Posts Tagged ‘admissions’

Yield Enhancement Series: The Final Push – Overcoming the “Cost Conundrum”

March 4th, 2015

[This is Part 1 of the Yield Enhancement Series: The Final Push, offering actionable and effective strategies for the closing weeks of the yield season.]

There is no better time than right now to consider these key points for sealing the deal with prospective students and parents. A review of findings from our nationwide study, Your Value Proposition: How prospective students and parents perceive value and select colleges provides essential insights you can use today to frame more meaningful conversations with the students in your admit pool.

Cost isn’t always a deal breaker.

Here is a dilemma: In spite of your best efforts and the diligence of your financial aid office, some of your admitted students don’t qualify for as much as they hoped and/or needed. Are you going to lose them to a lesser priced alternative? Not necessarily.

Yes, cost is a factor, an important one, in the college decision process. But it may not be the driving force you have assumed it is. Actually, less than 27% of the students in our current “Excitement Factor” study (with over 13,000 participants) considered cost to be the overriding factor in their ultimate college selection.

Of the three primary drivers of college selection (cost, perceived quality of the institution and the student’s excitement about attending) we found that excitement about attending is much more strongly correlated to likelihood of enrollment than the other two factors. And by “much more” I mean TWICE as much.

From “too expensive” to “totally worth it!”

Even though a student or parent may initially view a college as being “too expensive,” 70% would be likely (25% very likely) to reconsider the college if it can demonstrate greater value. When asked to identify the added value that would be required, numerous students and parents mentioned a scholarship or other financial incentive. However, the majority mentioned added values that are non-monetary such as “greater opportunities,” “job placement,” “better internships,” “superior academics,” and other factors that would make their time at college more enriching, rewarding and enjoyable. Presenting your own college’s unique value proposition in a way that resonates with an individual student is key to overcoming the cost conundrum.

The important conversation colleges are not having.

For most students, colleges are not engaging in a conversation with them prior to enrollment in which the student’s expected or desired value is explicitly discussed. Only 2 in 10 study respondents recall having a discussion with the college about obtaining the highest value from their time and investment. When asked how colleges can best communicate their value, students and parents give widely varying suggestions, indicating that a highly personalized approach is necessary.
The road to graduation is long and has many twists and turns and it all begins with the decision students are making right now. Your challenge is to remain fully and continually connected with them in order to provide the highest level of personal service in all areas that will influence their realization of the full value your college provides.

We are helping colleges with their recruiting efforts every day, especially now during yield season. If I can help you please call or shoot me an email.

Continue the conversation on Twitter @LongmireCo. For more information about Longmire and Company’s Interactive Counselor Training Program, click here. Be sure to Subscribe to Versions of Conversion today so you don’t miss any of this highly-valuable information.

Karen Full is a highly-respected higher education professional who has held positions in admissions and enrollment management at several institutions in the Midwest and Florida. With her vast experience working with large and small, public and private colleges, Karen brings a valuable perspective to her role as an Enrollment Strategist at Longmire and Company. Call Karen at 913/492.1265 x.711 or email her at kfull@longmire-co.com. Follow Karen on Twitter @KarenAFull.

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Posted in Behavior, Closing the Sale, Conversion and Yield, Parents

Tags: admission counselor training admissions admissions customer service admissions success brand management college admissions college presidents college recruitment higher education branding higher education marketing higher education strategies higher education value longmire longmire and company Longmire and Company study staff training value proposition yield enhancement

Yield Enhancement Series: This “Tune-up” Preps Your Team for Success

March 2nd, 2015

In the world of college admissions, the next few weeks are critical. By the end of April, just eight short weeks from now, nearly 80% of college-bound students will have made an emotional commitment to the college of their choice. Is your team ready for the work ahead? Yield-Enhancement-Series

Sure, they have traveled to dozens of high schools, met with thousands of prospective students and read a mind-numbing number of applications and essays, but are they truly ready to perform at their highest level during what is arguably the most crucial point in the college selection cycle?

If you think you, or your team, could use a “tune-up,” consider these three key points:

Time for a Goal Check-up

The most accomplished college admissions teams set goals and develop the strategies and action items that will help to achieve those goals. Most likely, this is something you did many months ago, but have you revisited them lately? Do you need to revise some of your strategies?

Top-performing admissions professionals clearly define their goals and metrics and they measure their performance. Regularly. Doing so enables them to see what is working and what is not, so that they can make positive changes for greater success.

Own it!

Highly-effective admissions professionals recognize that they have a huge impact on the financial well-being of the institution. As a member of the admissions team, you have a significant responsibility whether you are a counselor, an admissions support person, or the person who greets prospective students and parents at the front door in order to make a great first impression.

Your role can be compared to that of any entrepreneur in a start-up or well established company. Your responsibilities and input, like theirs, significantly influences the success and revenue of your college. Each and every day your accomplishments and the choices you make have a considerable impact.

We have found that the most successful admissions teams are comprised of people who take an entrepreneurial approach to their jobs. Regardless of their position, or their territory, or the pool of students they are responsible for, they approach their jobs as though they are building a business. They “own it.”

Like any entrepreneur, you should keep your antenna up to spot trends in the marketplace and know your unique place in that market. You have to effectively manage your time – the most valuable resource you have – to make sure it’s being allocated to deliver the best possible return. You have to constantly look for “better ways” and not be afraid to apply them to your process or suggest them to the team. You have to constantly develop yourself professionally. Read. Share ideas. Embrace new ways of doing things.

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” — Lou Holtz

This is probably the most demanding time of year for admissions professionals. On one hand, you may be feeling more than a little stressed and overworked, and you may well be running on adrenaline. On the other, you are enthusiastic about your college and are driven to accomplish your goals. The right attitude will make all the difference in how successful you are in the coming weeks. And, since attitude tends to be “contagious,” you will also be influencing your entire department.

We talked about how important your role is to your college, but equally important is your role to the students you serve. When you need a little attitude-adjustment, just remember this: Helping a student find the right college fit can be life-changing for him or her. You make that happen!

Continue the conversation on Twitter @LongmireCo. Need more yield strategies? Talk to us about our Yield Enhancement (YES) tools. For more information about Longmire and Company’s Interactive Counselor Training Program, click here. Be sure to Subscribe to Versions of Conversion today so you don’t miss any of this highly-valuable information.

Bob 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.

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

Tags: admission counselor training admissions admissions counselors admissions customer service admissions success college admissions enrollment enrollment management finding the right college fit higher ed higher education marketing higher education strategies longmire and company Longmire and Company study staff training yield enhancement

Yield Enhancement Series: Do the Students in Your Admit Pool Know Your Name?

February 25th, 2015

Ask yourself this: Do the students in my admit pool know me by name?

If you confidently answered “YES,” congratulations! You have most likely established a relationship with each of the students you are hoping to enroll. If, like many admissions counselors, the answer to that question is “no,” or “I don’t know,” you have some work to do.

I know you are thinking: “But I have 250, 500, 2500 (insert your number here) students in my admit pool! How can I be expected to know every one of them?” Most likely, if you were given a few minutes to pull your files and review your notes, you would be able to offer a synopsis of any one of those admitted students. And, no matter how many students you are working with, there are some that stand out so distinctly that you could rattle their names and stats off the top of your head. Yield-Enhancement-Series

But, is your name on their minds? You may have dozens or hundreds of names to track, but the typical prospective student will only have a handful.

Right now, you are the face of your college or university to the students in your admit pool. Successful admission professionals know that developing a connection with a student can greatly increase his or her commitment to the college and improve the likelihood of enrollment. In the midst of yield season, they know that strengthening that bond is crucial.

Want proof of the importance of your personal relationship with a student? Consider this: In our most recent nationally co-sponsored study, The Excitement Factor, we asked 12,000 college-bound students if the colleges they were considering had taken a personal interest in them at any point in the recruiting process. The response was shocking. Two-thirds said “No” or “Don’t Remember” and in our view “Don’t remember” is the same as “No.” (If you want a copy of the full report when it’s released, just click here.) Personal_Interest_460x287

I have spent over 20 years in the higher education field, and have experienced firsthand the joys of helping students find their perfect fit. One of those special connections happened when I was an admissions director during a particularly challenging yield season.

It was a warm spring day when a woman walked into our offices with a giant smile on her face and a gorgeous, gourmet chocolate cheesecake in her arms. After introducing herself as the mother of a newly-enrolled student, she asked to speak to Julie, one of our superstar admissions counselors. As she presented Julie with the cheesecake she said, “I just want to thank you and your staff for helping my son through the admission’s process. He has officially enrolled and we are all so excited for him!” She explained that they had initially found the entire process to be overwhelming but “you were so patient and responsive that it took a lot of the stress off of us. Every single person that Brandon came into contact with here was so kind and helpful. It made the decision so much easier,” she added.

In case you are wondering, that chocolate cheesecake was delicious but not nearly as sweet as the taste of success our whole team felt that day.

If I can help you with your recruiting efforts in any way, please feel free to call or email me. I would love to talk to you about our powerful and effective Yield Enhancement System (YES). My contact information is at the bottom of this post.

Continue the conversation on Twitter @LongmireCo. Be sure to Subscribe to Versions of Conversion today so you don’t miss any of this highly-valuable information.

Call Karen at 913/492.1265 x.711 or email her at kfull@longmire-co.com. Follow Karen on Twitter @KarenAFull.

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Posted in Closing the Sale, Conversion and Yield

Tags: admission counselor training admissions admissions counselors admissions customer service admissions success college recruitment enrollment management finding the right college fit higher ed higher ed marketing higher education marketing higher education strategies longmire longmire and company Longmire and Company study staff training yield enhancement

Yield Enhancement Series: Improve Pre-enrollment Service for Greater Yield

February 24th, 2015

A single, isolated incident can change everything. Just ask Liz, an admissions counselor who had been working with a certain prospective student for several months. “Joe is a bright kid,” she told me recently. “He is passionate about biology and was really excited about our top-notch science department. He’d had a great conversation with one of our biology professors and a good visit with a third-year student who is microbiology major. We seemed like the perfect fit for him. I was absolutely sure he would enroll. Then, something happened….” Yield-Enhancement-Series

What happened was that Joe and his parents had less than a stellar experience on their recent campus visit. Specifically, the campus “grounds appeared unkempt, the restrooms were unclean, and some staff members were not helpful or friendly.” This is what Joe’s mother told Liz after he enrolled at another university.

As an admissions professional, you know how crucial first impressions can be. In our national co-sponsored study, Pre-Enrollment Service Study: How customer service delivery during the recruiting cycle influences enrollment, we found that over 53% of students and parents say that the pre-enrollment service they receive from a college influences their selection decision.

They also say that service is one of the best ways to differentiate one college from another. The fact is: Prospective students and parents view the pre-enrollment service they receive as predictive of how the student will be served after enrollment. They will avoid colleges that exhibit bad service during the “college shopping” process.

Certainly, every communication, every interaction, every brand touch- point with a prospective student and/or parent has the potential to make or break the relationship that you have worked so hard to establish.

You may know this, but does every other member of the team? And, by “team,” I mean every person at your college whose actions may influence the enrollment decision. Certainly, interactions with faculty, admissions and financial aid are critical, but many schools are surprised to find the impact that campus maintenance, grounds keeping, security and even the switchboard operators can have on creating a lasting impression. SQM_Logo_160x120

Colleges and universities that score the highest in pre-enrollment service are those that view prospective students and their parents as important customers. They typically engage every person on campus in a customer service plan with clear and actionable instructions and objectives. Most importantly, they express to each person how key their role is, and offer specific ways they can help the institution improve provide the best possible customer service.

The research suggests that for most colleges, improved pre-enrollment service offers an immediate opportunity to differentiate themselves in a highly-competitive marketplace. Best time to start the process? Today!

Longmire and Company offers Service Quality Management (SQM) to help you achieve these goals. Contact me today and I will show you how we can help you measure and manage your pre-enrollment service. Continue the conversation on Twitter @LongmireCo.

Click this link for more information about Longmire and Company’s Yield Enhancement System (YES). [Subscribe to Versions of Conversion today so you don’t miss any of this highly-valuable information.]

Rick 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.