The three F's are a great tool. I like speaking with prospective students and letting them know their concerns and opinions are valid. If they know they aren't alone and that their thoughts and feelings aren't entirely unique or wrong, they tend to open up more. Sometimes you can actually hear them sigh with relief. Being genuine and a good listener are also GREAT tools. Allow them to open up.
Feel, Felt, Found is a great technique for overcoming obstacles and as you noted, helping your prospective student know you are there to help them. Keep up the great work Breanna!
Dr. Jean Norris
I would use Feel, Felt and Found because you are letting the student know right away that you are serious about helping them.
Providing options is a great way to help a prospective student see the possibilities and outweigh a potential obstacle. Thank you for sharing!
Dr. Jean Norris
Offer as many options as possible so the Student can see taking one of them
Great ideas Lucy! Thank you for your post.
Dr. Jean Norris
A few tools to use when overcoming obstacles are being knowledgable of the buying cycle and how students purchase. Understand and be able to translate obstacles and then outweigh, clarify and weaken the obstacles or objections.
Jean-Max,
This is an interesting angle. How do you share the same obstacle with a prospective student when you are on the other side of the desk.
Dr. Jean Norris
I find that people tend to be more at ease when they know that others share the same obstacle,the tool is to show compation and determination, this actually build a bond between you and the customer, thus creates a great opportunity to get the student to proceed with the enrollment.
I'm so glad you have a new tool to use with your students, Benjamin! Let us know how it works out for you.
WOW!! The three F's will help me overcome any and all objections. I makes you feel in tune with the prospect. Thanks.
I'm glad that the course helped. Which tool do you think will be the most helpful?
I have struggled with objections being a new admission rep. Thank you for the ideas learned in the online course. I am going to try these to see how the responses change.
The brainstorming technique is a great approach Kristina. Understanding the potential obstacles and having a list of possible solutions can help you as you work with your students to come up with the best solutions for them. You seem to have the understanding that it's really up to the student and what they recognize as the best solution for them. Thanks for posting!
The starting point to addressing obstacles is to know what those obstacles are. It is important to make a list of all potential obstacles and have as many potential answers to overcome those obstacles. In working with the prospective student I like to "brainstorm" with them to arrive at the acceptable answer that allows them to start school.Understand that I am guiding them along all those potential solutions until we find the right one that works for them. I find that using a problem solving appoach like this allows the student to feel in control of the outcome and it goes a long way for building trust.
That's a great idea Azeza. The more tools you have at your access the easier it will be to choose the best one for that student.
My tools to help neutralize obstacles that arise in conversation would be to hear what they are saying and let them know that I hear them all while offering a found and benefit statement. I know it would be helpful for me to come up with example found and benefit statements to keep near while on the phone.
By asking questions and finding out more about a prospective student I feel I can overcome a lot of objections someone might have. For example, cost. I will always encourage a student to come in and meet with FA to determine what they might be eligible for. I tell them everyone is different and you don't know until you ask. Is this a good tenique to use?
Great point Diane. The method will help you use your active listening skills and start to understand some of the students' concerns.
Dr. Jean Norris
I do use the feel, felt, found and find it great in that it immediately tells the student that you heard them, that they are not alone After pointing out there options it's easier to get the student to come in.
