Client
Partnership: Best Practice Resources, Inc. with
Focus Marketing,
Asheville, N.C. & Louisiana Public Broadcasting Corp.
PAGE INDEX:
Project Dates: May-August 2005
Project Background:
The
LA PBS client had previously attempted to market a series of online
teacher professional development courses to La. school administrators.
Original results were that only 2-3 persons came to events scheduled
at administrator conferences. The client was very discouraged.
That discouragement led the LA PBS client to retain Focus Marketing,
a well-known, educationally-oriented, marketing consulting firm.
Focus Marketing was engaged to ensure the success of the next
sales efforts.
Focus convinced LA PBS that promotion of online
courses needed to be embedded within a conference session on research-based
principles and a framework for effective staff development, which
showed the role that quality online courses can play in a mix
of effective staff development methods. This was done to ensure
that potential attendees would perceive value in the opportunity
prior to attending.
General Project Plan
Focus Marketing framed the proposed session within
the following set of strategies:
- Letter of Invitation, to be sent to all LA
administrators, from a well-known LA administrator who is familiar
with and supportive of the PBS online courses
- Pre session mailing of materials to read in
preparation for the session
- High-powered, results-oriented language in
the session description
- A one hour conference session with a mix of
about:
- 25% presentation on the staff development
framework
- 50% of engaging, practical, relevant, discussion
of the content
- 25% mix of presentation and discussion
on the role of online courses in an effective staff development
mix.
- Concise, powerful, and visually appealing session
handouts
- Delivery of the session by LA PBS staff to
position them as staff development experts
- Post session participant mailing of material
aligned with the topic to provide follow up support for implementation
of the session content and incorporation of PBS online courses.
Involvement of
Barry Sweeny:
Focus Marketing engaged Barry Sweeny as the staff
development content expert for the LA PBS project. This was done
to ensure that the session actually delivered on the promises.
The work included these components:
- A series of consultations with Glen McCandless,
the representative from Focus Marketing, regarding the project
- Development of the initial session plan, slides,
and handouts, pre and post session materials, and letters for
the LA Leads administrative conference on July 13, 2005
- Development of a pre session needs assessment
for the pre session mailing
- Assistance for the LA PBS staff in using the
need assessment data to adapt the planned session to the audience.
- Collaboration with Focus Marketing to prepare
and support LA PBS staff to effectively lead the July 13th LA
Leads session
- Revison of the LA Leads package for future
sessions, specifically developing teacher and administrator
variations of the materials and content.
Focus Marketing’s goal for the participation at
the LA Leads conference was 30-50 attendees.
Initial Results:
It took some considerable work to prepare the
LA PBS person, and bring her to a level of confidence and comfort
regarding the session content and with her role in leading the
session. However, a week before the session, she was excited about
the plans, and about the 100 persons who had so far enrolled for
the session.
- By the end of the July 13th session, the LA
PBS client was ecstatic, as was Focus Marketing representative!
- The session was attended by 162 administrators,
more than attended the conference keynote speaker, and more
than triple the goal set for the session!
- The session went extremely well and
the LA PBS client was very satisfied with her role as
the session leader.
- Many attendees were inquiring
about the use of the PBS “Teacherline” online professional development
courses which were the PBS product which the session promoted.
In, July, 2005, Barry was asked to begun working
on the final deliverable for this client, revisons of the LA Leads
package for future teacher and administrator sessions.
What Are Your Needs?
Do you need to market an educational product
and need expert assistance in planning how to do that effectively?
Do you want a similar kind of response from
teachers for the satff development you plan and provide?
Do you need to know the principles and framework
for the most powerful, results-oriented staff development?
Contact
Barry Sweeny for his expert, results-producing consulting
and training!
