ELT NEWS - Maria Sachpazian

The plane that never managed to take off: FLS that never managed to make their mark

In my last article (back in June 2018, before my unplanned but much-needed break of 6 months from ELT NEWS for the first time in 9 years), we explored the causes and the symptoms of once successful FLS whose volume of sales decreases gradually. In this article, we are going to pick up the thread to discuss the phenomenon of FLS that never manage to...

Why am I losing client momentum? OR The Empty School Syndrome

The story is familiar because you have seen it before. In fact, it’s played out in the same way so many times that one wonders why those involved in it do not realize what is happening to them. There was that school. It used to be huge! A trend-setter it was! A market leader and then gradually it faded into oblivion. The whole thing did not happen...

Classrooms or learning rooms: How does space define learning?

In the era of self-sustaining learning environments, at a time when learning can happen everywhere, the space where formal learning takes place cannot be overlooked. There are many factors to take into consideration when designing spaces for learning, schools and whole campuses. In the case of FLS, the inherent challenge is that in most cases the design...

Marketing… Marketing…What on earth is marketing? (Part C)

For the last two months, we have been exploring the complicated and deeply cultural phenomenon of marketing, with a special focus on its application in our field. Different professional fields call for different marketing, different means and different rhetoric, so what works in one field may be disastrous in another, with some fields (funeral homes, for...

How do you know you are running a quality FL School?

There was never a time when different kinds of businesses, from retail outlets to schools, did not want to be associated with up market products and quality services. The word quality, which under normal circumstances would bestow great honour to any service provider, has come to be one of the most frequently used words. Additionally, since FLS accredit...

Marketing... Marketing...What on earth is marketing? (part B)

In the previous article we discussed the issue of quality as a desired but often misused characteristic. Quality, when it is really there, shows that the services offered are worth the money paid for them and it also adds some extra value to the whole exchange. The reason behind the misuse of the term, I dare say, lies in the fact that marketing, this...