Need a boost in enrollment?
Most traditional schools are not prepared for the aggressive nature of the enrollment process since market-funded schools have entered the industry over the past decade. Take note of what I am about to highlight for you….
Schools need to build their processes around their growth goals, not build their growth goals around their current processes. To be competitive and survive today, the rate of external change should never exceed the rate of your internal change.
In order to increase enrollment, with the highest possible return on investment, you will need to have a professionally trained enrollment team supported by a technology infrastructure that provides the following:
• Quick, quick, quick initial follow up…did I say quick?
• Personalized and customize contact
• Multiple points of contact, three main ones below
• Move leads to action, move them off the fence
• Prioritizing leads and follow up, follow up, follow up
• Data is everything, track the process
As you have read in many of my other postings, including 7 Steps to Convert Your Leads, in the conversion process or the enrollment cycle, there are three major points of contact necessary for success, they are: phone, email and direct mail starting within minutes of a prospective student expressing interest in a program. Your admissions department will need a state-of- the-art call center with the technology and reporting that allows each prospective student, applicant and accepted student the opportunity to be attempted and contacted multiple times through the enrollment life cycle.
In addition to call center technology, an automated email campaign needs to be established that allows for automated email touches within 5 minutes and up to 365 days after inquiry. You will want multiple email campaign for each stage of the enrollment cycle (inquiry, applicant and accept) that all push for urgency and a need to take the next step. These email campaigns are personalized with students name and outstanding admissions requirements and provide greater details for the next step in the enrollment process.
Lastly, you must add a direct mail flow that allows for an additional point of contact with the student. Many schools and most online schools do not use direct mail in the enrollment cycle. The direct mail cycle can be sent to inquiries, applicants, and accepted students. This is a costly part of the conversion cycle but I feel necessary. Set your school apart by sending a nice print piece to the prospective student or parents. Be wise with this process and use data that allows you to prioritize, validate and score your enrollment pool and only mail those that are most likely to convert.
Each marketing touch, phone, email, and direct mail, is an important step in the enrollment process to keep your university in the prospective student’s mind as well as give the admissions team an increased opportunity to create urgency and boost conversion through the enrollment funnel.
Final piece of advice, people do what you inspect, not what you expect!!!!!
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