Upselling in Schools

Upselling services within schools is an important strategy for our model, as it’s often the ‘low-hanging’ fruit, and can be more profitable based on staffing models, travel etc. 

Here are a few reasons why upselling services within schools can be beneficial:

Builds stronger relationships with schools: By offering additional services that schools need, you can strengthen your relationship with school administrators, teachers, and staff. This can lead to more opportunities for collaboration, referrals, and positive word-of-mouth.

Increases revenue and profitability: Upselling can be a cost-effective way to increase revenue and profitability, as you are offering additional services to existing customers rather than acquiring new customers from scratch. This can help boost your bottom line and improve your business’s financial health.

Helps you stand out from competitors: Offering the wider range of services that S4K does can set us apart from competitors and make us more attractive to schools looking for comprehensive solutions to their needs. This can help you win more business and stay ahead of the competition.

Enhances your reputation and brand: Providing high-quality services and going above and beyond to meet schools’ needs can enhance your reputation and brand as a business that cares about its customers and delivers value. This can help build trust and loyalty among schools and parents. 

Common types of upselling strategies:

Cross-selling: This strategy involves offering related products or services that complement what the customer is already buying. For example, if Sport4Kids is already providing PE lessons, we could also offer the PESS App. 

Bulk Buying: This strategy involves offering a bundle of products or services at a discounted rate. For example, Sport4Kids could offer a bundle of PE coupled with school clubs at a discounted rate to schools that are interested in both programs.

Loyalty programs: This strategy involves offering incentives or rewards to schools who continue to use us. For example, Sport4Kids could offer referral programmes to those schools who recommend. 

Personalization: This strategy involves tailoring your offer to the specific needs or preferences of the school. For example, if a school is looking for improved performance in their school teams, S4K can offer a tailored school club training and fixture support package. 

Analyzing the needs of schools, children, and parents:

Research the school: Before approaching a school, it’s important to research their needs and priorities. This can be done by reviewing their website, speaking to school administrators or teachers, and analyzing their current sports and physical education programs. This will help you understand the school’s goals and pain points, and identify areas where Sport4Kids can provide value.

Understand the needs of children: It’s important to understand the developmental needs of the children who will be participating in the sports programs. This will help us sell our programs that are age-appropriate, engaging, and effective in developing children’s physical and social skills.

Consider the needs of parents: Parents are a key stakeholder in the decision to book their children in sports offerings. It’s important to understand their needs and concerns, such as safety, affordability, and convenience. This can be done by conducting surveys. This will help us offer sessions that are attractive and meet the needs of parents.

Analyze customer feedback: Analyzing customer feedback, such as reviews and ratings, can provide insights into their satisfaction with the current offerings and their unmet needs. By addressing their concerns and offering additional services that meet their needs, you can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Building strong relationships with school decision-makers is key to successfully upselling Sport4Kids services. Here are some strategies for building relationships:

Establish trust: Trust is essential to building strong relationships. Start by being transparent and honest about what Sport4Kids can offer and how it can benefit the school and its students. This can involve sharing success stories from other schools, providing references, and offering a trial period.

Be knowledgeable and solution-focused: Demonstrate a deep understanding of the needs and challenges of the school, and offer customized solutions that address their specific needs. This can involve conducting research on the school and its programs, developing a tailored pitch, and offering a range of services that meet the needs of different stakeholders.

Foster ongoing communication: Communication is key to building and maintaining strong relationships. Keep in touch with school decision-makers on a regular basis, offering updates on Sport4Kids services and industry trends. This can involve regular check-ins, personalized email campaigns, and attending school events.

Offer added value: In addition to offering high-quality services, consider offering added value to school decision-makers. This can involve providing resources and tools to support their work, offering professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators, and collaborating on research projects and initiatives.

Be responsive and flexible: Respond quickly to inquiries and requests from school decision-makers, and be willing to adapt to their changing needs and priorities. This can involve offering flexible pricing and scheduling options, providing a range of services to meet different needs, and being willing to negotiate on terms and conditions.

Here are some typical objections that school decision-makers may raise during the upsell process, along with some strategies for overcoming them and closing the sale:

“We don’t have the budget for this”: If a school decision-maker expresses concerns about budget, try to offer flexible pricing options or suggest smaller, more affordable packages that can meet their needs. It may also be helpful to emphasize the potential return on investment, such as improved student engagement and enhanced learning outcomes.

“We’re already working with another provider”: If a school decision-maker is already working with a competitor, it may be helpful to highlight the unique benefits and value proposition of Sport4Kids services. This could involve sharing success stories, emphasizing Sport4Kids’ expertise and experience, or offering a complimentary trial or demonstration to showcase the benefits of working with Sport4Kids.

“We don’t have the time to implement this”: If a school decision-maker expresses concerns about time, try to offer streamlined and efficient implementation options that can minimize disruption to the school’s existing programs. Emphasize the ease of integration with existing curricula or schedules and provide support and guidance for the implementation process.

“We’re not sure if this will work for our children”: If a school decision-maker expresses concerns about the effectiveness of Sport4Kids services, try to provide data and evidence to back up claims and emphasize the success of similar programs in other schools. It may also be helpful to offer a complimentary trial or demonstration to showcase the benefits of working with Sport4Kids.

“We’re not ready to make a decision yet”: If a school decision-maker is not ready to make a decision, try to schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss any remaining concerns or questions. It may also be helpful to provide additional resources or materials that can help decision-makers make an informed choice, such as case studies, testimonials, or research articles.

Overall, the key to overcoming objections and closing the sale is to listen actively to the concerns of school decision-makers, tailor the upsell pitch to their specific needs, and provide credible and compelling evidence of the benefits of working with Sport4Kids. By being responsive, flexible, and solution-focused, Sport4Kids can build strong relationships with schools and successfully upsell new business.

Materials and Assets:

S4K Network Partner Resources > Schools and Nurseries FKB Resources

REF; S&N Sales WB

REF; S&N Sales A5 Brochure

REF; Campaign Implementation & Treatment Plan for Schools & Nurseries