Easy simply let them know that you do not speak about competitors.You are an expert in what we do well. Consistently take this stance.
I always try to emphasize on our school benefits and disclose as much information as I can, so people do not usually have any questions about what makes our school better. I might use word"different", but never better or worse.
Never discuss or compare other schools with your prospective or current students. The best strategy is to present all the facts about your school to the student and let him/her make a decision. You can explain all the benefits and what your school can offer the student. The best strategy is to be straightforward and to present all the information.
That is why it is still best practice to have your school's written documentation showing programs of study
I ask my reps to say "We really do not speak of other colleges and their programs/tuition, but I can certainly tell you we want you to feel comfortable in your decision. So, when you have visited the other college and you are still interested in applying to ours, then I'll know you're 100%". Chances are, these students have looked into other schools already. I've recently had an interview tell me "K*&^ State said that you weren't accredited and that just turned me off completely because I already checked you out". Parents will mostly ask the comparison question and if you're completely upfront with them, they tend to respect that.
I would explain that I am not sure about that particular college and explain what we offer and how we can help the student succeed in the field of their choice. If the perspective student continues to inquire about a competitor I would recommend them to follow up with that individual so they are getting all the information they want before making a decision.
I ask the prospective student to go check out the other school on school website or call the school directly. I would not like it if I found out another school's recruiter was saying negative things about me school. Our Reps are taught not to say negative about any other schools.
It is always important to stick with what you know about your school and to always stay positive. Also, you want to let teh students know that is it about finding the right fit for them.
I seldom get a question about another college. I spend time explaining our features and benefits. I encourage prospective students to do their homework and I encourage them to ask about programmatic accreditation when they are visiting other colleges. They should be able to see the certificate showing that the program is accredited.
Simply state it all depends on what the student is looking for and give examples of your institution.
I agree with this. This happens a lot, especially with high school students. I always mention that it is normal for someone to visit other schools and look at their options. But it is always key to gather what the potential student is looking for in a school and repeat those strengths of my school back to the student a few times throughout the interview.
This question is usually asked after I have been able to list the strengths of our Institution. If the prospective student still feels he/she needs more re-assurance that we are the best choice for him/her, I advise that they are welcome to visit other schools, either before or even while going through the application process here. I also like to have the prospect repeat back to me what they liked about what they saw and heard today and how that may or may not meet the career goals for themself, both immediate and long term.
Janet,
I do this as well. It is important we give them all the information they need regarding our institution, but also important for them to research thier optios. It is thier job to reach out to the other institutions for information.
When asked about a competitor, I always tell the student that I am not familiar with the school and don't want to provide them with false information. I also tell them to recieve answers about schools from thier employees, this way they are getting all of the correct information they need from the right people. Even though we are competitors, it is not right to give out information thay may or may not be correct. We are only thier to promote our own institution.
Talk about what you know. Your school. It is very easy to direct the conversation back to your program and the benefits it holds.
By always being professional and discuss YOUR schools atributes. If asked about other schools the best answer is "I'm not sure you need to check with that school."
Speak to your strentghs and benefits and have the student look into the competitor on their own.
When students ask me questions about other schools, I always encourage them to contact that school directly so that they can accurately compare the schools and make a decision that best fits their end goals. I also spend time explaining the positive aspects of the programs that we offer.
I try my best to let prospective students know every school has it's positives and negatives and that students need to visit other schools to get detailed information so that they can make an intelligent decision about which school suits them the best.
I have discovered the best way to remain professional is to always remain factual when discussing your school. It is obviously ok to tout advantages of your school but also work with the student on figuring out what he/she is looking for specifically.
