One of my most challenging obstacles is the shopper. It can be difficult to attempt to make an appointment without being perceived as "pushy" and also believing they may likely be a no-show if an appointment is made. Thank you for the tips, I will use them to take a more educated and positive approach to the shoppers.
David, That can pose a problem. What are the tools you use to meet this challenge?
Dr. Jean Norris
The most difficult obstacle for us at our school is scheduling. Our classes at the present time are only available during the day. Some students are able to adjust their work schedule but for others it is not possible at this time.
Carlos, Value and price are different. How do you build value?
Dr. Jean Norris
The most difficult Obstacle is usually price,the way i over come that is explaining the difference between value and price.
Alain, That is a difficulty in our field. What can you still do to assist the student to reach their goals?
Dr. Jean Norris
The most difficult obstacle for me is when International students wants to come to school, but they do not meet the requirements for some of our scholarships, therefore they are no able to come because they can't pay for tuition costs.
Sally, Interesting! It is important that you work on building rapport with your student in order for them to willingly accept your opinion. What are some things you can do to build rapport?
Dr. Jean Norris
My most challenging obstacle is not being direct enough. I try to be polite and give people options. I think it's a fine line between offending a prospective student by being bossy and losing the sale because I'm not in control of the conversation enough.
Patricia, Well said! Building the value of your program is so important to outweigh some obstacles. At the end of the day though, is your program meant for everyone?
Dr. Jean Norris
The biggest obstacles that I find are the times that our classes are offered. We only offer full-time, day-time classes-- no evening or part-time classes. I usually tell them that I can understand the challenge of not being able to attend full-time and other students have expressed that, but in the end our students see the value of being able to complete our program in a shorter time so that they can go and begin their careers quickly.
Great, Rosaura! Thank you for sharing!
Dr. Jean Norris
No of course not. Specially with today's digital age.
rosaura, you make a great point about the value of seeing the campus, but what if the student is simply just gathering information? Does it hurt to give the cost over the phone?
Dr. Jean Norris
Of course they are, Danielle! It's all the great value you created by giving them the information they requested! Keep up the good work!
Dr. Jean Norris
Hi Lori,
I agree that its tricky. I pretty much just say, that in order to see all the benefits and to place value on your schooling its important to come in and see the campus. You would purchase a car with out seeing it or driving it first. and that usually works. At least when it comes to over coming the cost question over the phone.
About 80 percent of our students are from out of state, sometimes this makes it hard for us to set appointments. We have learned that giving them as much information as possible over the phone as well as mailing and emailing information to the student. We have offered saturday tours to get students who travel and those who just can't make it to a tour during the week. Believe it or not people are willing to travel to take a tour of our school.
Evan, Financial services members are the experts, so it's best to leave the details to them. I'm curious though, what about cost is a challenge for you?
Dr. Jean Norris
Cost is always the big one. I make sure to tell the applicant that before they start classes, they'll have a meeting scheduled with our Financial Aid officer. They'll be able to guide them through a variety of options for payment. If at that point they decide that they're unable to pay for school, our FA officer is better equipped to talk over payment plans and loan opportunities. If FA can't help you, we'll withdraw the application and even return the application fee. I like to diffuse the situation and leave it to the financial expert.
Rick, That sounds like a terrific strategy. What are some of your "value statements"?
Dr. Jean Norris
