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This page is written for
colleges, school districts and other adult education organizations who
offer and teach Workplace Spanish® programs in their local communities.
It discusses competition — who it is and how to deal with it – effectively
we hope. Face it – you can't get all the business, but you can
certainly get your fair share.
1.
Who is the Competition?
In the arena of Spanish
training, the competitors are almost too numerous to mention.
Competitors range from individual teachers who are out on their own
(including your own instructors), to other colleges, to large companies
like Berlitz, and to major publishers who produce text books, tapes, cards
and all manner of materials.
Each competitor has strengths
and weaknesses and competes in a slightly different way. Whether
they teach classes (your primary competition, market materials to
bookstores, or provide full-service teaching and translation like Berlitz,
they are all gain market share and produce as much revenue as they can.
2.
Job-specific Spanish Training
is Hot
While it's difficult to
pinpoint exact industry figures, it is not hard to understand that the
growth segment of the language training market is in job-specific
instruction. The phenomenal growth of the Hispanic population has
created "challenging" language barriers for business, government, health
care, manufacturing and service industries ranging from Banking to Retail.
Adult employees often tell us
that they wish they had really worked at their Spanish in school.
But even if they had it's unlikely they would have learned the terms &
expressions that they need in today's workplace. What makes
job-specific Spanish so inviting is all the things we talk about: no
grammar, no verb conjugation, etc. Rather its the focus on what do I
need to say or ask or answer that will enable me to "process a human
transaction" and make my life (and my co-worker's, customer's or
patient's) life go more smoothly.
3.
Competitor Overview
|
COMPETITORS |
COMMENTS OR ACTION
TO CONSIDER |
|
Berlitz |
A great company but one who is primarily
focused on doing language training leading to proficiency.
Teaches Spanish in phases and sells materials that way as well.
Materials and training tend to be very expensive. They have
partnered with another company to do "workplace English" type
training, but as yet are not a serious competitor in the job-specific
market. |
|
Inlingua and other large translation
companies. |
Very similar to Berlitz. Expensive
and focused on big name clients with little regard to workplace
teaching. |
|
Spanish for Dummies / Spanish for Gringos |
A good intro into Spanish; there are many
other good basic books of this type such as the "Spanish for Gringos"
series. |
|
Your own Language Dept. |
Certainly they are a competitor because
each department must make their numbers. They will argue against
job-specific Spanish because it doesn't meet their standard for
academic excellence. BUT, it's not supposed to and the language
dept. doesn't want to admit it. So tread carefully.
An excellent idea is to cross-promote
Spanish courses -- giving the academic course folks a discount on
job-specific training; and, vice versa for the job-specific students.
Keep the business in house and allow each area to do what it does
best. |
|
Other Area Colleges |
If you are in a community or technical
college "districted" state, then you don't have too much competition
from your fellow schools (although many people would argue with me).
However, other colleges have no such
strictures and will be moving full-speed ahead to capture job-specific
language training revenue. You need to carve out a position, an
area of expertise, and build on that to capture small or large niches
of the market. |
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Command Spanish "LORP's" |
Wow, colleges are paying lots of money to
become what is essentially a franchisee. Over a 3-year period
you are looking at a cost of almost $8,000 without buying a book!
(NOTE: this assumes you have 2 teacher certification attendees
and pay annual dues).
And for $8,000 you get an exclusive
territory just like a Ford dealer. Not a bad deal—for them.
When this was the only game in town, it worked fine, but you have an
alternative - Workplace Spanish®. Now used by more than 230
colleges & adult ed organizations. No certification fees (only
to lose the teacher), no annual license fees, no annual minimum quotas
to meet. And better, friendlier service. Take your pick!
Frankly, you need to do the same thing
that their LORP's do — promote aggressively, send info to your local
paper for publicity, and go out and get the business. Our
materials are easier to use, can be customized, and are created from a
users perspective. Sell with confidence. Let us help you. |
|
Other Providers |
From your own adjunct instructors who are
moonlighting to smaller companies that specialize in one market (e.g.,
construction), there are a plethora of competitors. Few have the
credibility of your organization combined with strong Workplace
Spanish® materials.
The key to building revenues and being
successful is to BE BIG SOMEWHERE – let your market know that you are
an expert. You offer Workplace Spanish® brand materials and do a
great job of delivering them. You produce results! |
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Return to
ResourceCenter // Go
to the Competition page (under
development)
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