My boss at Ocado, has asked me to find suitability qualified ADIs who have the BTEC Level 4 Professional Award in Coaching for Driver Development to complete van training at the Peterborough spoke ( Ocado call their smaller depots spokes). The vehicles used are the larger sized Mercedes Sprinter vans, so hence the ADIs will need some expereience in driving vans of this size. Ocado pay £150 per day ( most training is a full day, only very few half days, you will be pleased to know). Mileage is paid by 45 pence per mile for all travel. If any of your trainers are interested then the best person to contact would be daveallen1999@googlemail.com or 07939627493. Kind Regards, David Allen

Increasing your lesson prices might be something you would like to do but struggle to find the courage. This is why I am going to take you through five pain-free steps to earn more money - or work less hours, if that is your goal. These techniques are simple and very easy to implement.

Step 1 Choose a date to put up your prices. For example, April 6th could be the date that you choose - quite a good one as it's the start of the new tax year. 


Step 2 Choose how much, let’s say £2 an hour. On 20 hours a week over the course of a year your income would increase by £2000. What could you spend that on - a holiday, some new golf clubs, a shopping trip, a training course?


Step 3 Offer a discount for block bookings back to the original price for all existing customers. Your customers will like you and they would be happy for you to have a better quality of life - just ask them.


Step 4 Advertise your price increase and the value you offer your customers. (Our BTEC 4 customers have found the confidence to do just that). It helps to know your strengths - sell these to your customers - your uniqueness makes you special.


Step 5 Watch your business grow as you put yourself in control of your prices.


We all undervalue ourselves at times. Lately, I hear ADIs often saying how busy they are but fail to put their prices up. We have had it hard as an industry and deserve to gain more rewards for our endeavours.


I will leave you with a quote: "Do it badly; do it slowly; do it fearfully; do it any way you have to, but do it." ― Steve Chandler. 

If you are interested in how so many of our customers have found the courage to put up their prices thenjoin us on our Facebook forum and ask our customers what they think.


Here is just one of hundreds of testimonials from customers who have found new confidence to put into their business: 


‘A highly motivational course from Industry Leaders who really know their stuff. 

They facilitated open discussions and group work in a friendly way, encouraging everyone to participate freely, whilst managing time effectively. I am so glad I signed up for this course: it's going to make such a difference to both my personal skills and my business.  

An excellent initiative - not to be missed.’ (Deidre Sutherland)


Follow this link for more information on The BTEC 4 Professional Award in Coaching for Driver Development - the only current qualification designed specifically for our industry.
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I recently wrote ten top tips to help pass your standards check. Now I want to take this opportunity to look at potential reasons why ADIs might fail:
1. Many ADIs come on our training days and say, ‘I have a test next week’ (or next month) because it is not until the dreaded brown envelope falls through the door that any form of training is contemplated and then panic can set in. Life could be so much easier if we adopted an approach that keeps our skills up to date.
2. Route planning – often the route is far too complicated and doesn’t suit the learner’s needs. 
3. The subject chosen doesn't fit the learner but happens to be the ADI’s favourite subject.
4. The ADI says nothing and lets the learner get on with it.
5. The ADI doesn’t shut up and doesn’t give the learner a chance.
6. Great questions are asked but at the wrong time.
7. The ADI doesn’t ask any questions.
8. Risk management is ignored except for a statement that says ‘I have dual controls’.
9. No learning actually takes place.
10. There was no evidence of any value for money.


This is a fairly negative view point and I have had the pleasure of meeting and training with lots of great ADIs but, in my opinion, updating your skills, evaluating your performance and increasing your customer satisfaction levels are all essential skills.


We all know the ADI who knows everything, has a full diary, everyone passes first time and likes the phrase, ‘It’s not rocket science’. Well how we learn and teach/coach/instruct has been a challenge for the human race since time began.


Learning to drive shouldn't be complicated but if that was the case, how come a day doesn't go by without drivers crashing? We know this is a fact and yet our training to become an ADI rarely looks at the reasons that cause these crashes. We just look at the skills needed to move a car from A to B without hitting something.


If you are serious about improving all your skills, then enrol on the BTEC Level 4 Professional Award in Coaching for Driver Development now - if you haven't already done so - and let the fun begin.

 Kind regards


Graham

 
 Graham Hooper ADI
Tri-Coaching Partnership Ltd
info@tri-coachingpartnership.co.uk

‎Julie Mansley‎ to Tri Coaching Partnership
14 mins · Just wanted to say thankyou for the past year on my BTEC 4 course. Finished it yesterday. Its been a journey! I can thoroughly recommend it. Susan McCormackand Graham Hooper are a wealth of knowledge and experience. The course is professional and challenging. I am definately not the same ADI I was a year ago! Its a revelation and its made my job so much easier and rewarding. My coaching skills are a work in progress and I am reflecting on them daily! But the best bit is knowing that I am putting drivers on the road with more awareness of their responsibilites as a driver, to keep them safe. Thankyou again. 🚗🚦🚗🚦

 Dear Graham
 
These ten tips have been written to help you prepare for your Standards Check but actually many of them are just as valid for your lessons. These tips are all good points and worthwhile using when you reflect on your own performance from time to time rather than waiting for the Standards Check to arrive.

1. Do not wait for the brown envelope before you decide to review your lessons against the DVSA National Standard for Driver and Rider training. Start now. You can find more about how to plan your lessons here.


2. Make sure you take someone that you have rapport with, other wise it will be hard work and you will put yourself under too much pressure.


3. Take some time to prepare by reading the Examiners Guidance notes


4. Read the National Standards - often referred to as Role 6 - and ask yourself two simple questions: Does my training match these Standards? Are there areas that I could develop?


5. Communication - a secret to success. Using non judgemental communication is in the Standards Check. Did the trainer maintain an appropriate non-discriminatory manner throughout the session?


6. The GOAL - it is all about the goal. We are the experts but we do need to ensure that the goal is about the learner's previous experience and their needs and not just about the subject.


7. Use coaching and instructional techniques that you are comfortable with - your Standards Check is not the day you decide to experiment.


8. Change the goal if something happens that is more important then the original goal - do this in negotiation with your customer. The GROW model is a useful conversational tool to help you structure goal setting conversations.


9.Risk Management is all about sharing responsibility and making sure that you and your customer know what is about to happen when setting up a training exercise.


10. Ask for help if you need it in preparing your everyday lessons and Standards Check. Your lessons will be great already but seeking improvement is an essential part of any business. We have FREE Standards Check podcasts that we can send to you that you can play in your car rather than reading all this information.


In each tip I have put in a hyperlink to click on so you can find out more information about each tip. I hope it helps and finally if you want to find a trainer near you or want to go beyond Standards Check training then take on the challenge of our flagship course - if you haven't done so yet - the BTEC Level 4 Professional Award in Coaching for Driver Development . 


Mark Wardle recently said this about his course: 'The Tri-coaching partners will go beyond helping you to achieve your completion. Don't be daunted by the assignment dates - extensions are readily available. A very worthy course to enrol upon'