I'm a big fan of inviting the parents of dependent students into the conversation but we also want to consider that there may be other people in their support system to consider. Asking an open-ended question to determine who might be a part of the student's support system is a great first step. Thank you for your post Janice.
Dr. Jean Norris
Yes, John! I would definitely agree since we parents seem to oversee their child's financial obligations.
Thank you for contributing to the thread Tenille. I think most everyone would agree with you that the 'support people' are not only very important to the student but also are important customers for your school. Taking the time to build rapport with every member of the support team and inviting them to be a part of the school family is a great way to get them talking to others about your school.
Parents and other 'support people' are very important to people's decisions, so our school asks the potential student to bring their 'support people' to each part of the enrollment process and for certain scheduled events. They are also our customers in a way because they will also speak of what their loved ones are doing with their lives. They will talk about it with others and potentially encourage someone else to consider our school.
Thank you for your insight Susan. You're right, the parent is going to show up with a completely different perspective than the student and listening to their questions and concerns is necessary if you are going to gain their trust. I like your approach of asking them what their questions and concerns are so that you know what you need to address during your time with them. Oh, and did I mention that you often have to do this while gaining the trust of the student at the same time? It's a fine balance but if you take the time to ask good questions and listen to the goals, wants and fears of both the student and the parent, you have a better chance of connecting with everyone.
Parents are extremely important for the dependent students and maybe even for some of the independent. What can you do to help get the parents on board?
The parent and the student have slightly different needs from the perspective of customer service. If you put yourself in the parents' shoes, the questions you are answering are: How will my child be treated here? Will they be trained by expert faculty? What if they need extra help? Will they be safe? Will they be given the the support needed to find a good job? And most importantly, how is this program going to hold my child's interest through to completion? Though the parent is usually seen as primary in the financing process, it is not their sole or first role in the process. I like to ask point blank what their concerns and questions are about their child as a prospective student. I find what they project as concerns for success can almost be counted on to manifest when they are enrolled. No one knows this child like they do! Gaining the trust of the parent is accomplished by carefully listening to everything the parent says and observing the parent/child relationship. It is a matter of specifically identifying potential issues and providing information about the services and resources the school will provide to ensure their child will be successful in completing the program.
Rosa, sure. That's a great way to start the relationship with the parents. I'm curious, what would you do if you had parents that weren't supportive of the student?
Dr. Jean Norris
DaleAnne, you bring up an interesting point. Parents will influence a student's decision in some cases and so it's important to keep the conversation focused, but also inviting them to be part of the enrollment process. You and the parents can also support the student and encourage them.
Dr. Jean Norris
I agree that parents are a huge factor in the decision that a student makes to attend a specific school. I think parents should also be invited in to tour the school and have their questions answered. They are a large part of the "buying committee".
I think if parents are no on board with their children attending your school they will never come. Parents are the most important buying commitee for dependant children.
Some parents like to talk too much, others not at all. It's a person by person basis when dealing with them. They can easily overpower the rep.
We exhort our dependent students to bring their parents to their financial aid appointment. This way the parent is involved in the process and we can make sure that they understand the financial aid results for the student. It is very important to us to know that the student has full parental support to come to school.
Since the parents may be a financial contributor it's important to make them a part of the process. How do the parents typically respond to the open invitation to meet with admissions or FA?
The tour is a great tool for everyone especially if you can highlight the benefits of your school and the program for everyone who is at the visit.
In most cases, the parents make a significant impact on the child's career making decision so they are always invited to visit at any time, not just an Open House. They are given tours and invited to attend both the Admissions and Financial Aid meetings so they can better understand what the prospective student will be learning and how it will be paid for.
Parents shou;d be invited to take a tour with their child. This will give the parent an opportunity to she what their child will be learning. Also the rep can educate the parent on questions they may have about the school to make them feel better about supporting their child future.
Great awareness Christopher. Parents can be tricky because they are looking out for their child while at the same time have their own ideas and opinions about education, and therefore concerns that are different than the student's concerns. What approach do you take to help the parents feel actively involved in the process?
Parents are a huge process for customers, they are part of the buying committee,. They should be treated with the same welcoming as the lead customer but with most of the questions still revolving around what the lead customer is looking for and their concerns. Having this support is awesome and we should welcome them and answer any question they offer in the meeting with open arms!
they should be invited and included in the entire decistion making process
