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The Secret Weapon in Your School’s Arsenal: Teachers Who Magnetize Full-Pay Families

You’re sitting in your office, surrounded by glossy brochures, state-of-the-art facilities, and a marketing budget that would make most small businesses weep. Yet, you’re still struggling to attract those elusive full-pay families. What if I told you that your secret weapon isn’t in your marketing department at all? It’s in your classrooms. The $100,000 Tuition Teacher Let’s cut to the chase. There are teachers out there who could sell an independent school education at $100,000 a pop. No, I’m not hallucinating. I’ve seen them in action. But what makes these educational unicorns so special? Buckle up, because I’m about to spill the beans. The Lower School Magic Makers Remember your favorite teacher from elementary school? The one who made you feel like you could conquer the world armed with nothing but a pencil and a dream? That’s who we’re talking about here. These lower school wizards have a few tricks up their sleeves: They’re mind readers (sort of): They understand each student’s needs like they have a direct line to their brains. They’re results machines: Using a cocktail of strategies, they produce results so clear you could bottle and sell them. They’re communication ninjas: Parents are never left in the dark, wondering what’s happening in the classroom. They’re talent spotters: They see the gift in every child, and parents know it. They’re always there: Like a superhero, but with more colorful sweaters and less spandex. They’re trust magnets: Both students and parents can’t help but trust them. Names like Mrs. Roullach, Mrs. Yeargin, Mrs. Ryan might not mean anything to you, but to the parents who’ve experienced their magic, like I did, believe they’re worth their weight in gold. The High School Game Changers Now, let’s talk about the big leagues. High school teachers who can charm full-pay families have their own special sauce: They’re subject evangelists: Their passion for their subject is so contagious, it should come with a health warning. They’re mental gymnasts: They stretch students’ thinking like it’s made of rubber. They’re evaluation experts: They can assess a student or an entire class with the precision of a Swiss watch. They’re teenage whisperers: They actually believe in teenagers (I know, shocking, right?). They’re optimism machines: In parent-teacher conferences, the glass isn’t just half full – it’s overflowing. Mrs. Whiting, Mr. Griffin, Mrs. Jenkins – these aren’t just names. They’re brands. Brands that parents trust with their children’s futures. The Million-Dollar Question Now, here’s where it gets interesting. What if you could fill your school with these educational rock stars? I’ll tell you what would happen: You could charge $100,000 in tuition (okay, maybe not for lower school, unless you’re operating in a particularly affluent alternate reality). Donations would flow like water in a rainforest. Your school’s brand would shine brighter than a supernova, even if you were located in the middle of the Sahara. The Bottom Line Here’s the kicker, folks. Your best marketing tool isn’t a slick ad campaign or a flashy website. It’s the passionate, dedicated teachers who transform lives every day in your classrooms. So, next time you’re scratching your head over how to attract those full-pay families, remember this: Invest in finding and nurturing these educational superstars. Because when you have teachers who can sell a $100,000 education, your job in enrollment management just got a whole lot easier. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to thank a teacher.

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Reimagining Enrollment Management: A New Paradigm for Private Schools

In our ever-evolving educational landscape, it’s time we address a critical aspect of our institutions that often doesn’t receive the strategic attention it deserves: enrollment management. As leaders, we must ask ourselves: Is our current approach truly serving our schools’ long-term sustainability and success? The Current State: A Limited Perspective Traditionally, we’ve relied on our directors of admissions to spearhead enrollment management. Some schools have attempted to broaden this role by creating a director of enrollment management position. However, this often amounts to little more than a title change, with responsibilities still largely confined to admissions, perhaps with the addition of communications or public relations. Relying solely on a director of admissions to manage enrollment is like asking your varsity football coach to oversee the entire athletic program without any authority over other sports or the ability to influence school-wide athletic policies. While they may excel in their specific domain, they lack the comprehensive view and cross-departmental influence needed to create a cohesive, successful athletic culture throughout the school. Just as a true athletic director needs to coordinate resources, align strategies, and ensure consistency across all sports programs, enrollment management requires a leader with the authority to harmonize efforts across admissions, marketing, financial aid, academics, and student life to create a unified approach to attracting and retaining students. The Need for a Paradigm Shift Enrollment management isn’t just about admissions – it’s a complex, multifaceted system that touches every aspect of our schools. It requires a level of authority, strategic vision, and cross-departmental influence that our current structure simply doesn’t provide. Consider this: How effective would your CFO be if they couldn’t influence how and where money is spent across departments? Similarly, an enrollment management leader needs the power to guide and evaluate all aspects of the school that impact enrollment. A New Model: The Associate Head of Enrollment I propose a new paradigm: elevating enrollment management to a senior leadership position – an Associate Head of Enrollment. This role would work closely with the Head of School, much like the partnership with the CFO. In this model: The head serves as the champion of enrollment management, signaling its critical importance to the entire school community. The Associate Head of Enrollment has the authority to lead and evaluate major administrative positions, ensuring that each plays its part in the enrollment management system. This leader has a seat at the table for all strategic decisions, bringing an enrollment-focused perspective to every conversation. The role encompasses not just admissions, but also retention, financial aid strategy, marketing, and long-term enrollment forecasting. Why This Matters Savvy heads of school understand that enrollment is the lifeblood of our institutions. It affects every aspect of the school’s operations, from financial stability to academic programming to employees. By elevating enrollment management to this level, schools will be positioning itself to: Develop more comprehensive, strategic approaches to enrollment Ensure better alignment between enrollment goals and overall school objectives Improve resource allocation and accountability across departments Respond more nimbly to changing market conditions and family needs Achieve the mission at the highest level. Implementation: A Call to Action Implementing this change requires buy-in from your board and leadership team. It may necessitate structural changes and a reallocation of resources. However, the potential benefits far outweigh the challenges of transition. As schools consider this paradigm shift, the following questions should be asked: Is our current enrollment management structure truly serving our long-term needs? Do we have a comprehensive, school-wide approach to enrollment? Are all departments and staff members actively engaged in and accountable for our enrollment success? The Path Forward Enrollment management is too crucial to be siloed in one department or treated as an afterthought. By embracing this new paradigm, schools have the opportunity to transform how they approach one of their most critical functions. I challenge you to consider this model for your school. Engage your board in discussions about elevating enrollment management. Explore how an Associate Head of Enrollment could drive strategic growth and sustainability for the institution.

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The Secret Sauce: Differentiation That Speaks to Your Ideal Families

You’re at an ice cream shop. There are 31 flavors, but they all taste the same. Boring, right? That’s what happens when schools try to differentiate without understanding their customers. But what if your school could be that one irresistible flavor that families can’t stop talking about? That’s the power of relevant differentiation. So, what exactly is differentiation? It’s not just being different; it’s being meaningfully different in a way that matters to your ideal families. It’s about standing out in a sea of sameness by addressing the specific needs and desires of your target audience. Why should you care? Because in the crowded world of K-12 private education, being “just another good school” isn’t enough. You need to be the school that families can’t imagine living without. Let’s dive into how you can create this game-changing differentiation: Uncover the “Why” Behind the Search: Don’t just ask families what they want; dig deeper to understand why they’re looking in the first place. Example: Instead of offering generic “small classes,” create a personalized learning program that adapts to each student’s pace and learning style. Address the underlying desire for individualized attention and growth. Turn Your Leadership Team into Detectives: Your team isn’t just there to make decisions; they’re your secret weapon in understanding your community. Example: Have each leadership team member “adopt” a few families. Regular check-ins and casual conversations can uncover invaluable insights about what really matters to your families. Make Your Differentiation a Living, Breathing Thing: Your differentiation isn’t a tagline; it’s a promise that should infuse every aspect of your school. Example: If your differentiation is “fostering global citizens,” don’t just offer language classes. Create international partnerships, integrate global issues into every subject, and make cultural competence a cornerstone of your curriculum. Speak Their Language, Not Yours: Your differentiation should be expressed in terms that resonate with families, not educational jargon. Example: Instead of touting your “inquiry-based STEM curriculum,” talk about how students become confident problem-solvers ready to tackle real-world challenges. Make it Tangible: Don’t just tell families about your differentiation; let them experience it. Example: If your differentiation is “nurturing creative thinkers,” host a “Day in the Life” event where prospective families engage in the same creative problem-solving activities your students do daily. But here’s the kicker: True differentiation isn’t about being unique for the sake of being unique. It’s about being uniquely valuable to the families you serve. Remember, in the world of K-12 private schools, you’re not just competing with other schools. You’re competing with every other option families have for their children’s future from summer camps to a home on the Vineyard. Your differentiation needs to make choosing your school a no-brainer. Differentiation isn’t just a marketing strategy; it’s the heart of your school’s identity. It’s about moving from “Why should families choose us?” to “How could families possibly choose anyone else?” So, heads of schools, are you ready to stop blending in and start standing out? Your ideal families are out there, searching for exactly what you offer. The question is: Are you ready to show them why you’re the perfect fit? Remember, in the competitive world of private education, it’s not about being all things to all people. It’s about being everything to the right people. And that’s exactly what relevant differentiation helps you achieve. Are you ready to become the irresistible flavor in the educational ice cream shop? Your ideal families are waiting to take a taste. It’s time to serve up something they can’t resist.

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Cracking the Code: Targeted Lead Generation for Private Schools

Picture this: You’re shouting into a crowd of thousands, hoping the right family hears you. Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? That’s what traditional marketing feels like in today’s noisy world. But what if you could whisper directly into the ear of your ideal family? That’s the power of targeted lead generation. So, what exactly is targeted lead generation? It’s like fishing with a spear instead of a net. Instead of casting wide and hoping for the best, you’re precisely aiming at the families most likely to enroll and pay full tuition. It’s about quality over quantity, precision over chance. Why should you care? Because in the world of private schools, every enrollment counts. And not just any enrollment – you want those full-pay families who align with your school’s values and vision. Let’s break down how you can implement this strategy: Connect the Dots with Children-Centric Lists: Imagine having a list of families actively searching for the exact educational experience you offer. That’s not a dream – it’s data-driven targeting. Example: Partner with local pediatricians, sports clubs, Country clubs, or enrichment centers to reach families already invested in their children’s development. Social Media: Your 24/7 Open House Your ideal families are scrolling right now. Are you where they’re looking? Example: Create a Facebook group for “Gifted Education in [Your City]” and provide valuable content. You’re not selling; you’re solving problems and building trust. Inbound Marketing: Be the answer they’re searching for when parents type “best private schools in [Your Area]” into Google, will they find you? Example: Develop a comprehensive guide to choosing the right private school. Offer it as a free download in exchange for contact information. The Art of Screening – Quality Over Quantity: Not all leads are created equal. Your goal isn’t only to fill seats; it’s to find the right fit. Example: Develop a “Family Fit Quiz” on your website. It helps families self-assess their alignment with your school while providing you valuable data. But here’s the kicker: This isn’t about tricks or gimmicks. It’s about genuinely connecting with families who need what you offer. It’s about cutting through the noise and speaking directly to those who are already listening. Remember, in the world of private schools, you’re not just enrolling students. You’re building a community. Every family you bring in shapes your school’s future. Shouldn’t you be choosy? Targeted lead generation isn’t just a strategy; it’s a mindset shift. It’s about moving from “How can we get more applicants?” to “How can we find the more and the right applicants?” Remember, in the competitive world of private education, it’s not about being the loudest. It’s about being the most relevant. And that’s exactly what targeted lead generation helps you achieve.

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Can you increase enrollment on your current path?

You’re sitting in your office, staring at the enrollment numbers for the past few years. They’re not going up. In fact, they might be going down. You feel a knot in your stomach. “Can we increase enrollment on our current path?” you wonder. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Many K-12 private schools find themselves in this predicament. The first year, you brush it off as an anomaly. By year four, it’s a full-blown crisis. Let’s dive into this enrollment conundrum and find a way out. The Signs of Stagnation: 1. Employee salaries are stagnant or declining. 2. Deferred maintenance is piling up. 3. The school’s appearance is deteriorating. 4. There’s a nagging feeling that educational quality is slipping. 5. Satisfaction surveys are good, but not great for your tuition price. 6. Whispers about the admissions office’s performance are circulating. 7. The advancement office can’t raise enough to cover lost tuition revenue. Does this sound like your school? If so, it’s time for a wake-up call. The Financial Reality Check: Pull out your budget from five years ago. Compare it to now. How much has your net tuition revenue changed? Hundreds of thousands? Millions? That’s money not going into your programs, your staff, or your students. The Tactical Trap: Maybe you’ve tried some quick fixes. A regional conference here, some merit funds there. But full-pay numbers keep declining, and now everyone wants a scholarship. It’s a vicious cycle. Breaking Free: Here’s the truth: You can’t let this stifle you. Your school has a mission to achieve. So how do you break free? 1. Ask the Right Questions:Start with your loyal full-pay parents. What are you doing right? Why is it worth the cost to them? These insights are gold. 2. Build from Strength:There are other parents out there like your loyal ones. Find them. Attract them. They’re the key to your growth. 3. Take Action, One Step at a Time: Stop asking, “Can we increase enrollment on our current path?” Start asking, “What’s our next move to make a difference?” 4. Embrace the Challenge: Yes, your tuition is outpacing cost-of-living increases. That’s your reality. Now, how can you provide value that matches? 5.  You have to have resources.  If you can’t get the resources, you are not going to make progress.  Who needs to be convinced?  Who can ally with you? 6. Start with this ebook to gain ideas and move ahead. The Path Forward: Remember, I’ve been through 29 admission seasons as a director. Every year, I ask myself the same question you’re asking now. But I refused to let it paralyze me. You shouldn’t either. Your school’s future isn’t set in stone. It’s shaped by the actions you take today. So take that first step. Then the next. Before you know it, you’ll be blazing a new path to enrollment success. Are you ready to break free from the enrollment conundrum? The only thing holding you back is the willingness to try something new. Your school’s mission is counting on you. Don’t let it down.

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Full-pay Families: How to Communicate Their Importance to Employees

As enrollment management professionals and marketing experts, one of the critical conversations you must navigate is about full-pay families. These families are not just another segment of your market; they are pivotal to the financial health and overall success of your institution. Let’s delve into why this group is essential and how to effectively communicate their importance to employees, senior leadership, and trustees. The Core of the Conversation: Why Full-Pay Families Matter When addressing your school’s employees and trustees, it’s vital to highlight why full-pay families are integral. These families significantly contribute to the quality of your programs, the student body, and, crucially, the financial stability of your institution. Without their full-pay tuition, their donations, and their affluence, school will be hard strapped to achieve their missions. Here’s how to frame your discussions: Set the Stage with Leadership: Secure time with your head of school to present to faculty, staff, and administrators. Use this platform to underscore the significance of full-pay families. Explain how their contributions are directly linked to the quality and continuity of school programs and salaries. Illustrate Financial Impacts: Partner with your chief financial officer to create compelling visual aids. These should compare scenarios with robust full-pay enrollment against those without. Highlight the tangible effects on programming and staff compensation. Forecast Tuition Trends: Present a projected tuition increase over the next decade. Most employees may not fully grasp the future financial landscape, and a bit of “sticker shock” can be a powerful motivator. This helps them empathize with the challenges faced in attracting full-pay families. Share the Hard Numbers: Be transparent with enrollment data. For instance, if you need to fill 35 full-pay spaces and have 75 applicants, make it clear that not all applicants are full-pay. Emphasize the gap and the difficulty in meeting enrollment goals with qualified full-pay students. Focus Trustees on Full-Pay Metrics: When engaging with trustees, keep their attention on the full-pay figures. If they get too fixated on overall numbers, they might overlook the specific challenges you face. Make sure they understand the necessity of targeted marketing initiatives. Address Misconceptions: Trustees often perceive enrollment issues as purely sales problems. Show them your strategic approach and how it aligns with attracting full-pay families. Demonstrate your understanding of the market and your comprehensive plan to reach your targets. Present a Financially Driven Plan: Have a well-thought-out plan ready. Show how additional funding can enhance recruitment efforts and what specific steps you would take with more resources. This preparation can significantly boost their confidence in your strategy. Highlight Consumer Satisfaction Data: Use data from full-pay families to showcase satisfaction levels. This keeps the focus on your primary target group and reinforces the importance of their continued support. Maintain Regular Updates: Don’t let this be a one-time conversation. Schedule periodic updates to share progress, address challenges, and highlight success stories of full-pay students. Continuous communication fosters a deeper understanding and ongoing support. Changing the Culture Remember, full-pay families are the lifeblood of most private schools. Their support is crucial in achieving your mission and maintaining the financial health necessary to sustain your institution. By strategically communicating their importance, you can align your school community towards a common goal—ensuring the long-term success and stability of your school.

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Full-pay Families: How to Communicate Their Importance to Employees

As enrollment management professionals and marketing experts, one of the critical conversations you must navigate is about full-pay families. These families are not just another segment of your market; they are pivotal to the financial health and overall success of your institution. Let’s delve into why this group is essential and how to effectively communicate their importance to employees, senior leadership, and trustees. The Core of the Conversation: Why Full-Pay Families Matter When addressing your school’s employees and trustees, it’s vital to highlight why full-pay families are integral. These families significantly contribute to the quality of your programs, the student body, and, crucially, the financial stability of your institution. Without their full-pay tuition, their donations, and their affluence, school will be hard strapped to achieve their missions.  Here’s how to frame your discussions: Set the Stage with Leadership: Secure time with your head of school to present to faculty, staff, and administrators. Use this platform to underscore the significance of full-pay families. Explain how their contributions are directly linked to the quality and continuity of school programs and salaries. Illustrate Financial Impacts: Partner with your chief financial officer to create compelling visual aids. These should compare scenarios with robust full-pay enrollment against those without. Highlight the tangible effects on programming and staff compensation. Forecast Tuition Trends: Present a projected tuition increase over the next decade. Most employees may not fully grasp the future financial landscape, and a bit of “sticker shock” can be a powerful motivator. This helps them empathize with the challenges faced in attracting full-pay families. Share the Hard Numbers: Be transparent with enrollment data. For instance, if you need to fill 35 full-pay spaces and have 75 applicants, make it clear that not all applicants are full-pay. Emphasize the gap and the difficulty in meeting enrollment goals with qualified full-pay students. Focus Trustees on Full-Pay Metrics: When engaging with trustees, keep their attention on the full-pay figures. If they get too fixated on overall numbers, they might overlook the specific challenges you face. Make sure they understand the necessity of targeted marketing initiatives. Address Misconceptions: Trustees often perceive enrollment issues as purely sales problems. Show them your strategic approach and how it aligns with attracting full-pay families. Demonstrate your understanding of the market and your comprehensive plan to reach your targets. Present a Financially Driven Plan: Have a well-thought-out plan ready. Show how additional funding can enhance recruitment efforts and what specific steps you would take with more resources. This preparation can significantly boost their confidence in your strategy. Highlight Consumer Satisfaction Data: Use data from full-pay families to showcase satisfaction levels. This keeps the focus on your primary target group and reinforces the importance of their continued support. Maintain Regular Updates: Don’t let this be a one-time conversation. Schedule periodic updates to share progress, address challenges, and highlight success stories of full-pay students. Continuous communication fosters a deeper understanding and ongoing support. Changing the Culture Remember, full-pay families are the lifeblood of most private schools. Their support is crucial in achieving your mission and maintaining the financial health necessary to sustain your institution. By strategically communicating their importance, you can align your school community towards a common goal—ensuring the long-term success and stability of your school.

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Are Your Admission and Communications Offices in Sync?

Imagine you’re trying to cook a gourmet meal. You have two chefs, each with their own set of recipes and techniques. One believes in the art of delicate seasoning, while the other is all about bold flavors. Now, picture them in the same kitchen, trying to create a cohesive dish. Chaos, right? This is the scenario some independent schools face with their admission and communications offices. The Evolution of Roles At many independent schools, admission and communications offices were created as afterthoughts, long after the educational programs were established. True admission offices, not just registration offices, were often born out of a need to recruit more students to keep a school sustaining, while communications offices emerged to handle major publications, the websites, and external messaging and new ones today, the social media world. Over time, these roles have evolved, but the overlap in their functions can create significant friction and inefficiency as I experienced when a director of marketing and communications went rogue on me. Defining Marketing, Communications, and Sales Before we dive deeper, let’s clarify some terms: Marketing is about creating the right content to showcase your school’s educational expertise and offerings. Communication involves distributing and packaging those messages in a way that appeals to the audience. Sales is the ability to connect the school’s solutions with the needs of prospective families, while addressing any objections they may have. In the context of enrolling new students, the admission office leverages marketing, communications, and sales strategies. Meanwhile, the communications office focuses on marketing and communications efforts. This division often leads to blurred lines and conflicts. Yes, I find many offices that work together, but they tend not to be a cook of either bold flavors or delicate seasoning.  They are more collaborative, but not strategic in their approach. Typical Activities and Potential Conflicts Consider the following activities and try to determine which office should be responsible: Institutional Brand Institutional Messages Open House School Fair Viewbook Website Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Advertisements Who takes the lead on each? Is it admissions or communications? The lack of clear boundaries can lead to inefficiencies. However, the lack of consistency in the marketing, communications, and selling focus leads to lesser results. The “Two Cooks in the Kitchen” Dilemma A Director of Admission may bring their own marketing and communications philosophy, which might clash with the Director of Marketing and Communications’ approach. This “two cooks in the kitchen” scenario begs the question: who makes the final call on messaging, viewbooks, videos, and events? The answer often depends on the individual skill sets and how they are integrated into the school’s overall strategy. Common Pitfalls and Solutions Conflicts often arise from unclear roles and expectations. For example, who decides the content and messaging for an Open House event? Should admissions handle the content of the event, while communications handles the messaging. Similarly, who manages the focus of the school’s website or social media content? Is it a collaborative effort, or does one office have the final say? Some schools attempt to solve this by dividing responsibilities: admissions manage events and literature, while communications handle the website and advertisements. However, this can lead to disjointed messaging and inefficiencies. A cohesive approach requires clear definitions of roles and responsibilities. Champagne Problem I recognize that there are many offices that don’t have this problem, because the director of admission is also the director of marketing and communications.  So what I am mentioning here is a Champagne Problem, the school is fortunate when they are able to afford two people. That is another article about resources to get the enrollment management work done and ultimately achieve the necessary tuition revenues. Start here for that conversation. Crafting a Cohesive Team Navigating the complex landscape of admission and communications roles requires school heads to meticulously evaluate the skill sets of their directors and cultivate a truly collaborative environment. The ultimate goal? To create a seamless team working toward shared objectives. Here’s a strategy based on my experiences that might help: Hire a Director of Admission with Strong Marketing Skills: This individual should oversee traditional admission responsibilities while receiving support from the Director of Communications to advance the messaging and communications. Hire a Director of Marketing and Communications: This person should spearhead all marketing and communications efforts, ensuring message consistency across all platforms.  They should determine how the events are messages and direct the sales people. While these are just two possibilities, the key lies in defining clear roles and setting collaborative goals. Equally important, but not attended to, is having someone with a strategic approach who can help hit enrollment numbers and strengthen the school’s brand. Do either the director of the admission office or communications have a strategy for enrollment success? Let me share a bit from my own journey. The best situation I ever had was when the Director of Marketing and Communications viewed me as their client. Their primary objective was to equip me with the tools needed to achieve our enrollment goals. This approach made all the difference. I was the head cook and they help and advised me to create the best meal. I recall a time when I was frustrated with a Director of Marketing and Communications and voiced my concerns to the head of school when she went rogue. I said, “I have never heard of someone in the communication role being called before the head of school or the board of trustees to answer, ‘Why didn’t you achieve the enrollment goals?’” The responsibility ultimately falls on the Director of Admissions or Dean of Enrollment. For me, embracing the responsibility for enrollment is essential, but I also want the final say in strategies that I believe will work. Often, the lines weren’t clear, leading to confusion and inefficiency. In my experience, a cohesive team with clear role definitions and strategic alignment can turn potential chaos into a well-orchestrated symphony, ultimately driving your school toward its enrollment and branding goals.  You will need a head cook

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Not the Strongest Brand? Six Ideas to Increase Your Success

So, you’re not the strongest brand in your private school market. You’re not alone. But guess what? That’s okay. Your fortunate, because your competition isn’t expanding the number of student spaces it offers each year like Walmart opening more stores or Ferrari selling more and more cars. You just need to figure out how to get enough to feel your seats out of the ones that the superbrands in your area don’t need. Here are six ideas to help you to get your share. 1. Don’t Go Head-to-Head with Top Brands Let’s be real. Competing directly with the top-tier private schools on common selling points is a losing battle. They’re bigger, faster, and stronger for a reason. They’ve earned their top spots. So, why try to beat them at their own game? Instead, focus on what makes your school unique. Find your niche, your sweet spot, and amplify it. 2. Find Your Sweet Spot If your unique selling point is the same as the top brands, you’re out of luck. Why would anyone settle for second best if the cost is roughly the same? Your differentiation needs to be clear, compelling, and worth the investment. Maybe it’s a unique program, a special focus on arts or sciences, or a distinctive community feel. Whatever it is, make sure it’s something the top brands can’t offer, families want, and you are selling it hard. 3. Choose the Right Competition Pick your battles wisely. Compete in a league where you have a fighting chance. Then, highlight the areas where you excel—be it quality of programs, faculty, or facilities. Too often, schools undersell themselves. Don’t be one of them. Package your strengths compellingly and let your distinct advantages shine through. 4. Flaunt Your Wares Don’t shy away from showcasing what makes your school special. Generic marketing isn’t going to cut it. Take a page from Northfield Mount Hermon, which rebranded its revisit days to “Envision NMH Days.” This simple change made a stronger impression. What unique twist can you add to your promotional materials? 5. Make the Choice Easy Once you’ve nailed down your unique educational program, it’s time to find the families who prefer your approach. Consistently communicate why you offer what you do, how you do it differently, and back it up with testimonials from like-minded parents and students. Focus the testimonials around the problems that you solve for them, not just the generic idea that you offer and excellent program. Personal stories and authentic experiences are powerful tools for attracting the right families. 6. Be the Best in Your Field Avoid the trap of trying to be everything to everyone. Stick to what you do best and keep improving it. Specialize, refine, and perfect your niche. Stay focused on your differentiation and use it to your advantage. Tell them about it and demonstrate it. The Bottom Line You might feel the urge to compete directly with top-branded schools, but resist it. Flank them instead. Use your unique strengths and stay true to your differentiation. This strategy works against both public and private schools. Remember, it’s not about being the biggest or the strongest. It’s about getting the share that you need, because you do something uniquely well. And that’s a game you can win.

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