My company is within the lucky place of getting many direct contracts with universities throughout key markets.
As outlined in my earlier column, these relationships are the distinction between B2C and B2B operations and the guts of our enterprise mannequin.
The variety of companions we have now fits us effectively; we all know our universities inside out, and we work laborious to make sure they’re all profitable in attracting college students.
We regularly discuss how greatest to handle the ‘relationship’ between a world workplace and an agent – however I wish to shed some gentle on what it truly means to be a college associate.
Honesty is the perfect coverage in any good relationship, so consider this as some marriage steerage to maintain the house fires burning together with your brokers.
Whereas I’ve many cherished mates on this sector, when all is claimed and finished, is our relationship something greater than transactional?
The rationale I say that is that from a contractual viewpoint, we’re handled by universities like suppliers of scholars and advertising and marketing providers, nothing extra.
Outdoors of our core contacts at an establishment, it’s usually laborious to get any recognition from finance, authorized or admissions groups of accredited associate standing.
Relationships may be a two-way avenue, however college contracts aren’t. Like a pre-nuptial settlement, the phrases are weighted to guard the establishment, not the agent.
We’re anticipated to fulfill targets and repair requirements, however universities themselves are below no obligation to substantiate even the fundamental product particulars on time – like charges, scholarships or provides – all of that are important to reaching these targets.
My private view is that agent contracts ought to work just like the soccer switch home windows, the place adjustments can solely be made in a couple of months of the yr. That will cease mid-year indecision and allow us to function with way more certainty.
As ‘patrons’ of our providers, universities usually assume an efficient relationship is one the place cash is being spent on festivals and advertising and marketing, as a reveals belief and dedication.
Some universities ship us fixed emails about deadlines and updates – however not every part may be pressing, can it?
From our perspective, nonetheless, we’re extra serious about a college that desires to work along with us to attain their objectives. Gross sales targets will likely be met both means, however deeper cooperation is much extra useful to us.
Every contract is a badge of honour, the place we have now been entrusted to signify the college within the designated territory, and we wish to do job for them.
It’s a relationship cliché, however communication is vital.
I get generic newsletters from universities every single day and so they all begin with the identical “pricey valued associate”, “pricey consultant” and even simply “pricey valued” – none of which make us really feel valued in any respect.
Some universities ship us fixed emails about deadlines and updates – however not every part may be pressing, can it?
Different universities I by no means hear from for months at a time, neglecting our efforts but anticipating outcomes.
The issues that basically matter are the actions that preserve us related resembling time spent collectively on coaching, workplace visits, WhatsApp teams or joint conferences with candidates. Any exercise that makes us (or the scholar) really feel like we’re not only a identify on a spreadsheet.
If you happen to respect our experience and native information we are able to practice universities on how greatest to place themselves in a market, whereas they practice us on the perfect profile college students for the college.
With the sector declining, it may be tempting for universities to extend the variety of brokers it really works with. That is an comprehensible tactic, nevertheless it doesn’t at all times assure extra college students.
The grass shouldn’t be at all times greener.
I can assure that almost all universities will already solely have a restricted share of productive brokers of their present community, and a protracted path of dormant or much less productive brokers that create a number of complications.
My recommendation can be to give attention to the relationships you already have. We will obtain a lot extra collectively if we give attention to what a partnership means and what a scholar wants from each of us on this association.
The views expressed on this article are these of the writer and don’t essentially replicate the views of The PIE Information.