There is a discourse about offering trial classes, but why?
Although, on the surface, offering a trial to someone can provide valuable insight into the product you’re selling (in this case, your class), it’s not as simple as you might think.
There are numerous factors to consider when deciding whether offering trial classes is beneficial for your learning center, from establishing contact to potentially wasting time.
Stick around as we go over the pros and cons of this topic in the hopes of providing you with the answers you seek!
The Benefits of Trial Classes
When considering the option of trying out a trial class, both the student and the parents see it as a low-risk, high-reward activity and are much more inclined to try out something that will cost them nothing.
A great way to understand if you want to implement trial classes in your case is by understanding what makes them so appealing: building up a connection.
In contrast to signing up from a different source, by engaging in a trial, users will be asked to provide information like their name, surname, and email address. More likely than not, those who provide details will continue to use the platform they signed up for.
This will give you a channel through which you can communicate with those interested but also send notifications that will keep them engaged and informed.
Lastly, giving free trials frees you from making a place for marketing in your budget. Students will explore your platform by themselves, so you won’t need to use your resources to attract them, as your classes will do that.
Attracting New Students
As with every product, buying comes with a lot of uncertainty. By giving a taste of what you’re selling, you are giving a glimpse into all the aspects of a child’s learning, such as subjects and teaching methods.
With that aspect, a lot more students are going to be much more willing to try something new. You can provide them with a feeling of safety and also relieve them of not knowing what to expect.
This will also eliminate those who don’t feel like it’s the best fit for them and increase the number of students who find it suitable to stick with your learning center.
Retaining Students
The benefits of free trial classes don’t apply only to new students, as it’s an active thing that keeps pre-existing ones on your platform.
You can recommend new classes as a way of extending your connection.
In doing that, not only will you give them room to grow, but you are also building a sense of trust and an online community.
Not to mention that those who have used your classes for extended periods will be more trustworthy when signing up for a new one.
Challenges and Considerations
Now consider the other side of the coin.
Giving out trial classes can be a good way to attract new students, but you should be aware of the disadvantages and potential problems that may arise:
1. Cost of the classes: Probably the main thing you want to consider is the cost of the class itself. Varying from subject to subject, but also taking in the factor of creating the platform, it’s not without a risk.
The best way to minimize the problem is to start by lowering prices. Often, both students and parents are discouraged by the cost of applying to a school or a course, so by making it more accessible, you will have a higher chance of swaying them towards your learning center.
Pro tip: Study the background of those who take your classes, as you will get a better understanding when setting up prices.
2. Faculty cost: How you want to deal with this is up to you, but consider options like implementing more online classes or training or mentoring your employees to reduce costs.
3. Scheduling: The importance of a well-crafted schedule is immense. Both parties (students and teachers) can benefit greatly. The main goal when creating a schedule is efficiency. Once a schedule is finished, it should be clear, concise, and effective.
Schools and learning centers struggle from time to time to implement a schedule that is catered to students rather than their material. In that case, students fall behind or their work overlaps with other subjects.
When creating schedules, try to give as much responsibility as possible to students as teachers and give room for extracurricular activities as well as ways outside the schedule to learn.
Strategies to Success
Knowing both the pros and cons, what are your strategies for success when offering trial classes?
1. Showing your unique selling points: When wanting to be ahead of the competition, you want to ask yourself, “What does my learning center have that others don’t?”
Display factors like innovation and various teaching styles. Using, for example, more tech-based learning can show the ability to adapt and keep up with modern times.
When talking about learning methods, understand each type and see what works best for your students.
Besides that, look into hiring experienced teachers and tutors. Not only will they be able to mentor your less experienced teachers, but you will also give the parents assurance that their child is learning from someone they can trust.
2. Welcoming and knowledgeable staff: Having a staff like this will give students a sense of safety and make them more involved in the class. This not only helps them learn more in less time but also relieves pressure from the teachers.
3. Practice transparency and clear communication with parents and students: This is the best way to understand your students. Constantly updating their parents will give them a sense of importance while also helping students with their academic lives.
The best way to maintain clear and transparent communication in your learning center is by implementing AOneSchools—a learning center management system that will help you organize and send messages and information.
Measuring Success
No matter how many tips you implement, you need to see if your methods are working. Here are some data points you need to keep an eye on:
- Attendance rate. A recent study showed that the current attendance rate is 93.5%.
- The conversion rate is the number of students that successfully enroll in your learning center out of the total number of applicants.
- ROI (return on investment) is defined as a performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency or profitability of an investment or compare the efficiency of several different investments.
- Feedback. General feedback is always welcome. Whether positive or negative, knowing what parents and students are thinking will help you gauge your current situation and future improvements.
Conclusion
In the end, trying something new always comes with risks, and in this case, it is worth it.
Giving free trial classes can be a low-risk, high-reward learning center in the quest to improve your education management system.
In light of that, check out AOneSchools to smooth the enrollment process and boost the enrollment rate!
