Competing to be unique

Competing to be Unique

BEING THE BEST - Best Practice

specialistlanguagecourses.com

Processes and Systems

Client response times Student enrolment process Resource Management Teacher recruitment & CPD Accommodation allocation Data management Timetabling, occupancy CRM Course design

NOW WHAT?

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Maximising resources

Reducing wastage

Optimising efficiency

Competitive Convergence


Competing for Value


Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.

Beware the 5 Forces


The 5 Forces


Force 1 – Supplier Bargaining Power


Force 2 – Buyer Bargaining Power


Sales

DirectReferralsAgencies

Force 3 – Threat of Substitutes


• Elearning

• Mlearning

• Games-based learning

• App-based learning

• Video-based learning

• Peer-to-peer learning

• Virtual worlds learning

• Webex, skype, gotomeeting..

• MOOCs

• Better in-country language teaching

• Google Translate

KERRR–CHING!!!


$10m

€3.5m

$15m $8.5m

Force 4 – Threat of New Entrants


LOW BARRIERS TO ENTRY

Rooms IT systems Teachers Accommodation very few ‘sunk costs’ HIGHER BARRIERS

Accreditation Relationships with agents Crowded key locations Creating a USP

Force 5 - The Competition…


Introducing… Strategy


“Strategy can be viewed as building defenses against the competitive forces or finding a position in the industry where the forces are weakest.” Michael Porter

“You don’t have a real strategy if it doesn’t pass these two tests: that what you’re planning to do really matters to your existing and potential customers; and second, it differentiates you from your competition.” Verne Harnish

Creating Unique Value – Your UVP


Your Unique Value Proposition:

What are you going to sell?

Who to?

Why are they going to buy from you?

What’s the U in your USP?

Creating Unique Value – Your UVC


Your Unique Value Chain

How are you going to realise the UVP?

How will you configure your resources most effectively?

How will bring external partners and suppliers on side?

and…

How will you stop others from copying you?

Strategic Choice 1: DIFFERENTIATION


Strategic Choice 2: FOCUS


“2 inches wide, 2 miles deep”

Just say No!

Strategic Choice 3: COST MANAGEMENT


Aligning the Company


Suppliers Course Delivery

SalesMarketing

Buyers

Human Resources

Company Infrastructure

Technology

Procurement

Primary Inputs

Support structures

Communicating the Strategy


KISS!


To summarise


1. Operational excellence – yes. Operating in the same way as everyone

else – no.

2. There is no point in size or growth if those are profitless.

3. Competitive advantage is about creating unique value for customers. If you have a competitive advantage, it will show up on your P&L.

4. A distinctive value proposition is essential for strategy. But if it doesn’t require a specifically tailored value chain to deliver it, it will have no strategic relevance.

5. Don’t feel you have to ‘delight’ every possible customer out there. Say No sometimes.

6. Focus, differentiate, lead on costs, align the organisation, execute brilliantly, measure, improve and deepen what you do.

To continue the conversation..


e: [email protected]

t: +44 7788 294853

s: chris.moore.slc

w: www.specialistlanguagecourses.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.specialistlanguagecourses.com/

Competing to be unique

Technology

Transcript of Competing to be unique