I have found that my biggest obstacles are:
1. Giving to much information over the phone, I am planning to taylor the information I give to be exciting, but yet leaves the prospective student wanting to come in.
2. When a student objects,I have a fear of being to pushy. Instead I need to listen to there fear and help them overcome their own fears with the feel, felt, found method.
The most frequent challenges i come across are cost and schedules. We do accept financial aid, but the tuition cost at first sounds too large to most people, i always remind potential students that its an investment in a career and explain in detail all of the training we are providing. Most people inquiring already have full time jobs, so they have a difficult time thinking of cutting back their work schedule to attend school.
Danielle, that's a great point and I think a lot of people have that concern. I wonder, when you talk to them about tuition costs, what are they basing their numbers on?
Dr. Jean Norris
Thanks for sharing Candace. I like what you are saying about listening and it sounds like you have a plan to move forward. Keep us posted with the results.
Dr. Jean Norris
My number one is when they cut me to the chase and will not answer any questions from me only want information and when I go to ask for the appointment they say they will call me ( dont call them) when they are ready.
The way that i now handle a conversation like that is I simply give them my schedule when i know they are not ready to make an appointment and that leaves them feeling not pushed and they usually call me back or make the appointment right then and there.
I have learned to take my ego out of the equation and realize its not all about me.
Sometimes they will ask me what are tuition is and then have a heart attack and say well i cant afford that. I now give them the information if they continue asking and then share we do offer financial aid and perhaps they will qualify for a loan and that grants are available to those that qualify which gives them more ease.
Great awareness Denise. When we talk to students they can be in one of many places in the buying cycle, and they might not be ready to make an appointment. Add to that - today's student is feeling pressure from many different directions, so taking the time to understand their needs and allowing them to guide you to their next step is a good approach.
For my specific college, the obstacles that are the most challenging to handle are the misconceptions about the career. A lot of students come in with preconceived notions about what the career and training should entail, but this really isn't the case at all. So during the appointment, my task isn't just answering questions, but finding out which of those previous ideas were incorrect and then correcting them. I like to ask the students why they initially looked into the program. I feel that it is important for the students to verbalize the reason that they started researching the programs.
Ying I think you hit on something that is common at many colleges. Students often approach with their own ideas about the career and are working with what they have been told by others. Asking questions about their interest in the program and the career can help the student decide if the career and program are a good fit for them. Thanks you for post!
Be able to give the necesary amount on information is challenge becouse you can made it or fail it , is very importand to keep the prospect motivated and excidet to come
Milagros,
What is the main reason you believe a student would want to come into your school/college?
Dr. Jean Norris
One of the most challenging obstacles that I face on the phone is feeling a lack of a sense of entitlement. I do not mean entitlement in a negative way, but rather, I feel as though I sometimes am lacking in confidence, feeling as though perhaps they “don’t want what I'm selling". I realize however, that this assumption is inaccurate and that using techniques such as forming a game plan, smiling through the call, and following the structure of calls that has been presented in these modules, I can make a positive difference.
Mallory are you referring to only outbound calls? Inbound calls have the built in luxury of the prospective student calling us, therefore communicating that they might want what we are selling. I think your game plan to smile, follow the structure, and to communicate confidence is a good one. Let us know how it works out for you!
I think this is a really great way to soften the "cost blow". I cannot wait to use this technique. This obstacle comes up more often than any other objection we encounter. Admissions Reps are in a tough market right now, with enrollment down everywhere. People in a depressed economy are leery of taking on student loan debt with no real guarantee of employment.
I'm so glad you're anxious to give it a try. We have seen great success with this method. Good luck!
My biggest obstacle is tuition. With the economy today people want to go back to school but say they can't afford it ,and it's getting harder to receive grants and loans. They seem very interested but don't have the means. I've come up with payment plans to help the situation and that is working fine ,but we do see a change from the past enrollment . the numbers have gone down.
I enjoy speaking about our school and what it offers. I am very detailed about giving all the information.I have the ability to motivate the student about enrolling in the programs that we offer because I've done enough reseach to know the results and thats what motivates them and gets them to enroll with us. You have to know what you offer verses other schools in your area, and don't be afraid to give them more than what they asked for.
Nikeline,
As you probably noticed as you read through the posts in this forum, you're not alone with the tuition challenge. If we really take the time to build value for our students we can work together with our students to come up with possible solutions. I'm curious, when you have a student that doesn't have the financial means to attend school, what do you do then?
Dr. Jean Norris
After reading many of the responses to the question, I have a statement and a question. Regarding tuition costs, according to gainful employment and accreditation laws we are not permitted to disclose this over the phone. We have to refer them to the website to view the tuition costs. What do you know about these regulations?
Interesting. We're not aware of any specific laws regarding NOT giving out tuition information. In fact, Program Integrity Rules mandate transparency with disclosures (including tuition) to be on websites. Gainful employment deals primarily with salaries after graduation so not sure how this ties together. Can you provide more detail on the accrediting agency so we can look into this for you?
Dr. Jean Norris
