Chapter 2: How 3D ACADEMY Successfully Attracted Students from Saudi Arabia

(Written on November 6, 2025)

Today, 3D ACADEMY consistently has more than 20 Saudi Arabian students enrolled at any given time.
Back in November 2023, however, there were at most two—and often none at all.

In just two years, we have grown from virtually zero to maintaining a steady group of around twenty students even during the off-season.
This remarkable shift has turned the Saudi Arabian market into an indispensable segment for our school.

2-1. It All Started with Walk-in Inquiries

As mentioned in the previous chapter, one of our school’s biggest strengths is its location.
Anyone heading to JY Square Mall can easily find us—just look for PICKUP COFFEE right in front of our school entrance, and you won’t get lost.

Since founding 3D ACADEMY, I have built and managed the business entirely on my own.
So when it came time to attract more international students, the first thing I did was simple:
I decided to personally handle everything myself—emails, visitor inquiries, and even pricing decisions.

When management faces a crisis, the person you can rely on the most is yourself.
Over more than 20 years of running businesses, I’ve overcome many challenges through my own direct action.
That said, this particular challenge took me two full years to see results—it was a tough journey, and I fully acknowledge that as my own shortcoming.

The first steps I took were to personally respond to all inquiries from our English website and handle every walk-in visitor who wasn’t Japanese.
Looking back now, that decision turned out to be a major success.

Because of our excellent location, we receive a large number of walk-in visitors.
Some came looking for internship opportunities, but most were potential students who wanted to study English.

Some staff questioned whether it was appropriate for the school’s top executive to handle these visits directly.
However, there were two key reasons why I was the best person for the job:

1. I can communicate effectively even with people who have limited English ability.

2. I have the authority to make pricing decisions on the spot.

These two factors often led to immediate enrollment during walk-in consultations.

On English Communication Skills

English proficiency and the ability to communicate in English are not the same thing.
Although I hold an MBA, I didn’t start studying English seriously until after the age of 40.
My accent isn’t perfect, but I’ve never had trouble communicating in business settings.

There are three main reasons I believe my English communication skills are strong:

1. I consciously speak clearly and with a slightly louder voice when communicating in English.

2. I always confirm whether the other person has understood and, if needed, rephrase my explanation using different words.

3. I can often interpret what someone meant to say, even when their English is incorrect.

In these areas, I might even be better than some native speakers.
In fact, here in the Philippines, I can handle nearly all of my business—lawyers, accountants, partners—entirely in English without difficulty.

If I had to describe my greatest strength in one phrase, it would be this:
“The ability to communicate effectively with people whose English is limited.”

In December 2023, while handling walk-in inquiries, a Saudi Arabian woman came to our school saying she wanted to study English.
That encounter turned out to be the beginning of a remarkable relationship—she would later become our Arab Region Manager.

2-2. Why I Hired a Saudi Arabian Intern Who Could Barely Speak English

When she first visited our school, her English level was very basic.
Yet, despite her limited language ability, she didn’t back down during price negotiations—she firmly refused the initial rate I offered.

As we spoke, an idea came to my mind:
instead of accepting her as a regular student with discounted tuition, why not offer her an incentive-based role where she could earn by bringing in new students?
That would ultimately benefit both her and the school.

Although detailed negotiations in English were challenging, her confidence and determination impressed me.
In the end, I agreed—perhaps too easily—to unusually generous terms: a private room and even free electricity.
I still remember thinking afterward, “Maybe I went a little too far.”

I made this decision partly because she was a rare case—a Saudi woman studying abroad—and I believed her English would naturally improve over time.
At that point, I had no idea she was actually an influencer with a large following.
In hindsight, it was a complete stroke of luck.

It’s true that my years of business experience helped me sense potential in people,
but honestly, I still think this was a case of pure good fortune.
By coincidence, I happened to be in Cebu at the time—if I had been in Japan as usual, our paths might never have crossed.

2-3. Expansion of the Saudi Market and the Establishment of a Direct Sales Strategy

I discovered that she was actually an influencer with a large following only after she easily achieved her initial student recruitment target in her very first month.

She enrolled in December 2023, and by January 2024, she had already brought in five new students.
By July 2024, she had achieved an incredible milestone—thirty new students in total—earning an incentive trip to Japan as a reward.
This was an outcome I could never have imagined at the end of 2023.

Having her stationed at our school made a huge difference.
We were able to quickly implement cultural accommodations, such as introducing halal food options for Arab students and setting up special direct pricing for the Arab market.
As a result, 3D ACADEMY quickly became recognized as one of the most popular English schools among Saudi students.

In the Arab market, our school adopted a direct sales approach, eliminating the use of agents altogether.
This allowed us to offer tuition rates that other schools simply couldn’t match.

Of course, there are other key factors behind our success in this region.
One of the most important is having Arab staff who truly understand Saudi culture.
Their familiarity with the region’s bargaining customs and the ability to respond flexibly to frequent requests—traits that many Japanese staff find difficult to handle—has been a decisive advantage.

As of November 2025, 3D ACADEMY continues to host more than twenty Saudi students on a regular basis.
Maintaining this level of enrollment is no longer a challenge.
However, if we rely solely on this success, we risk becoming a school attended only by Japanese and Saudi students.

What we need now are strategic results, not coincidences.
That is why I have spent all of 2024 studying and developing our international marketing approach.
The time has finally come to take the next step—laying the foundation for 3D ACADEMY’s global expansion.

To be continued…