Chris Price- CEO & Principal Advisor Adventus Education
Marketing communications- getting the best out of institution-agency the relationship
ICEF Miami- December 2013
All materials copyright C.Price 2010
Presentation Outline
1. A quick bit about agents ‘in context’
2. The idea of ‘levels of involvement’.
3. It’s about managing, mo@va@ng and communica@ng with your agency partners and making it all work out.
5. Marke@ng communica@ons techniques that work…and some ideas for you
6. Conclusions and Q&A
The global market for interna@onal students is increasingly compe@@ve –
and agents know it!!
• A very crowded market-‐ More interna@onal providers of higher educa@on, voca@onal training and ELT= more choice and inc. complexity of the offer
• More agents willing to work with an interna@onal and varied porTolio of clients. Now looking beyond tradi@onal markets and are increasingly mul@ des@na@onal in focus
• Agents are looking for the value add in an increasingly compe@@ve and disrupted market and are brand promiscuous
• The blurring of sending and receiving markets i.e. UK
THIS ALL ADDS UP TO YOU HAVING TO INCREASINGLY DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELVES AS DESINATIONS AND
INSTITUTIONS
Agents have (somewhat) of an unfair reputa@on….
The Agency star has risen but it’s a complex and controversial market entry and development partnership arrangement.
However it’s tough out there but most decent agencies are there to help you achieve your aims and objec@ves! But treat them as partners or at the very least as a member of your team…
You go to a lot of trouble to find good agents..
Agent selec@on – how to find agents for your ins@tu@on
Agents evalua@on – how to appoint the right agents for
your ins@tu@on
Not all agents are the same!
• Have a promo@onal plan for the market and ensure the agent can contribute to this, • Align your aims and objec@ves are their aims and objec@ves • Ensure the agent is a part of your plan, they can then buy into it and will be an asset and not a hindrance.
BUT-‐ How many of you involve, or would consider involving, your agents in your markeNng comms and promoNonal planning?
We come in all sorts of shapes and sizes..
• Ins@tu@on representa@ves
• Interna@onal offices overseas
• Individuals
• Private companies
• Government bodies
• Alumni
So how much you involve them in your Marcomms depends on the type and style of agency they are
Understand they are important in the student and sponsor decision
making process
2
But first lets take a look at the student and institutional thought/decision making process…
ACQUISITION
Institution critical path
I want to study
Aware
Where’s best?
Choose
Help me compare
Info search
Can I get in?
Enquiry
Help me apply
Apply
Keep me informed
Assess
Offer
Offer
Help me decide
Accept / decline
Visa stress
Enroll & pay
Reassure me
Close sale
….
Arrive
….
Attend
RETENTION
Marketing cycle
Basically we don’t spend enough @me on reten@on post ‘offer’ So spending more @me on conversion the ‘new normal’
Agents act in support of your prospect genera@ng as well as conversion ac@vi@es as well as
student critical path
It’s all about best fit with your and their operaNons
Direct control (minor partners):
Dictate ac@vity and event plan
They support your strategy, and you visit when best opera@onal fit
Indirect control (major partners): Offer the agent devolved marke@ng budget (retainer) and give them
opera@onal freedom – but make clear parameters, targets, and deliverables
Remember, you will always have closer rela8onships with some of your agents than with most of the others
The best things you can do to make the partnership work
And preferably; • Treat the whole arrangement as a partnership and have a
contract outlining everyone role and responsibilities (KPIs etc) • Do joint promotional materials • Let them do what they are best at (dealing with local students
and converting them into enrolments) you help and support this process by providing up to date info, advice on what you need. Consider sending all of your enquires directly to the agency for screening
• Advise and involve them on your strategy and involve them in planning and actions, including your annual visit plan
• Have an allocated budget to support the relationship • Have a decent financial model that works for both parties
(motivate and incentivize !) • Be quick and efficient (agree SLAs?) in responding to agents
enquiries and applications! • Invite them to visit you country/institution for familiarisation
training (and be prepared to fund some or all of it). Even ask them to give presentations to key staff at the University.
At the absolute minimum/criNcal; • Provide informa@on and news • Admissions turnaround @mes and keep agents
informed-‐ (SMS/ Dominos model)
• Train, train and train again • Send materials (hard and sof copy)-‐ that’s
compelling!
• See them as your local team and offer training on your ins@tu@on
• Go and see them once in a while-‐ and/or have a sustainable and frequent contact programme
• Answer ques@ons, queries and especially applica@ons quickly
• Take their advice (esp. on local condi@ons, culture, ins@tu@ons, how to get things done inc. admissions requirements and
• Tell enquirers you work with them!
It’s not always about money-‐ Involvement, services and responsiveness are nearly always as important
Do something innova@ve …. Its not an op@on anymore… and get your key agents involved
• Monash University in Australia use their website effec@vely to manage agent rela@onships
• They maximise the number of agency partnerships
• They support them with training manuals and toolkits
• Agents can order marke@ng material on-‐line
Best PracNce: Good use of intranet Monash University
Case Study: NoUngham Trent University-‐ Making agents feel special
• Luggage tags and USB pen drives to all students coming through agents
• Compe@@ons for agents with prizes
• Preferred partner agencies get beyond normal commission arrangements (frequent flyer models)
• Staff development – get agent’s counsellors to work in your office or opera@on
• They ofen asked agents what they thought was needed
Case Study: CBU-‐Pak -‐ ConsorNa approach (its ok to work together)
• Working in partnership with your compe@tors can some@mes produce excellent results-‐ agents like it too!
• Combining your marke@ng spend and working closely with one agency fosters loyalty
• You can leverage your agents loyalty if you invest in the rela@onship
• In certain markets you can spread your risk!
FamiliarisaNon tours-‐ Edu Nova
• working in partnership with govt or NGO educaNon promo agencies or state consorNa
• Combining your markeNng spend and working closely with key agencies-‐ fosters loyalty
• Show case your ‘product’ inc. desNnaNon and insNtuNons
• Makes it ‘come alive’
Adver@sing campaigns – Print.
Driving enquiries to the agent for screening and visa applica@ons
Be market rather than product led and listen to your Agents where you trust their judgement
• Listen to your agents as they can provide valuable market intelligence
• You can leverage your agents loyalty if you invest in the rela@onship
Making agents feel special – How technology can help when you are communica>ng to them as they are only as good as your training
• Iden@fy what they want to read about • Adjust marke@ng communica@ons
and visit plans
• Refine your value proposi@on • Define benefits and communicate compelling info
• Use compe@@ons with prizes!
AdverNsing campaign – billboards (outdoor is important in some markets….
Use social media and communicaNons technologies to best effect both to drive prospects to your key agencies and to communicate be]er with your agency network
12 12
18 18
Google hangouts
13
Webinars
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INTO CASE STUDY – Smart Phone & iPad App -‐ for Agents to improve sales knowledge
• Very popular with counselling staff
• Keeps you’ in mind’ at all Nmes
• Makes counselors info search easier
• Easily updated
• Value proposiNon, applicaNons, fees etc
• Timely, relevent and compelling
• Leads to increased applicaNons and enrolments
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Conclusions It’s all about customer service and involvement-‐ The bare minimum
1. It’s NOT all about money! Its more about informa@on, integra@on and service…
2. Visit them and provide recruitment support promo@ng these visits. Treat them as part of the team
3. Take the agents advice but be prepared to ask ques@ons
4. Offer to pay towards the marcomms campaign and pay them on @me or in advance!
5. Respond to their enquiries quickly. Quick applica@on turnaround!
Thank you! - Questions?
Christopher Price CEO & Principal Advisor
Adventus Education
Tel. +44 7912111968 [email protected]
chris_pricet2 www.adventuseducation.com
Contact me if you need help with working with agencies. If you are new to doing so and need to find partners and develop networks or need T&D
on making it all come together to get positive outcomes!