Admissions vs. Sales
I have been an Admissions Representative for over 15 years and one of the most difficult tasks is to assist the potential students by giving accurate information and some guidance without applying sales pressure. It is very important to create an honest relationship that will benefit both the student and the Institution.
In some cases the fear of just being "sold on the school" affects the flow of the Enrollment process. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to deal with this issue?
Maria,
I have 5 years in admissions at a couple different for profit instituions. I agree with you. There is a fine line between selling and guiding.
However, I feel the student enrolls because of the advisor as much as they do because of the specific school.
The advisor can make a horrible school look great... the advisor can make a great school look horrible.
I work admissions by this phrase, people do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Show them you have a sincere interest in helping and guiding them and they will respond favorably.
Tom
monica,
Rapport is important and gives an opportunity of free conversation. Prospective students rely on the admissions reps to provide them the most information they can so that the decision is theirs.
Patty Aronoff
I start by building a good rapport with the student to find out what's important to them. The more I can build trust and get to know them, it helps me to figure out their motivation. I always try to encourge the student to think about all the information and follow up with them if they seem to be hesitant to sign up during our first meeting. It's always good to have them bring the other decision makers/important people w/them (i.e. spouse or parents).
Margaret,
As admissions staff, we are vested to our students and are often their guide.
I usually find out what the students goals are. If what we have fits into what they are looking for then sometimes I will remind them of why they are looking school to encourage enrollment.
Debra,
Drops are so hard to take. Students need to be committed and understand fully their requirements making sure it is a good fit.
In the particular field that I'm in, there are schools that teach the profession very differently. We encourage students to do research on the different philosophy's to make sure they choose a school that represents the way they want to practice when they graduate. We want students but we don't want students who are unhappy with their choice a few weeks into the program. Honesty is the best policy. Always put your best points out there and never ever speak badly of another school. Losing a student initially is better than losing them once they've started.
Jennifer,
By doing so, you are getting the student to delve into their own interest to see if it is a good fit for them.
We ask a lot of open ended and reflective questions when presenting information to potential students. This allows for the students to really assess what is being presented to them and realize the benefit. We present the feature, talk about the benefit of that feature, then ask a question to determine their level of interest.
Maria,
It is finding the right fit. If the student is not committed, then they will drop. Then we look to see why it turned to a different direction.
