Case Study: Securing High-Value Corporate Partnerships for University Business Growth Programme

Challenge:

Our client, a leading UK institution for management courses and business education, sought to significantly increase engagement and enrolment in their MBA & Business Programmes (BGP). The university aimed to secure partnerships with large companies to train their managers and drive organisational development through the BGP. They needed a targeted approach to reach the right decision-makers within these organisations and articulate the programme's unique value proposition.

Client Pitch:

Our client is a top 5 university that offers MBAs and Management courses. This intensive programme is designed to provide strategic insights and actionable frameworks to drive sustainable business growth and enhance leadership capabilities.

Solution:

To address the objective of securing meetings with large companies, we implemented a focused and multi-channel lead generation strategy over a four-month period. Our approach prioritised quality and relationship building to connect with the appropriate decision-makers within target organisations:

• Non-Automated LinkedIn Research and Prospecting: Our team conducted in-depth, non-automated research on LinkedIn to identify key decision-makers within large companies who would be responsible for management training and development initiatives. This involved identifying individuals in roles such as Head of Learning & Development, HR Directors, Talent Management Leads, and senior executives with a vested interest in organisational growth. We then initiated non-automated personalised outreach to these individuals, focusing on building initial connections and understanding their potential training needs. This relationship-focused approach generated a foundational layer of leads.

• Targeted Email Marketing: Following initial LinkedIn engagement and broader research, we developed targeted email campaigns tailored to the specific needs and challenges of large organisations regarding management training. These emails highlighted the unique benefits of the BGP, emphasising the expertise of the university's faculty and the programme's potential to drive tangible business growth and enhance managerial skills.

• Strategic Telemarketing by Experienced Corporate Sales Specialists: Our team of highly skilled telemarketers, experienced in engaging with large corporations, conducted targeted follow-up calls. These calls were designed to qualify the initial interest generated through LinkedIn and email, delve deeper into the company's specific training requirements, and articulate the value proposition of the BGP in a compelling and relevant manner. Our telemarketers were adept at navigating complex organisational structures and engaging with senior-level executives.

Results:

Over the four-month engagement, our multi-channel approach successfully generated 50 high-value leads. These leads represented significant opportunities for the university to engage in meaningful discussions with large companies regarding their management training needs and the potential of the Business Growth Programme to address those needs.

The combination of personalised LinkedIn outreach, targeted email campaigns, and strategic telemarketing by experienced corporate sales specialists ensured that the leads generated were not only aware of the BGP but also understood its potential relevance to their organisational goals. This meticulous qualification process laid a strong foundation for business development team to convert these leads into impactful corporate partnerships.

Conclusion:

This case study demonstrates the effectiveness of a strategic and multi-channel approach, leveraging non-automated LinkedIn research, targeted email marketing, and expert telemarketing, in securing high-value leads for a university's executive education programme. By focusing on identifying the right decision-makers within large companies and building relationships through personalised communication, we successfully connected with organisations seeking to invest in the development of their managers. The 50 leads generated represent a significant step towards expanding the reach and impact of the Business Growth Programme within the corporate sector.