Module 4
I think the most important lesson in Module 4 is that unless you have strong knowlege of your school's programs, it doesn't matter how great a salesperson you are.
In order to build rapport with your prospective student you need to be able to communicate with them about their interests and programs. Understanding our programs is very important. Having a full understanding of what our school has to offer is imperative to our careers.
I've worked in sales for a little bit and from what I've seen, the only way to effectively sell anything is with the product information. All sales really is is answering questions and finding ways to get around possible negatives a lead may have. It's not necessarily a skill so much as a knowledge base.
The Sales Process in general is the same no matter what you are selling or where. It comes down to a few critical essentials. Product knowledge is key. If you do not know how to ask open ended questions at the right time, you can know everything there is to know about the product and not close the deal. Unless you can reveal the "pain points" about why the student wants to attend school and the benefits from doing something about those "pain points", then all the product knowledge in the world will not help you very much.
The more information you abtain, The better you can relate to the prospictive student.
I agree to all of the above. Having knowledge and a strong dedication to your school will really help the prospective students with all the questions they may have
I agree with you, Eric. The reality is that I want my reputation to precede me. When I ask students for PDLs, I want them to know that I will be provide the best customer service possible to their referral. I own my reputation, and I want it to be good. I need to take good care of it, if I wish my reputation to remain in good standing with students. Therefore, I will strive to have as much knowledge available to share with my prospective students.
You are absolutely right. When I came into education I left a field full of customer service and no sales skills at all. Without product knowledge I would never be able to convince a student to enroll, nor would I feel good about doing my job and the organization I work for. I learned the products, professors, directors and all and realized I was proud to be here. Now when I sit with prospective students I am excited to discuss the career training they will receive and other opportunities that may be opened for them.
