Connor Associates’ Process

Understanding Your Needs

This critical first step is about listening to you and getting to know your constituents. We’ve been in the trenches where you find yourself and know that before launching into digital ads, expensive print media, open houses, social media campaigns, or any other tactic, it’s imperative to buttress these tactics and promotions on a clear understanding of your audience’s needs. We also know in our decades of experience with independent schools that often “the most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said” (as stated by the revered management consultant, Peter Drucker). So let a neutral and experienced professional be your arbiter of reality and possibility as we learn more about you.

Research

Research is the foundation of all we do, because it takes out the guesswork of designing successful projects. Skipping this fact-finding step can result in expensive, time-consuming campaigns and initiatives that fall flat. Our objective, third-party research ensures that your efforts go beyond intuition and are built on data-driven insight.

Analysis & Delivery of Findings

Our findings and recommendations are served “straight with no chaser,” but are delivered with respect for your culture and in the sole interest of serving your goals. Depending on the project, Connor Associates will deliver:

• Compelling data on your marketplace position to focus your marketing efforts on those families you are seeking to attract to your school

• Demographic research to help you reach qualified prospective audiences for enrollment.

• Comprehensive donor data—current and prospective—to target, develop, and increase short- and long-term support.

• Image assessment to determine who you think you are, who you really are, how others see you, and where you should be.

• Actionable recommendations and roadmaps to accomplish your immediate and long-term goals

• Coaching by experienced professionals to guide you on your way and support your team.

Vision and Strategy

Your vision should embody why you do what you do and elevate your organization beyond “just an organization” to become a “cause” others want to join, support, and talk about. The work up to this point has explored and defined who you think you are and who your audiences think you are. This informs your vision and strategy and determines where and how your identity, mission, and core values meet the market.

Implementation

We are there with you to execute on the vision and strategy that was derived from the research, your goals, and the vision. With decades of experience, we have learned several tenets that drive a successful implementation:

• Everyone in the school has a role to play in enrollment, retention, communication, and fundraising. Everyone can advance the mission and promote the school among internal and external constituencies.

• Schools that thrive recognize where their mission and the market intersect. Marketing is not simply advertising or promotion. It is, at best, an authentic relationship, which means listening carefully to those you serve and seek to serve, thereby creating a culture of responsiveness and continual improvement.

• Effectively differentiating your school in the marketplace demands that you address the following: who you are, who you are not, what you stand for, what you won’t stand for, why you matter, and where you are headed. These six statements form your identity and brand and reinforce the pride of association your community has for your school and ultimately attracts those you will best serve. Further, these statements promote clear expectations and positive word of mouth, which generate up to 80% of all new enrollments.

• Independent schools must demonstrate why they are worth what they cost. The public doesn’t measure value by a school’s noble intentions. Given what families are paying in tuition and expected philanthropy, they demand evidence of outcomes and value.

• Schools that are grounded in the communities that surround them will have a clear advantage now and in the future. It will raise your visibility, feature you as a community asset, and expand real-world opportunities for student learning.

Results

After we have worked in partnership and collaboration during the period of the engagement, we take a vested interest to ensure you are successful after the formal engagement ends. We understand that our success and our reputation rest squarely on yours.