<\/p>\n
(Written on November 6, 2025)<\/em><\/p>\n Today, 3D ACADEMY consistently has more than 20 Saudi Arabian students enrolled at any given time. In just two years, we have grown from virtually zero to maintaining a steady group of around twenty students even during the off-season. As mentioned in the previous chapter, one of our school\u2019s biggest strengths is its location<\/strong>. Since founding 3D ACADEMY, I have built and managed the business entirely on my own. When management faces a crisis, the person you can rely on the most is yourself. The first steps I took were to personally respond to all inquiries from our English website<\/strong> and handle every walk-in visitor who wasn\u2019t Japanese<\/strong>. Because of our excellent location, we receive a large number of walk-in visitors. Some staff questioned whether it was appropriate for the school\u2019s top executive to handle these visits directly. I can communicate effectively even with people who have limited English ability.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n I have the authority to make pricing decisions on the spot.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n These two factors often led to immediate enrollment during walk-in consultations.<\/p>\n English proficiency and the ability to communicate in English<\/em> are not the same thing. There are three main reasons I believe my English communication skills are strong:<\/p>\n I consciously speak clearly and with a slightly louder voice when communicating in English.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n I always confirm whether the other person has understood and, if needed, rephrase my explanation using different words.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n I can often interpret what someone meant<\/em> to say, even when their English is incorrect.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n In these areas, I might even be better than some native speakers. If I had to describe my greatest strength in one phrase, it would be this: In December 2023, while handling walk-in inquiries, a Saudi Arabian woman came to our school saying she wanted to study English. When she first visited our school, her English level was very basic. As we spoke, an idea came to my mind: Although detailed negotiations in English were challenging, her confidence and determination impressed me. I made this decision partly because she was a rare case\u2014a Saudi woman studying abroad\u2014and I believed her English would naturally improve over time. It\u2019s true that my years of business experience helped me sense potential in people, I discovered that she was actually an influencer with a large following only after<\/em> she easily achieved her initial student recruitment target in her very first month.<\/p>\n She enrolled in December 2023, and by January 2024, she had already brought in five new students. Having her stationed at our school made a huge difference. In the Arab market, our school adopted a direct sales approach<\/strong>, eliminating the use of agents altogether. Of course, there are other key factors behind our success in this region. As of November 2025, 3D ACADEMY continues to host more than twenty Saudi students on a regular basis. What we need now are strategic results, not coincidences<\/strong>. To be continued\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14092,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[97],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-representative-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Back in November 2023, however, there were at most two\u2014and often none at all.<\/p>\n
This remarkable shift has turned the Saudi Arabian market into an indispensable segment<\/strong> for our school.<\/p>\n
\n2-1. It All Started with Walk-in Inquiries<\/h2>\n
Anyone heading to JY Square Mall can easily find us\u2014just look for PICKUP COFFEE<\/em> right in front of our school entrance, and you won\u2019t get lost.<\/p>\n
So when it came time to attract more international students, the first thing I did was simple:
I decided to personally handle everything myself<\/strong>\u2014emails, visitor inquiries, and even pricing decisions.<\/p>\n
Over more than 20 years of running businesses, I\u2019ve overcome many challenges through my own direct action.
That said, this particular challenge took me two full years to see results\u2014it was a tough journey, and I fully acknowledge that as my own shortcoming.<\/p>\n
Looking back now, that decision turned out to be a major success.<\/p>\n
Some came looking for internship opportunities, but most were potential students who wanted to study English.<\/p>\n
However, there were two key reasons<\/strong> why I was the best person for the job:<\/p>\n\n
\nOn English Communication Skills<\/h3>\n
Although I hold an MBA, I didn\u2019t start studying English seriously until after the age of 40.
My accent isn\u2019t perfect, but I\u2019ve never had trouble communicating in business settings.<\/p>\n\n
In fact, here in the Philippines, I can handle nearly all of my business\u2014lawyers, accountants, partners\u2014entirely in English without difficulty.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ability to communicate effectively with people whose English is limited.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
That encounter turned out to be the beginning of a remarkable relationship\u2014she would later become our Arab Region Manager<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\n2-2. Why I Hired a Saudi Arabian Intern Who Could Barely Speak English<\/h2>\n
Yet, despite her limited language ability, she didn\u2019t back down during price negotiations\u2014she firmly refused the initial rate I offered.<\/p>\n
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?<\/strong>
That would ultimately benefit both her and the school.<\/p>\n
In the end, I agreed\u2014perhaps too easily\u2014to unusually generous terms: a private room and even free electricity.
I still remember thinking afterward, \u201cMaybe I went a little too far.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
At that point, I had no idea she was actually an influencer<\/strong> with a large following.
In hindsight, it was a complete stroke of luck.<\/p>\n
but honestly, I still think this was a case of pure good fortune<\/strong>.
By coincidence, I happened to be in Cebu at the time\u2014if I had been in Japan as usual, our paths might never have crossed.<\/p>\n
\n2-3. Expansion of the Saudi Market and the Establishment of a Direct Sales Strategy<\/h2>\n
By July 2024, she had achieved an incredible milestone\u2014thirty new students in total\u2014earning an incentive trip to Japan as a reward.
This was an outcome I could never have imagined at the end of 2023.<\/p>\n
We were able to quickly implement cultural accommodations, such as introducing halal food options<\/strong> for Arab students and setting up special direct pricing<\/strong> for the Arab market.
As a result, 3D ACADEMY quickly became recognized as one of the most popular English schools among Saudi students<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
This allowed us to offer tuition rates that other schools simply couldn\u2019t match.<\/p>\n
One of the most important is having Arab staff who truly understand Saudi culture<\/strong>.
Their familiarity with the region\u2019s bargaining customs and the ability to respond flexibly to frequent requests\u2014traits that many Japanese staff find difficult to handle\u2014has been a decisive advantage.<\/p>\n
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<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
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\u2014laying the foundation for 3D ACADEMY\u2019s global expansion.<\/p>\n
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