Gaining success as an education agent doesn’t fall in your place once you invest and establish your company or business. It is a rigorous process that demands continuous research, good networks, compliance, and much more.
Who is an education agent?
An education agent is someone who connects aspiring international students with Australian institutions and helps them find their ideal courses. The education consultancy business works to give prospective students a guide on planning all the logistics of getting to Australia and comfortably enrolled. An education agent is entitled to providing counseling, help in the course and university selection, documentation, visa application, financial advising, and finally enrollment.
Be A Successful Education Agent
For most students, studying abroad is a life-changing decision and it can either make or break one’s career. A good education agent aims to empower students with adequate knowledge and clear guidance to make the right career decision. So, to be a successful education agent, you need to have the following plan, knowledge, attributes so that you can guide students better in their decisions. Check some important links for Education Agents.
Create a plan for your business
You should have a clear goal on your mind about your business. When you have a clear goal, put it down on how to achieve that goal. Be it resources, be it finances, be it connection, or be it action plan, create a concrete documented business plan. This plan will give you directions on where to keep your focus and where to invest your efforts on.
Create an online presence
Your target audience or say students are mostly online. In this age of technology, you need to have a strong online presence. A strong online presence will not only create brand awareness for your education consultancy business, but also help you get leads and conversions over time. So, the first thing you need to invest in is a good website. Showcase your works, provide them with good and valuable information, create virtual events, and engage your audience well online. Create your profiles on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram which are quite popular among the youths. Also, social media platforms like Tiktok and YouTube are good ways to promote your business through video-based content.
Develop a strong grasp of the complexities of many degrees
Students get overwhelmed by the pool of universities and their offering degrees. Different universities offer different courses and degrees and they have their own enrollment criteria for the particular degrees. Therefore, you need to make sure to have a good grasp of the wide range of degrees. You should know the course structure, eligibility criterias, enrollment procedures, intake period, and scope of the course.
Develop a good grasp of Australian culture and traditions
Studying abroad means a new lifestyle and a whole new experience for a student. Someone from a different cultural background has to adjust and live in a different culture and lifestyle and adhere to the new norms. So, you need to understand the culture and traditions of Australia so that you can prepare students and educate them about the cultural and lifestyle differences. It will help them better adjust when they move in.
Expand your knowledge of the Australian higher education system
When you are counseling over getting a higher education degree for aspiring international students, it is obvious that you need to understand the Australian higher education system. The Australian education system is quite young compared to the other global universities. However, they are at par with them in terms of quality and demand. Expand your knowledge of the universities of Australia. Study about their course offering and criteria. Additionally, you need to know what kind of vocational training and education are being offered. Understand the academic culture and standard practices of the education system.
Show Compliance with the Education Centre of Australia’s Policy and Procedure of Appointing, Monitoring, and Terminating Education Agents
ECA’s Policy and Procedure for Appointing, Monitoring, and Terminating Education Agents are designed to ensure compliance with all legislative and regulatory requirements for Australian education agents. An approved education agent through ECA can represent its interests in defined areas and can approach prospective agents to apply for, and be open to providing student applications. For being a successful education agent, you need to adhere to the policies of ECA and procedures of Appointing, Monitoring, and Terminating Education Agents.
Build a good relationship with your clients
Good communication builds a good relationship. Your clients are with you for good guidance from you. The success chart of your business depends on how good you are with your clients. Only if you can make your clients happy, can you escalate your financial and career growth. So, be honest with your work and with your clients and do your job with dedication. It will help you build a good relationship with them.
Build relationships with schools/ universities
You need to have a strong list of reputable universities or institutions that you represent directly, which means you have agency agreements or contracts in place with them. Students want better options for their careers. Your strong relationship with schools/ universities is what will attract their interest in choosing you.
Stay up-to-date on changes in the industry
The international education industry is quite dynamic. There are regular changes in government policies, migration rules, updates in courses, scholarship criteria, application dates, and whatnot. You need to stay up-to-date with the new changing updates in the industry. Not only the policies in Australia, but you also need to keep track of the rules and regulations of the countries of international students.
Use technology to stay organized and efficient
As an education agent, you will have to deal with multiple clients and sub-agents. Back in your team, you need to manage tasks for your team and also manage the documentation for the visa application process, manage invoices for clients and partners, and much more. Organize your tasks and be efficient through the use of the right technology. Agentcis is a CRM system specially built for education agents to manage leads, acquire clients, manage tasks, and finances of your business.
Be professional, but not stiff or formal
Have a professional approach while dealing with clients. Being professional has a vague meaning. It means providing the right information, delivering on time, sticking to your values, being reliable to your clients and making a positive impact. It shows your confidence towards the clients and helps them trust you better. But you need to make sure that you don’t necessarily be stiff and formal.
Market yourself to potential clients by networking and advertising
In today’s day and time, network means net worth. A good network can bring good business to you. Furthermore, when the clients are searching for you, you need to be found. This is where advertising plays its part. So, you need to market yourself to potential clients by networking and advertising.
Conclusion
There are no golden rules or blueprint for success. However, following these tips can help you understand the basics of being a responsible education agent. After all, it all depends on how passionate you are with your work and how efficiently you can manage tasks, networks, and keep yourself knowledgeable in accordance with the changing times.
