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Targeting the corporate market
With the internationalisation of business, the ability to speak English is a basic requirement for an increasing number of employees.
Hello again,
The corporate market is an important one for English language schools but one that is highly competitive. To capture a slice of this action, schools need to provide truly flexible learning opportunities that busy executives can fit...
... around their normal timetables. Think breakfast and lunchtime lessons, in-company tuition, telephone lessons, blended learning, intensive weekends, e-learning: anything other than the traditional extensive course.
However, the delivery method is not the only consideration. Business people are very precise about their needs and often have neither the time nor the interest in the finer points of grammar. The teachers you employ for the corporate sector need to have the instinct of a trainer rather than a teacher. They should also understand how the business world operates and be comfortable with the vocabulary associated with key business areas such as finance, marketing, sales, logistics.
As to how to gain an entry into this market, much depends on your local situation. But you need to make personal contact. Business people are deluged with advertising material and inevitable much goes straight into the bin. To gain an entry into the company try offering a free preparatory service: a language audit, a needs analysis, a testing service.
I’d like to hear from you on this topic.
Bye for now,
Brenda.
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