TEACHING ENGLISH IN

THE MIDST OF CRISIS

3 FATAL ERRORS SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS MUST
NOT COMMIT IF THEY ARE TO SURVIVE

PAULO SOSTISSO

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TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE MIDST OF CRISIS

PAULO SOSTISSO

TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE MIDST OF

CRISIS: 3 FATAL ERRORS SCHOOLS AND
TEACHERS MUST NOT COMMIT IF THEY
ARE TO SURVIVE
It's not news to say that many English teachers and ESL school owners are
deathly afraid in the midst of this crisis.
But do you know why?
Because while most English teachers and schools are paralyzed by this
fearothers are thriving and prospering in the midst of the very same crisis.
So, let me ask you a few questions to see how prepared you are
Do you know what strategies you should apply in crisis to be one of
those who thrives?
What offers you should make to students and which ones don't work
anymore?
Why all great businessmen and entrepreneurs tell us that a crisis is
synonymous with opportunity?
If you read this short text carefully, you will discover the answers to these and
other questions.
I will answer these questions, and reveal the three fatal mistakes that you must
not make as a teacher and/or school owner.
So let's get started.

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TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE MIDST OF CRISIS

PAULO SOSTISSO

THE PLAYING CARDS HAVE BEEN REDISTRIBUTED

I heard this phrase from a great entrepreneur, and I've been thinking about it a
lot lately.
If the cards have been redistributed, it makes no sense to continue holding on
to the cards you held in the previous round. Don't you agree?
Because that's what other English teachers and language school owners will
do.
They will keep making the same as offers and deals they did before the
crisis.
They will try using the same strategy.
And they will try to sell the same products.
See, the fact is that most people fall in love with the cards that they held in the
previous round.
And they are not willing to give up their old hand to accept a new set of cards.
When they finally come around and realize that that old ways of doing things
no longer work...it may already have been too late.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST: THE OLD WAYS DIE OFF

AND NEW ONES COME INTO EXISTENCE
"It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the
most susceptible to change." - Charles Darwin
This is how nature works. That which is old dies off to be reborn or make way
for that which is new. There is no way to fight against the forces of nature. Isn't
that right?

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TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE MIDST OF CRISIS

PAULO SOSTISSO

For our business to survive in a crisis like this, we will have to adapt to this new
economic reality.
The more strategic you are in this process of adaptation, the greater your
chances of "grabbing" onto new opportunities that arise in this crisis.

THE 3 FATAL MISTAKES ...

MISTAKE # 1 Not Investing In Quality
In the midst of this crisis, your students are becoming much more selective
about what they buy and they think twice before spending their hard-earned
money.
So, its go timeand were about to see who is who and what is what.
Let's explore an example. The first industry to feel the effects of an economic
crisis was the automobile industry.
35% of the workers of major vehicle factories are at home right now due to
collective vacation time and lay-offs.
The industry also had a sales drop of 17% just in the first quarter of 2015.
Another auto company had a sales drop of 47% in this same period.
And another factory even sent letters to their employees offering a car to
those who would quit voluntarily to avoid being fired.
But in this same time period and during this very same economic crisis
We have other car companies like Toyota and Honda, which have raised their
market share and increased sales by 12% in the first quarter of 2015.
Why? Because Toyota and Honda are known for obsessing over the quality of
their product, while most other car companies choose to prioritize the volume
of production and sales.

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TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE MIDST OF CRISIS

PAULO SOSTISSO

That's right!
While most car companies are sitting around looking over lots of unsold
vehicles... Toyota and Honda are selling more cars, dominating the marketing,
and making a killing.
Now, let's bring this back home for you as a teacher of the English language.
How do you think your potential students will react to English courses and
teachers and schools who aren't obsessed with quality like Toyota and Honda
are?
See, right now consumers are holding on tighter than ever to their money.
Schools are trying to get increase sales by promising shorter and shorter
learning times... 1 year, 4 months, or 8 weeks.
But cheap claims and promises arent going to cut it in these tough economic
times
Students are no longer willing to pay to see if they are bluffing.
I like to think of this as an analogy of what happens when you shake a tree full
of fruit. The bad ones are the first to fall.

Mistake # 2 - Not Cutting Unnecessary Costs

The next step to take in dealing with a sales drop in business is to eliminate
any and all unnecessary costs.
Be sure to review all your expenses and make a list of everything you spend.
Categorize what can be eliminated,
what can't be eliminated but can be reduced, and
which costs must be maintained.

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TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE MIDST OF CRISIS

PAULO SOSTISSO

Remember not to fall into the trap of reducing investments for improving the
quality of your product or marketing.
If you cut into these investments, your product and sales will suffer. And the
outcome could be worse for you and your students.
Some of your investments can be reallocated to take advantage of new
opportunities, and these should never be cut in times of crisis.
Now, going back to how those car companies we mentioned earlier
Toyota is currently investing in the construction of a new plant in Porto Feliz,
So Paulo.
And Honda is investing over $400 million U. S. dollars in the construction of its
second factory in Itirapina, So Paulo.
And they are doing this in the middle of a "crisis."
So, in summary, cut unnecessary costs in your company, but be sure to invest
in the quality of your product and in the satisfaction of your students.

MISTAKE # 3 - Being Afraid of Change And Not Facing It Head On

Dont run away from the inevitable. Face it head on! This may sound obvious,
but it's actually counterintuitive.
Why?
Because fear is an emotion. And when emotions come into play, clear-headed
thinking and common sense often head for the hills and disappear.
When we are afraid, we can't think straight or very rationally.
So, accept the inevitable. You're facing an economic crisis head on and there's
nothing you can do to avoid it.

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TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE MIDST OF CRISIS

PAULO SOSTISSO

Start thinking about how you can turn the tables to your advantage and what
you can gain from this crisis.
Remember that survivors are simply those who adapt the best to changes!
Those who can't or wont adapt...will eventually die off.
So, don't let the effect of the herd direct the course of your life.
While everyone else is breaking a leg trying to escape the flood, you can be
the guy building boats to sell them.
And keep in mind, that you've been a close friend of constant change ever
since you were born.
So, there is no reason you should start to fear it now.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ENGLISH EDUCATIONAL

MARKET IN THIS TIME OF CRISIS?
We are not prophets. (Are we? ha ha ha!) However, we can predict certain
market trends.
All great entrepreneurs are saying that the educational sector is headed in an
upward trend as the crisis progresses.
For many people, this is not news.
After all, with fewer available jobs, people need more education to learn new
skills so they can prepare to compete in the job market
Which means they need more courses and education.

SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO THEN?

First, review your products and services for re-positioning. Will people still
want what you are offering?

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TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE MIDST OF CRISIS

PAULO SOSTISSO

Let's look at an example here. During a crisis, most companies need to cut
costs. Right?
For many companies, unfortunately this cost cutting involves the dismissal of
many good employees and workers.
However, if we look at the other side of the coin, we could say that many great
professionals are now available for employment by other companies that
need their services.
Since large companies are faced with the need to cut costs, coupled with the
fact that there are more qualified professionals on the market
Which do you think is a better choice?
A. Should large companies hire these qualified professionals to help train
rookies
B. Or continue outsourcing to another company making a profit off
them?
The logical choice would be to hire their own employee to provide the
trainingand totally eliminate the middle man.
Take the example of a large English school that is receiving a large sum of
money, to send in a teacher who gets paid by the hour for teaching 'Incompany' English classes.
Hiring their own teacher would probably be the more cost-effective option for
the HR manager...and would be 'bad' for the English school owner.
Now, notice I used quotation marks when I said that it would be "bad" for the
owner of the English school.
It will only be 'bad' if he refuses to deny the inevitable effects of the crisis and
denies his natural instincts to change.

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TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE MIDST OF CRISIS

PAULO SOSTISSO

As long as he refuses to accept that a new hand is being dealt and learn to
better meet the needs of his client...he will suffer and die off because he is
attached to what no longer works.

CONCLUSION
A crisis like this is the time to begin exchanging information with the other
"key players" in the market, unite for the sake of the country and maintain an
above average idealism.
In times like these, I prefer to stay away from pessimism and the effect of
following the herdwhich is caused largely by the spread of bad news about
the economy.
It's time to look up and prepare ourselves for the coming opportunities these
shifts bring.
In summary, 1) invest in improvement and quality of your products, 2)
eliminate unnecessary costs and 3) do not be afraid of the coming changes.
Simply prepare to adapt and look for new opportunities.
To finalize, I would like to mention that there is one other factor that I consider
absolutely crucial for passing unscathed by the crisis.
And that is humility.
If we remain humble, we'll know that our role is simply to serve others and not
to take advantage of them. Those who realize this will invest in the
improvement and quality of their products.
If we remain humble, we will know to be happy with what little we have when
it becomes necessary to cut costs.
If we remain humble, we will realize that our fear of crisis and change is mostly
based on selfishness.

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TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE MIDST OF CRISIS

PAULO SOSTISSO

We are all in the same boat together and to overcome this crisis we just need a
bit of humility.
Thanks for reading!
This document was written by Paulo Sostisso for the Facebook Group 'Ensino
de Ingls'. You can follow Paulo on Facebook
The document was translated by David A. Bailey, Jr of http://EXLteachers.com
I hope you enjoy it!

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