The document provides strategies for marketing and selling educational courses during economic downturns, emphasizing the importance of market segmentation and adjusting course offerings. It highlights effective email marketing techniques, the significance of understanding customer needs, and tips for conducting successful sales meetings. Additionally, it outlines the necessity of establishing rapport, asking open-ended questions, and developing an action plan during client interactions.

1. TACE 2009 Claralyn Jefferson, Mountain View College, DCCCD Konley Kelley, Richland College, DCCCD Making the Sale In Tough Economic Times

2. Objectives of the Session Change Marketing Strategies Recession Proof Your Department Market Segmentation Segmenting Your Market

3. Recession Strategies Make Yourself Absent - Directors and Deans should spend 50% of their time in the field generating leads, building relationships and consortia Reduce number of meetings Purchase lists Search for untapped markets Offer free classes Focus on Profitable Courses – offer them more often, boost the price, create spin-off classes When selling to Gen Y, hire someone from Generation Y to create promotional material and to do marketing to the Y audience; including setting up social networks

4. Email Marketing Inexpensive Way to Sell Cheapest way to reach your market Able to make fast changes to your message Allows JIT selling Email with shorter subject lines out perform email with longer subject lines “MailerMailer – 2008 Personalization such as adding a recipient’s first or last name does not significantly improve rates of return – MailChimp 2007 Use “calls to action” – Spend your spring break with the Dallas Black Dance Troupe. According to “ Exact Target ” 2008 - 66% of those surveyed made purchases because of receiving an email

5. Segmenting Your Market Segmenting allows you to differentiate your various audiences; build a separate demographic profile and then deliver different products with different and appropriate promotions. Learn who your best customers are Establish how often best customers attend Learn how much they spend Discover who is least active and what they spend We normally lose $$$ on the least active. Stop selling directly to them; use indirect or passive processes Determine who the underserved group is and drive programs and marketing efforts to this group

6. Change Marketing Strategies Offer your new courses at a higher price Tap into individuals or clients who have $$$. Don’t be concerned with low enrollments Use new formats, subjects, and audiences 1. re-group some classes 2. group others normally sold separately 3. divide courses into modules These practices can cause income to go up, while enrollment may go down or stay the same Re-write or re-name some course titles (never re-write titles for successful courses) Only offer unsuccessful classes twice Focus on profitable courses

7. Market Segmentation When sending broadcast email or marketing mail, its about segmenting Do NOT send everything to everybody If you do, people will eventually stop opening you email or mail It’s not the number of people who receive the promo It’s the number who actually register When you send promotions to those most likely to benefit or those interested in your offering, your promotion will be more successful According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics – by 2010 the labor force will be short 10 million workers

8. The Sales Call

9. Time to meet - where are you going? Know who you are going to see. It may be one person or a group of people. Be prepared with extra sales kits Aside from sales kits, take anything else from your college that may be useful (you should know what the training need is following first contact) Know how much time your client has to meet Research the client’s business on the web Research the client location and print a map E-mail the client a meeting confirmation. Ask for on-site directions. Be prepared to go through security. If possible, e-mail the client a rough meeting agenda Give yourself plenty of time to travel to the sales call Set a realistic goal for yourself – car thinking OK…you have been contacted by a company that wants training.

10. Time to meet – warm up Firm handshake / eye contact Introductions Listen 80 percent of the time and talk 20 percent of the time Express interest in the company’s history (relate anything you discovered from your research) Ask customer questions about his/her personal goals, challenges and business philosophies Observe the prospect’s office, décor, awards and pictures. Look for something in common. Bridge to the training need smoothly

11. Time to meet – cut to the chase Recap what you learned form initial phone call or e-mail exchanges – ask if anything has changed Ask what the top three challenges are for the company Ask open-ended questions in the meeting “ Tell me about” “Describe for me” “Can you elaborate?” Find out if there is ongoing training / training plan. If multi-location company, ask about training at other sites Take notes / watch for unexpected challenges revealed – even if subtle Ask about prospect’s role and involvement in future training If not decision-maker, tactfully suggest another meeting between your client, decision-maker, you and your SME

12. Time to meet – the sales pitch Explain your mission for the college Talk about the benefits of your products and services Link the benefits to the prospect’s needs If the prospect opened doors for unexpected training opportunities, offer more information / check interest Offer past examples of successful training – share stories that are relevant to your customer and his training needs Assure your prospect of the instructional quality you can bring to his company and resources from the college Drop the names of satisfied customers and offer references

13. Time to meet – action items and close Ask if further questions about what you can offer Recap your understanding of the training need Ask for a timeline for the training delivery Ask if there is a budget for the training Layout an action plan for follow-up (college sends additional information, prospect talks to co-workers – feedback) Offer to e-mail your meeting notes Schedule a second meeting and bring your SME. Invite prospect to bring key staff to meet your SME Job shadowing? Assessment w/SME? Ask for a tour of the company (if one is not offered upon first visit) If meeting goes very well (sale!) draft a proposal and follow-up

14. Sales Role Play – Break into small groups of 3-4 Decide who will be prospect, CT rep, recorder/timekeeper . Prospect and CT rep will each have a scenario card with company profile and challenges (training needs) Prospect will have another card he cannot show group Ten minute sales meeting Five Number off / musical chairs minutes for recorder to provide feedback Groups switch cards and roles – go again Large group discussion Did you sell something? What was hard? What didn’t work? What would you have done differently next time?

15. Recorder Observations Establish rapport with the client? Listen 80 percent of the time and talk 20 percent of the time? Bridge from chit-chat to training smoothly? Ask open-ended questions? Ask about prospect’s involvement in training? Explain the college mission, benefits, products and services clearly? Establish credibility and confidence with the client? Link the benefits of working with the college to the company’s needs? Look for opportunities to upsell / offer other training? Recap understanding of training need? Ask for a timeline? Ask about a training budget? Set an action plan for follow-up? Schedule a second meeting with an SME? Did the CT Rep…

16. Yes…you can sell! Herb Tarlek, WKRP Not all of us are born salesman like Herb. Be proud of your role with the college but leave the plaid jacket at home  For a copy of this preso, contact: Claralyn Jefferson Mountain View College 214-860-8564 - Phone [email_address] Konley Kelley 214-995-5184 - Phone [email_address] Herb Tarlek, WKRP