Differentiate or Die: 9 Ways to Set Your School Apart

At the turn of this century, Jack Trout wrote a book titled Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition. A generation later, I can’t think of a better description for the situation independent schools find themselves in. With increased competition, declining demographic pools, and intensifying economic pressures, many, if not most, schools need to better distinguish themselves. In some cases, their very survival is at stake.

That makes differentiation a key competency for schools and school leaders. Directors of advancement, marketing & communications, or enrollment management, and heads of school must be able to articulate what makes their school different from its competitors. Here are 9 ways to do that.

1 Facilitate Parents’ Decision Making

This is the overarching means of differentiation and is best illustrated by considering two dimensions to the definition of differentiate:

1. to become distinct or different in character
2. to recognize or give expression to a difference

In other words, while you are trying to communicate what makes your school different from other competitive schools (#1 above), parents are trying to understand what makes one school different from another and to find the one that best meets their needs (#2).

The sweet spot of differentiation is bringing the two aspects of the definition together. By knowing what parents want and empowering them to make decisions, you are allowing them to see in your school what makes it distinct and right for their kids and them. You are ensuring that parents who consider your school the ideal choice can recognize that.

2 Determine what parents want

If the goal is to position your school so that parents can easily decide if it’s right for their children, you need to differentiate based on what parents are looking for. The question is, how do you determine that? Here are methods to consider:

• Jobs to be Done – NAIS adapted this framework from Clay Christensen’s work at Harvard Business School. In the analysis, parents rate four potential jobs that schools can do for their children and themselves. It may reveal what parents want and how your school is meeting that need.
• Determine what parents are looking for through surveys, whether that’s an annual (or regular) satisfaction survey or other available surveys. For example, in 2022, Pew published research on what parents in K-12 schools want their children to be learning. Niche also publishes annual Parent Pulse surveys. Social media groups and school review sites are also wells of information. Last, but perhaps the easiest way to determine parent priorities, is simply to talk to them.

3 Identity Elements

The many outward-facing characteristics of your school are important differentiators.

• Your Mission, Vision, and Values make important statements about how decisions and judgments are made at your school. Not only is it important for them to be visible, but the ways in which they impact decision-making should also be apparent.
• Your school’s brand – its reputation, the expectations that current and prospective parents have, and word of mouth- are key differentiators.
• A school’s history, the reason it was founded, the populations it served, and major decisions that were made over the course of time are often powerful differentiators. Likewise, the testimony and stories of founders add important context to that history and more discrete differentiators.
• Perhaps the most powerful identity element is your big why. More important than what you do and how you do it, the most powerful question is: What overarching purpose does your school strive to fulfil? Why does it exist? This TED Talk by Simon Sinek is a must-watch and will help you see many of your school’s differentiators.

4 Competitive Differentiation

To this point, we’ve been talking about schools independent of their competition. But understanding how your school differentiates from other schools is important – and often difficult. The diagram below is a very simplistic but effective way to view the competitive landscape. Here’s how it works:

List all of the things you think your school does best

Then, do the same for competitive schools. You can do this based on a single school or a group of schools

Finally, list what you believe parents in your catchment area are interested in (programs, resources, particular competencies)

The intersection point in this triple Venn diagram reveals what you do best, which is not on the list of the best for competitive schools and is part of what parents are looking for.

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5 How do you do school?

The everyday experience at your school is a significant differentiator and can be characterized in many ways. Here are some ideas (but far from an exhaustive list):

• Culture – your school’s traditions, rituals, lexicon, displays on walls, songs and even its mascot.
• Educational Philosophy – the way you approach teaching and learning, how you define success, and a portrait of a graduate
• Issue communication – your priorities in parent communication, how you approach sensitive matters
• The faculty you hire – every school’s faculty profile is different and makes a statement, whether that’s expressed in priorities, level of formality, or shared goals.

6 What do you offer?

• Consider your school’s program, resources, athletics, electives, and experiences. You would be wise to think it through in great detail, because there may be aspects you take for granted that are actually important differentiators. Your ordinary could well be someone’s extraordinary.
• The parent experience at your school is a huge differentiator. That includes the nature of communication with parents in all interactions, opportunities for parent involvement, and programming for parents. I continue to hear about schools that are trying to stand apart based on their approach to parents. For more on parent experience, you can access two e-books here and here.
• Packaging – the way you describe and present what you offer may be a differentiator. If you offer the same program as another school but organize it differently, or communicate about it differently, then it’s essentially a different program
• Tuition and Financial Assistance set your school apart, not just in the amount of tuition and available assistance, but in the way it’s presented. Here’s a guide to marketing financial aid.

7 How do you communicate?

• Your school’s messaging may be its most important differentiator. It is embedded in copy, photos, videos, conversations, and presentations – in all the ways you communicate, whether on your website, in ads, or in interactions with prospective and current parents, and donors. It’s part of what’s said at recruitment events, on tours, and in private meetings with parents. Messaging includes your voice, value proposition, key themes, and elevator pitches
• Likewise, the design of everything from your website to recruitment collateral and fundraising material allows your school to stand out.

8 How do you lead?

Every school has the opportunity to be a leader, to be the first to offer a program, or to have its students participate in an endeavour. It could be that your school is the best at something – athletics, robotics, entrepreneurship, or debating. There may be unique student experiences created at your school. All of these are potential differentiators.

Your school can also be viewed differently through the lens of thought leadership. Do you have administrators or faculty who are regarded as experts in particular disciplines or fields? They might be blogging, publishing articles or speaking at conferences.

9 Outcomes

• The schools that your graduates matriculate to make an important statement about your school. Parents aren’t necessarily looking for the most prestigious institutions. They may want to see a range of schools, for example, specialty (arts-based or technology-focused) schools or faith-based schools.
• Test Scores can definitely differentiate – whether SAT, ACT or other more specialized scores.
• Alumni testimonials are an effective way to differentiate. Beyond just talking about their successes, alumni frequently attribute certain accomplishments to specific experiences or relationships at the school they graduated from.

Differentiate or die may be a strong statement, but there is little doubt that knowing what sets your school apart from the competition is a key to future growth and success.