We currently have a receptionist/registrar that transfers warm calls and is very knowledgable and professional with the phone calls.
There are times when the front desk is unattended due to a small crew. I would like to implement a call log and help manage the time the front desk is not occupied.
It sounds like your team is doing your best to attend to the prospective students as quickly as possible. Generally speaking, how quickly after a message is received do you respond to the prospective students?
Our inbound Call process involves an administrative assistant who takes the initial call and distributes the calls to those who are not on the phone already. If we get really busy she will take names and numbers and we call back as soon as we are free. In the evening hours we have an overnight answering service that takes calls and we get messages emailed for follow up.
It's great that you have the needs of the prospective student as the focus of your process. What do you think you need to do to improve the flow of calls?
I have been working to improve the flow of calls into our school and to our reps. We have a font desk person answering and transferring calls now as opposed to the calls being routed directly to reps. We also have trained our front desk person to get as much information (contact info/reason for the call) as possible so that we can best cater to the needs of the interested student.
I'm glad you were able to gain some information that will help you feel more comfortable with your call process. Let us know how it works out.
As a new admission rep my inbound call system is rough. I am a personable person; but had a hard time finding the right questions to ask to maintain control of the conversation. I loved the suggestions in Module I for sure and will definitely put them into practice. Love the permission question to ask them questions!
If you had to prioritize your improvement opportunities, which would you start with?
Currently the inbound system is a rotating format.
Improvements include:
1. Prioritizing calls.
2. Qualifying leads.
3. Improving appointments scheduled
I appreciate your guidance.
Types of questions I can be asking to determine where they are in the buying cycle and how to increase their interest would be:
1.What other programs are you looking at in the area?
2. How soon are you looking to make a decision about school.
3. What is important to you when choosing a school?
4. How long have you been thinking about becoming a massage therapist?
That's great awareness Azeza and finding the right balance during your inquiry calls can be tricky. Each student comes to us at various stages of the buying cycle and if we ask the right questions we can not only figure out where they are in that cycle, but how much 'necessary' information we need to provide during that call. The person asking the questions typically has control of the conversation, and as you noted, if the student is asking all of the questions they have the control. What types of questions can you ask to find out where they are in the buying cycle and how to increase their interest in your school?
We are a small school and I am currently the only Admissions representative. The call is transferred to me from the front desk coordinator. I then answer some basic questions and get them schedule for a school visit. I tend to allow the prospective student to lead the conversation feeling like I am the one being probed. I would like to get better about giving them some necessary information while holding back some pertinent details to leave yearning for a campus visit.
You bring up some really great points John. Many admissions professionals fall into the trap of either immediately trying to set the appointment, or quickly providing facts about the school without taking the time to build rapport and gather information from the student. Taking a few minutes to get to know the student and to discuss their motivation will not only help you provide the right information during that phone call, but can help you to communicate the value of coming to the campus. I'm curious, what about the student that doesn't want to come to the campus and is simply seeking information over the phone? How can you improve that call process?
I definitely have a structured outbound call process because we get very few "info calls" or inbound calls at all. But with the few I receive I usually like to let them explain first what prompted them to call to uncover buying motivators and my goal is to simply set the appointment.
To improve, I should probably lesson the amount of information that I provide on the phone depending on their questions. Instead of the "You know those are really great questions...in order to answer them properly I need to get to know...... etc." I'm sometimes too quick to provide answers instead of selling the value of the appointment.
It sounds like there is an opportunity with the reception team at your institution. First impressions are so important and building rapport at every step in the process has benefits. What can you do to help improve the call process for you and your team?
All of the components of your call script sound like an important part of the process. How has the script helped you? How could the call process improve?
Our receptionist generally answers the phone and is trained to fill out a lead call with their name, number, email address and how they heard about the college before she transfers them to me. She is not very personable when talking with them and ideally I would like that position trained on this course and able to set appointments for me if I am not available to speak with them myself.
All reps use a script. The script allows the rep to keep control, build rapport, recap and set the appointment.
Thanks for sharing Maureen. Do you find this process to fit the students' needs in order to build rapport?
Dr. Jean Norris
We receive a call transfer from our receptionist and then we take the call. At this time we build rapor and establish a trusting relationship with the caller
