Selling part time language courses to your local market

Selling Extensive and Part-time Courses to your Local Market

Chris Moore

The Challenge

1 or 2 evenings a week 10-15 students per class Course book led Some exams 3 terms, 1 level a year Native-speaker and local teachers Smiley receptionist Some e-learning, eg Campus

It all looks the same!

specialistlanguagecourses.com

Ultimately… this leads to

Language Course Commoditisation!

So the big question..

What are you going to do?

7 Questions

1. Do you understand the market?

2. How can you differentiate – vision, values, brand?

3. How can you deliver the difference – products and experiences?

4. How can you communicate the difference – sales and marketing?

5. Are the practicals in place?

6. How are you learning and improving what you do?

7. How do you create a sustaining, virtuous circle?

Question 1: Do you understand the market?

1. How big is the market?2. What share do you have?3. Who is the market?4. What do people want?5. What’s important for them – Price? Quality? Location?6. Why are they learning?7. What’s the current price range?8. What are the trends?9. What’s on the horizon?10.Where will the market be in 3, 5 or 10 years’ time?

Market Analysis – The 5 Forces

What are the 5 Forces?

1. Suppliers: teachers, publishers/bookshops, IT systems, buildings owners/managers, professional services, stationery

2. Customers: students, parents, companies / existing & new3. New entrants: private language schools, public sector adult education,

freelancers, universities4. Substitutes: online, mobile, language exchanges, study abroad, private

lessons5. Competitors…

Competitor Analysis

Strategy• Vision• USPs• Competitive

advantages• New business• Retention

Market Position• Market share• Customer profile• Revenues, Margins• Growth or decline• Student numbers

Marketing• Brand, reputation• Online: website, SEO, social• Offline: brochures, flyers ,

events• Communications• Partnerships

Products• Formats• Accreditations • Prices• Start dates• Innovation

Resource & Capabilities • Leadership• Teachers, other staff• Knowledge, experience• Building, assets• Technology • Financial reserves

Question 2: Is your vision different to others?

• What courses and experiences do you sell?

• Who to?

• Why do they buy from you?

• What sets you apart?

• What are you or can you be best at?

Seek to create unique value for your customers.A vision creates and leads the school

No vision = no leadership

There are only 2 ways to go

What Steve Jobs says

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the 100 other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying ‘no’ to 1,000 things.”

Question 3: How can you deliver the difference?

Product Differentation - A few ideas

Multiple start dates Short courses Fast track courses Multi-level conversation classes Multi-level functional classes, eg for business, travel Drop ins Weekend intensives Conversation classes with lesson credits Language clubs Blended courses, Flipped classrooms Remote learning with monthly meetups

Brand Differentation - A few ideas

Accreditations Teacher Training centre Social / community centre Exam passing machine Reputation, longevity High tech Designer building / environment Community focus Partnerships with… businesses, the unemployment centre, university,

public sector, schools

Fail to Plan…

A vision shows leadershipA plan shows commitment

1. Work on the medium to long term picture2. Prioritise focus products3. Align plans and activities 4. Like a lesson plan – ‘by the end of this year, we will have…’

By the end of this year, we will have launched…/ sold…. / employed…. / developed…’

Align to your goals

Sales & Marketing, Comms

Recruitment, Staff, CPD

Courses, Methodology

Resources, Systems, IT

Partnerships

Leadership &

VisionGoals

Do you have the right people?

“There are going to be times when we can't wait for somebody. Now, you're either on the bus or off the bus.” Ken Kesey

‘First Who.. Then What.’

The right people are:1. Flexible, they adapt to a dynamic environment2. Self-motivated, take responsibility“If you have the wrong people, you’ll never have a great company.” (Jim Collins)

Question 4: How can you communicate the difference?

“There are no magic wands, no hidden tricks, and no secret handshakes that can bring you immediate success, but with time, energy and determination, you can get there.”

Darren Rowse, Founder, Problogger

Touchpoints - Online

Touchpoints - Off-line

Marketing Campaigns should be..

Clear :: Concise :: Consistent :: Connected

Question 5: Have you got the practicals right?

1. Booking 2. Retention

3. Data 4. Feedback

Practicals 1: Booking - Make It Easy

Accessible, easy – finding, booking, paying

Short bookings-focused user journey

Push the USPs so people know what and why they’re booking

Use ‘sticky’ pages to promote booking courses, eg level tests

Have ‘at a glance’ key info

Use online tests (as opposed to school tests) and auto-allocate to classes

Ensure everyone at the school is a product and bookings expert

Practicals 2: Retention - Keep your Students

“It costs 6–7 times more to acquire a new customer than retain an existing one.”– Bain & Company.

“A dissatisfied customer will tell between 9-15 people about their experience. Around 13% of dissatisfied customers tell more than 20 people.” – White House Office of Consumer Affairs.

“70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated.”– McKinsey.

Student retention – what to do

Deliver great service and great experiences from the first point of contact. Listen. Respond. Engage.

Encourage on-going study Make re-booking easy Reward loyalty Interact socially Track the data Review, learn, improve

Referrals go up Reputation spreads New business increases

Practicals 3: Track the Data

Bookings- Format- Language - Trends - Timings - New business- Enquiry to conversion rate- Retained students- Value per student

Attendance- Class occupancy - Drop out rates and timings- By language/ format / teacher / schedule

Practicals 4: Get Meaningful Feedback

1. Get quantitative and qualitative feedback- ‘10 / 100 questions from 100 / 10 students’

2. Make it measurable 3. Make it predictable4. Make sure everyone does it5. Include other stakeholders – companies, teachers, parents.6. Then act on it.

“Customers who get their issue resolved tell about 4-6 people about their experience.”- White House Office of Consumer Affairs

Question 6: Are you learning from what you do?

1. Reflect, review, ask questions, understand, confront brutal truths2. Think critically, learn from failure3. Instil a culture of reflection and collaboration

– involve teachers, staff, students, partners4. Commit to a culture of continuous improvement and innovation

To quote..

“The thing is, continuity of strategic direction and continuous improvement in how you do things are absolutely consistent with each other. In fact, they’re mutually reinforcing.”

Michael Porter

Question 7: Can you create a virtuous cycle?

1. Generate interest based on differentiation

2. Clear info, easy booking

3. Deliver with integrity

4. Track, feedback

5. Reflect, learn, improve

6. Loyal customers, attract and keep talent

Vision, Values, Brand Products, Staff

Training

Systems

Communications

Technology

Not a vicious cycle

1. Generate interest based on low price

2. Cut costs

3. Demotivated teachers, poor

resources

4. Survival mentality

5. Customers switch easily

6. High staff & customer churn

No vision Commoditised products

Little Staff Training

Ageing Systems

Undifferentiated Communications

Low Technology Investment

To Summarise

1. Understand the market 2. Create a vision and brand proposition that sets you apart3. Deliver products which express the difference4. Recruit, train and reward staff to support your vision5. Communicate the difference clearly and coherently6. Get the practicals right – processes, retention, data, feedback7. Review, learn, improve, innovate

To continue the conversation

Chris MooreSpecialist Language Courseschris@specialistlanguagecourses.com

Selling part time language courses to your local market

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