Posts Tagged ‘higher education strategies’

Enrollment Planners: Creating Excitement Will Drive Enrollment!

July 15th, 2015

I will be in Chicago this week to make an appearance at the ACT 30th Annual Enrollment Planners Conference. With a full day of pre-conference workshops followed by more than 60 practitioner-focused sessions and nationally known speakers addressing the latest topics in student recruitment and retention, the ACT Enrollment Planners conference is always a very rewarding professional development experience.

Rick Montgomery, from the Longmire and Company team, and I will be joining Cathy Heinz, Purdue University, Director- Enrollment Management Communications, and Rachel Balows, University of Denver, Associate Director of Admission and Communication, to present: ”The Excitement Factor: Drive Enrollment by Creating Student Excitement.”

This is sure to be an enlightening and thought-provoking session where we’ll present the findings and implications from a groundbreaking study, The Excitement Factor! The research revealed that a prospective student’s excitement about attending a college is more highly correlated to enrollment than either cost or the perceived quality of the institution. Purdue and University of Denver are two of the more than 40 colleges across the United States who cosponsored the study, which generated more than 13,000 respondents.

We are looking forward to taking a deeper dive into the data that was uncovered in this study. This is actionable information that will help enrollment professionals better understand the environments in which student excitement is created, the people on campus who create it, points in the recruiting cycle where it is most frequently created, and specific methods and messages that are most and least effective in creating a student’s excitement about your college.

Most importantly, Cathy from Purdue and Rachel of the University of Denver, will be sharing specific strategies that any college or university can use today to increase the excitement factor and grow enrollment.

Attending the ACT Enrollment Planners Conference? Join us Thursday, 9:45 – 10:45 a.m. in the Armitage Room on the 4^th floor. If not, you can follow the conference on Twitter @ACTepc and #ACTEPC. If you are interested in learning more about The Excitement Factor, you can DOWNLOAD the full report now. Or, better yet, call or email us and we will provide a comprehensive presentation of the data for you and your staff.

We recently announced the launch of our new co-sponsored study, “The Relationship Dynamic: How prospective students form a relationship with your college, and why it matters in your ability to grow and control enrollment.” This study is a partnership of private and public colleges and universities from across the country seeking powerful data about building the types of relationships with prospective students that will lead to enrollment. CLICK HERE to learn more about getting involved in this new study.

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.

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. Connect with Bob at Linkedin/in/boblongmire.

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Posted in Closing the Sale, Conversion and Yield, Counselor Training, Organizational development, Research, Your Value Proposition

Tags: ACT ACT Enrollment Planners Conference ACTepc admission counselor training admissions counselors admissions customer service admissions success college college admissions college branding college costs college enrollment college presidents college recruiting college recruitment EMChat enrollment management higher education branding higher education marketing higher education strategies longmire and company Longmire and Company study Purdue University of Denver

Enlightening, Surprising, (and Sometimes Shocking), Insights From Recent Higher Ed Admissions Studies

June 18th, 2015

We recently announced the launch of our new co-sponsored study, “The Relationship Dynamic: How prospective students form a relationship with your college, and why it matters in your ability to grow and control enrollment.”

This study is a partnership of private and public colleges and universities from across the country seeking powerful data about building the types of relationships with prospective students that will lead to enrollment. This is the seventh co-sponsored study we have facilitated in the past six years in an effort to help enrollment management professionals dive deeply into the heart of the issues impacting our industry. CLICK HERE to learn more about getting involved in this new study.

Our most recent studies have uncovered many enlightening, surprising, and sometimes, even shocking, insights about the college shopping process. Adept admissions professionals consider these findings opportunities to differentiate their own college in the minds of the students they are recruiting. Here are just a few examples:

Enlightening….
A student’s first choice school is very likely to change.

Roughly 40% of students from the pools of public and private colleges swap out their former first choice school with another institution during their college selection process. This happens in about 25% of cases for prospective community college students.

Surprising….
Your college’s perception can be changed 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”, and “superior academics.”

Shocking….
Prospective students and their parents rank college pre-enrollment service lower than the post office, Walmart and their cell phone providers.

Nationally, students and parents gave colleges and universities a rating of 6.83 in overall service during the college selection process. Compare that to the American Customer Satisfaction Index that reports the United States Postal Service receives an average rating of 7.4, banks earn a rating of 7.6, hospitals 7.7, wireless telephone providers 7.1, and discount stores 7.6. Need I say more?

More Shocking….
That prospective student you are working so hard to recruit? He or she thinks you don’t really care.

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.” (You can DOWNLOAD the full report now.)

“The Excitement Factor!” revealed 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. Additionally, students revealed that they can, and do, form strong connections with colleges that lead to enrollment without ever stepping foot on campus.

Building relationships is a complex, nuanced and powerful part of student recruitment. Colleges are asking what they can do to influence relationship-building with their prospective students in all aspects of their recruitment efforts, from social media to personal contact. And, they want to know how to involve all influencers, on or off campus, in the development of rich relationships with prospective students.

Join this partnership of highly-respected colleges and universities and here’s what you’ll learn about the prospective students in your pool:

When the relationship building process begins, the subsequent timeline, and milestones
Why students form a bond with one college and not another
The types of conversations and interactions that bind a student to a college
How admission counselors and others on campus can be more effective as relationship builders
How differing forms of communication help to cultivate relationships (personal interaction, email, social media, direct mail, and more)
Identifying psychographic segments of students and the types of relationships they seek with colleges
How people and methods outside the control of the college impact relationship building and how you can leverage those influences

Co-sponsors find our studies valuable because of the wealth of information they gain – information they can use to drive action and change. And because these studies attract a high number of co-sponsoring institutions they are extremely affordable, costing a fraction of the expense of an individual research project.

For more information, download detailed information about the study by CLICKING HERE or call us at 913/492.1265 x.701.

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.

Rick Montgomery is as an Enrollment Strategist at Longmire and Company. With over 20 years in higher education marketing, he brings an innovative 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.

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Posted in Conversion and Yield, Counselor Training, Organizational development, Research

Tags: admission counselor training admissions admissions counselors admissions customer service admissions success brand management college college admissions college branding college enrollment college presidents college recruiting college recruitment customer service training EMChat enrollment finding the right college fit higher ed higher ed marketing higher education marketing higher education strategies longmire and company Longmire and Company study value proposition yield enhancement

Admitted Student Fence Sitters? Lift (Don’t Nudge) Them Toward Enrollment

June 9th, 2015

It never fails: As summer approaches we visit with a number of college enrollment managers who are still working frantically to finalize their incoming class. The question they ask us most often is, “How can I coach my staff to nudge prospective students off the fence?”

Our answer: When someone is stuck they need more than a nudge, they need to be lifted over that fence. The bottom line is that when you are working with a non-committed student in the late stage of the cycle, you can be certain that there’s a concern or objection that hasn’t been addressed. And, no matter where you are in the recruiting cycle, it is a GOOD thing when a prospective student or parent communicates a concern or objection about your college. Really.

When a concern or objection is revealed, you can deal with it. If they don’t share their concerns, they’ll never enroll and you’ll never know why. There are several great ways to cope with objections and concerns. But the first thing you have to do is to determine whether they exist.

The easiest way to do this is simply to ask.

Ask the student whether they have any concerns or questions that would prevent them from attending your school. If they acknowledge that concerns exist, you have to isolate each one and respond to it.

Questions, concerns, objections and indifference almost always arise during the college shopping process. And they vary widely. We train admission counselors in a variety of effective methods to manage each type. One of our favorite techniques is called the “Feel, Felt, Found” method of responding to a student’s concern.

Let’s take the student who is “fence sitting” about enrolling for classes that begin in just two months. Your previous conversations have gone well and you have been told that your college is a likely choice but the student has failed to take the final step. It’s time to probe for the core concern and you should be direct.

You ask, “What’s holding you back?”

The student replies, “My high school is pretty small and everybody knows each other. Your campus is SO big. I’m afraid I’ll get lost in all these people.”

With “Feel, Felt, Found” you can reassure them by saying, “I understand how you feel. I’ve talked to a lot of students from small high schools who felt the same way you do …

… In fact, Ashley, who interns in our admissions office, felt that same way before she enrolled here …

… But after coming, she found out how easy it is to meet people and form close friendships with students on our campus who have similar interests. I’m sure that will happen for you, too. Let’s get you signed up to attend our freshman retreat in July where you’ll make friends with students from big and small high schools.”

“Feel, Felt, Found” helps to dissolve a concern or objection by confirming that others had similar concerns that turned out to be unfounded. Often, it’s all you need to lift a student over the fence and onto the exciting next chapter of his or her life.

We teach new and experienced counselors how to work smarter, recruit more effectively and, most importantly, adopt a student-centric approach to everything they do.

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. From my many years in enrollment management, I know that summer is the ideal time to train and motivate your staff. Email or call me if you are interested in how we can help you have a powerhouse admissions team.

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.

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, Counselor Training

Tags: #highered #highereducation #enrollment management admission counselor training admissions admissions customer service admissions success college college admissions college branding college enrollment college presidents college recruiting college recruitment customer service training EMChat enrollment management higher ed higher ed marketing higher education branding higher education marketing higher education strategies longmire longmire and company Longmire and Company study sales training staff training yield enhancement

Join Other Colleges and Team Up for An Important New Study

June 3rd, 2015

Last week we launched our new co-sponsored study, “The Relationship Dynamic: How prospective students form a relationship with your college, and why it matters in your ability to grow and control enrollment.”

We have begun the college co-sponser sign-up process and in this short period of time it looks like this may be our largest nationally co-sponsored study yet (topping the 40 colleges that participated in last year’s study, “The Excitement Factor!”).

Now, you can join a number of highly-respected colleges and universities including Hofstra, Purdue, University of Denver, Eastern Michigan University, University of Findlay, Eastern Kentucky, and Westminster College (PA) that have already jumped on board to get powerful data about building the types of relationships with prospective students that will lead to enrollment. We anticipate north of 45 to 50 public, private, and community colleges participating. And we always get a good mix of schools in terms of geography and size which allows for peer comparisons.

As admission professionals, we know that creating a connection with a student can greatly increase the likelihood of his or her enrollment. We know that building relationships and continually strengthening those bonds is crucial. But big questions remain unanswered: “What can I do to influence relationship-building with prospective students in all aspects of our recruitment efforts, from social media to personal contact?” “How can I involve all influencers, on or off campus, in the development of rich relationships with our prospective students?” And, “have we, or have we not, built bonds with our pool of prospective students?”

If you jump in with our other co-sponsoring institutions, here’s what you’ll learn about the prospective students in your pool:

When the relationship building process begins, the subsequent timeline, and milestones
Why students form a bond with one college and not another
The types of conversations and interactions that bind a student to a college
How admission counselors and others on campus can be more effective as relationship builders
How differing forms of communication help to cultivate relationships (personal interaction, email, social media, direct mail, and more)
Identifying psychographic segments of students and the types of relationships they seek with colleges
How people and methods outside the control of the college impact relationship building and how you can leverage those influences

Co-sponsors find our studies valuable because of the wealth of information they gain – information they can use to drive action and change. And becuase these studies attract a high number of co-sponsoring institutions they are extremely affordable, costing a fraction of the expense of an individual research project.

For more information, download detailed information about the study by CLICKING HERE or call us at 913/492.1265 x.701.

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.

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Posted in Conversion and Yield, Counselor Training, Organizational development, Research, Your Value Proposition

Tags: admission counselor training admissions admissions counselors admissions customer service admissions success brand management college college admissions college branding college enrollment college presidents college recruiting college recruitment enrollment management higher ed higher ed marketing higher ed research higher education best practices higher education branding higher education marketing higher education strategies longmire longmire and company Longmire and Company study yield enhancement