Building Relationships with School Groups and Associations
School groups and associations are becoming increasingly important stakeholders in the international schools market. With the potential to build school brand recognition, boost staff development opportunities, and raise common standards to support enrollment demand, group membership is highly sought after. Currently, ISC Research records 650 school groups representing 37% of the world’s international schools, and with nearly two-thirds of future schools expected to join groups, this market share is likely to rise.
To enhance reputability and increase their market reach, education suppliers need to leverage the growing influence of school groups and associations. In ISC Research’s second Masterclass webinar on business and marketing strategies, we explored how suppliers can provide tailored solutions to schools and align their brand with the expectations of school groups to build lasting relationships.
This webinar saw William Saville, Business Development Manager at ISC Research, in discussion with an expert panel of speakers, including Angelica Nierras from Faria Education Group, Leigh Holmes-Hill from Tenby Schools Ipoh, and Natalie Williams from COBIS – Council of British International Schools. Below are the main takeaways from the panel session, with the full recording available to watch now.
Building relationships: the essential first step for suppliers
International school groups and associations typically have a single overarching brand, under which sit individual schools with unique identities, challenges, and needs. Accordingly, when considering new suppliers, groups and associations are looking for services that are customisable according to different school demographics. Suppliers should therefore focus their initial outreach efforts on individual schools within a group, those where their product is likely to have the greatest impact, as opposed to opting for an all-encompassing approach that targets the school group’s central office.
“Academic calendars are the heartbeat of school decisions.”
Suppliers’ chances of success will be far greater if they contact their target school within its set procurement timeframe.
Angelica Nierras, Faria Education Group
Identifying key contacts in international schools
Just as important as identifying key schools is finding the right person to whom you can make your initial pitch. Where possible, this needs to be the intended user of the product, as this is how to generate the greatest level of interest in your product’s features and benefits. School leaders are not always the most appropriate choice; their priorities often lie with services that offer school-wide improvements to teaching and learning, or show potential for boosting enrollment numbers. As a result, it is crucial to recognise where your product fits within each individual school and to conduct the necessary due diligence in identifying the most suitable person to contact.
As part of a multi-channelled marketing approach, in-person attendances at association conferences are an excellent way to build relationships with members of school staff. Such events are set up with the intention of connecting member schools with reputable suppliers, allowing for one-to-one conversations and a high level of personalisation. The themes and target audiences of individual conferences vary widely, with some tailored to senior leaders, bursars, marketing staff, for example. This diversity offers suppliers a range of opportunities to attend events specifically designed for their intended product users.
“Think about relationships and what it takes to maintain them. For a supplier, this means returning to conferences year after year; you won’t get sales by attending one event, and sales shouldn’t be your primary goal in these settings.”
Natalie Williams, COBIS
Differentiating your brand from competitors in the education sector
The international schools market is growing increasingly saturated, making it difficult for emerging suppliers to differentiate themselves from established competitors. Nonetheless, schools will be willing to work with a new supplier that can offer highly bespoke services – an increasing rarity in the international schools market. In practice, this means offering continuous training and support for staff, with the intention of forming a long-term working relationship with the school as opposed to regarding them as a one-off sale.
Bespoke services also involve proactively gathering feedback from the school and assessing your product’s progress in a unique environment. Wherever possible, this should become an opportunity for one-to-one interactions with your school contacts in the form of in-person visits or virtual coffee meetings, reinforcing your continued presence and support.
“Listen first, sell second. By actively listening to what individual schools need, you are far more likely to be able to offer them a customised and genuinely impactful solution.”
Leigh Holmes-Hill, Tenby Schools Ipoh
Scaling your product: what are school groups and associations looking for?
To attract new schools and begin to scale your product, it is essential to not only offer personalised services but to also demonstrate the measurable impact of your product. Typically, this can be achieved through case studies, usage analytics, testimonials, and KPI tracking. These measurements significantly boost brand credibility and, if a school wishes to present your product to their group or association’s central office, provide tangible evidence to support a case for more widespread implementation.
If the central office sees potential in your product, they may consider scaling it up gradually by introducing it to a new school in a new context. In some instances, the product may be rolled out across the entire group of schools. However, the latter is rare, and only applicable to services that target the operational needs of a school. If your product is tailored more towards teaching and learning, for instance, then you should instead expect to focus on a segment of schools where your solution would be most applicable.
A huge thank you to Will, Angelica, Leigh, and Natalie for their valuable insights. ISC Research’s third and final masterclass webinar, ‘How to Best Market to International Schools’ , will be taking place on 26th November at 10am GMT.
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