5 tips for an effective course season
Whether you are planning a health or photography course, your need is the same: You want to spend less time on administration, and more time on the subject you are enthusiastic about.
If you invest time in the beginning by finding a system that can handle your needs, you can save a huge amount of time and resources in the long-term; vital time that you can instead direct towards improving your course offering.
As enrolment geeks, LetsReg has developed solutions for course organisers since all the way back in 2000. Therefore, we have spoken with and assisted many course organisers over the years. Through listening intently to your successes and helping with your challenges, we have compiled our – and your – five best tips for an efficient start to the new season. Learn how to become a course pro!
1. Identify your needs
Before choosing a system, map out what you need. Ask yourself:
- Are you going to set up a single course or a series of courses?
- Which payment options will you offer and how should the income be accounted for?
- Do you need attendance information or communication with your participants?
- Should you be able to refund participation fees with a few easy keystrokes?
By defining your needs in advance, you will be able to find a solution that suits you more quickly.
2. Make it easy to sign up
A good registration page is more than just a form. It’s your most important impression, and your most powerful marketing tool. Remember:
- Clear information: Give participants enough information about what to expect. Clearly display your course dates, times and meeting places. Also provide clear terms of sale.
- Capacity control: Avoid overbooking by setting a limit on the number of participants. Also, consider providing waiting lists so that you can offer a space to somebody else, should it become available.
- Additional information: Ask for necessary information within the form, such as previous experience in the subject matter or special needs, so that you can adapt the course content.
Feel free to read our post on how to get more participants, which gives you some more handy tips.
3. Offer flexible payment options
Many course organisers experience challenges with pricing, especially if your courses span over several dates. For several organisers, setting a competitive price and using flexible payment options has increased the number of registrations. Consider the following:
- Fixed price for the entire course: This gives your participants a clear cost, and you don’t have to manage price adjustments along the way.
- Pro-rata pricing for late enrolment: If you have available places after commencement, pro-rata pricing can be useful. The system calculates a reduced price for participants who enter later, so that you can fill up your course spaces even if it has already started.
- Partial payment: Make it easier to sign up by offering partial payment. The participant will then pay a smaller amount over a longer period, therefore reducing the barrier to participating.
- Invoice: If you offer courses to the business world or have higher course fees, giving the option to pay by invoice could be very relevant to attract more participants.
4. Plan and automate communication
Sending manual messages to each individual participant can quickly become time-consuming, especially if you are running a large number of course sessions. Use a system that allows you to schedule messages, reminders and emails in advance to send automatically.
If you have a large number of sessions, you can segment attendees based on the sessions they have signed up for. Using this method, you can send tailored messages and follow-ups only to those for whom they are relevant.
- Read more about how to invite and communicate with your participants.
5. Evaluate and improve
After the course season has finished, you can set aside some time to evaluate:
- Learn from your participants: Gather insights from participants about what worked. Also investigate which times and courses have the highest demand so that you can adapt your course offer.
- Optimisation: Find and take small measures to make the administration process even more efficient. Consider adding additional functions such as a waiting list, transferring participants or course certificates to make previously manual processes much easier.
With these five tips, you can enter the next course season with better control and more time to deliver inspiring course experiences. Become a course pro!