smj podcast

One of the biggest challenges for any school is figuring out how to be different. How do you stand out as a unique offering in the marketplace? How do you look and sound different from your competition? With the market already disrupted, now is the perfect time to ask the hard questions about what your school stands for and we give you the tools to answer them. To delve deeper, pick up a copy of ‘Bold School Brand’.

In the face of physical distancing, what does your enrolment funnel look like without the previously unquestioned fixtures of open days, site visits and face-to-face interviews? Is it enough to make these experiences ‘virtual’ or is there a better way? Brad discusses these and other questions with Greg Campitelli, Director of Enquiry Tracker, who also shares his insights into how to conduct live-streaming virtual tours.

Is your school’s marketing strategy ready for the coming recession? We share five guiding principles that you can apply now to adjust your school’s marketing posture for when we emerge from the health crisis and enter the recession.

As the COVID-19 health crisis turns into an economic crisis, the risk of student attrition comes to the fore. With years of research into retention, Jill Goodman intimately understands parent thinking and behaviours. She shares her insights in this interview and discusses six experiences your parents need to not just stay the course, but to become great advocates for your school.

How do you attract and retain donors? Is direct mail dead? How often can you ask for donations without driving donors away? According to The New York Times, Tom Ahern is one of America’s most sought-after creators of fundraising messages. Also the author of ‘If Only You’d Known’ … ‘You Would Have Raised So Much More’, Tom answers these questions and more as he discusses with Brad the things school Heads need to know for their school to raise funds well.

As the impacts of COVID-19 roll on, Beth Blackwood, CEO of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), shares her insights to help arm you and your school at this pivotal time. What are other Heads doing? What are the key short and long-term communication and marketing challenges, and what’s the best way to handle them?

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, how you handle the next few months will matter. Your communication will become your reputation. In this ever-changing landscape, we discuss ways you can face some of those changes head on and answer key questions about how to continue to communicate well and strengthen your brand in the months ahead.

Leading a school requires courage. Leadership and governance consultant for RG175, Tom Olverson, discusses the need to be bold to drive your organisation. His insights carry great authority due to his 38 years in independent schools across the United States, and 27 years as a school Head. Tom explains how your school can’t become its best self, until a mutual agreement is made on what the school is supposed to be. As a school Head, you need the courage to lead.

How can we be strategic in the midst of so much change? Mark McCrindle, award-winning researcher and influential thought leader, explains how school Heads can navigate through the challenges the pandemic brings. Leaders need to look towards the future and beyond. In times of uncertainty it is vital for school Heads to communicate strategically and be the voice of calm and reason – this is what students and the school community are looking for.

Brad interviews Heather Hamilton, Executive Director of Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), to discuss how schools can create a virtual lifecycle of advancement by mapping out all stakeholders and their roles within the school community, and how it is placed within the wide umbrella of advancement strategies. They continue by discussing how to implement them to support your school’s goals.