Adapt or cease to exist. Reinventing your school for the new market [PART 1]
This article was inspired by Reinventing Yourself (2021) – Obstacles Are Opportunities In Disguise video by The Futur. Watch it here.
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Time to adapt
Have you ever wondered why some companies, brands, or projects die when the big changes come, and others find themselves successful at the very same time? Obviously, it isn’t a matter of luck but of seeing opportunities in potential obstacles and of sensing the right timing for implementing new ideas.
It's all about ADAPTING your business to the (ever) changing market.
It’s about being brave, experimenting, and accepting the challenge that fate has given to you.
Don’t you think that the global pandemic presents a great chance for the evolution of your language school? We couldn’t think of another event that transforms so much in so many ways, in so many fields. So, if you’ve been hesitating previously to implement some new solutions, THE TIME HAS DEFINITELY COME.
In this 2-piece series of articles, we’ll share our thoughts and ideas around the ways you can reinvent your school for the new market. You can read the second part of this series here.
Alright! Let’s dig into it and see what are the new development possibilities for language schools right now. Hopefully, we’ll manage to inspire you to dream bigger and to build your brand to be more powerful, regardless of the Corona crisis 💪
Let’s go!
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The market transformation
We’re sure you’ve observed quite closely what’s been happening in the language teaching market during the last year and some. Let’s sum up the major changes in our field in order to be able to analyze them and identify the actual opportunities for your business growth:
everything went digital
the way your clients are learning and the way they approach the lessons has changed
the financial situation of many of your clients has changed (lay-offs, even fewer opportunities for expat partners to find a job after relocation, etc.) - less money to pay for the courses
the family situation of many of your clients has changed (pandemic babies and pets, breakups and divorces, bringing family members from home country to the country of residence, etc.) - less time or possibility to learn
(read more on this in our previous articles: How did the pandemic affect your January sales? & Are expats hesitant to enroll in language courses this summer?)the motivation to learn the language might be fluctuating
you have new competitors, not only in your country
(read more on this in our previous article: The new competitive landscape in language learning for expats)your previous advantages don't work anymore: creating in-person experiences (small groups and walks around the city) might still not be an option
Now that’s one hell of a list, isn’t it? Let’s explore together what can be done with all these potentially troublesome points.
Two ways to go about the change
Don’t be scared of the new reality! Just embrace it and act! Here are two paths you can follow:
Remain with your old ways and see how it will work out (stay in your comfort zone).
Observe, change and evolve – we’re choosing this one, of course!
HOW? As suggested by Chris Do in his video:
DEAL WITH THE ATTACHMENT
Learn how the let go of the old ways of doing things. In the new reality, you have to give up on your previously amazing face-to-face workshops or giving classes in cafes or old cinemas. It might not be an option for a while so take a deep breath and open yourself up for the new upcoming possibilities.
RE-DEFINE YOUR IDENTITY
See broader and try to develop a more holistic self-identity. Focus more on the value you create while offering your courses rather than on the product itself - it won’t get you anywhere. A bit later we’ll get back to one example of a brand that was too focused on its old identity and therefore, has disappeared from the market completely.
BE ABLE TO SPOT TRENDS
Trendspotting is seeing the future before it happens. Going more into detail, it means (after Fairygodboss):
“identifying trends on a local, regional and/or global level, understanding those trends, identifying best practices surrounding those trends and identifying innovation opportunities regarding those trends."
These are the three main points to focus on while rethinking your school for the new market. As promised, now we’ll give you an example of a brand that was stuck in the past too much and well… They’re not with us anymore.
Get access to our library of free marketing guides, trackers, and templates for expat language schools:
A brand disappearing, a brand appearing – Blockbuster and Netflix
Chris Do mentions in the video the famous example of Blockbuster and Netflix. Blockbuster used to be a video renting place in the US, a huge company with millions of customers. At some point, after Netflix was founded and still was in the start-up phase, its inventors offered to sell it to Blockbuster. The company CEO turned them down. They haven’t realized how huge a development opportunity that was. And guess what happened? They simply ceased to exist.
Here's their defective (in the long run) way of thinking:
Blockbuster = “home movie and video rental service” (WHAT WE DO)
instead of
Blockbuster = “the premier place for film fanatics that want to enjoy movies in the comfort of their own homes” (VALUE WE CREATE)
It’s a great example of a company, that couldn't let go of its previous identity and spot the trends. As Chris Do notices, they failed to recognize changing customer priorities and were focusing more on what they do, rather than on the value they create. Well, they could have avoided their fate.
At least we have a good case study to learn from 😉
How can you use this knowledge in your own messaging? Well, look at those examples:
“language school for expats” (WHAT WE DO) vs “a meeting place for driven expats who want to make the best out of their life in Berlin” (VALUE WE CREATE)
“French lessons for foreigners” (WHAT WE DO) vs “an inclusive space for expat partners, where they can improve their French to overcome the daily challenges of living in Paris” (VALUE WE CREATE)
Action-reaction
Some things are going away, some new opportunities for the pandemic and post-pandemic times are emerging. Make sure that you react to the changing trends and that you serve them properly. So let’s think of the reality of language schools for expats now.
For example, you won’t be able to use the selling point of small learning groups anymore – in the online setting they HAVE TO be small so everyone can participate equally. Instead, you have to make sure that your teachers are experts in the learning/ communication platform of your choice. They have to be able to encourage everyone to interact and get involved during an online class. Zoom, MS Teams, and others already offer amazing tools for making online learning more fun, accessible, and interactive – just use them!
Next, local teachers won’t attract students anymore because online education is global by definition and your potential customers can be anywhere in the world. Well, they don’t particularly care if the teacher is a local– an important thing might be whether they’re native to the language or not, or if they’re experienced in teaching. Apart from that, teachers have to be fun people with interesting personalities. They have to be someone who your students would like to meet and hang out with. Make sure you present your staff in such a way! Highlight their interests, strong points, and anything that would make them unique, recognizable, and attractive.
Furthermore, you can't offer community-building activities in person. Unfortunately, movie nights, pub meetings, and other fun things are either off the plate or can offer limited spots. Instead, invest in a great online community for your students on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. Devote your time and effort to making sure that people are interacting in this online group and not only discussing their language learning progress but also creating friendships. That way they’ll be more willing to meet in real life when it’s possible again.
There are surely more ways in which you could react to the changes that already came and to the ones that are still ahead of us. Just be creative, observant, and don’t be afraid of transformation!
Conclusion
There’s no other way than adaptation, really. The ones who persistently stick to their old ways of dealing with things will eventually be out of the game.
That’s the harsh reality.
The market is changing constantly and it’s even more dynamic during the pandemic than before. Make sure you observe new trends and develop the capacity of adjusting your school’s offer to the new customer needs.
And remember, the post-pandemic market might be even more peculiar, so stay updated 🧐
We’ve outlined the basics of the adaptation process in the pandemic and gave you a few examples of the ways you can adjust your approach to the new market.
In the next article from this series, we give you even more suggestions on how to redirect your school to the new reality. Read it here.
P.S. Don’t forget to have a look at our previous articles which are strongly linked to the topic of adaptation: How did the pandemic affect your January sales? and The new competitive landscape in language learning for expats.
Talk to you soon! 💛
This article was inspired by Reinventing Yourself (2021)– Obstacles Are Opportunities In Disguise video by The Futur. Watch it here.
