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Focus Group Reveals Hidden Influences in College Selection

July 13th, 2016

Our national higher education co-sponsored studies always yield new market intelligence that contribute to a college’s ability to grow and control enrollment. I think our newly-launched study will be the most important one to-date. I’m going to tell you why but first let me state the obvious.

Dean_Libutti_QuotationWe know that prospective students don’t always tell us what they really think. Sometimes they don’t want to be completely honest because they think they’ll hurt our feelings. Or, they really just don’t care that much about us even though they tell us they do.

To explore the roots of this reality Longmire and Company has launched our latest co-sponsored study: “Hidden Influences: Revealing the unspoken perceptions that prospective students have about your college and why it matters in your ability to grow and control enrollment.”

This study is going to dive deeply into uncovering the things students hold back from colleges during the college shopping process and, more importantly, the findings will provide colleges with strategies and methods to uncover hidden influences and deal with them before the student solidifies his or her enrollment decision.

If you’re thinking this looks like an admitted student survey, let me assure you it’s not. This study will delve into the psychology of the decision-making process and it’s going to influence the conversations and communication that colleges will have with prospective students in the future.

So, why am I confident this new study is going to be a groundbreaker?

I got a taste of what we will learn after conducting a series of focus groups with college-bound students who will enroll this fall (we often use qualitative research prior to developing the survey instrument used in the quantitative portion of the study).

The focus groups proved to be particularly eye-opening and enlightening. We explored the facts, emotions, intentions and perceptions that students will and will not share with colleges during the recruiting cycle. We explored why students withhold information and we tested methods by which colleges can draw out and deal with these hidden influences on a student-by-student basis. These are the topics that the Hidden Influences study will explore in-depth.

The focus groups revealed, for example, how students deflect the real reasons for not enrolling by attaching them to issues of high cost or lack of aid offered when, in fact, their enrollment decision was based on something entirely different. In those cases, the unsuspecting college is left to think their tuition and financial aid packages are not competitive when, in fact, it had nothing to do with the student’s final decision.

During our focus group sessions students told us that colleges often overlook or don’t ask the types of questions that will provide a true picture of the student’s interest or attraction to the college. Students also said that colleges may ask a lot of questions but they don’t ask the right questions that will reveal the perceptions that will ultimately impact their enrollment decision. These are among the topics we’ll explore deeply in the study.

The Hidden Influences study will provide co-sponsors with actionable data and insight to help them uncover and manage the perceptions and opinions prospective students have about their Hidden_Influences_Prospectuscollege.

You should consider jumping on board this new study as a co-sponsor. That way, you’ll be able to get data and insight on what students are withholding about your college and, more importantly, learn how you can deal with it in the future.

There is a long list of colleges across the country that regularly participate in Longmire and Company co-sponsored studies. They do so because they gain new insights about their prospective students and they make changes to their recruiting and communications as a result.

Getting involved in the Hidden Influences study is easy, low-cost, and provides valuable deliverables. There is still time for you to get on board and be among a growing list of public and private colleges nationwide that will benefit from this information. I encourage you to download a PDF that will give you all the information you need.

For more information or to reserve your participation in this study, contact Rick Montgomery (913) 492-1265, ext. 708 or  by email at rmontgomery@longmire-co.com or me at (913) 492-1265, ext. 709, blongmire@longmire-co.com. Colleges are signing up now so we encourage you to contact us soon if you are thinking about participating. CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION.

We help colleges with their recruiting efforts every day. If we can help you please call or shoot me an email. 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 don’t miss any of this highly-valuable information.

 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.

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

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Use Your Orientation To Build Relationships and Minimize Summer Melt

June 14th, 2016

Over the next couple of months, thousands of eager newly-admitted students will be stepping onto college campuses across the country to participate in that all-important college orientation. iStock_000003607414XSmallYou already know this is an essential step for your incoming class, but for many students college orientation represents even more significance:  It is when and where they will ultimately seal the bond with your school that will ensure they are on campus when school starts.

In our recently released co-sponsored study, “The Relationship Dynamic,” over 12,000 college-bound students opened up to us about the factors that contribute to building a bond with a college that leads to their enrollment. (Click here to download a copy of the full report.) Surprisingly, 21% of college-bound students told us that their Blog Yield Relationship Timelineemotional connection to their college of choice (their feeling of having formed a relationship) did not develop until the summer months of June, July and August. More precisely, many of these students said the bond with their chosen college was triggered by specific experiences and relationships realized during orientation.

Unfortunately, orientation – or any other process we put students through – doesn’t guarantee they’ll show up on the first day of class. The predictor of enrollment is excitement and emotional commitment. Students who don’t feel an emotional attachment to your college are far more likely to melt.

“The Relationship Dynamic” study findings point to specific actions you can take during orientation and beyond to strengthen and maintain the relationships you have worked so hard to build with your admitted students AND create meaningful connections with those students who have yet to bond with your college.

Make this Priority #1

What goals have you established for your orientation program?  Do they read like a laundry list of paperwork, must-do’s, must-know’s and must-see’s?  Instead, your goals and practices should be developed in the context of, “How does this strengthen (or create) the emotional bond each student has with us?”

By its very nature, college orientation is very process-driven: read this, hear this, watch this … Kudos to those admission teams that have created entertaining programs and activities that engage students, foster enthusiasm, and enable the student to feel what it’s like to be a student and a part of a community.

Have you built in opportunities for admitted students to connect with (not simply meet) other newly-admitted and current like-minded students? Are your programs one-size-fits all or are you constantly searching for and testing new and unique ways to engage with students.

Find out if you have “moved the needle”

Orientation affords yet another opportunity to find out if you are changing or enhancing the student’s perception of your institution. Ideally, you have a chance to ask each student personally, “How was your orientation today? Did you meet some great people? Are you starting to feel like a (insert your mascot, school nickname)?” Based on the answers, your follow up might be “Is there anyone you’d like to meet before school starts?” or, “What would make you feel more comfortable or excited about your decision to enroll here?”

Sometimes that highly personalized interaction is simply not practical due to a high volume of students. However, it is still possible to gauge changes in student enthusiasm. Does your college do a post-orientation survey? We highly-recommend this tool to evaluate your level of service delivery during orientation as well as a channel to identify students who aren’t yet emotionally committed to your college. Be specific. “Did your orientation experience make you feel more connected to our college? Are you more or less excited about attending? What can we do to make your transition to our college better?”

You can maximize your orientation events and minimize summer melt by making this your mantra: Every interaction with a student, in any form, should be measured on the basis of, “Does it make our relationship stronger?”

Get On Board with our Next Co-Sponsored Study!

We know that prospective students don’t always tell us what they really think. Sometimes they don’t want to be completely honest about their REAL first-choice college because they think they’ll hurt our feelings. They often say one thing and do another. Why?

Hidden_Influences_ProspectusWe will answer that critical question in our next co-sponsored study, “Hidden Influences: Revealing the unspoken perceptions that prospective students have about your college and why it matters in your ability to grow and control enrollment.” This unprecedented study will break new ground in exploring the hidden perceptions and opinions that influence students in choosing your college or another. Unlike any other higher education research or non-matric studies, “Hidden Influences” will dive deeply into the emotions and perceptions that factor into the college selection process. This study will provide you with actionable information you can use immediately and effectively.

For more information or to reserve your participation in this study, contact me at (913) 492-1265, ext. 708 or by email at rmontgomery@longmire-co.com or Bob Longmire at (913) 492-1265, ext. 709, blongmire@longmire-co.com. Colleges are signing up now so we encourage you to contact us soon if you are thinking about participating. CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION.

We help colleges with their recruiting efforts every day. If we can help you please call or shoot me an email. 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 don’t miss any of this highly-valuable information.

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 Tours, Campus Visits, Closing the Sale, Conversion and Yield, Counselor Training, Customer service, Organizational development, Research

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Hidden Influences: Find out what prospective students are NOT telling you

May 24th, 2016

Get On Board!

We know that prospective students don’t always tell us what they really think. Sometimes they don’t want to be completely honest about their REAL first-choice college because they think they’ll hurt our feelings. They may tell us they had a great campus visit, yet tell their parents on the way home that they’ll never enroll. They often say one thing and do another. Why?

Hidden_Influences_Cover

Unfortunately, their hidden opinions and perceptions hinder our ability to fully understand, communicate with, and ultimately recruit them. In light of this, colleges are asking, “How can we better understand the individuals we’re trying to recruit and uncover the positive and negative perceptions that influence their enrollment decisions?”

We will answer those critical questions in our next co-sponsored study, Hidden Influences: Revealing the unspoken perceptions that prospective students have about your college and why it matters in your ability to grow and control enrollment. This unprecedented study will break new ground in exploring the hidden perceptions and opinions that influence students in choosing your college or another. Unlike any other higher education research or non-matric studies, Hidden Influences will dive deeply into the emotions and perceptions that factor into the college selection process. This study, like our previous co-sponsored studies, will provide you with actionable information you can use immediately and effectively.

We hope you will join a prestigious list of co-sponsoring colleges and universities, large and small, and participate in this study. Co-sponsors find our studies valuable because of the wealth of new insight they gain about their individual pools of prospective students – insight they can use to drive action and change.

Tabulations_ReportAs a co-sponsor you receive a comprehensive set of tabulations relating to your pool of students, as well comparative data of others in your cohort and other market segments. You’ll also receive the national summary report before its widespread release.

In addition, Longmire and Company Enrollment Strategists will prepare and deliver a fully-customized webinar to review your individual findings and offer recommendations for specific actions you can take to improve your communications, conversations and interactions with prospective students. For these webinars co-sponsors often assemble staff from admissions, marketing, financial aid and faculty to benefit from the new perspectives, ideas and actions that these studies yield.

We have been told many times by co-sponsors that the webinar alone is worth the cost!

Webinar_Title_SlideIt can be very expensive for an individual college or university to do the scope of research needed to get the answers and insight we get. But by co-sponsoring with other institutions you get the best of both worlds: Data and insight about your pool of prospective students coupled with a national picture, resulting in a very comprehensive study for a fraction of what it would cost to do it on your own. These studies are affordable at just $2,975 (all inclusive) per institution.

For more information or to reserve your participation in this study, contact Rick Montgomery (913) 492-1265, ext. 708 or  by email at rmontgomery@longmire-co.com or me at (913) 492-1265, ext. 709, blongmire@longmire-co.com. Colleges are signing up now so we encourage you to contact us soon if you are thinking about participating. CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION.

We help colleges with their recruiting efforts every day. If we can help you please call or shoot me an email. 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 don’t miss any of this highly-valuable information.

RHL_Photo_100x100 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 Behavior, Closing the Sale, Conversion and Yield, Counselor Training, Organizational development, Research, Worthwhile Reading, Your Value Proposition

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Prospective Students Reveal Who Facilitates Their College Selection Most

May 18th, 2016

In our latest co-sponsored study, “The Relationship Dynamic,” we asked over 12,000 college-bound students, “Who played a significant role in helping you form a relationship with your chosen college?” Many mentioned the current students who attend the college. Others mentioned their high school counselors and teachers. College admission counselors played a significant role for many. But topping the list? Parents.

We all know that parents influence college selection. That’s not news. But they are much, much more than influencers.

Parents not only influence, they facilitate the relationship between the student and the college of choice.

Are you fully leveraging the influence these facilitators have in shaping the college selection decisions of their sons and daughters. Are you fully serving parents? Have you focused on what’s important to them? Their feelings and emotions? Have you made them part of your recruiting team? If not, you are missing out on the support of possibly your biggest champions. Imagine the impact of turning these key influencers into your college’s top advocates.

Relationship dynamicIn a separate Longmire and Company co-sponsored study, “Your Value Proposition,” we measured the relative influence of parents and students in driving the college selection decision. Both parents and students agreed: the student has the most influence. Parents want their child to be happy and, if that lays the foundation for their success in college, then parents are willing to subordinate their own preferences and concerns.

However, parents are not shy about influencing the college selection process before the final decision is made. In our “Study of Parents,” we uncovered numerous examples of mothers and fathers hiding or disposing of college marketing material before their child would see it. Conversely, the same parents advocated for specific colleges even though the student had not expressed an initial interest in the school.

Results from the current “Relationship Dynamic” study make it very clear: Parents are not just influencing the college selection process, they are active facilitators in leading their child to or away from colleges. influencer graph

In light of this, more colleges are building a separate but equal marketing and “recruiting” track aimed at parents. It’s an acknowledgement that parents can and should be served during the college selection process, and that they can be an important conduit to facilitate the relationship between the prospective student and the college.

Laura Hamilton, associate professor of sociology at the University of California, and author of Parenting to a Degree: How Family Matters for College Women’s Success, has researched this in great detail. In The Atlantic, “The Partnership Between Colleges and Helicopter Parents,” she writes “…parents typically bring more than funds alone. They often help promote the university; conduct admissions interviews; interface with donating alumni; assist with their own students’ emotional, cognitive, and physical needs…. Competition to attract these parents is stiff—and administrators’ complaints about parental ‘meddling’ are now tempered with interest in a ‘partnership relationship’ with parents.”

We couldn’t agree more! And so do many of our college clients. A growing number of colleges are building communications flows and ongoing conversation streams with parents. If you want to begin doing the same or enhancing what you already do then take these steps.

The Parent Track: Quick Start Guide

  • Ask permission first.  Establish a separate but equal relationship with them, provided the student and parent are comfortable doing so. Admission counselors tell us that most prospective students are happy to give permission for direct communication with their parents, and that parents often consider the request evidence of a higher level of service from the college or university.
  • Seek opportunities for one-on-one interactions.  Call the parent while the student is at school, for instance.  Structure your campus visits so that you have some time with both the student and parent, separately.  In every conversation with the parent ask open-ended questions that will help you gain insight to the student: “What attributes are most important to Jamie in a college?” “What do you think should be most important?” “Has Jamie developed strong relationships with any colleges in particular?” “Is there anything I can show her about our college that would help her decide?” “What do you think would get her excited about our college?” Parents will often share details that students will not.
  • Identify their communication and content preferences. Find out what information they need and want from you. Find out when they need it. Find out how they would like it delivered (email, mail, text, phone call, campus visit, etc.).
  • Make connections.  Connecting the parent to “third-party” supporters can go a long way toward building your relationship. Some colleges have established parent “mentor” programs to introduce parents of prospective students to those to parents who have successfully navigated the process.  Your goal is to network the parent to someone with a shared perspective that they trust; look for parents of successful students or graduates or alumni that live in the same city.

Creating relationships is a multifaceted, nuanced and crucial part of student recruitment A strong bond with a parent can provide the guidance and help you need to better understand the value propositions that will be attractive to the prospective student. Ultimately, you and the parent both share the same objective: A successful, productive, happy college experience for the student.

Engaging with parents to this degree involves an investment in time and money. But it’s an investment you and your team need to make. If you elect to invest in this effort then you’re effectively doubling your recruiting team. You are enlisting the help and support of someone “on the inside” who has the full faith and trust of the college-bound student.

The soon-to-be released “Relationship Dynamic” report is loaded with powerful information that will help you build stronger bonds with the students you are recruiting. If you want a copy of the full public report, you can CLICK HERE to place your name on the distribution list.

Become a co-sponsor of our next study and get insight into YOUR pool of prospective students!

Click to learn more! Hidden_Influences_Prospectus

 Prospective students don’t always tell you what they’re thinking. Or they don’t want to be completely honest about their REAL first-choice college because they think they’ll hurt your feelings. Or they say one thing and then do another.

Their hidden perceptions and motivations impact your ability to effectively communicate with and ultimately recruit them. This new study is going to do a deep dive on the hidden perceptions that influence students in choosing a college.

Colleges get involved in our co-sponsored studies because they capture fascinating and actionable data specific to their pool of prospective students. As a co-sponsoring institution you will receive comprehensive and customized reporting that compares your data with national data. In addition, Longmire and Company will create and deliver a customized webinar for you and your staff to make specific recommendations for acting on the findings.

 

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, Parents, Research, Worthwhile Reading, Your Value Proposition

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