Posts Tagged ‘admissions counselors’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Actionable Data to Increase Yield NOW!

April 18th, 2016

Yield-Enhancement-SeriesNo matter what you call it, Yield Season, Crunch Time or The Finish Line, it’s NOW.  Take a deep breath and keep on reading.  We have new actionable information that will guide you toward greater success in the days and weeks ahead.

Our new research reveals that a student’s college selection is tied closely to the strength of the relationship they build with a college over time. Contributing to the overall relationship are interactions a prospective student has with current students, professors, admission counselors, and even people in points across campus and beyond that are unknown to the admission office.

The more than 12,000 college-bound students nationwide who participated in our most recent co-sponsored study, The Relationship Dynamic, offer insights on what will, and will not, lead them to selecting your college.  Study results will be released next month but we are sharing some key findings with you today.

When is the bond with a college sealed?

Over 70% of students told us that the relationship they built with their college of choice had a major influence on their enrollment decision. For the purpose of this study, we defined “relationship” as the student’s emotional connection to, affinity with, or excitement about attending.

Blog Yield Relationship TimelineIn the graph on the right, you will note that more prospective students identify April as the month they bonded with a college. In a previous study, The Excitement Factor, we asked students to tell us the month they made their final college selection decision. That chart looks exactly like the one on the right. Their final decision is in perfect alignment with the realization of a relationship. Clearly, when a student feels their connection with a college, they are quick to claim it as their own.

Another interesting thing about this chart: about 20% of students will develop a bond with their chosen college after May. That suggests how much potential there is to connect with students and win their enrollment during the summer. It also suggests that the lack of a relationship may foreshadow melt.

Now is the time to ask each and every student in your pool this crucial question: “At this point, how strong a bond do you feel with us?”

If you get the answer you want, terrific. But, if not, follow-up with questions that will help you better understand the student and lead to a successful conclusion for both the student and your college:

  • “Do you feel you’ve developed a relationship with any college?”
  • “What about that school is exciting to you?”
  • “What can I show you here that you really want to see?”
  • “Who can I introduce you to that will tell you what it’s like to attend here?”

Yes, these are very direct questions. Counselors often hold themselves back from asking penetrating questions because they’re concerned that students will perceive them as being intrusive. That’s unfortunate. For both the counselor and the student.

Blog Yield Action Item 1Admissions counselors who employ the direct approach tell us that they are often surprised by the depth of the answers they get when they specifically ask about a student’s level of excitement and the bonds they have with one or more colleges.

Not only do they get a real-time assessment of what the student is feeling, but they frequently uncover the ONE THING that will turn an admitted prospect into an enrolled student. It’s simple, effective and a WIN-WIN for all.

Now is the time to present your college’s value in a way that has meaning to the individual student you are addressing.

Blog Yield Action Item 2

If you have been creating a relationship with the prospective student, you already know a great deal about his or her specific interests, goals and personality traits.  In truth, at this point in the cycle you may only be half way to understanding what is going to drive the student to select you.

You still need to know how their feelings and emotions are going to influence their college selection. The only way to do that is by having a conversation in which you can ask questions that will reveal what is important to them emotionally.

Try this: The next time you’re talking to a prospective student, ask this simple question, “On a 10-high scale, what’s your excitement level about coming to our school?” Give them permission to be honest by telling them that they won’t hurt your feelings. If you get an answer that’s anything less than a 10, follow up with the sincere and honest question, “What would get you to a 10?” Listen to what they say. Listen for how you can help them.

We help colleges and universities with their recruiting efforts every day, especially now during yield season. If we can help you, please let me know. If you’ve thought about helping your staff with professional development, now is the ideal time to train and motivate your staff. Email or call me if you are interested in how we can help. Continue the conversation on Twitter @LongmireCo. For more information about Longmire and Company and the tools we have to offer, click here. Be sure to subscribe to Versions of Conversion today so you can stay up-to-date.

RickMontgomery_100x100Rick Montgomery is as an Enrollment Strategist at Longmire and Company. With over 20 years in higher education marketing, he brings an innovative and dynamic approach to helping colleges and universities meet their enrollment goals. Rick can be reached at 913/492.1265 x.708 or via email at rmontgomery@longmire-co.com.

Comments Off on Actionable Data to Increase Yield NOW! »

Posted in Campus Visits, Closing the Sale, Conversion and Yield, Counselor Training, Research, Your Value Proposition

Tags:

It’s Okay to Ask for the Order [Video]

March 29th, 2016

We recently launched a series of free video training tutorials on our website and YouTube channel aimed at making your counselors even better at their jobs. On our website you’ll find an ever growing list of admission counselor tutorials. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more tutorials, powerful data from national co-sponsored studies and interviews with some of your peers.

 CounselorTrainingSeriesVideos270x150Let’s take a moment and focus on the critical final step in the model of communication that will lead to higher yield for your college or university: CLOSING.

Did you cringe? Some readers may be thinking, “I am not in sales. I work for a highly-respected college.” I agree! That’s not what closing is about.

In the college admissions process, closing simply means getting the student to take the next logical step on the path to enrolling. That might mean asking the student to schedule a campus visit. Or complete an application. Or agree to meet students of like mind and interests on your campus.

In admissions we’re not in the business of imposing something on someone. We’re in the business of understanding how the student can best be served and suggesting the next logical step in providing the service we know they’ll benefit from. Many prospective students and parents have never been through this complex process of selecting a college. They need us to tell them what a good next step would be and why. And if we don’t do that for them then we’re not serving them well. If we don’t take charge then we’re not doing our duty for them or our institution.

There are many milestones on the path to enrolling. But in every conversation you have with a prospective student or parent, whether it is the first or the fifth, you should end with a suggestion that the student take the next logical step.

If the student indicates that a roadblock exists, you have to uncover his or her objection or concern. You may find that the objection or concern is rooted in a lack of information or a false assumption that the student or parent may have about your institution. You will never uncover that without asking for the next step and, if they resist, asking why. (You wouldn’t believe all of the funny false assumptions that counselors have told us they’ve heard from prospective students who didn’t want to take the next step. One Florida counselor told us a student didn’t want to move forward because she’d heard alligators sometimes get in the women’s dorm. The counselor assured her that she’d be safe from that.)

Many counselors tell us they are apprehensive about closing. They feel as though they are being intrusive or pushy by asking the student to take some action.

In truth, closing is a natural part of the dialogue. For the student, it signals the college’s desire to recruit them. They expect counselors to ask them to take action so it’s no surprise to them when they do. As a matter of fact, we have found that some students are disappointed when they are not asked to make some kind of commitment to the college. It signals a lack of desire on the part of the college.

Have you ever heard the expression, “Don’t get in your own way?” That is exactly what you are doing if you fail to ask for the close. Most counselors say that once they got into the habit of closing they were surprised at how many times prospective students happily agreed to take the next suggested step.


Closing, like the three other elements we have outlined in the model of communication, ensures you the most productive conversations with students.  Embrace the model, and you and the students you serve will be more successful.

Longmire and Company’s on-campus Interactive Training Workshops dramatically improve the performance of counselors and staff in areas such as effective communication with students and parents, applying creative entrepreneurship to their jobs, validating past and planned actions against outcomes, and discovering and leveraging the motivations of students (and themselves).

The end result is improved service to prospective students and families, measurable increases in yield, increased counselor and staff job satisfaction, enhanced teamwork, and innovations in work process within the department.

If you’ve thought about helping your staff with professional development, now is the ideal time to train and motivate your staff. Email or call me if you are interested in how we can help. Continue the conversation on Twitter @LongmireCo. For more information about Longmire and Company and the tools we have to offer, click here. Be sure to subscribe to Versions of Conversion today so you can stay up-to-date.

RHL_Photo_100x100Bob Longmire is President of Longmire and Company, Inc. He is a recognized expert on the topic of how prospective students and parents form their college selection decisions – and how colleges can use that knowledge to grow and control their enrollment. He can be reached at (913) 492-1265, ext 709 or at blongmire@longmire-co.com. Connect with Bob at Linkedin/in/boblongmire.

Comments Off on It’s Okay to Ask for the Order [Video] »

Posted in Closing the Sale, Conversion and Yield, Counselor Training, Organizational development

Tags:

Uncovering Hidden Objections Will Transform Your Conversations With Prospective Students [Video]

March 22nd, 2016

We recently launched a series of free video training tutorials on our website and YouTube channel aimed at making your counselors even better at their jobs. On our website you’ll find an ever growing list of admission counselor tutorials. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more tutorials, powerful data from national co-sponsored studies and interviews with some of your peers.

CounselorTrainingSeriesVideos270x150Would you be surprised to learn that many students in your admit pool are withholding something from you?  What if that “secret” is the one thing that could derail their plan to enroll at your college? Maybe it’s a concern. Or something they simply don’t like about your college. It may be a negative perception that’s based on a false assumption. It could be something huge or it may be something small, but it is something you need to know.

We have found that nearly every prospective student has a hidden concern or objection that could disrupt their path to enrolling. Even the most skilled admissions counselors often find it difficult to uncover these “secrets.” Typically, students don’t open up and share their concerns for one of two reasons: A) Your prospective students are genuinely kind and don’t want to hurt your feelings, or B) they are concerned they will reveal something that will hurt their chance of being admitted.
They may not tell you but they have told us. We provide a tool called the Yield Enhancement System (YES) that gathers key information from students at a crucial point in their college selection process – after they have applied. YES gathers candid information from students in a college’s admit pool about their needs, preferences, perceptions and plans, including which colleges are truly under final consideration and what they are most concerned about.

Over the years we’ve asked more than a million college-bound students two simple questions: What are your top-three colleges and what are your positive and negative impressions of each?

Very often, we find that the one thing troubling the prospective student is actually a misconception. We see this time and time again, even among those students who completed extensive research, toured the campus and received exceptional one-on-one counseling. And, almost always, the concerns can be addressed and overcome, if only you, the counselor, can uncover them.

You can uncover hidden objections and help the student make an informed decision about which institution is the best fit for him or her. Skillful probing is the key to uncovering the things that may be holding a student back from making a final commitment. Give him or her permission to open up: “At this point, most students I meet have at least one major concern. It is a normal part of the process. What is yours?” Sometimes it’s the student’s misunderstanding about a fact. Sometimes it’s a false assumption.

Probing with open-ended questions and attentive listening will also help you peel back the layers of the underlying issue and allow you to remove a doubt or a fear.  The student who was worried about getting lost on a large campus? A quick walk of the campus with the counselor was all it took to change her mind. And, the student who was concerned about a lack of social activity? That vanished when the counselor introduced him to several students who shared his interests.

For a quick video tutorial on another highly-effective technique for revealing and dealing with hidden concerns, watch here.

A highly-personalized approach is most important at this stage of the recruiting cycle. The goal is to best serve the student by truly understanding what he or she needs and wants. Ultimately, that will make both you and the student more successful. One of the keys is to address potential objections and concerns head-on. It must be part of your conversations with prospective students.

Longmire and Company’s on-campus Interactive Training Workshops dramatically improve the performance of counselors and staff in areas such as effective communication with students and parents, applying creative entrepreneurship to their jobs, validating past and planned actions against outcomes, and discovering and leveraging the motivations of students (and themselves).

The net result? Improved service to prospective students and families, measurable increases in yield, increased counselor and staff job satisfaction, enhanced teamwork, and innovations in work process within the department.

If you’ve thought about helping your staff with professional development, now is the ideal time to train and motivate your staff. Email or call me if you are interested in how we can help. Continue the conversation on Twitter @LongmireCo. For more information about Longmire and Company and the tools we have to offer, click here. Be sure to subscribe to Versions of Conversion today so you can stay up-to-date.

RickMontgomery_100x100Rick Montgomery is as an Enrollment Strategist at Longmire and Company. With over 20 years in higher education marketing, he brings an innovative and dynamic approach to helping colleges and universities meet their enrollment goals. Rick can be reached at 913/492.1265 x.708 or via email at rmontgomery@longmire-co.com.

 

Comments Off on Uncovering Hidden Objections Will Transform Your Conversations With Prospective Students [Video] »

Posted in Behavior, Campus Visits, Closing the Sale, Conversion and Yield, Counselor Training, Uncategorized, Your Value Proposition

Tags:

The Best Conversations with Prospective Students Begin with this Simple Skill

February 10th, 2016

In our work with admission staffs across the country we find that counselors often underutilize – or don’t understand – the most important recruiting tool available to them in talking with prospective students. Probing. It’s part art, part science. But when mastered it provides counselors with a gateway into understanding what the prospective student wants and needs in a college. And it helps uncover which of the college’s value propositions will most likely resonate with the student.

CounselorTrainingSeriesVideos270x150Performed with skill and empathy, probing leads to richer conversations. Both the student and college are better served. Through great conversations with counselors the student often discovers things that are, or should be, important to them. Likewise, counselors uncover ways their college can deliver value and service that will not only attract the student but also set the stage for their success.

“Probing” simply means asking a lot of questions. Most admission counselors will tell you that they do that. In reality, they don’t. The majority of counselors simply don’t cover a sufficient number of topics with a prospective student. They don’t ask the right questions and they don’t delve deeply enough to fully understand what will influence the student’s college selection decision.

When Longmire and Company visits campuses to conduct Interactive Training Workshops, we focus on the tools and techniques that counselors must use to put students in a frame of mind to open up and answer questions. This includes proper use of close-end, open-end, and open-minded questions that spark dialogue – even from otherwise non-verbal prospects.

We use role-playing extensively. We force counselors to probe for 10 minutes! They can’t talk about the college. They can ONLY ask questions. They have to open a broad range of topics of conversation (e.g. parents, academic interests, non-academic interests, feelings, fears, experiences, assumptions, false assumptions, and any other factors or perceptions that will influence their college selection). WOW! Say counselors after trying this. That’s hard!

Of course it is. Because they’re used to talking about their college more than they talk about the student.

Proper probing technique fixes that. It translates into better service to the student and higher yields for the college.

Check out this video tutorial on The Power of Probing. It will start you on the path of building a bond with prospective students and that is the surest way to best serve that student and your college.

This is the second in our recently launched series of free video training tutorials on our website and YouTube channel aimed at making your counselors even better at their jobs. On our website you’ll find an ever growing list of admission counselor tutorials. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more tutorials, powerful data from national co-sponsored studies and interviews with some of your peers.

I can guarantee one thing. A prospective student will engage, comprehend and remember any conversation that hits them at an emotional level. That’s the goal. And probing lays the foundation for that to happen.

If you’ve thought about helping your staff with professional development, now is the ideal time to train and motivate your staff. Email or call me if we can help you.

Continue the conversation on Twitter@LongmireCo. For more information about Longmire and Company and the tools we have to offer, click here. Be sure to subscribe to Versions of Conversion today so you can stay up-to-date.

RickMontgomery_100x100Rick Montgomery is as an Enrollment Strategist at Longmire and Company. With over 20 years in higher education marketing, he brings an innovative and dynamic approach to helping colleges and universities meet their enrollment goals. Rick can be reached at 913/492.1265 x.708 or via email at rmontgomery@longmire-co.com.

 

Comments Off on The Best Conversations with Prospective Students Begin with this Simple Skill »

Posted in Closing the Sale, Conversion and Yield, Counselor Training, Organizational development

Tags: