Reputable Instructors

[Art S.]

OK, I am reading on another thread about an instructor not showing up for his own class. no calls sent to inform anyone he was not going to show. Then refering to the need to find reputable instructors.
my Question now is:
As an instructor how do people know i am reputable?
I do not have ties to the ranges I use, other than renting their classroom and using their range to qualify my students.
What can I do to show I am a reputable instuctor?
:help:

 

[SCTom]

Keep showing up for your classes.

 

[~OtisM~]

Register on angies list. Start a website. Start a Facebook. Seek feedback that people don't mind u sharing. Word of mouth. Etc.

 

[bkunick]

The two strongest elements to your integrity as a reputable instructor are affirmations by your peers and students.

Have your peers sit in on your courses periodically and rate you. Do the same for them.

Have your students complete course assessments and ask if you may post their comments for others to see. Be brutally honest with yourself and list the good and the bad. On the bad, add to the comment what you've done to take note and enhance your process.

Oh yeah, and always show up for classes!

Thanks!
Brian

 

[revolverboy]

All great ideas! Going to steal some!!

I've had some students for gun classes. I think you need to have integrity & be professional. The word will get out. But FB, twitter etc are good too!

 

[TlWheatley]

I get feedback from every class I give. They will let me know how I'm doing. If I'm doing good, then their word is great for my reputation. I continue to attend classes to increase my knowledge and techniques.

 

[JimPage]

My partner and I have the good fortune to have had glowing endorsements from our students given to the clerks at the CCW office of the issuing authority and in turn they would recommend us. What better endorsement can one get? Different agencies have different procedures so this may not work for you. We have since retired from conducting classes, but I can't think of a better way to find a good instructor.

 

[Shoobee]

Either being affiliated with the NRA or with a local PD would be good enough for me.

 

[BC1]

Either being affiliated with the NRA or with a local PD would be good enough for me.

Lot's of NRA instructors out there who aren't reputable. The NRA will pull the credentials of a bad instructor but very few people make a complaint. I recently got a call from a young guy who took NRA PPITH. The class is given over two days. Day one is classroom, day two is range work. The instructor never returned for day-2, kept the money and didn't issue certificates of completion. HE said he would do the secnd day in a month or so. Very bad practice.

 

[A.Kane]

Reputation is earned not given.

What can I do to show I am a reputable instuctor?
:help:

As an Instructor and in my humble opinion, you earn your reputation by, of course, ALWAYS showing up for class and then delivering a courteous, well planned and well practiced program. Conscientiously meet all the National, State and Local requirements for the specific course you may be teaching at the time. Professionals are professionals because they execute all that is promised, all that is required, all that is expected and then they exceed what the students expected by a wide margin.

To be regarded as a professional you must be able to exceed the common man's expectations on every front. You must dress professionally (appropriate but sharply styled, clean, professionally pressed clothes; well groomed hair-beard-mustache; clean, trimmed nails; polished shoes or boots, etc.), present your product in a professional environment (clean, comfortable, well lit, good acoustics; bright, readable display screens; neat, clear, well designed course books and handouts) and provide an appropriate, safe and, if possible, spacious range for live fire activities. You must speak clearly, authoritatively and with as little gun-slinger slang as possible, i.e., avoid all the abbreviations we commonly use when talking with our peers. Cuss words and/or off-color stories are strictly off limits.

The above will create a professional impression in the minds of your students but that is only the front half of the battle. The second is to get your students to give you their impressions via comment sheets and then use those quotes as testimonials. You can say that you're the greatest thing since sliced bread but few will believe it. But if you post 5 and then 10 and then 50 high-praise comments in the form of direct quotes from students ("Best handgun instructor I ever had", John Brown, Anytown, USA), associates and vendors then you will have achieved the desired end.

Hope that helps,
A.Kane

 

[Stan45]

Be reputable come with time.
Being held in high esteem, that takes time.
Also what does your CV look like. Example, how many times have you been to Gunsite, or any number of good schools.

 

[adatiowa]

I agree with most of the above.

I've been blessed to have my company grow vastly because of excellent "word of mouth" advertising and that only comes when your doing a great job!

All my contracted instructors and myself get great reviews on various sites and I make a point of asking for feed back as well positive or otherwise so that I can then put those on my website.

Many will give you advice that may/may not work for you and it really boils down to finding a niche in what you enjoy teaching along with the format that sets you apart from other instructors.

Personally, I (along with most others I hire as a contractor) have additional certification outside of NRA based firearm Instructor programs and that is a HUGE asset being that I actually can offer and teach what 99.9% of others cannot.

The information is "unnervingly amazing" "made me rethink self defense firearm training techniques" and "why the heck is this not taught to civilians and professionals as the norm" are just some of the comments in class and afterward that I get from students which translates into more business for me...education is crucial.

Another aspect that I offer is that I have a very non-intimidating atmosphere and I include plenty of humor and well timed demonstrations that help me convey all the material in a way 99.9% of the other instructors are again...not able to. *I thank my professional acting background for that*

Its your job as an instructor to provide UP TO DATE information on basic firearm safety (majority get this in their classes) along with conceal carry tips (few do this) and of course added comparison of what the student can expect during the flight/fight response when their life is on the line and how traditional shooting techniques/platforms do not perform well vs Center Axis Relock (I am one of less than 20 Instructors that are certified and actively teach CAR) so that in its self creates my reputation.

I offer what others cannot/do not based on the extra education I have and presenting it in a way that allows almost anyone regardless of age, race, gender to see what won't and will likely work in a time of desperate need that won't put them to sleep!

I'm certainly not the most "experienced" instructor if you are only grading how long I have been one however, I am definitely one of the most experienced in terms of how I am able to present "knowledge" to my students in a format and with the full concept of reality than most across the nation.

Be confident in yourself, understand that "the customer is NOT always right" (so be willing to not only go the extra mile when needed...but prepared to not serve someone who is simply not worth the hassle) find a way to present information that suits you and offers unmatched ability by your competitors, get added education outside of the "average" training that others also have and understand YOUR VALUE as an instructor.

We SAVE LIVES by sharing what we know about basic and advanced firearm safety and training concepts...we are valuable assets to any community and why you need to ensure the community knows who you are.

Best regards.

J.

 

[adatiowa]

...don't be afraid to learn and do things in a way that others either can't or won't do.

There are many, many Firearm Instructors out there and many great schools but its far to often that one particular instructor/school gets touted as the "best" when they simply offer something that is presented either better or unique to them.

It does not mean that you cannot be just as good or better as an instructor and its more than worth while to get training in other aspects and schools where others are not. Again, having what others have is great but learning something that WORKS that others do not have is a key component to offering something your competitors can't.

Take the time to create a solid understanding of the TYPE of business you want to build based on the foundation of firearm instruction.

Do you want to teach just in your local area, around your state or across the country?
Do you want to charge full price and have small classes or offer discounted rates and separate parts to a complete course giving freedom to the consumer? *This is particularly useful in states where Live Fire is not required for CCW permits*
Do you want to do just live classroom courses, do you want to offer videos courses or other avenues commonly used by different industries in this decade?

Answering HOW you want to operate a business will help you determine how to grow your business and thus your reputation in the Industry.

 

[_Anthony_]

Very shocking that an instructor would not show up for their own class!

I think being reputable is about more than pleasing your students. There are a lot of "Special forces" guys teaching classes. Never lie about your qualifications or experience. Have the right answer or give none at all. Sometimes, a student will ask something that we don't know. We don't guess, we don't deflect we say "I don't know BUT I will find out". Be prepared for class.

This may be an incorrect assumption but when we teach a first steps class or have a new shooter in our concealed carry classes I feel that we are selling the whole premise of armed citizens. If we're jerks, incompetent etc etc we not only turn that student off to our classes, but may leave them with a bitterness towards firearms.

Take criticism and don't argue it. We ask people what can we improve on, is there anything that you absolutely didn't like, what did you like etc.

I think the biggest complaint I have from classes i've taken is the macho attitude that many instructors have. Just because I'm an instructor doesn't mean I know it all. Stay a student and humble yourself to taking advice, criticism, and techniques from those more experienced than you.