I would like to do better at calling at different times. We are in the process of adjusting hours so that each of our admissions reps will work a late day. I think doing this will help us better contact potential students. I also want to improve on the lengths of my calls. I think they tend to go to long.
That's a great plan. Let us know how it works out for you Samantha.
I need to be more prepared with various questions.
I will create an outline with questions ready for any call. Love the ideas I am acquiring.
So what can you and others do to break the bad habit of failing to listen?
i THINK A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE JUST WANT TO GET THEIR POINT ACROSS WITHOUT LISTENING WHAT THE OTHER PERSON HAS TO SAY. COMMUNICATION ESPECIALLY ON THE PHONE SHOULD GO BOTH WAYS.
Have you ever tried smiling and sitting up or standing when making calls? I'm curious to know what you notice as a difference. Anything we can do to bring improve our energy during the call has the potential to help the communication. Let us know how it works out for you!
My bad phone habits that need improving are not smiling during the conversation and slouching. I make several calls a day while leaning on my desk. I know that I will sound and feel better by sitting up straight and speaking as if the student is already in front of me, but after several hours of sitting at a desk, I slouch.
I'm curious, these students with whom you are having the long conversations, are they eventually visiting the campus or enrolling even if they aren't setting the appointment right away? If setting an appointment is your goal then I think your plan to use the call outline technique may help. Thanks for your post.
I find that in trying to be helpful and answering questions, I am drawn into very long conversations that are more like a face-to-face meeting. Sometimes, once potential students have this conversation with me, they don't feel the need to make an appointment, which defeats my whole purpose in calling. I like the call outline technique mentioned in the module. I think it will help me stay on track and meet my goal- which is to set the appt.
I like where you're going with the questions to help the student learn more about their needs. We have the benefit of being able to facilitate the decision-making process with them. I caution you about using questions that start with 'why', as it could cause someone to feel defensive. Rephrasing as 'what' and 'how' questions allow you to gather the same information. For example, 'Why are you ready now?' can be rephrased as 'What has prompted you to research massage therapy programs now?' Do you see/hear the difference?
Some good questions I could ask to challenge prospective students and stretch their thinking without judgement would be:
1. Why are you ready now?
2. Why do you want a career in massage therapy?
To learn more about their needs:
1. How long have you been considering a career in massage therapy?
2. What is most important to you when choosing a school?
It's so easy to form habits and to simply do what we have always done in the past. Keeping our customers happy while at the same time assisting them to the best of our ability is a fine balance. A good question has the ability to challenge a person and stretch their thinking but we do need to be careful to ask questions that are without judgement or criticism. What types of questions do you think you could ask to learn more about their needs rather than simply sending them information? And, what questions could you ask that might challenge the student without judgement?
In the past when a student has asked me to mail them more information I just go ahead and do so instead of challenging them about their hesitation. So I guess my bad habit would fall under not being assertive enough with the prospective students. I would like to learn ways to view them as more often as a student looking for help and assistance instead of a client that I want to keep happy first and foremost throughout the entire process. I want to learn how to be more comfortable asking questions that might challenge the student or may not initially sit well with them; knowing that some discomfort is okay for them to experience.
Being flexible and working with your prospective students to schedule an appointment that is convenient for them is one of the many elements for moving forward with them. However, as I posted above, sometimes students will set an appointment only to get off the phone with us. A question to consider is, are we meeting our students where they are in the process or are we asking them to meet us where we are in the process? How do you personally know when it's the right time to invite a prospective student to the campus for an interview?
I agree with Brian about the burn-out factor that arises with so many no-shows. I constantly try and get prospective students to commit to a scheduled appointment at their convenience, not mine. If early morning or late-day is what seems to appeal to them, so be it. I want my telephone dialog with the prospective student to come-across as genuine and in their best interest and hopefully this will lead to a face-to-face meeting.
Milagros,
Yes, the WAY someone says something is sometimes more important than the words they use. Great observation.
Dr. Jean Norris
Take more time to ask question to probe it will be very helpful and listening for inflections as well
Being aware of our habits is the first step. What can you do to remind yourself to practice good habits?
Sometimes when I am tired at the end of the day leaving a message I will use words like honey or sweetheart ( i have since broken this bad habit)and occasionally said ummm which is horrible.
I am learning that I am not probing enough, and giving out to much information. I am hoping to be able to slow down and probe more but give less. One way I can do this is by asking open-ended questions, instead of yes or no questions. Need to give the prospect time to talk and me be the listener.
