Marketing lessons for schools

I was recently invited to give a talk to school owners and principals on “How to Market Your School”. Part of my talk was about the “Certified Marketing Teacher” (CMT) program, one of the advocacies of Mansmith and Fielders Inc. (Full disclosure: I am the chairman.)

After the session, many of the participants requested me to share with their top team what I talked about, hence this article on new possibilities for schools. For brevity, I will limit my discussion to senior high schools, although the concepts can also be applied to other schools.

Here are 14 questions parents should ask high school administrators if their child is interested in the strand that covers business. In the same manner, school owners and principals may go through the same 14 questions in assessing their program design and value proposition to better market their schools.

The answers can help schools consider innovating to be relevant, differentiated and believable, thereby producing graduates that are not just conforming to expectations of parents but catering to the unmet needs of the industry.

• What is the single-minded focus of the school? Can it be presented in one word and one photo?

•With the imposition of the senior high school level, how are teachers of business subjects selected and trained? Beyond attending seminars, do teachers have actual and relevant work experience or are they teaching existing subjects (like science and math) based on self-studying to simply complete their teaching load?

•Having a marketing plan and business plan are required outputs of students in marketing and entrepreneurship subjects. Have the teachers actually done at least a mini-marketing plan or a mini-business plan?

•Do teachers have an updated pool of successful practitioners who mentor them and make themselves available for consultation or as guest speakers?

•High school students must have a strong foundation before they move to higher education. Are there required book readings or are modules and handouts the only tools given without encouraging the development of their reading habit?

•What are specific industry-relevant criteria for choosing business books? i.e. Are books endorsed by credible industry associations? Do they contain the latest on marketing that can correct inadequate marketing practices of the past?

•Are business book authors believable and thought leaders, or do the authors merely provide a compilation of quotes from many other foreign materials?

•Beyond theories, are Philippine examples generously cited in books and classrooms to promote faster understanding of students?

•Are there available online business resources in the Philippine setting that students are asked to read and analyze as a supplement to their classroom lessons?

•Beyond teachers and books, what are the class methodologies designed to train students for critical thinking and problem solving? These are two traits related to sensemaking, the first of five critical skills, which industry leaders say business graduates from most schools sorely lack.

•Are students trained to speak and communicate their thoughts? How much time is allocated for Q&A with teachers?

•Are there ample extra-curricular activities to promote initiative and influence, practice leadership and project management?

•How does the school provide opportunities for collaboration, teamwork and a sense of pride among students, i.e. a winning sports team? business clubs?

•Does the school compete with other schools for academic excellence? What is the track record? —CONTRIBUTED

Josiah Go is the chair and chief innovation strategist of Mansmith and Fielders Inc. The 11th Market Masters Conference featuring 15 CEOs is scheduled on March 18, 2020 at the Resorts World Manila. Please visit www.marketmastersconference.com