In this interview, Sofema CEO Steve Bentley explains his "partnership-first" strategy for 2026, prioritizing long-term client trust over short-term profits through transparent pricing, "down-selling" unnecessary training, and freezing costs to support aviation budgets.

Interviewer: Steve, 2026 is starting with a lot of economic pressure on aviation training budgets. You’ve recently said that Sofema’s goal is sometimes to down-sell a client. That sounds counterintuitive for a CEO. What do you mean by that?

• Steve Bentley: It sounds bad for the bottom line, but it’s the only way to build a 20-year relationship. "Down-selling" means if a client comes to us wanting a comprehensive 5-day course for a staff member who only needs a general awareness, we tell them to stop. We direct them to the 1-day version. We’d rather take 20% of the revenue now and keep a loyal client than take 100% now and have them realize later they overpaid for training they didn't need.

Interviewer: You actually address this in your FAQ regarding "Course Levels." Why do you offer so many variations of the same topic?

• Steve Bentley: Precision. In the old days, you sat in a classroom for two days because that was the only option. Online, we can be granular. We offer "Awareness," "Practitioner," and "Expert" levels because a Quality Manager needs deep regulatory knowledge, but a Stores Inspector might just need to know how to apply the rule. If we sell the "Expert" course to the Inspector, we’ve wasted the client's time and money.

Interviewer: A lot of training providers hide their pricing or make it complex. You’ve gone the other direction with the "Freedom Pass." How does that fit the "Fit over Revenue" philosophy?

• Steve Bentley: The Freedom Pass is the ultimate anti-upsell. It effectively caps what a client pays us. For a single monthly fee, they get unlimited access. We are essentially telling our biggest clients, "Stop paying for individual enrollments; it’s too expensive." We lose the per-seat revenue, but we gain a partner who knows their entire workforce is compliant without worrying about the budget running out in October.

Interviewer: What happens when a student struggles? Most providers charge for resits. What is Sofema’s stance?

• Steve Bentley: We are in the business of competence, not punishment. Our FAQ is clear: you get three attempts to pass the exam included in the price. If you fail three times, it’s not about paying more fees - it’s a signal that you need to review the material. Even then, if a retake is needed, we offer significant discounts. We want you to pass, not to pay a "failure tax."

Interviewer: You also give away a significant amount of intellectual property for free. Why offer "Sample Courses" and a free download library?

• Steve Bentley: Trust is earned, not bought. You can’t expect a Training Manager to sign off on a budget if they haven’t seen the product. We let people search "Sample" on our site to try courses risk-free. Plus, our library has hundreds of documents that we give away. If we help you solve a problem for free today, you’ll trust us when you need to buy a Diploma tomorrow.

Interviewer: Speaking of budgets, you’ve announced a Price Freeze for 2026. With inflation impacting everyone, why hold the line?

• Steve Bentley: Because stability is a commodity right now. Aviation is volatile. Our clients are dealing with supply chain costs, fuel prices, and labor shortages. We decided that their training budget should be the one thing they don't have to worry about increasing this year. It goes back to the manifesto: Partnership first.

Interviewer: Finally, for a new customer reading this who is used to aggressive sales pitches - what is the one promise you make them?

• Steve Bentley: We will never sell you a course you don’t need. If you are unsure what EASA regulation applies to your team, call us. If the answer is a free PDF from the regulator, we will send you the link. If the answer is a course, we will recommend the most cost-effective one. We are here to keep you flying, not just billing.