Many business owners think they are in competition only with the owners of similar businesses. Component manufacturers are in competition with other component manufacturers. Flight schools are in competition with other flight schools. Charter companies are in competition with other charter companies that serve the same area.
That may be true as far as it goes, but thinking that way has two problems:
1. Aviation (or any other industry) is not a zero-sum game.
2. It also precludes working together in ways that are profitable to everyone.
Last week I spoke in a panel discussion on PR and publicity at the Flight School Association of North America (FSANA) and was truly impressed by a group of companies that are theoretically in competition with one another, but that worked together in truly inspiring ways.
Why are more than 100 owners of flight schools willing to spend money, travel, and share ideas with their supposed competitors?
Because they understand who their competition really is.
They are really competing against the other things their prospective students do with their time and money.
If they’re in the business of training career-minded pilots, they’re competing against other colleges, universities, trade schools, entry level jobs and the military.
If they specialize in training recreational pilots, they’re competing against other recreational opportunities that cost similar amounts of money – golf, scuba, sailing, country club memberships, commercial travel, motorcycles, and so on.
By getting these prospective students interested in flight training as an option, they’re not just taking a bigger slice out of the same sized pie, they’re expanding the pie, making more business for everyone.
Whatever business you’re in, it can be beneficial to think about your business as larger than a zero-sum game. What options to your prospective customers have, besides going to your competition? If you’re a component manufacturer, what might be eating at your business is not a competitive component maker, but the fact that your customers are flying less. If you’re a charter company, your competition might be that your customers are doing more business remotely rather than in person.
This knowledge can help you frame your marketing to address the real problem. It can also open up opportunities for you to work with other businesses you formerly thought were your competitors, thus “enlarging the pie.”
These flight schools we were talking about?
The association has developed programs to help inform school and other organizations about aviation careers. They give kids opportunities to learn about airplanes and have experiences with them in their AeroCamp programs.
AeroCampers are more likely to become flight school students, and eventually pilots.
More pilots enlarges the entire industry. Which is good for everyone.
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