5 years ago, I wrote this post. 5 years!
When Black Friday was 'new' and using the word 'sales' in reference to school admissions was still perhaps considered by some to be a little on the bold side. I found it from my old website and thought I'd copy it across - just to show how far we've come?!
Enjoy. No discounts. Just out of date information... surely I spoil you?!
I’d like to suggest that independent schools have their own ‘Black Friday’. A date that is vital in their admission process. Or to put it in ‘commercial speak’; a day that could be pivotal in sales revenue…
Black Friday is a term that has been coined by the media to describe what is thought to be the busiest shopping day of the year in America; the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s become a popular shopping day because employees often have the day off (due to Thanksgiving) and as it is thought to herald the beginning of the Christmas period. As a phenomenon it has snowballed; shops now offer huge ‘Black Friday’ sales (just click on Amazon to see their offers) and many now open really early (some are starting to open up at midnight on Thanksgiving). It’s akin to our Boxing Day Sale I suppose – but it hits two holiday periods and is therefore twice as big I guess.
So what on earth has this got to do with independent schools?
Well… Black Friday, or Boxing Day Sales are key dates in the retail calendar. Retailers put considerable effort and thought into their strategy to drive customers into their stores or online, and they spend time organizing their in-store sales (e.g. their stock, point of sale, staffing etc) or their online presence.
So….I’d suggest that there are days that are, or should be considered to be, key dates in the admissions sales calendar. Yep, I did just use the word ‘sales’ when referring to admissions. If you don’t like the admissions function being tarnished with the word ‘sales’, then this isn’t the blog for you.
There are some obvious ‘black Friday’s’ for the independent schools world. The two most key dates are probably:
1. Open days/tour events
2. Entrance tests
So, do you think of these as key SALES days? And prepare as much for them as a retailer would? (More on how to do this in a future blog…)
But I think there are other, more subtle ‘black Friday’s’, which befits the name more appropriately. I think that the day the 11+ results comes out, or the day state schools places are announced, could be your other ‘black Friday’. These are days where, for many people, their first choice of school has not worked out. They are left in a position that they didn’t want to be in and are potentially open to new suggestions. These are critical sales opportunities for your independent school.
So what is your plan? Do you have a way of catching all these parents? Do you capitalise on the situation? Clever advertising at this time, combined with a call to action of an open event and followed by entrance test provision could provide some good sales leads.
Or if all this sounds a bit too sales orientated, think of it this way:
Some parents are in a state of educational flux. They aren’t sure what the best option is for their child. They want advice and guidance. Your school could address their concerns and show them what you could offer their children. Perhaps it wasn’t their first choice, but they are now potentially ready to invest in independent education- why not help them (rather than your competitor?)