Private School Faculty as Marketers [Podcast]

Mike connor

Private school administrators often ask, "How can we get faculty to be active marketers for the school?" Mike Connor, president of Connor Associates, is our guest for this episode of the Sparkcast and explains how to get faculty to be not only willing but enthusiastic participants in marketing your school.

Mike has spent nearly 30 years in public, charter, and independent K-12 schools and colleges. He has a 360° perspective that comes from holding a wide variety of positions including teacher, counselor, academic dean, admission director, development director, director of communications, director of advancement, and an education marketing and advancement consultant.

Mike Quoted

"One of the things that really brought out the competitive nature and the need for more branding [in private schools] is one of the latest reports from the Enrollment Management Association called Sizing Up the Competition. It is a real wake up call to what we’re going to be dealing with in the future."

"Your teachers literally hold all of the credibility cards."

"Teachers should be on the front lines of any marketing effort."

"Admission directors and enrollment managers may set the table, but the teachers and the coaches bring the entrée."

"[As a director of marketing] let faculty know that you’re their biggest fan, that you want to get the word out about how great they are, and the difference they’re making."

"Your admission person is not a salesperson. They are the chief revenue officer. They are the unofficial guardian of the quality of the school, but, more importantly, they are the orchestrator of relationships."
 
"If I were the head of a school I would put in a faculty hiring contract that you are expected to help admissions enroll and retain those students you want to teach."

What you’ll learn

• Why faculty is so important to any marketing or branding efforts your school may undertake.

• What’s the best way to enlist faculty in your marketing efforts.

• 7 things teachers should do and not do.

• Faculty’s role in not only admissions but also in development and alumni relations.

• Ways teachers can make connections with prospective students and families.

• The 6 W’s that define your identity and differentiate you as a school.

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