skills, but I have to think that running a retail store in the dive industry is a special case.
 
One disadvantage for me is that I have owned a share of a retail store, but never worked in one, so my list is probably going to be short a skill or two. But after less than two minutes, I had come up with a list of close to 20 hats that the average dive retailer may be asked to wear from day-to-day! See how it compares to yours.
·                     Product Buyer
·                     Merchandiser
·                     Human Resources Professional + Baby-sitter
·                     Marketing Guru
·                     Salesperson
·                     Customer Relations Manager
·                     Bookkeeper
·                     Cleaner and Coffee Boy/Girl
·                     Motivational Speaker
·                     Community Advocate
·                     Underwater Photographer
·                     Travel Advisor
·                     Equipment Specialist and Service Technician
·                     Educator and Mentor
·                     General Contractor
·                     Welder and Metal Fabricator
·                     Mechanic
·                     Website Designer and IT manager
·                     Father Confessor
 
Now the majority of those are self-explanatory; and some less so. But for the record, here’s my take on each of them.
 

 

hatsClean.jpgProduct Buyer / Merchandiser

 

Making the right choices about what gear to sell, has to be right up there with how to display it and how much of it to have sitting around gathering dust out in the stock room; so savvy buyer and display artist is right up there as hats one and two.
 

 

Human Resources Professional + Baby-sitter

 

Opening a shop and keeping it open to suit customers needs, translates into hiring staff in most cases, hence the HR hat. The mention of baby-sitting may simply be a product of my past and experience, and your mileage may vary so we can take that as an optional extra under consideration. At very least, hiring staff, training staff, motivating staff, retaining staff can eat a serious hole into a work week. At worst it can be a bona fide full-time ticket to despair. Certainly it deserves a place on the list.
 

 

Marketing Guru / Salesperson

 

Marketing and Sales are probably two listings that would get the greatest buy-in from anyone in retail. The process of building a marketing plan and the art of closing a sale, are essential to remaining in business… any business! In truth, many would argue that marketing includes sales, but I vote for listing them individually.
 

 

Customer Relations Manager

 

According to most of the textbooks, marketing also includes customer relations since one of the five P’s of marketing is People. Most business people subscribe to the adage that it is easier and more cost effective to keep an old customer than find a new one, and retention is mostly about managing the personal relationship we have with our customers, and since this skill is key to building a loyal following and growing a business, it deserves its own listing.
 

Bookkeeping

Well, it’s late April as I write this and the after-effects of the panic to get tax returns in on deadline is still fresh. With all that in mind, bookkeeping and its attendant filing, paper work, basic knowledge of federal tax law, state or provincial tax regulations and local fees and licensing , is a strong enough incentive to add it to the list.

 

 

Cleaner and Coffee Boy/Girl

 

Small to medium-sized business: cleaner (decorator) provider of coffee, hot tea, doughnuts and other refreshments… yep, sounds about right. Even the divisional head of IBM Europe used to arrive with a couple of boxes of muffins for “the team” most Friday mornings. Perhaps a trivial touch but a little boost for morale which can never be a bad thing, so this ‘skill’ is absolutely on the list.
 

 

Motivational Speaker / Community Advocate

 

Including Motivational Speaker and Community Advocate may be a bit of a stretch but I put them in the listing because both are important aspects of growing a business in any sized town or city. Both offer great opportunities to recruit new customers and to increase community awareness of diving; the adventure sport and tech diving represents, as well as the commitment to serve that is part of Public Safety Diving. Presentation made to service clubs, social groups, schools and colleges and the like are hugely effective marketing tools. Because of this, they are on the list.
 

 

Underwater Photographer / Travel Advisor

 

One of the real joys of diving is the visual impact of what is down there under the waves. I’ve read poems about coral reefs and read stories about marine wildlife, wreck diving, exploring caves and lots of other underwater activities, but they all pale beside the photograph that’s on the wall behind my computer. (It’s a picture of a diving flying a scooter over the second breakdown at Jackson Blue Springs.) Photography sells diving.
 
And while local diving were you are is probably stellar, travel to prime dive destinations, is part and parcel of closing the sale for many dive ops. Actually, the travel advisor hat should really be two; one for being an out-bound operator (sending groups to remote destinations); and one for acting as an in-bound operator welcoming groups to your area. So one hat but it has to be big enough to cover a lot of territory.
 

Equipment Specialist and Service Technician

Since diving is an equipment-intensive pastime, the next item on the list is a given. Equipment set-up and maintenance is, or should be, a big item on the year-end revenue statement for a successful dive store, and so we have one more hat to wear.

 

Educator and Mentor

Does your store offer diver education? Of course you do. Formal education and less formal mentoring are part and parcel of being a member of SDI, TDI and ERDI so now issues with this list item.

 

 

General Contractor / Welder and Metal Fabricator / Mechanic

 

I added general contractor because when I owned a share of a retail store, I spent countless hours building stuff and then repairing it. This ran the gamut from replacing slate roof tiles to insulating a crawl space, building a display case, plumbing in a shower and washtub, and converting a Harry Potter sized broom cupboard into an oxygen clean workroom.
 
I threw in welder and metal worker just in case there was a boat involved in the operations. Same goes for mechanic. Strike these two off the list if they do not apply, but leave them in if there is a charter boat in your future.
 

 

Website Designer and IT manager

 

Probably most of you do some degree of your business over the Internet. Internal networks, public websites, commercial secure servers and generally being wired have all become woven into the fabric of doing business in the 21st Century, so much so that I included website designer and IT manager in the list.
 

Father Confessor.

I mentioned earlier I’ve never working over the counter in a retail business, but my grandfather owned and ran a couple of pubs and one of many “life lessons” he passed on was about having a willingness to listen to customers and staff when they had to get something off their chest. Never sure why the service industries seem to extend to being asked to comment on everything from finding a suitable university for Junior, to tips on training a new puppy not to pee in the house; but it happens apparently. In a recent study in small businesses operating in the Euro Zone by the Chartered Management Institute, an average of close to an hour of management time each day is spent dealing with personnel issues that fall way outside the purview of business. Add one more hat.

 
I suspect that if we took apart the required skill set for running almost any business, the listing would be as long as the one above. There is no secret to being successful in business, it takes adaptability and a willingness to roll up your sleeves and try something new. However, there are a couple of things that business people have to face up to if they want their business to truly grow.
 
Firstly, and probably most importantly, as the business owner, you cannot hope to be good at every skill. You have to balance your core strengths with what your business needs and leave the rest to someone else.
 
This is one of the most difficult truths for business owners to accept. Getting a small business off the ground often requires its owner to be a jack of all trades. New business owners have to wear a lot of hats and have to present a convincing picture with every one of them on their head. But the really smart entrepreneurs learn to delegate as many tasks as possible as soon as possible, and then stand back and not get in the way.
Perhaps the primary failure point of growing any business is the owner’s inability to hand responsibility AND authority to his managers. Staff who thrive on responsibility (and do not shirk from accountability) are a company’s most valuable asset. Owners who decide which hats they like to wear and “look best wearing,” and who can then delegate responsibility and authority for all the others to others, grow themselves and their business.
But, the best way to mess up this scenario is to miss the second half of the equation; Authority. Giving staff the responsibility to undertake a task but leaving out the part about authority, defeats the object.
Not giving authority is the same as saying “I don’t trust you with this hat… you can wear it but it is mine when I want it back.”  This message is loud and clear to your staff, and to your customers too. Once they understand that you don’t trust your staff, and they will find that out, they will not trust them either.
Most small business owners are skeptical about giving authority. They know there will be mistakes, outright failures, and retrenching periods. The seed change is letting these events pass and writing them off as part of the process of moving the company forward.
The second point is that as the person managing the business from the highest seat in the house – president, CEO, Chairman, call it what you will – you do not need to be an expert in anything; you simply need to recognize one when you see one.
 
But human nature being what it is we all want to know which skill is the most important for a senior manager / business owner and which hat is the most prestigious. When the head of a large industrial manufacturer was asked to name his most important job, he did not hesitate for a second in answering: “I only have one job, the ability to listen and actually hear what was being told to me. Everything else I leave to the team I work with.”
 
Now that is a fine looking hat!

 

Value of Using the Online Leadership Training Programs

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 By Dennis Pulley

 

In 2009 SDI completely revised the divemaster, assistant instructor and open water scuba diver instructor leadership training programs. In addition to updating all of the information presented in each program, SDI achieved another industry first by offering online academics for each of these leadership courses.
The use of online training has been used extensively in many various training settings such as higher education, employment training as well as recreational areas. Attending a class and sitting for hours on end to learn the required information is not always the best option for many students these days. Using the online system, candidates can complete all the pre-course studies online and as such, they will be better prepared to participate in the class.
Some instructors see online training as a potential threat that diminishes the quality of the candidates’ skills and abilities. The reality is that online training simply trades printed material for digital material.
For each of the programs listed above, candidates can sign up anytime and begin their training at their leisure thereafter. Depending on the course structure, the instructor may assign specific sections — or the entire program, to be completed before the first face-to-face academic session. After a candidate has begun a course the instructor can track the student’s progress and detect if he is having difficulties with any of the information. This allows the instructor to target his one-on-one time with the candidate to help improve the student’s knowledge in the areas identified as below average.
Another benefit of using the tracking system is that the instructor can determine if a candidate has any weak areas. Should the instructor determine that a candidate does have a weak area, the instructor may have the candidate prepare a short presentation covering that information. This will require the candidate to learn more about that subject and be able to explain it in terms they are comfortable with.
Since the instructor will not need to spend countless hours in the classroom, more time is available for the practical application, skill training, classroom and water presentations and the “how-to” of working with students and divers.
Trading time normally spent in the classroom for practical time with the students allows the instructor to focus more his attention on helping the students develop their leadership skills. The consequence of this is new dive leaders that are better prepared to lead and train divers.
Dive stores that pre-purchase online training codes have the flexibility to package and price the entire course to meet their needs. For instance, if a candidate is to be hired as an employee, or already is an employee of the facility, the package can be minimal. This may be applied as an employment benefit on contracted based on a specific amount of work after the candidate has completed the course. In comparison, the package for a non-affiliated candidate may include the fees for online training, printed materials, water use fees, gas, training fees and any additional fee. In this scenario, candidates get a single, upfront cost for the entire program.
Dive leaders that enroll in the online academic training also receive a copy of the printed  SDI training materials for the program they are completing that can be used for  future reference.
“The SDI Online Divemaster program revolutionized the way I teach the DM course!  The candidates come to the first session fully prepared, and we spend our time together developing leadership skills and abilities rather than delivering lectures on background knowledge and dive theory.  In the past, I commonly spent 3-4 days in the classroom with a candidate before getting them to the pool.  With the online course, we spent about 6 hours in the classroom, then off to the pool. Best of all, it seems the candidates really learned the material, rather than studying it simply to pass a test.
Brian Shreve
SDI IT-9016
Heartland Scuba
Lincoln, NE

“The online program allowed me to work at my own pace and review the information without someone looking over my shoulder. I especially liked the way the program allowed me to work on my own time schedule vs a typical classroom setting. I was able to complete the pre-course studies according to my personal schedule whether it was two hours a day or six hours a day. The quizzes at the end of each chapter confirmed I understood the material and could not just can skip through it.”

 

Dan Erickson
Divemaster Candidate
Heartland Scuba

Lincoln, NE

 

Remember, by using the online training programs an instructor has more tools available to help them follow the academic progress of each student which allows them to tailor the training program to each candidate’s specific needs.

 

Long-Distance Loyalty: Do you do ALL you can?

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I took time out from a trade show one year to drop into Saks on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. I wasn’t playing hooky – well not intentionally – because the show I was attending included visits to exhibitors’ showroom across New York, and walking from one showroom to another took me right by Saks main entrance. Anyhow, I purchased a really nice summer suit.

 

About a month or so later, I got a card in the mail from Saks explaining that they had just taken delivery of a range of “business casual” shirts that would work well with my new suit; a month after that, an offer on silk ties. I even got a card on my Birthday… suggesting a few things I might treat myself to.

 

Over the course of the next few years, I made other purchases and more postcards followed up. And as part of every business trip I took to NY, I’d drop into the men’s department in Saks and usually buy something. And bit by bit I became a regular customer in spite of making my home about an eight-hour drive west of New York City.

 

Today, more than 25 years after that initial purchase, I still hear from Saks about deals they have in their men’s department. Of course now their “calls to action” come in the form of emails, but the principle is exactly the same, and over the years they have done a great job of keeping me loyal.

 

I would have to guess how much money they have earned on their initial investment of a few minutes needed for that first sales associate to collect my name, address, birth date, and so on. I would also have to guess at the shape and size of the Sak’s customer database – or the ones I am in for L.L. Bean, Johnston & Murphy, Bass Pro Shops and so on – but it must be worth millions.

 

I would put good money on a bet that your customer database is not anywhere near the size of the one at Saks, but it is worth a considerable whack of money and hold the potential to make the coming year your best ever. You just have to invest a little time.

 

Now, most of you are meticulous when you process a customer sale be it for service, training, equipment purchase, or anything else. And you follow-up with seasonal reminders of the deals you have throughout your store, you let them know about special events like “try-it” gear days, pumpkin carving, site clean-ups and so on. You send them a card on their birthday telling them to drop by for a cup-cake and a special birthday boy or girl offer. You let them know about special trips.

 

No, this message is for the few of you who do not collect email addresses, street addresses, birth dates or even what type of gear your customers have purchased. YOU ARE MISSING THE BOAT, and kissing goodbye to good potential business, if you do not invest in a basic Customer Management System… even if it’s 100 percent manual.

 

During the past 12 to 18 months, I have spoken with a number of dive centers here in North America as well as overseas and without exception, the ones who are doing well, pushing 50 percent con-ed rates, and thriving even in the poorest economic environments, work hardest at building customer loyalty and following up on even the smallest sale… like the store in the North of England that collects email addresses from customers who buy a nitrox or air fill.

 

The most successful retailers make sure their customers understand that their contact details, and especially their email address, will never be sold, lent or abused, BUT THEY DO EXPLAIN TO THEM TO EXPECT AN EMAIL FOLLOW-UP.

 

We try to do part of that job for you. We send a monthly eNewsletter to your customers and we sent their invitation to download their FREE e-Zine (Underwater Journal, a Diving Adventure Magazine). And we try to drive them back into your store. But it’s up to you to cement that customer loyalty and all it really takes is a few key strokes and hitting the SEND button.

 

 

 

How does the Online Divemaster Benefit Me?

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Information about the newest educational innovation from SDI™, TDI™

1.    Q: I’m sold on the benefits of SDI™ online training for open water and specialties like nitrox, wreck, deep, navigation and so on, but why Divemaster?

 

A: Often, the instructor who is best suited to develop dive leaders is the one person who has the least time available. The perfect solution is blended learning through SDI’s online training. The proven online system moves your divemaster candidates through their academics freeing up valuable instructor time to work hands-on with them to refine their leadership qualities as well as diving, risk-management, and dive business skills.

 

2.    Q: Do all my DM candidates have to do all the academics online now?

 

A: No, you can still teach a DM course the way you have always done with traditional classroom.  However, we believe you will find that your candidates come to class much more prepared if they do the program online first.

 

3.    Q: How do I get my dive center signed up for this program?

 

A: Simply contact either your local Regional Manager, or HQ and both can assist in setting up your facility to do the program.

 

4.    Q: If am already using the online program to do Open Water or Specialties is my facility already set up?

 

A: Yes and no.  Yes your facility is listed in the new website as an active online facility, but no you have to use a different link for this course.  www.sdi-onlinetraining.comleadership

5.    Q: If I have a link off of my own website to the online program for my own students, do I have to create another link to give access to my students for the DM program?

 

A: Yes, you can get the unique link using your username and password as a login in on  www.sdi-onlinetraining.comleadership

 

6.    Q: If a student signs up on the website and pays with a credit card directly on the site, what is the amount my facility gets?

A: The facility is issued a $225 credit and HQ takes care of shipping all the materials they need directly to the dive facility, including a DM manual, Knowledge Quest, and other items.

 

7.    Q: Can I buy access codes at a discounted rate as I do for the other online courses?

 

A: Yes, the amount of the discount depends on the facility current buying level.

8.    Q: Are all DM candidates required to choose a dive center to be affiliated with when signing up? 

A: Yes, all SDI courses must be taught through a recognized dive center. 

 

9.    Q: If I purchase codes for a DM candidate, is my dive center automatically chosen and locked in as the facility as it is with the other online courses?

A: Yes, DM candidates that sign up using an access code you provide to them or via your websites unique link are locked in as your students and you are given the credit.

 

10.    Q: Is there a user manual for facilities to understand better how the system works?

 

A: Yes, you can download one off of the members section of the website or contact your regional manager or HQ.

 

Contact your local SDI, TDI representative or call Cris Merz at 888.778.9073 for more information. Cris can also be contacted via email cris.merz@tdisdi.com

 

Make every link in the chain as strong as the next

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 Customer service should be a priority for every staff member

A few nights ago, I was talking to a friend who works in the hospitality industry about the importance of customer service and its role in the ongoing success across so many market segments from hotels to retail business. It’s a topic we’ve talked about before but he threw a new angle into the equation and mentioned how the best laid plans can be derailed or reinforced by the attitude of the most unlikely and lowly staff member.

Hotels and resorts are in a constant and highly competitive fight to attract corporate meetings to their properties. Even a medium-sized business meeting translates into dozens of room nights and a healthy injection of cash into the food and beverage revenue stream. Of course the larger ones are more lucrative and senior management work hard to convince meeting planners that theirs is the right venue to host their event.

My friend explained to me that his property – an upscale resort in a beautiful waterfront setting – has just landed a huge shoulder-season booking that was being chased by a handful of competitors. “Securing this one has made up for some of the bad news we’ve had during the past few months complements of the economy,” he confided.

Of course, I’m pleased for him and his sales team but the reason I’m sharing the news with you is what clinched the deal.

Now you could be forgiven for thinking the item that tipped the balance in my friends favor was a discount or a sweetener like upgraded rooms or a special event thrown in at low-cost. Nope. No special deals at all. In fact my friend said that his resort’s proposal was probably not the lowest bid… so what was it that did the trick?

It turns out that the meeting planner snuck back into the resort after her meetings with the executive team to check things out from the customer’s point of view. My buddy says that’s not an unusual tactic… a sort of secret shopper routine. Apparently the meeting planner took a little walking tour on her own and finally settled unnoticed in one of the resort’s three restaurants to have supper.

The email she wrote to my friend the following day confirmed the meeting and contained a short explanation why she’s opted to go with his resort.

She mentioned the great location, the understated luxury and several of the pillars of his property’s brand… what he refers to as all the usual stuff… but she wrote she was most impressed with the level of service she received during her clandestine supper. She mentioned the manners of her server, her attitude and her attention to detail. And she mentioned the professional way ALL the wait staff seemed to deal with diners seated at surrounding tables. She wrote in bold letters that it made her feel welcome and comfortable… “as though I’ve been a regular special customer in your restaurant for many years,” was how she phrased it.

She went on the say that if the close to 200 delegates expected to attend the meeting she was arranging got the same level of service, she’d look like a hero.

Of course my buddy was very pleased, but not too surprised since the hotel management company he is part of is one of the best-known in the world and pays particular attention to training its associates. But when he shared the news with the restaurant manager, he was a little surprised to find out that the server who had managed to be a successful ambassador for the hotel and who had helped secure a few hundred thousand dollars worth of business, was a newbie! The night in question was her first day on the job!

The lesson that I took from this is a simple one, but one worth paying special attention to: Every member of our staff must buy completely into the store policy when it comes to dealing with customers.  And regardless of their job description, every member of staff should treat anyone who comes into your store or who walks onto your boat or steps into your classrooms, with respect. If fact it’s safest to assume that your next customer has the potential to spend thousands with you over the next few years… all you have to do is make them feel special.

Understanding Your Insurance Coverage, Your Options and Conflicts in Coverage

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Carol Christini, M.A., President, Insurance Management Services, Inc.

Each year when you purchase insurance, coverage and service is not the only issue to consider.  Differences in policy wordings may impact you and your dive business.  In addition, it is important that you know your training agency will accept the insurance that you purchase.

Reviewing the history of insurance in diving reveals that in the early 70’s the legal climate began to change in the United States.  Prior to that time no insurance was available or required. In response to the liability changes, the training agencies began to offer insurance to their members because insurance was not available from the agent around the corner. Because coverage was not available initially the coverage was based upon the specific training agencies’ standards. Practically 40 years later, coverage for those working in the diving industry remains a unique and specialized coverage that is available only from limited sources.  However, now coverage is based upon the respective training agencies’ standards, national standards (RSTC) and international standards (WRSTC and/or ISO).

Here are a few are ways you can determine for yourself what is the best coverage for you.  Understanding will help you be an informed insurance consumer.

There are five major sections to any insurance policy wording.

1)    Agreement, outlines the intent of the coverage and who is insured

2)    Exclusions, advises what is not covered

3)    Policy Form, explains if the policy is a claims made or an occurrence form

4)    Warranties, states agreed expectations and are a requirement of coverage

5)    Conditions, details requirements placed on the insured

The brochure you receive with your insurance application or posted on the website of your insurance representative or training agency should spell out this information.  It will also provide other information such as: the insured (the association), the insured certificate holder (you the diving professional or dive business), additional insureds, and which insurance carrier, underwriter or company is providing the coverage. It should address the policy period and total cost, as well as conditions placed upon you if you are involved in an incident or accident. Also it should explain any restrictions or limitations on additional insureds. If the insurance brochure does not outline all of this information— buyer beware!

Exclusions

No policy covers everything. Insurance policies are written to cover only very specific situations. Every policy, even your homeowners and auto insurance policy, contains exclusions in coverage. Therefore, you have to read the exclusions, which describe those situations not covered under your professional liability policy. Professional liability policies may exclude situations considered outside the scope of your “professional trade” such as employment related issues, equipment product liability, or boat operations. Business liability policies may exclude professional liability.  Watch carefully for items excluded which are a specific part of your activities. Typically items excluded may be available under another type of policy.

Warranties

Warranties are specific to the type of “industry” the policy pertains to and will spell out standards within the industry the insured is expected to adhere to. Many of the warranties in scuba professional liability policies address standards or expectations within the scope of supervision of, orientation to and instruction in scuba diving activities. For example: warranties will address the need for use of waivers, supervision of entry-level divers during training and industry expectations for medical screening. Seasoned professionals within the diving industry understand these warranties as part the normal    “standard operating procedures.”

If you are multi-certified (teaching for more than one training agency), I caution you about limitations specific to one agency’s training standards. This could restrict or eliminate coverage under the insurance when you are adhering to the “another training agency’s standard while teaching another agencies course.” The warranties are professional expectations and as a warranty, you agree to abide by them. Intentional violations of these warranties can void your coverage. The fewer the warranties — the less likelihood you could do something to void your coverage.

Conditions

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Additional Insured Requirements and Special Wording for Additional Insured’s

Many training agencies, retail businesses, pools, charter boat operators and bodies of water require to be listed on your professional liability policy as an additional insured. Why? Because your activities as a diving professional can bring liability exposure to their business entity that is not specifically covered elsewhere. Additional insureds should be given broad protection under the policy arising from the action of the insured (professional or business) that leads to the additional insured being named in a legal action.  Additional insureds should have coverage that protects them for their own acts, errors or omissions if they cause the problem.

How can you know for yourself?

Read carefully the brochure especially the exclusions and warranties, as well as coverage for additional insureds. When you purchase insurance this year make sure before you buy that it will adequately protect you, your training agency. Don’t assume that anything you buy will adequately protect you and will be accepted by your training agency as meeting their requirements for liability insurance. Ask your training agency prior to purchasing insurance if the coverage you intend to buy will meet their requirements. They will tell you if they have been provided a copy of the policy wording for review and if it is acceptable. If you represent several training agencies, check to see which policy will be the broadest protection for you and the training agencies. Most importantly, is the coverage acceptable to the training agency that you certify the most students.

 

Carol Christini has offering insurance and risk management guidance to the diving industry for 25 years. She is a diver and understands both insurance and diving. She or other IMS staff can be reached for further questions regarding insurance at 800-467-7282.

Training Standard questions should be addressed directly to your training agency.

Another online first from Scuba Diving International

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Leadership/Instructor Crossover Orientation

 

“It had to come,” says Sean Harrison, Vice President of Training and Member Services for SDI the undisputed leader in online training for the dive industry with more than 65,000 online courses completed.

Harrison, talking to a gathering of training professionals was describing the latest chapter in the company’s impressive run at developing a full curriculum of diver training courses through its eLearning Program (www.sdi-onlinetraining.com/professional): Professional Online Crossovers.

“We have enjoyed an unprecedented demand from dive instructors wanting to join our SDI team,” he said. “They teach for other sport agencies, and either want to add SDI programs to bolster their career, or, more and more, want to switch to SDI fully because they find the benefits offered by our programs better suit them and their business goals.”

Harrison explained that the new online program, Leadership/Instructor Crossover Orientation, has been in full operation since the late fall and was developed by the same in-house group who have put SDI’s open water, nitrox, wreck, deep, and navigation programs available via internet access. “The real benefit of having our very own programmers and beta-testing people is that they know diving, they know the industry and in developing these programs is that they work right off the bat with no delays and no downtime. But the advantages of offering this orientation course online are actually much greater than with any online course we’ve developed in the past,” he said.

“Crossover candidates can go online when it suits them, and work through what is an extremely comprehensive and detailed grounding on everything they need to prepare them for their final meeting with an SDI or TDI instructor Trainer prior to being accepted and inducted as members.”

The online Leadership/Instructor Crossover Orientation is updated as standards and course outlines change and is available as a resource for any crossover SDI leadership at any time… “So it’s an excellent way to keep current and refresh one’s knowledge.”

Harrison said that many SDI facilities have found the online orientation a boon when they hire new staff. “These professionals can devote quality time to their orientation in their own time well before starting their new assignment, and be ready to teach SDI programs starting on day one of employment.”

There are no stand alone fees for this online course but the program is a required and integral part of the crossover process and is included in the $399 crossover price.

 

NOW YOU CAN…

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NOW YOU CAN…

 

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  • One year (from date of purchase) Tech Support
  • 100* C-Card Blanks – Mix and Match  Choose from Scuba Diving International™ (SDI), Technical Diving International™ (TDI) and Emergency Response Diving International™ (ERDI) that your Facility is Qualified to Teach at no additional cost 

*ADD ADDITIONAL C-CARDS as priced below. 

INTRODUCTORY SPECIAL ON THE ABOVE PACKAGE- $1595.00

(MSR for this package is more than $4.000!)