Sharon,
This is very true. I get the sense that you pay attention to your student's wants and needs and do your best to accomodate based on what you are seeing. That is a great place to start when addressing challenges as it gives you the opportunity to tailor to your student and their preference.
Sharon,
This is a difficult challenge, indeed. What are some of the resources you have available to address this specific challenge with students?
madelin,
Creating urgency is something we hear many reps struggling with, especially in today's environment. It sounds like you work to understand what is currently going on for the student as a way to help them see the urgency for change. How do you find this works with your students?
I find that cost is a challenging topic. I have had to practice my response to coworkers, friends and family before it came as a natural response. We have a financial aid rep at the school, it helps with the question. But they still ask!
Tricia,
This can be a challenging topic for many. It sounds like you really want to do your best to make sure you handle this topic with confidence, which is great. Another method would be to answer the question with your tuition amount and ask the question, "is this about what you expected?". From there, your student may answer one of three ways: yes, no, or whoa that's a lot of money. If they answer with "whoa, that's a lot of money!", you can ask the question "compared to what?" to get a sense of their baseline comparison. Once they've elaborated you can have a discussion regarding what they're comparing you to. Hope you find this helpful.
Shannon Gormley
Being that I work for an online college, all of the objections I have to over come are over the phone. The two hardest obstacles that I have to try to overcome are enrolling with another school and not enough time.
The first one is the hardest because I am glad that they are going to schoo. I just try to give them the information about my school and if it is a good fit suggest the change.
The second one is difficult sometimes because I do not really know what their life looks like and if they really do not have time for school. I know a lot of times it is just a smoke screen and it is fear that is holding them back. I try to get them to walk me through their typical day and week and see if we can find a few hours a day that could be dedicated to school.
The cost of the programs is the biggest obstacles to new students with low resources, i try to cheer them up and let them know that we offer financial aid, that we also have different payment options and that in the end is all going to be worth it.
Ernesto,
It sounds like you do your best to offer a variety of options regarding cost to your students. I am sure they appreciate your desire to help. Understanding what it is about cost that poses a challenge is always helpful. Asking your students if the cost is what they expected and then what they are comparing the cost too can help clarify expectations related to cost without having to guess.
Shannon Gormley
I feel the biggest obstacle is when they want to focus on the price and only the price over the phone. They don't want to take the time to understand that we offer Financial Aid they just want the price and that is all that matters.
Marvin,
Thank you for sharing. After addressing the student's question about price, it can be helpful to explore the specific concerns the student has regarding cost. Doing so will help you gain a clearer understanding of the students concerns and the resources that will help to address that specific concern.
Shannon Gormley
I think my obstacles are very simular to the obstacles already posted about. I often hear a gasp when we talk about the cost of attedance. To combat this, I immediately explain the ways in which it can be covered and that before they commit to anything,they will see a very detailed breakdown to how their program will be covered. I have found this helps tremedously. I can also tell those that are really serious about making it happen will do whatever it takes.
Another obstacle that I have found no way to combat is the surge of "diploma mills". There are so many correspondance high schools now and we cannot accept any of them. I have at least 10 calls a week asking if we accept those schools, and because they wanted to take an "easy" route, those are 10 less students I can enroll. I do ask if they have plans to obtain a GED, and some do have those plans. But I have found that only a fraction of them will actually obtain their GED.
Interesting insight, Julie. It sounds like you've had similar experiences with some common student challenges. Helping your student to understand the full tuition they can expect for their program is essential to serving your students in the most ethical manner. For the finer details regarding financial aid, allowing your students the opportunity to speak directly to a financial aid associate regarding their options prior to enrolling ensures accuracy of information as well as compliance.
It sounds like you do your best to educate students who do not have a valid high school diploma of the requirements they must meet in order to enroll at your school. What are some of the resources that you can offer your prospective students regarding obtaining their GED?
Shannon Gormley
The most difficult obstacle for me to overcome is an objection over price. My plan to address this fear/concern is as follows:
1. Discuss the ROI of an education by guiding the prospect to bls.gov web site to show how the unemployment rate decreases as education levels increase. Also, to point out that income generally increases as education increases.
2. Use feel, felt, found technique more often.
3. Ask the prospect how much research they've done to compare tuition rates. Then discuss the "value" we provide.
4. Explain that the tuition is the price of the program but it may not be their total cost after factoring in financial aid programs.
5. Encourage the prospect to meet with FA to develop an estimated award letter to show affordability.
Steve,
You're not alone with this challenge. Cost and tuition tends to be a difficult topic of discussion for many admissions reps. It sounds like you've determined some approaches that you believe will help you with this particular challenge, which is great. Here's one more that we typically offer. When a student asks for cost, be up front and let them know the total cost of the program and then ask, "is that about what you expected?" The student can respond in one of three ways: yes, no, or that's a lot of money. If it's one of the first two responses - that's great...you can move forward. If the student answers, "that's a lot of money", you can then ask "compared to what" to explore what they may be using as a cost comparison. Hopefully, you'll find this technique helpful as well.
Shannon Gormley
The fact that they would not have the time to come in to visit.
I will give them more options as to a more convenient time to come in.
john,
Time can be a challenge for many students nowadays. It sounds like you plan to offer additional options to address this challenge. It's great that you'll attempt to be flexible in meeting your students where they are at. Keep it up!
Shannon Gormley
The biggest obstacle on the phone for me is money. The students always have some sort of financial setback. Using the techniques I've learned here have actually helped the students trust me more to assist them further.
Ozzie, that is great news. Yes, money can be an obstacle for many students. Tell me, what specific technique has helped you out the most?
Dr. Jean Norris
I find the most challenging obstacle is getting prospects to book an appointment over wanting to receive information over the phone. I excited to use the Feel, Felt, Found technique shown in this lesson. Currently i have been explaining the benefits of a campus tour and why its so important when making a decision about future. "Would you buy a car you didn't test drive?, No. So why would you chose a college you've never visited". I like to use this type of approach. I think the Feel, Felt, Found will be effective
Chris thanks for sharing. It sounds like you are starting to use the feel, felt, found method in your communication with your students. I'm curious, in your example regarding campus tours, what has been the response from the students?
Dr. Jean Norris
