We are just starting the second module of our cycle! In the first module, we wrote about tools facilitating acquisition of new customers. This time we are going to address key issues related to long-term relationship management. We will go through all stages step by step, from relationship building to student retention.
When offering your services you need to remember that it is not you but your customers who take the center stage, as eventually, they will determine your position among other schools. You also need to bear in mind that the entire sales process does not end once a customer purchases a language course. The key to success is a permanent customer, whose buying decisions will impact upon school’s development. Therefore it is central to maintain good relations and keep ongoing contact to give your school a good name and recommendations of satisfied customers. And this is where several tools supporting this process come to the rescue.
CRM
CRM or Customer Relationship Management is exactly the management of relationships with customers. It allows for the automation of the process of customers’ acquisition and retention. It is often repeated that to use this tool effectively you need also to preach a philosophy whereby customer satisfaction is the prime value. CRM supports the work of the following departments:
- sales
- marketing
- customer service
- management board
So we can see that CRM provides comprehensive support to all stages of customer contact with a language school. Owing to CRN, it is possible to organize and analyze all aspects of the sales process. We can divide the said system into three types:
- interactive – which supports communication
- operational – which gathers information about customers and products
- analytical – which analyzes customers and their behaviors
We will present the roles and capabilities of each of them in more detail in the next article; having read it you are going to be certain that Excel does not even come close;). We will also tell you how CRM impacts team productivity and the creation of top service quality standards in the school.
Customer in the online world
Presently most activities are transferred online, and COVID-19 has only accelerated this process. We live in a digital world, so this was just a matter of time. To be able to develop constantly while at the same time offering top service quality, we need to adjust our activities in a manner allowing us to meet the needs of the current and potential students. And the latter are increasingly aware of the possibilities afforded by the Internet and mobile devices. Consequently, their requirements are on the rise. This certainly does not rule out „real” activities, and rather requires a smart combination of those two channels.
According to research, over 65% of consumers value in electronic commerce channels the fact they can make a purchase at any time. What are the current requirements of students? How to prepare for them and how to meet them? We will tell you in the second part of our module.
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