Is signing into a multi-year contract for your MIS a good thing?

If it’s something you’ve actively chosen to do as a school, academy or trust then, yes, it’s a great idea. It means you’ve had the chance to look at the options out there, and you’ve asked your suppliers for three-, four- or five-year pricing to guarantee a bit of budget certainty for the future.

If a multi-year contract is something you’ve had sprung on you in the small print – leaving you a very short window to either agree or cancel – well, it’s unlikely to be very popular. No one appreciates feeling like they’re being backed into a corner ☹

An unforeseen change in contract terms like this poses all sorts of questions for everyone involved in MIS:

❓ How does this affect the relationships schools have with the local support teams out there whom they’ve worked with and accessed their MIS licence through for years? It leaves Support Teams having to manage a difficult message from the MIS provider.

❓ How does this affect how Support Teams work with suppliers? More and more Support Teams have moved to be a multi-MIS support team, choosing to support their schools irrespective of the systems they use as opposed to only offering one option. All of the ‘big 5’ MIS have established Support Partner programmes (some useful links are below), as well as many of the newer entrants to the sector.

❓ How does this affect everyone (both schools and LAs) in terms of meeting procurement rules? Does everyone now need to get quotes and go through a tender process to even just stay with the MIS they already use?

❓ As academisation continues, what happens when a Local Authority maintained school is tied into a multi-year contract that converts to an academy?

Lots to think about which will hopefully become clearer soon.

 

If you’re a school, academy or trust and you’re affected by this and are wondering what to do, I’ve seen lots of posts on this already but it seems like the best advice is:

• Remember, YOU are the customer, so don’t be afraid of looking at alternatives and moving as it can all happen a lot quicker and easier than you think. Everyone is well-versed in migrating data from your system and it’s possible to be up and running very quickly.

 

• If there’s too much time pressure to look into things right now, don’t feel you have to lock in for a further three years, but do definitely contact your supplier to negotiate an alternative term length. They may be open to shorter contracts in the face of schools cancelling altogether, and this will give you time to plan for 2022.

 

• Talk to people! Get in touch with your local MIS support team if you use one, or with any of the MIS companies directly. They are all friendly and knowledgeable and will walk you through everything you need to know (or send a message to me or Nick as we’re more than happy to introduce you).

 

‘Big 5’ Support Partner programme links:

RM Integris https://www.rm.com/products/rm-integris/partner

Bromcom https://www.bromcom.com/LA-partners

Arbor https://arbor-education.com/become-a-partner/

Scholarpack https://scholarpack.com/who-we-help/support-partners/

ESS SIMS https://www.ess-sims.co.uk/products-and-services/sims-support-units

 

 

 

Continuing our series of business thought leader interviews, I recently caught up with Will Jordan, the visionary Co-Founder of IMP Software.

IMP Software has developed a budgeting, forecasting and reporting solution specifically for use by Multi Academy Trusts (MATs). They take a single database solution to market that is adopted by the entire Trust, rather than the traditional approach of an aggregation of individual school datasets. The solution is not a school system with MAT functionality added on top!

This data is used to drive future forecasts, whilst also factoring in and enabling ‘what if’ scenario planning on a host of potential drivers which can impact the viability of MATs.  It gives the Trust and its leaders the whole picture across their schools.

Some of the things we discuss include:

• IMP only launched in 2019 but has gained 600+ loyal customers in 20 months. What’s the reason behind forming the business and how has this been achieved?
• The most important current issues MATs and CFOs
• What makes IMP different from other budgeting solutions
• As a start-up business, the big areas of importance over the next 2-3 years to continue with current levels of growth
• With all the changes in the Edtech market, the effect of consolidation of solutions by Juniper, Iris, etc. and how this might affect customers
• Diversifying into other segments with the same solutions, or new solutions in the same segment
• What’s next for IMP?

We’ve split the interview into four parts to make it easier to digest. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

I’ve been on the end of some pretty spectacularly bad sales experiences recently and the reasons they were bad is because they involved some or other of the below.  How many do you recognise?

1. Making you feel guilty

Depending on the type of product or service you sell, the sales process involves a journey to a client meeting and it can be a long one (it’s not unusual to drive 2-3 hours or more to have a face-to-face meeting).  Never harp on to your client about your journey though; it’s not their fault you’re not based locally to them and you’re just going to make them feel guilty.  Business don’t generally buy based on guilt.

2. Telling you everything they know about their product

Unfortunately you get this in IT and technology and lot; the salesperson wants to show you exactly how much they know about their product and they won’t be happy until they’ve demoed every single thing.  Two hours later everyone in the meeting is yawning (they switched off 1hr 45mins ago) and the salesperson has no more idea of what is important to their audience than when they first walked in – they haven’t asked and they certainly haven’t listened.

3. Telling you nothing at all about their product!

Conversely, you also get the situation where the salesperson doesn’t seem to be able to tell you anything about the product.  No-one expects the salesperson to have an in-depth, technical knowledge of the product and it’s fine to say “I don’t know the answer to that but I will put you in contact with one of our experts who will be able to help”.  However, they should have a basic knowledge of what it will do for you and how it will help.  (N.B. the salesperson who just agrees and says that the product will do absolutely everything the client wants is no good either – that’s usually called mis-selling!).

4. Making assumptions

You can get great, experienced sales people who know their market, know their product, know the likely objections that will come up and know how to respond to them.  The problem here though is that all this knowledge often stops them asking the questions they once would, assuming they know the answer.  And if you don’t ask questions you’ll never really understand what your clients want so stand a much smaller chance of being able to come up with a value proposition which meets their needs.  Always ask questions.

5. Hassling

This doesn’t take much explanation but it still happens all the time, everywhere you go.  Have you ever bought anything because you were hassled into it?  Thought not.  By all means follow up the meeting, send your clients everything you said you were going to and keep you promises.  But don’t cross the line into hassling, they’ll just stop answering their phone.

Sarah and I have a big interest in what it means to be a Digital Nomad. We love travelling and, as we are consultants, we want to be available for our clients as much as we can . . . and the one approach to enable both of these in our life is to be a Digital Nomad. 

 

We were fortunate to be asked to talk at Bett Asia 2020 (unfortunately Coronavirus put an end to that and the show was postponed to June 2020) but we’d arranged meetings in Kuala Lumpur so we thought we would make the most of the experience and tag on a 2 week holiday where we also see what it is like to work as part of the touring about. 

 

So, with bags packed we planned to go to Kuala Lumpur then onto Koh Lanta and then finishing off in Ao Nang before returning to the UK…. so here we go

 

The first test obviously is that you need an extra hand bag for the laptop and charger ect…which is fine, but adds a little more weight to the journey and a little anxiety about losing the laptop!! 

 

Kuala Lumpur

Meetings aside, neither of us were as effective at our usual running-the-business work in KL.  The jet lag kicked in so little work was done.

 

Koh Lanta

What a place! The hotel (Costa Lanta) is built with Digital Nomads in mind and served great mango lassies. I should have pitched up with tie dye fabric trousers!!  

It is so relaxing and we stayed in one of their bamboo huts, right on the beach just to get that full Thai experience. The services that they offer for Digital Nomads are top and you can do any work that you need to do, along with the ability to fully relax. To be honest,  Koh Lanta is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Both Sarah and I feel that we have relaxed and are fully refreshed. Regarding the work, to be honest it has been easy, most of the work we have done has been via phone (emails mainly).

 

Ao Nang

Back on the Thailand mainland and into a larger town in Krabi, working from Ao Nang has been a dream.  Tons of wifi everywhere, a great hotel with large rooms and aircon so talking with clients has been easy. The time has meant most of our hangouts, etc. have been late afternoon/early evening which has worked brilliantly and allowed us to do things during the day.

 

So, is being a digital nomad realistic? There are pros and cons:

 

Pros

• There’s the ability to be available to clients even when away which means you can maintain continuity with any project and avoid being a bottleneck.
• You get to be anywhere you like and experience any lifestyle you choose!
• Accommodation is making it easier for people to get online quickly
• The time difference ensures that you have time out and don’t fixate on work.

 

Cons

• You have to take a laptop with you at least (maybe more kit too – depending on the type of work you do) so you need to keep it secure
• You rarely get face-to-face time with your clients which is so important in our industry and a massive part of our consultancy work
• The time difference can make it hard to hit the right time for everyone to catch up if on hangouts… face to face is easier to communicate complex issues 
• There are lots of distractions (e.g. the beach!) so you have to be disciplined

It can be done – but it really depends on your work. You still need to set expectations with your clients about your availability and you need to set expectations with yourself and be sure not to overload yourself. 

 

Ultimately the more you plan and communicate, the better!

What’s the role of Management Information Systems in schools these days?  Something to save teachers time?   That’s what is was first invented for in the 80’s but it’s not what it’s about now.

Something to give the government more insight?  While government and academy chiefs want to know more about each child, teachers say data entry has become burdensome and a source of stress.

We work with MIS suppliers all the time but I wanted the opinion of a school leader, so I asked my headteacher friend what she thinks schools need from an MIS.  Her response was straight to the point:

1. Everyone needs to be able to use it whenever they want, however they want
2. It’s not just about school staff any more – it’s for parents and students too
3. You need to prove you’re getting value for money
4. It needs to make your lives easier every day
5. It has to support your School Development Plan
6. It can’t be unnecessarily complicated – people just won’t use it.

So what do you choose to achieve the above?

There are more choices available now than ever. Local MIS support units who traditionally only supported a single supplier now offer their customers a range of MIS contracts. They support the process, not the product.

MIS will continue to evolve as schools and academies evolve – it has to.  There’s no point in sticking with the old way of doing things purely because “this is what we’ve always done”.

The ability to communicate well is an important skill for any Product or Business Development Manager. This means, among other things, that you should be able to present about your solution fluently and to different stakeholders, who will require a different level of information.

A persuasive presentation not only requires thorough preparation of content, but also good style. It takes considerable skill to come across coherently for any particular audience and to stay in control of the situation. For this purpose, the following 7 tips may offer some guidance to help you on the way to delivering a memorable presentation.

1. Show your Passion and Connect with your Audience

But time and again, the great presenters say that the most important thing is to connect with your audience, and the best way to do this is to let passion for your solution shine through.

Be enthusiastic and honest, and the audience will respond.

 

2. Focus on your Stakeholders Needs

As you prepare the presentation, you always need to bear in mind what your stakeholders need and what they want to know, not what you can tell them.

Don’t show your homework, just because it makes you feel good.

 

3. Keep it Simple: Concentrate on your Core Message

You should be able to communicate that key message very succinctly.

Always have in mind what are the core three points I want to get across?

 

4. Start Strongly you have 3 minutes to impress

The first three minutes, as when you first meet someone, is so important to a presentation. So smile, make eye contact and make sure the first 3 minutes of the presentation holds the stakeholders attention. Make them laugh!!

Think of a story that is relevant at the start of the presentation which will hold the audience.

 

5. Don’t use the presentation as a script

Don’t bore the audience by ‘Death by Powerpoint’. By all means use the presentation as a reminder, but do this in as fewer words as possible and use images if you can.

Remember you want your stakeholders to listen to you, not be deciphering what the slides are saying.

 

6. Tell stories

The best presenters are raconteurs , who can tell a story about the subject and keep an audiences attention. We all relate to stories, we also remember things better through stories.

Make your story funny and about you.

 

7. Relax and enjoy

Many people find it hard to relax and enjoy a presentation, but your body language and the speed you speak will have a major effect on the stakeholders perception if you know your subject and also if you can get a message across. Breath, and slow your delivery of the presentation down.

Remember you know more about your solution than your stakeholders

I have now been working with a number of companies across the Edtech market for over 18 years. The one thing that always inspires me is the innovative, engaging companies that want to get it right.

However, there are a number of companies that just do not understand the Education market.  And so, while they may have a great solution, they are not really working on their Product Strategy and how they need to adapt to a market where relationships and advocates are essential to strong growth and success.

The Education market is unique in many ways to other private sector markets and as an Edtech company you need to be able to talk the right language and work in a slightly different way. If I was a MAT or a school there should be 3 key things I would be looking for in a company, never mind the solution they are selling to me.

 

Relationship

Does this company want to work in partnership?  This means not going missing, once you have sold to a school or MAT.

A School is an exceedingly busy place with lots of challenging priorities for peoples time. The person in the office could be putting a plaster on a knee one minute and then dealing with the police on a bullying incident the next. But ultimately the children come first, not embedding a solution. A school needs support throughout this process and then ongoing support with new functionality and getting the most out of a solution.

Just because a school is paying for a solution doesn’t mean they are using it, eventually a school will stop paying and never go back. As a company stay in touch, help out!!

Also there are companies that can add support which are local to schools, engage with them to help make the most of a solution.

 

What the solution does now

Many schools don’t have the time to do an audit on their solutions, but I suggest they should. Remember, a solution is there to support a need.

Schools should look at their own processes and ask the question:

• Can this be done better via a technical solution or by a different solution?
• Are my incumbent solutions really meeting our needs anymore?
• Are our needs the same as a bigger school down the road? if not consider looking at lighter solutions or a reduction in cost due to the amount of the solution you are using.
• For the need that the solution meets, is the cost acceptable, is there an alternative?

Needs change along with your ambitions, so should companies to meet your needs.

 

The Future

Technology and challenges in schools are changing at a rapid pace. As a school or MAT you need to be comfortable that the Edtech partners you have are able to rise to this challenge.

To this end, I would be asking the companies you are working with for a view on their vision. Where they see the Edtech market moving towards, and how they are going to meet these future challenges for schools and MATs.

Gain an understanding of are they nimble or slow, will they let you down in the future? Will they listen to you and help find solutions to your needs in the future?

I am sure there are many other things a school or MAT is looking for in a company, when they are dealing with them, let me have your thoughts?

“When are you going to stop for breath?”

One of the most embarrassing but defining moments of my work life.

I was rubbish at selling – despite being at least 4 years into my career as a salesperson. I was at a meeting with two ladies showing them our product (just as I’d been taught in training), telling them all the benefits (just as my manager had said) and generally following the script.

When they asked me at the end when I was going to stop for breath I realised I was doing it all wrong.

I didn’t know what they wanted or what was important to them. I hadn’t listened to that at all.

They didn’t go on to buy. But I learnt the art of shutting the hell up.

I found 3 ways to keep your pipeline moving and choc-full of leads:

Step 1 – Get your 5-a-day. And when I say 5-a-day, I mean identify by name 5 target prospects or partners for your business and reach out to them, either via Linkedin, Twitter or directly by phone or email. It never hurts to expand your network.

Step 2 – Focus on keeping everyone warm. If you leave it too long and try and contact everyone at once it makes it harder to tackle and can seem overwhelming. Always be sorting and filtering by ‘last activity/contact’ and keep in touch with those who haven’t heard from you in a while.

Which brings me on to . . .

Step 3 – Use your CRM correctly, it’ll help you keep your pipeline flowing. Keeping a log of everyone you contact and everything you do is critical to successful selling.

These 3 tips will make you better. What are your techniques for running a healthy pipeline?

How many hours have you put into building your sales pipeline? 

Loads. 

Once you add up all the calls you’ve made, events you’ve attended, email campaigns, social selling, face-to-face meetings and everything else it totals up to a big investment.

So letting that pipeline go cold is heartbreaking, and it’s even harder to get it moving once it’s frozen.

This post will show you how to defrost your frozen pipeline with a simple 30-word email. 

There are three easy steps and it will take less than a minute to contact each cold prospect.

Time to get cracking!

Step 1:  Identify something of value that you can send to your prospects.

The first step involves identifying something of value to your prospects, and preferably something you already have.

You’re looking to provide something specifically useful to them.  The idea here is to open up dialogue but also to create a reciprocal relationship where you have helped them so they will want to help you.

The thing of value can be anything really (and obviously if it’s something from your own business/website the so much the better!)  Good ideas include:

• A free ebook on a subject you know they are interested in
• A cheat sheet to help save them time
• A How To guide on something they might not know about

If you or your company genuinely doesn’t have any valuable free resources to send out, then a link to a blog they might find useful can be equally as helpful.   It’s all about the value it will give the recipient more than the format itself.

Step 2: Create the email

Create a short, 30-word email using the exact format below (of course, top and tail it in the way you would usually with Hi, Best regards, etc. – you want to keep in personable!)

Enter the resource title in the first paragraph, it shows you’ve taken the time to understand what might be interesting to them.  (N.B. don’t forget to also include the attachment or link to the resource – it’s easy to accidentally forget!)

Choose a date you’d like to set up a call and add it to the second paragraph.  Suggest just one option as a binary choice of yes/no is more likely to produce a response. For example . . .

Subject: Thought you might find this interesting

Dear [XXXXXXXX],

I thought you might find this resource useful on the subject of [XXXXXXXXX], an area I know is of interest to you.

Are you free to catch up by phone on [XXXX]?

Step 3: Send the email

That’s it, that’s all you need to do.  Now press send, move on to your next cold prospect, and do it again!