The Top 7 Ways Your Education Agency Can Improve Sales Without Taking Too Much Time Or Compromising On Quality.

As education agents or counsellors, your primary goal is to guide students to the right programs and institutions that align with their aspirations and potential. And you do this brilliantly. I know many of you personally, and am always in admiration of how you keep the students at heart, and yet still run great businesses. 

You've likely been running a successful agency for years, even weathering the challenges of COVID-19 and all the other obstacles we’ve had thrown our way as a sector. Your dedication and resilience are just fantastic. However, it's common to get into a routine without questioning your approach. It feels safe. It feels like we've had enough change for now, thanks!

And while that’s fine if you want to stay as you are, the agencies that I work with are looking to the future, interested in exploring; wondering if they could improve, save time, help more students or are curious to learn if there are other ways. And if you're open to a few small tweaks to improve your agency's recruitment, then this is for you. Let's explore 7 easy strategies to ensure you're continually growing and improving.

Numero Uno: Cultivate Curiosity Culture - even more.

Curiosity is a powerful tool in your arsenal. In fact, I’m willing to bet that your curiosity about the world, travel and learning are why you got  into the student recruitment business in the first place. While you already practice curiosity to some extent, there may be room for improvement, especially among your counsellors. 

Sometimes, in the rush to get to the details, work through the enquiries and get going, it's  very easy to overlook the importance of exploring the student's dreams, hopes, and unique story. Encourage your team to take a moment and ask those personal, curious-about-the-human questions.

• What are their long-term goals?

• What would it mean if they became fluent in that language?

• What would their parents think of them if they did well at that school? 

• What would a degree like that do for their future? 

• What excites them about this? What worries them a little?

Now, I’m not suggesting you grill them with ALL of these questions, they are to give you an idea. Perhaps you do ask these questions already, but are wondering why the rest of your team aren’t as good as you at building rapport and closing bookings.

By genuinely understanding their aspirations and backgrounds, you can recommend the most suitable programs and institutions, of course. This deeper level of engagement, though, not only helps in making better matches but also in building lasting relationships and loyalty with your clients. Remind your team that a little extra curiosity can go a long way in converting inquiries into committed clients. For the sake of two minutes of extra curious chat, your conversions will increase, as will your referrals.

Two: Check-Up on Your Processes for Better Outcomes

Let's talk about self-discipline—no, not the kind that has you sweating it out in the gym. We're talking about establishing processes that make your job easier and more effective. Autonomy is both a privilege and a challenge. When we run our own agency or business, it is fantastic to work to our own rules and timetable. And I’m all for it! But when you are working, wouldn’t it be good to make it efficient? Or if you can pass tasks on, wouldn’t it be good to know it’ll get done well? 

Think of it as setting up a series of little routines that run on autopilot, giving you more time to focus on what really matters, on the parts that you love. Set daily goals, create checklists, and reward yourself with a cuppa when you tick off those tasks. You’ll soon find that these processes keep you on track and help you consistently perform the tasks necessary to guide students effectively.

Three: Consider Combining Your Traditional With Some More Modern Approaches

If your agency is using a traditional sales approach, it’s time to add a sprinkle of the contemporary. Nothing is going to replace how you deal with families, your care and attention and your network. Modern methodologies, though, can complement these, even enable you to bring more of them to the world, and  offer a better experience for your clients and increase your chances of winning their trust and placements. Embrace new strategies that focus on providing value and understanding your clients' needs deeply, even if you can’t personally counsel every single one at the same time. This shift will help you stay competitive and relevant in a rapidly changing market, and retain your personal touch.

Four: Explaining Why Students Should Choose ‘Change’

Being able to clearly articulate why students should choose a new path is crucial for ‘top of funnel’ lead generation. Address their pain points (or their parents’) and provide compelling reasons for them to change. Show them the benefits and how it will positively impact their future. If they understand the "why," they're more likely to commit to the new direction you recommend. Also try making the first towards that change easier for them, lower-commitment with, say, lead magnets, webinars, exhibitions.

Five: Remaining ‘One Up’ on Students

In education consulting, knowledge and experience is power. Being “One-Up” means you have the knowledge and experience your client lacks. This gap closed when the internet came around, and with so many social media channels students can indeed look for information everywhere. However, they don’t 100% trust socials, and still understand real-life experience and someone that knows, lives and breathes education is a more reliable source. Conversely, being “One-Down” means you’re at a disadvantage. Equip yourself with industry insights and expertise to offer valuable advice and solutions to your clients. Make the most of familiarisation trips and networking. This positioning will make you a trusted advisor rather than just a service provider - your value is huge.

Six: Focus on THEM rather than YOU

It’s great to love your agency and the programs you offer, the schools you represent, but don’t fall into the trap of being overly transactional. Don’t fill your conversations with your experience, qualifications, offerings.. Sales is all about THEM. Focus on your client’s problems and how you can solve them. Build relationships by understanding their needs and offering tailored solutions, and only then, offer your relevant services.

Seven: Helping Students Make Strategic Decisions

Your clients need help making strategic decisions, especially those that are rare and critical (visa changes, anyone?). Guide them through the decision-making process, ensuring they get it right the first time. By enabling them to make informed choices, and we want them to FEEL informed and reassured the whole way through; you’ll build trust and increase your chances of long-term success, word of mouth referrals and that great feedback.

Just pick a little one from above and try to improve it over the next week or so.

How?

Implementing These Strategies

1. Set Goals and Monitor Progress

Create a weekly plan outlining specific tasks and objectives. Regularly review your progress and adjust as needed to maintain momentum. With my Agency Accelerator clients we’ll look at their goals overall, but then for that month, and break it down into action points per week so we are always moving towards the targets and growth. Make a plan!

2. Match-critique your Technique

During consultations, ask open-ended questions and listen attentively. Take detailed notes to ensure you fully understand each student's unique needs and preferences. Listen back to yourself or have the team critique you and learn from what you say and do to improve their own counselling. Listen in, or role play, with your counsellors and have regular feedback sessions (these can take 10-15 minutes.. don’t overthink it!).

3. Offer some prompts and checklists Whether for you or your team, have a handy list of curious questions to ask, even just one more little dig-around can uncover a way to help that student more efficiently AND gain the booking over your competitor. Make logging these notes easy (maybe on a CRM). Have a checklist so you can easily ‘qualify’ a client and not find out at the last point that they’re not suitable in some way. 

4. Invest in Professional Development

Most agents I know attend CPD sessions and webinars etc. which is great! Lifelong learning, right? However, if you want to improve your business, you would need specific guidance. For example, I have a coach specifically for LinkedIn work. I have another coach for event-running. I seek external help to improve my businesses. And of course, I support my Agent clients this way too, for sales and growth.

5. Stay One-Up As well as staying informed about the sector, the programs on offer, visa changes and everything else, it’s important to showcase how you can help students make informed choices. They don’t know what they don’t know. Make them feel like you are the safe bet, with experience, case studies and expertise ready to share with them.

6. Make the first step towards change easy.

Not all students will want to fill out your web form, email you, walk in etc. It can just be that once they decided to fill in a form they’d shopped around and ended up on your competitor’s website. By making a compelling Call To Action on your site you can capture more leads. And whilst you may not want a load more leads, you can then enter them into a nurture sequence to gather further information, which could even be automated, and can help weed-out unsuitable enquiries.

Conclusion:

Remember, the heart of your work is making a positive impact on students' lives. Your commitment, combined with these fresh strategies, will ensure you continue to thrive and make a meaningful difference. Keep pushing boundaries, stay curious, and always strive for excellence—your success is important to the world, and I’m here to support you in continuing your great work.