What makes a successful business partnership with a language school for an English for Business course?
When implementing a corporate English course, clear framework definition and effective communication are essential for successful collaboration. Furthermore, the expertise of the language school, the provision of a good customer experience and the existence of well-developed, transparent processes are all important to achieve the agreed goals. But let's look at this in more detail!
Cooperation is important in all areas, as the parties work together in a mutual effort to achieve a common goal. When introducing a corporate English course, the situation is similar: we often don't know exactly what kind of relationship we are looking for, only what we want to avoid based on our previous experience.
What makes cooperation go wrong?
Before we look at what makes a successful collaboration, let's look at what is sure to ruin it! You may have already had a bad experience with a training programme or other service provider. If so, you can certainly identify with some of the following problems.
Lack of frameworks
One of the biggest sources of problems is when you start a joint project without a predefined framework. As with any relationship, it is important to set out in advance what you can deliver and what you expect from the other party.
Sometimes something may be perfectly clear to us, but if it is not said, we cannot be sure that the other party is thinking the same way. For example, we may think that the language school is developing the curriculum, while the language school is clear that the company is providing the content tailored to specific needs. This is so basic that it is often overlooked - just as in a budding relationship - and almost certainly leads to conflict later on.
Poor communication
Once we have successfully jumped the first step and laid down the framework, there is still a risk of talking past each other. It is useless to have clear expectations if we do not openly communicate issues and complications that arise along the way.
For example, anyone can have an unforeseen event that interferes with their work. No matter how serious the obstacle, if it is not communicated, the other side assumes that everything is fine and your business partner is simply lazy, unreliable or has other unpleasant epithets. This also poisons the relationship, as tension builds up that could have been avoided.
Bad customer experience
Your chosen language school may simply be bad at serving its customers. They may well be good at selling themselves, or even know their trade, but unfortunately they are not up to the task of providing a high quality service, not only in the area of training, but also in other administrative tasks associated with the training and the company.
This could be due to a one-off mistake, overload, lack of standard processes, disorganisation or anything else. In any case, a bad customer experience will put a stamp on the cooperation, even if the result is good.
Lack of expertise
As the field of education can also be unregulated in some respects, and the entry threshold is relatively low - i.e. anyone with the right knowledge and some resources (see, for example, a recent university graduate) can start a language course - it is difficult to predict the competence of a particular provider.
As a consequence, it often happens that a service provider that is considered good and selected on the basis of marketing communications or perceived value for money is found on the spot not to have the depth of knowledge to do the job properly - this is the „window dressing” phenomenon. Unfortunately, there is nothing to be done in such cases, you have to take the loss as a learning curve and move on.
What makes cooperation good?
Now that we've taken a look at some of the more unpleasant cases, let's take a look at what it takes to give a company and a language school the best chance of successfully working together to introduce English courses!
Question of viewpoint
It is important that the language school you choose has a clear perspective on cooperation and how it operates. We believe in the following and communicate them openly to our prospective and existing clients.
Partner relationship
Thanks to the expertise and decades of experience of our staff, our language school is fully equipped to create a course that will support our clients' development. At the same time, we work cooperatively with our clients to achieve the best results, and we rely heavily on their knowledge and experience in their own field.
Customer rating
It's no secret that during the initial discussions, both parties mutually assess whether the other is a good collaborator. We can work well with companies that want to create real value (as opposed to short-term profit maximisation), are willing to invest in it, so are thinking long-term and are looking for an expert (not an executive).
Starting from zero
The most effective partnerships are when we can start with a clean slate. Our aim is to bring a fresh approach to the table, because that's how we can create real value. Sometimes we may start working on existing training material, but we do this in the hope that we can bring something new to the table.
Our position
We have a strong view on how to do things in a way that gets the best results. You're probably coming to us because you think we're good at business English courses. During the collaboration, we will suggest the best way forward and tell you if we disagree with your request.
Customer relationship above all else
There are many critical points that you wouldn't think of, but usually arise in the course of cooperation. We've been through the process many times with a wide variety of clients, so we've been able to pick out the most important ones.
Contact
We assign a dedicated project manager as the primary contact for each client. He or she will be in regular contact with you, keeping you informed about the status of your language courses, the progress of individual students and answering any questions you may have.
Communication channels
We use email as the primary way of communicating information, because it doesn't distract anyone from what they're doing, and it's easy to trace. We can use emails to document meetings, track the progress of tasks and ensure that everyone has up-to-date information.
Monthly status meetings are used for meetings, which can be held online or in person. These meetings give a regularity and structure to the cooperation, provide an opportunity to discuss the current situation, discuss emerging issues and identify next steps. We always send a follow-up email summary so that all participants know exactly what was said and what tasks are ahead.
We will rarely contact you by phone, as our experience has shown that phone calls can interrupt the workflow and make it harder to trace. However, we are available by phone in urgent cases and we appreciate it if you do.
We have the most sophisticated IT system in the country, which not only supports students' booking, cancellation and modification of lessons, but also provides management with the right information at all times. Our system is updated in real time, so all participants have up-to-date information on the status of courses, student progress and other important data. The system sends automatic notifications to keep everyone informed of changes and deadlines.
At the same time, we encourage one-to-one consultations between the language school and the company once a month. These face-to-face meetings give us the opportunity to discuss in more depth how to work together, to talk through possible challenges and to find solutions together. Face-to-face contact helps to build trust and partnership and provides an opportunity for direct feedback and exchange of ideas.
These channels of communication ensure that all participants are kept up to date, that problems can be dealt with quickly and efficiently, and that cooperation can move forward smoothly.
Deadlines
We are very strict about deadlines. What we agree, we stick to, and if something gets in the way, we tell you in advance. We expect the same from our clients.
Changes
Amendments are sometimes necessary, but too many amendments are the enemy of deadlines and budgets. We are working to ensure that in all cases these processes are as smooth as possible, whether we are talking about new students joining or leaving a course. The administration follows these processes in the background.
Feedback
We like to manage feedback on two levels. On the one hand, we encourage the company to prepare the course thoroughly, with an integral part of this being that the students voice their expectations or feedback directly to the teacher in person in the first instance. This makes communication faster, shorter and more efficient. The management will only intervene in such matters if the students are not satisfied with the teacher's progress or problem solving. The second level is the monthly language school-staff meetings, where, among the many topics, unresolved problems are discussed.
Confidentiality
Naturally, but it is important to stress that all information is kept confidential. Every colleague's contract includes a confidentiality clause, as do contracts with clients. This is not just paperwork, it is something we take very seriously, as we sometimes work with several companies from the same industry (consecutively, not in parallel).
Process is the key to success
One of the pillars of our joint success is our process, which we have developed and honed to near perfection over the past nearly 10 years. This section details the three main steps: research, identification of white spots and specification.
Strategy
The aim of the strategy is to better understand the underlying interests of the company and the students. This is the basis for an effective training programme. We use a variety of tools to achieve this:
Research
During the research, we conduct in-depth interviews with the company's management, HR management or the person in charge of education in the company to get a thorough understanding of their needs and expectations:
Identifying students' needs
We interview students to find out what level they are at, what goals they want to achieve and what difficulties they face in using English.
Business needs assessment
We talk to company managers and HR to understand exactly what their goals are for English language training and what concrete business results they expect from the programme.
Identifying white spots
The interviews will identify linguistically important gaps, so-called „white spots”, which hinder students from working effectively. These include:
- Lack of vocabulary: Words and expressions whose lack of knowledge hinders students in their professional and everyday communication.
- Confidence in speaking: The ability to communicate confidently and fluently in English.
- Linguistic correctness: The grammatical accuracy needed to communicate correctly and professionally.
- Understanding what you hear: The ability for students to understand different accents and speech tones in English.
- Fluidity: The speed and naturalness of speech, which allows smooth communication.
Specification
If the complexity of the project requires it, we will prepare a detailed specification of the training programme, describing how the programme will work and what is expected:
Detailed training plan
The specification includes the training plan, which defines the type of lessons (individual, group, speech) that each student will attend, and the frequency and duration of these lessons. It will also be determined whether the need is more for colloquial or professional development, or for level maintenance, or both.
Personalised education programme
We develop a tailor-made education programme for your students, taking into account individual preferences and company education policy. This includes how much students will be reimbursed for expenses and time off, and what is expected of them. It is important to bear in mind that students cannot take up each type of training at any time. The training policy of the company should be taken into account here, as to what its position is on training during working hours. And only with this in mind can the training plan be drawn up.
Education matrix
The education matrix details the training sessions that each student will attend and how these can be scheduled to fit in with working hours and company requirements.
These steps will ensure that you are thoroughly prepared for the introduction of the training programme and have all the information you need to successfully implement it.
Get your project off to a completely risk-free start
To make sure that our training model is a good fit with your company's values and that it provides a real, positive experience for your students, we offer the opportunity to start a risk-free pilot project. We provide training and the entire administration process for the first month to a pilot team of 4 people at the same level, free of charge. This will allow the company's management to decide whether the fresh training model we deliver fits into the corporate culture and whether it has provided the students with enough extra experience to reinforce the uptake of the training.
Pilot training free for the first month
The first month of training is free for a team of 4 people at the same level. This includes a full matrix our system, i.e. the matrix of individual lessons, group lessons and speech practice sessions for all students, as well as the overall administration process. This pilot period will give management and students the opportunity to get to know and test our training methods.
Decision making at the end of the first month
At the end of the free pilot month, management has the opportunity to decide whether they want to continue the course in full. Only if the company management decides that they want to continue the course, will they have to pay for this period. This approach ensures that the company does not take any risk in the initial phase and has the opportunity to make an informed decision on whether to continue the training.
This risk-free trial period ensures that both parties are clear about the value of our training programme and whether the long-term cooperation will be of real benefit to the company.
Managing your finances
Financial issues are an essential part of doing business, so we communicate about them openly and clearly. It is important that the company considers the matrix the value and effectiveness of the training, based on a training plan developed in-depth in a system of in-depth interviews with native-speaking teachers only, and make a decision on the basis of value for money.
Weighing value and efficiency
It may be that the training cost per student is, say, 80.000 HUF, compared to a competitor's offer of 30.000 HUF, but it is worth considering all the advantages that the matrix system we supply has to offer, especially:
Faster progress
The student reaches the same level of development in a third as long, so progresses faster.
Less lost working time
The student is off work for up to 70% less time, which increases productivity at work.
Experiential education
It takes the form of experiential lessons and non-Porussian, grammar-based dry instruction, which enhances the enjoyment and effectiveness of learning.
Strengthening the link to the company
Experiential hours increase loyalty to the company, which in the long run has a positive impact on employee satisfaction and loyalty.
Faster recovery
The student will acquire the language skills he or she lacks more quickly and will be able to use the newly acquired skills more quickly at work.
Payment terms
We invoice you at the beginning of the month for the month in question, with an 8-day payment deadline. We invoice automatically each month based on the training plan. If there are any missed lessons, they are agreed between the student and the teacher on the spot and made up.
This approach ensures that the company does not take any risk in the initial phase and has the opportunity to make an informed decision on whether to continue training based on real experience and results.
Summary
Above, we have detailed what is needed for a successful collaboration in corporate language training. The key to collaboration is setting the framework, effective communication, a good customer experience, expertise and the right processes in place. These factors combine to ensure that the client and the language school achieve their mutual goals.
It is important to understand that cooperation is not only about achieving the desired language level, but also about the relationship between the company and the language school. Ongoing, speech-centred training ensures that students learn in a native language environment without having to leave Hungary. The different elements of our matrix system - individual lessons, group lessons, speaking practice sessions - work together to ensure outstanding effectiveness.
Regular communication between the company and the language school is essential to ensure that the training programme is tailored to your needs and expectations. The training, based on in-depth interviews and a tailor-made training plan, takes into account the company's specific needs and the individual preferences of the students. As a result, students progress faster, spend less time away from work and receive experiential learning that increases employee satisfaction and loyalty.
The premium service we offer not only develops the language skills of individual students, but also builds long-term business relationships between the student and partnerships where English is the common language. This allows students to communicate more confidently and effectively in an international environment, which also helps to promote the international success of the company.
Together, they offer the best value for money on the market, allowing students to study in a native language environment without leaving their home country. A truly premium service, tailored to the needs of successful companies, providing the best results, measurability and transparency for both the company and the students.