The Admissions Process starts with, "Hello my name is..."
The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) reports that the percentage of under-enrolled NAIS schools steadily increases each year. If you are in the Admissions Office or just part of the independent school world, you clearly see that the trend does not appear to be normalizing (Joregenson, 2020). Covid-19 is a horrible pandemic that has taken countless lives across the globe; this crisis of health and well-being now takes it sights to the education sector. Families are starting to second guess the value of an independent school education based upon the rising tuition rates combined the influx of free to low-cost options for school.
What should we do?
The Admissions Office of Episcopal High School (EHS) has taken to the phones. The program is currently called the Inquiry Outreach Program. Every family submits and inquiry, many of these family members provide their telephone numbers. We believe that today, an email is just not enough; there is a new requirement to do more. It is important to provide a personal touch when looking to ask a family to commit to our wonderful school. Afterall, the admission process is an experience.
We have found that it is best to provide a quick introduction and then ensure that the answering party is indeed available for a free moment. One must not ignore the fact that our day jobs have bled into our personal lives and vice versa. There are sometimes where the family is shocked to be receiving a phone call based upon their basic inquiry. While the spread of EHS by word of mouth is critical to our success, it is now important to be the word of mouth as officers. This conversation can be as long as the family allows. The normal flow for the conversation is:
1. Introduction
2. Small talk for a connection
3. The ask
In Enrollment Management, the goal is to turn inquiries into chats or visits, visits into interviews, interviews into applications and finally all those items should filter down to several other phases with the end result being the incoming class. This process provides a great sense of just what the inquiry pool is composed of based upon:
· Domestic applicant
· International applicant
· Males
· Females
· Sending school
· Increase/ decrease for the weekly report
With the proper use of our database, reports can be pulled, and the data can tell a strong narrative of potential trends. Finally, each officer inputs their notes, emails and correspondence into our system for tracking purposes. Ideally each communication point with an officer is tracked and added into our system for the applicant.
The Inquiry Outreach Program does not address the rising cost of independent school tuition. What it does address is the admission experience. This program provides a touch of customer service and personality that looks to enrich the value of EHS from the first, “Hello, my name is…”
References
Is cold calling still effective? (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2020, from https://www.salesforce.com/eu/learning-centre/sales/cold-calling/
Jorgenson, O. (2020, Summer). 12 Growth Mindsets for the Enrollment Crisis. Retrieved November 18, 2020, from https://www.nais.org/magazine/independent-school/summer-2020/enrollment-decline-acknowledging-the-crisis-and-embracing-growth-mindset/
Keohane, J. (2020, March 25). How to Reignite Your Cold Outreach Strategy During the COVID-19 Crisis. Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://www.yesware.com/blog/reignite-your-cold-outreach-strategy/
Tuel, J. (2020, September 26). 5 Smart Plays for Effective Sales Development During a Crisis. Retrieved November 18, 2020, from https://www.demandbase.com/b2b-marketing-blog/5-plays-for-effective-sales-development-during-a-crisis/