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7 Ways to Deal With Objections and Concerns

May 4th, 2016

black-chalkboard-background-decisionsFor most colleges “Yield Season” extends all the way up to the day new students show up for class. While the majority of prospective students may have made their college selection decision at this point a sizable number are still considering their options. They are still looking at you and other colleges.

As they get to know you and other colleges better they naturally develop positive and negative perceptions. They develop concerns. Even objections. Who knows if those perceptions and concerns are rooted in facts. But they exist. And you have to uncover them and deal with them. Here’s how.

Create well crafted questions, memorize them, and use them verbatim over and over

As you circle back to your admitted student pool it is important to have a strategy for building a relationship in 30 minutes or less. Use highly focused questions that show empathy and reflect your sincere desire to help. “What can I do that would be most helpful to you?” “How are you feeling about this whole college selection process?” “Do you mind if we stay in contact? What’s best for you? Email? Text?”

Put the student at ease

Give the student permission to be open, honest and frank. “I promise you won’t hurt my feelings by telling me …” “To help you I need to ask a few questions. Is that okay?”

Explore the student’s potential fears and motivations

Students may be conflicted about sharing this information until you assure them that it is a natural part of the process. “For a lot of students, picking a college is like riding on an emotional roller coaster. They say that it’s both exciting and stressful. What’s it been like for you? How can I help?”

Dealing with indifference

Students and parents often need to be educated about what they SHOULD consider in selecting a college. “Let me tell three things I see students and parents overlook in college selection that comes back to haunt them later.” Then, present your institution’s strengths in those areas.

Uncovering other colleges in consideration

If you don’t already know, you must find out now both where and why the student is considering another school. Your conversation with the student may go as follows. “A lot of students I talk to say they want a college that provides [name an attribute] and makes them feel [name a feeling]. Would that describe you or do you want different things? Have you found a college yet that offers that to you?” If yes, ask which one(s)? “That’s Yield-Enhancement-Seriesreally interesting. I’m happy for you. Out of curiosity, which colleges are they? And you won’t hurt my feelings if it’s not us.”

Ask how the student discovered these attributes in the college. “How did you come to know or feel that about them?”

Gauge the student’s emotional commitment to one or more colleges. “At this point, where is your heart leading you?”

Turning reluctance into commitment

When a student tells you that they’re still making a decision, respond by asking for more insight into his or her decision-making process. “It’s not uncommon for students to still be considering their options at this point but many say that they’ve narrowed down what’s going to be important to them. What’s going to be most important to you?”

Handling the root causes of “buyer” reluctance

  • Lack of information: “I sense you’re a little uncomfortable taking the next step. When that happens it’s usually because the student needs more information or some assurance. How about you?” Find out what information or assurance is needed.
  • Hidden objections or concerns: “Some students don’t take the next step because there is something they don’t like or they have a concern about something. Is that so for you – I promise you won’t hurt my feelings but it will help me understand.”
  • Withholding their true feelings/plans from you: “Of course, I want what’s best for you. And you can be honest with me because I’ll help you even if we aren’t your chosen school. What are you thinking at this point?”
  • Fear of the unknown: “Some students don’t take the next step just because it’s kind of scary. They’ve never been through it before. However, once they do they feel a huge relief and look back and think ‘That wasn’t that hard after all.’”

In conclusion

In no way do we ever advocate trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. If the student is not a fit for your school, and they’d be better served elsewhere, then by all means it’s your duty to help them find that school. You want students who will be comfortable, happy and successful. Unfortunately, many conversations between counselors and prospective students never reach a depth where the the student WILL be best served. For that to truly happen you have to be prepared to artfully ask penetrating but necessary questions to better understand where the student is in his or her decision-making process and why.

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.

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.

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.

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Posted in Behavior, Closing the Sale, Conversion and Yield, Counselor Training, Worthwhile Reading, Your Value Proposition

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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.

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

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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.

 

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

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Align Your Value With Student Needs [Video]

March 15th, 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.CounselorTrainingSeriesVideos270x150

Every college admission counselor in the country talks about their college’s value proposition.  That’s a given. We all know how important it is to present your college’s unique attributes to prospective students. The question is this:  Are you presenting those distinctive characteristics in a way that has impact? 

In you are using our four-step communication model, (review here) you have gathered all of the information you need to fully understand the needs, preferences and motivations of the prospective student.

Now it’s time to present the value of your institution. It’s time for you to demonstrate how you can deliver what the student wants.

That is why the supporting phase is a critical part of the communications model. Supporting helps the student understand how you can meet their needs and give them exactly what they want.

How do you do it? You acknowledge what they’ve said to you, confirm that your understanding is correct, and then present the specific ways in which your institution can provide what they want and need.

When do you begin the supporting phase of your conversation? After probing, when the student has expressed their needs, you fully understand those needs, and you know that your institution can meet them.

There are many ways to support. However, there are two methods that are simple to implement and highly effective: Third-party validation and telling stories.

Third-Party Validation

Third-party validation involves supporting your promise of value by referencing something or someone the student can relate to and trust.

Using third-party validation as a communications tool has been around for decades, it may even qualify as the original “social media” tool.  As the counselor, you are supporting your promise of value by referencing a trusted expert that the student can relate to and trust. In this case, the “trusted expert” is one or more of your current students who previously grappled with the same concerns or desired the same attributes in a college.

Here is a real-world example shared by a counselor (David) in one of our recent Interactive Training Workshops. David knew that Ashley, a prospective student from a small high school, was very interested in receiving a high-level of personal attention.  He knows that his school can deliver on that promise, but he knows that simply promising it forces Ashley to take his word for it.

Instead, he adds third-party validation to give strength and credibility to his promise. He turns the abstract into something real and relatable.

David said, “I understand your need for personal attention. Let me introduce you to Carey.  She is a junior and an intern in the office here.  She was concerned with the same thing before she enrolled. She found that help and support was abundant on this campus and now says it is one of our strongest attributes.”

Storytelling

Storytelling also serves as a persuasive method of supporting your claims of value. It not only engages the prospective student, it also personalizes what you are telling them. It makes it real and believable.dreamstimestorytelling

There is scientific research that supports the power of storytelling. Leo Widrich, COO and co-founder of Buffer, does a great job of explaining the science in layman’s terms. “If we listen to a PowerPoint presentation with boring bullet points, a certain part in the brain gets activated…Overall, it hits our language processing parts in the brain, where we decode words into meaning. And that’s it, nothing else happens, describes Widrich.“When we are being told a story, things change dramatically. Not only are the language processing parts in our brain activated, but any other area in our brain that we would use when experiencing the events of the story are too.”

I’m sure your college has hundreds, if not thousands, of compelling stories that paint a picture of the great and memorable experiences with you students have had with you.

Record and categorize these stories so that they can be easily shared at the right time, in the right situation, and with the right student. Many of the colleges we work with actually keep a database, sorted by topic, of these narratives and some have even hosted interdepartmental competitions to find the best student success stories.

Most importantly, supporting is the phase of your conversation where a student’s interest either gets stronger or weaker. It’s a pivotal point and you need to employ the proper techniques to get it right.

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.

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Posted in Behavior, Closing the Sale, Conversion and Yield, Counselor Training, Worthwhile Reading, Your Value Proposition

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