Why Higher Ed Admission Offices Should NOT Think Like a Sales Team

a response to Why Higher Ed Admission Offices Must Think Like a Sales Team from .eduGuru

Yes, higher education admissions offices are responsible for ushering students through the final stages of the enrollment process. The application could be viewed as a “transaction” and an enrollment deposit could be compared to a “sale.” But talk to admissions counselors from colleges big and small and they will tell you that this is a job that changes with the seasons, along with the student lifecycle, and this is why admissions counselors and marketing teams should not think like a sales team. 

Not selling in this economy

No question, times are tough and our increasing tuition rates are not sustainable, but increasing enrollment as a revenue model is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I will argue it can be a very good thing! What is really changing is not just the economy, it is demographic shifts across the boards including an huge increase in the number 1st generation and non-traditional students entering the admissions funnel.

When budgets are tight a national marketing campaign or heavy recruitment travel might not be possible, but there are plenty of alternatives. We have the technology, take advantage of it.

Rather than thinking like a sales team, start thinking like a help desk, a customer service department, a counseling center – any of these, just don’t say sales.

Here are some of the most popular questions prospective students are asking:

• Do you have my major?
• Where are you located?
• How much does it cost?
• Do you offer financial aid?
• Do you offer internships and/or study abroad?
• What is the size of the student body?
• What is your student-faculty ratio?
• What is the average class size?

Provide students with the information they need to make an informed decision about their college search process. Allow students to inquire and request tailored information and make this very easy. Ask students how they prefer to be contacted. Don’t assume prospective students read email. Give options – post mail, facebook, text messages, etc. Collect parent contact information (they are probably reading email ).

Students = Your existence for being

For tuition-dependent colleges and universities the revenue collected from each enrolling class is a daunting reality and a key responsibility, but admissions counselors should not be equating each student to a dollar amount. If your Dean for Enrollment does not understand what portion of the school’s annual revenue comes from tuition, run! Your institution will not be around much longer. I have to argue, it is not an admission counselor’s job to bring in revenue for the school by increasing enrollment. It is the admissions counselor’s job be a representative for the university brand and to advise students as to whether or not the university will be a good fit.

Accepting a student into a program that they are not prepared to be successful in is irresponsible and unethical. You could receive a 10% increase in applications in one year and see a 0% increase or even a decrease in enrollment in the same year. Misinformed or uninformed applicants do not enroll.

The best way to increase enrollment is to create relationships with prospective students and provide them with the information they need to make an informed decision about their college choice. Inquiries will only result in applications if the students feel that there is a potential “fit.” Therefore, the time between application and enrollment is crucial and I understand how outsiders might view this as “focusing too much” on one part of the prospective student life cycle.

Prospects lead to your future students

Generating more prospects can certainly lead to more students. It is the job of the admissions office to make sure that these leads turn into the right students enrolling.

The worst thing a prospective student can say to me at a college fair is “Sell me your school.” Yes, this happens. Immediately I know this student is misinformed about the college search process. The search process should be about building a relationship centered around 1) what the college can offer to a student and 2) what the student can offer to the college.

It is true, with more applications, a college could choose to increase selectivity, which many view as a correlation to prestige. In reality, you are increasing the number of students who believe your school is a potential fit only to find out they have been rejected at the expense of a selective admissions process. Is that the kind of reputation higher education is really seeking?

If you are attracting the right kind of applicant and your institution is in a position to grow, I say go for it! Our country needs to increase the number of college graduates to sustain global competition. Why not increase the number of graduates from your school?

I absolutely agree, higher education admissions offices need to rethink their strategies in order to move their universities ahead into the 21st century. But this is not a marketplace. This is a society. What we need is NOT a sales strategy. We need a communication strategy. We need to be in tune with how the world is changing around us while informing, advising and allowing for real human connections.