If you have been marketing to the educational community with little success, you may need to slow down and reassess your own educational history. Your personal relationship with education may be getting in the way . . . .
Linda L. Lawless and G. Jean Wright suggest in their book, How to Get Referrals: The Mental Health Professional’s Guide to Strategic Marketing, that you ask the following questions when reviewing your educational history:
“Not My Hat!” by Alan Levine / cogdogblog
- Are there any teachers in your family? Are any family members employed by the school system? What is their input to other family members regarding their work and the system?
- What has been the family response to their vocation?
- What educational levels have been attained by family members? Did they attend public or private schools? If private, was it religious or nonsectarian?
- What has been shared about their experience? What was the quality of the experience?
- What has been your educational experience from kindergarten through graduate school? Your siblings? How do you rate it?
- Who were your favorite teachers? Worst teachers? In your experience and /or perceptions, what were the characteristics of each that made them “good” or “bad” teachers? As you reflect on these relationships, what are you feeling now?
- What are your family’s belief systems, biases, prejudices, regarding education and the educational system (school taxes, the school board, election of board members)?
- Did any family members ever serve on the school board?
- What is your trust level of teachers?
- Do you have special training that would correlate with the experiences and needs of educational professionals?
- Do you have children in school? If so, public or private? How do you make decisions regarding your children’s education?
It is critical when marketing to the educational community that you feel comfortable and that they know that. Liberally share your unique school stories with other professionals in the educational community. Use your unique experiences to help guide where you choose to enter the market. If you attended a private or parochial school, consider focusing your energy on the same.
By taking the time to reflect on your own school experiences, you will increase your comfort and effectiveness in marketing to this community.
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