I tell prospective students that I honestly don't know much about other schools. I try to be open and honest to try and show them that I'm not willingly withholding any information from them.
Be proud, say it outloud, of the school you represent. Denegration always bites you in the you-know-where.
I'm with you, Marissa. I think that each student has their own "right fit" school. I am upfront with my students and encourage them to look into all of their options. Often times visiting another school ties them back in to why they want to enroll here - then they have made an informed decision.
One approach is to emphasize the power a prospective student has in the decision making process.
For example: "Your questions are excellent, the best approach is to get as much information as possible. I encourage you to ask these questions of all schools, and schedule some time to visit each school to make the right choice for you."
Additionally, mentioning and or emphasizing that it is OK for them to find that your school is not the right fit,that your instituition's hope is for them to choose the school that best suits their needs.
Emphasizing the advantages of your programs and the overall strengths of your institution (existing accreditation,facts, and existing accolades specific to your school) and actively avoiding ANY negative commentary on a competitor go a long way.
It helps to bolster the image of straight forward and transparent communication, without the student having to worry about the potentially underhanded approaches admissions staff might apply to "persuade" individuals to enroll.
Being honest and keeping the focus on what your institution has to offer can greatly help in avoiding awkward side-stepping of questions relating to comparisons of yours with other schools. The most imprtant thing to do, should specific questions arise, is to again offer what your school does provide. If for any reason, that doesn't satisfy the inquiry, then you can offer that the prospective student research the others in question for factual information directly from the source(s).
The respect factor usually goes a long way. If you just highlight the positives of your institution, there is no need to talk about the other colleges. If a student ask me directly, I will let her/she know that I'm not really for discussing other colleges because I believe our honesty and respectibilty shine brighter than anything I could tell you about another school. But I do always follow that up with, I wish I could say every school has that respect, but unfortunatley I probably can't.
Simply speak about the facts, qualities, and feature/benefits of your own school. Any questions they may have about a competitor should be referred to that institution. Obviously, not every school is a good fit for every student (that is one reason why there are so many!). That may not mean that one institution is "better" than another, only that for that particular student (once they have done their due diligence)one may stand out as a better fit.
The best strategy is to discuss factual information about your own college programs, strengths and unique qualities.
I like to ask the student if they have had contact with someone that works at the school because they are best equipped to give the information that they are looking for. I also like to direct them to look at the website, speak with people that they know have attended that school and see what they say.
I discuss the facts as they pertain to the institution where I am employed. And, I suggest that students do their own research to identify facts about competitors.
I've found that sometimes I'll have a student on the phone that has been contacted by a number of colleges and they begin to ask me questions about the other schools to compare. I give them all the information about our school and ask them if there is anything else I can answer about our school. If they are unsure of their decision, I encourage them to continue evaluating all the schools on their list as this is the best way to make an informed decision. I then follow up with them to see how they made out. In the end, they will go with the school they feel fits their needs.
Students can sense sincerity, and encouraging a healthy comparison of schools is important. Higher education will always be important, and I'm a firm believer of an abundant marketplace. If a student is enrolling without making an informed decision, then problems can result.
The key to remain competitive in the market is to know the individual needs and wants of the perspective student you're working with. There's no need to know what the competitors are doing if you can identify how your institution fits the needs and wants of the student. Comparison by numbers or program stats is something that might be important if someone is skimming through college options. Always approach competitive integrity with how your institution can help the individual student.
I will ask the potential student why that information is important to them and what they have found so far with the research they have done. After they give the answers, I will then restate the question; however I will state it in a way that it relates to what My College directly. I will then ask if that is what they meant to ask and 99% of the time they say yes.
I will then give them the information of how it relates to my institutions. This has been extremely helpful for me especially when it comes to the cost question.
I am essentially having them answer their own question in regards to other schools and still inform them about the question pertaining to my institutions cost.
Taking the time to highlight the benefits of our school and address the specifics that pertain to our institution as we are not specialists at the other institution.
We consistently advise students to visit other schools and to make sure that they are making the correct choice. We let them know that they should go to those visits as prepared as possible so that they get answers to the questions that they have.
We do this for 2 reasons:
1. We know how important of a decision the student is making, and we want it to be the right decision...the first time.
2. We are confident in the campus, programs, and opportunities that we provide.
What I would say, is that I don't know the specifics on the other schools program, but I do know this... about ours.
Typically, I am able to help a prospective student stay focused on their need and what they are looking for rather than compare/contrast with a dozen different schools. I do this by helping them to verbalize all that is important to them so that we can determine together if we are a good fit for them to reach their personal goals. Applying each feature of our school that will benefit them is much more helpful to that student than me attempting to spend time trying to make ourselves seem better than other schools.
If it is really important to a prospective student to compare schools still I would encourage them to visit other schools to make sure we are the best fit for them.
Answer honestly. I say flat out that I am not familiar with any other school than my own and therefore am not qualified to speak about their product or services.
I think th best stategies are presenting accurate information and advisint the student to visit other schools and do research on their own. When they have the facts, the student can then make a decision based upon their data.
