Presentation to language school prinicpals and directors at EAQUALS 2014 by Specialist Language Courses Managing Director Chris Moore. Chris is a former language school principal and is the Director of In-Company Language Training at International House.
2. 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!
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4. So the big question..
What are you going to do?
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5. 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?
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6. 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?
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8. What are the 5 Forces?
1. Suppliers: teachers, publishers/bookshops, IT systems, buildings
owners/managers, professional services, stationery
2. Customers: students, parents, companies / existing & new
3. New entrants: private language schools, public sector adult education,
freelancers, universities
4. Substitutes: online, mobile, language exchanges, study abroad, private
lessons
5. Competitors…
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10. 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
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11. There are only 2 ways to go
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12. 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.”
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13. Question 3: How can you deliver the difference?
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14. 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
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15. 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
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16. Fail to Plan…
A vision shows leadership
A plan shows commitment
1. Work on the medium to long term picture
2. Prioritise focus products
3. 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…’
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17. Align to your goals
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Sales & Marketing, Comms
Recruitment, Staff, CPD
Courses, Methodology
Resources, Systems, IT
Partnerships
Leadership
&
Vision
Goals
18. 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 environment
2. Self-motivated, take responsibility
“If you have the wrong people, you’ll never have
a great company.” (Jim Collins)
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19. Question 4: How can you communicate the difference?
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“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
23. Question 5: Have you got the practicals right?
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1. Booking 2. Retention
3. Data 4. Feedback
24. 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
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25. 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.
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26. 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
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27. 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
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28. Practicals 4: Get Meaningful Feedback
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1. Get quantitative and qualitative feedback
- ‘10 / 100 questions from 100 / 10 students’
2. Make it measurable
3. Make it predictable
4. Make sure everyone does it
5. 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
29. Question 6: Are you learning from what you do?
1. Reflect, review, ask questions, understand, confront brutal truths
2. Think critically, learn from failure
3. Instil a culture of reflection and collaboration
– involve teachers, staff, students, partners
4. Commit to a culture of continuous improvement and innovation
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30. 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
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31. 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
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Vision, Values, Brand Products, Staff
Training
Systems
Communications
Technology
32. 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
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No vision Commoditised products
Little Staff Training
Ageing Systems
Undifferentiated Communications
Low Technology Investment
33. To Summarise
1. Understand the market
2. Create a vision and brand proposition that sets you apart
3. Deliver products which express the difference
4. Recruit, train and reward staff to support your vision
5. Communicate the difference clearly and coherently
6. Get the practicals right – processes, retention, data, feedback
7. Review, learn, improve, innovate
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34. To continue the conversation
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Chris Moore
Specialist Language Courses
chris@specialistlanguagecourses.com