Ginessa,
You bring up great points and I get the sense that you are doing a lot of great things over the phone. Making a connection with the other person and using the proper tone can help to build rapport. What can you do to help plan for your calls and improve your perceived 'rambling'?
Dr. Jean Norris
Whenever I complete a call, or have left a message, I often find I am disappointed in how much I think I "rambled". I think I need to find a more succinct way to provide infomation to the caller.
I would say that my strengths are a positive, soothing tone of voice that engenders trust combined with a down-to-earth relatable vocabulary that still maintains its professionalism. I try to connect with callers using humor about a subject outside of the purpose of the call. My "go to" is usually something about being inside working on a nice day, which everyone can relate to and empathize with.
Sometimes I get impatient with people when they talk slow or use "ummmm" or "uhhh". Even typing it out here aggravates me. I have to put myself back in a student's shoes and tell myself: "YOU WERE THERE ONCE!" and I was probably just as bad as they were about using fillers! I also catch myself, in my head of course, saying "It's not really that difficult" without thinking it through and realizing that just because I have seen this material a thousand times doesn't mean they have.
Pedro, that's great awareness and it sounds like you have practiced and found a solution.
Dr. Jean Norris
I believe my strengths include the ability to have the person trust me.
A posible weakness I find is a monotone voice. I have improved a bit, however, smiling while on the telephone has helped!
Weakness -> Go for the appointment set too quickly.
Strength -> Being able to connect with the caller through the phone.
Stephanie, thanks for sharing both of these. So now that you have this awareness, what is your plan to overcome "talking too fast?"
Dr. Jean Norris
Weakness- At times I feel that I talk too fast.
Strength- Friendly and fully engaged in the conversation.
Chris, that is great awareness. So, I'm curious, now that you have this insight, what are some of the steps you plan to take to overcome those opportunities?
Dr. Jean Norris
A possible weakness is a scenario where I have weighed out obstacles and find that I am getting nowhere with that prospect and in doing so I feel that I am being pushy..
My major strength is the ability to make a prospect feel comfortable to speak with me in a short period of time.
Audra, thank you for sharing this. It sounds like you have great awareness of your strengths as well as opportunities that you have. I wonder, what is your plan in order to gather more information?
Dr. Jean Norris
Hello everyone. My name is Audra, and in response to this thread I would have to say that my weakness would be not having the information for very specific questions, ready when asked. I will apologize to the caller and inform them that I need to ask a colleague. Callers seldom seem to mind and I am able to either answer their questions or transfer them to the appropriate party.
A strength of mine is I am a very active listener. I identify with my callers and I am able to help them feel at ease with their questions and or concerns. I always take time with each caller, never rush them, and always make sure to ask if they have had all their questions or concerns answered and addressed.
Jaime, thank you for sharing this. The most important piece is that you are now aware of the opportunity you have. In regards to multi-tasking, what are your plans to ensure that you give your student undivided attention?
Dr. Jean Norris
Weakness - Sometimes I do have a habit of multi-tasking while I am making phone calls, which throws me when they do answer the phone.
Strength - My ability to connect with the students and give them the information they need in ways they can understand.
I appreciate your honesty here Tien. It can be overwhelming when someone is asking question after question, but it sounds like you take the time to answer each question for those students.
Dr. Jean Norris
I believe that one of my weakness is that I get nervous over the phone when I get an inquiry that asks a lot of questions at once. My mind goes everywhere but once I compose myself and ask them each question back slowly I will be able to answer them one at a time.
My believe my best strength is my friendliness and I try to be as helpful as I can be. I reassure them that they will be taken care of and that I am not trying to push them away.
Ozzie, thank you for sharing. It sounds like you are great at building rapport with others. That is a great skill to have, especially in the business of higher education where we work with people often. I appreciate that you are aware of the opportunity you have to improve your conversations on the phone. I'm curious, what steps are you taking to help slow down your conversation?
Dr. Jean Norris
My #1 weakness on the phone is that I explain too much too quickly. As I get excited, I talk a little fast too.
My #1 strength though is my ability to make our student feel comfortable right from the start. Not sure what it is, but we find common ground pretty quickly.
Corrine,
Thanks for sharing and welcome to the world of college admissions! Addressing challenges can be difficult for many admissions professionals. It's great to hear that you are making connections with your prospective students. A couple of things to keep in mind when addressing challenges, acknowledge it and take the time to talk about it with your prospective students. And don't forget to listen to your students and find out what's important to them. Doing this will allow you to customize the information to the individual.
Shannon Gormley
