How to call former students about new courses without annoying them
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
Former students already know your centre, so calling them about a new course is easier than finding new leads. Split the list into groups: those who finished, those who dropped out, those who didn’t enrol after a trial lesson. Give each group one specific piece of news (a new group, a date, a branch) and ask one question: “Are you interested?”. If yes, book a level test; if “later”, agree an exact time; if “no”, take them off the list. Call once a season.
Split the list into groups
If everyone hears the same thing, the call sounds like an advert. First sort students by why they left:
| Who | Why they left | What to offer |
|---|---|---|
| Finished the course | The stage ended | The next level or exam preparation |
| Dropped out midway | Time, price or timetable didn’t fit | A group at another time, where to pick up |
| Didn’t enrol after a trial lesson | Couldn’t decide | A new group starting, another trial lesson |
| Took a summer or intensive course | The season ended | A year-round group |
Be careful with dropouts: some left unhappy. It’s more useful to ask them first: “What didn’t you like?”
Give the call a clear reason
“How are you, fancy studying again?” gets you nowhere. Every call needs one piece of news: a new group, a new course, a new branch or an intake starting on a set date. The order:
- Introduce yourself and remind them: “You finished level B1 with us.”
- Give the news in one sentence: “An evening IELTS group starts in December.”
- Ask one question: “Would that interest you?”
- If yes, book a level test or trial lesson and offer two specific times.
- If not, thank them and ask: “Shall we stop calling you with news like this?” That keeps the list clean.
A sample call
Sado: Assalomu alaykum, this is Shohruh from Dilmoch language centre. Is that Bekzod?
Caller: Yes, speaking.
Sado: You finished level B1 with us last year. An evening IELTS group starts in December, so I wanted to let you know.
Caller: Sounds interesting, but it’s year-end at work, I’ve got no time.
Sado: I understand. Another group starts in mid-January. May I call you in early January?
Caller: Sure, call me on the fifteenth of January.
Sado: Done, I’ve noted January 15. Good luck at work, take care!
Bekzod didn’t enrol yet, but he didn’t say no either. There’s an exact date, and that’s a good outcome.
Rules so you don’t annoy people
- Call each list once a season; if there’s no answer, try at most twice.
- Remove any number that says “don’t call me” straight away.
- Call in the daytime and early evening, for example 10:00–20:00.
- Quote prices and discounts only from the centre’s rules. Don’t promise “the old price for you” on your own.
- If someone else answers, don’t say who studied with you or why you’re calling.
Handing the list to an AI operator
Upload the list of former students (name, phone, the course they took) as an Excel file in the portal’s Auto-calls section, choose “Offer or news” and write what to say: the new group, the date, the price. More: Sado’s AI outbound calls.
Sado’s operator talks with each person live in Uzbek or Russian: it answers questions from your facts, books interested people into a test or trial lesson, and if someone says “call me in January”, calls back at the agreed time. A number that says “don’t call me” isn’t called again. Who was interested, who booked and who said “later” are all in the portal.
More: AI operator for education centres. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
Is it all right to call former students?
They were your customers, and a call about your own centre’s news is normal. Uzbekistan has a law on personal data: use the list only for your own work and remove anyone who says “don’t call”. If in doubt, ask a lawyer.
How far back can we go?
There’s no fixed limit, but people from the last year or two remember you well. In an old list numbers may have changed: call a small part of it first.
Isn’t a recorded message enough?
A recording can’t answer questions or book a test. In a live call the person asks “which days?” and books on the spot. The difference: autodialer vs AI operator.