Avoid This Mistake With Juniors During Spring Travel

Territory management is definitely a balancing act. In addition to focusing on conversion and yield with this current class of students, a lot of admissions counselors are also navigating some spring travel.

What’s the primary goal of a college fair or a high school visit?

I would argue it’s not to give students information and get them to fill out an inquiry card. When you word vomit, ask them what questions they have, and you ask them to fill something out, their experience feels ‘salesy’ and transactional. Please don’t make that mistake because you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

Make it your goal to be memorable and start building trust and a relationship with as many students as possible.

Think about it. Students leave a fair or go home from school and what do they do? They text or DM their friends, and at some point their parents or other family members ask them how their day went (or more specifically how the college event was). What will they say? Will they remember your name?

It’s more important that students walk away from that first interaction feeling like you were nice, helpful, and took a genuine interest in learning about their wants, needs, goals, and concerns.

Do that and you will not only stand out from many of your competitors, but you’ll also have an easier time getting a student’s attention and engagement when you follow up with them in the coming days/weeks.

To be clear, I absolutely want you to share information and stories about the student experience at your school. The key to making the experience feel personal and helpful is to be curious (i.e. ask them different direct questions), and then take the information a student shares with you and build on it each time by adding value (i.e. share relatable/relevant info and stories about your school based on what a student says).

In short, always remember to get engagement first, and give information second.

Here are a few other important tips and reminders as you hit the road:

• Always make eye contact, smile, and be mindful of your body language. Don’t cross your arms when you’re standing. It gives off the vibe that you’re not approachable. Also, don’t use a condescending tone when you speak, and make sure you don’t sound like a robot.

• Focus on your pace when you’re talking. Slow down, pronounce things clearly, and take pauses between thoughts or before you answer a question. It doesn’t have to sound perfect. It just needs to be authentic and helpful.

• Don’t start by asking a student what they want to major in. A good chunk have no idea or have multiple interests. Instead, ask a direct question like, “What are you picturing college to be like?” Or, “What are one or two things you’re wondering about when it comes to the college search process?” Or, “At this point, what kinds of colleges do you see being completely wrong for you?” Notice how none of those questions have anything to do with your school. Again, it’s about being curious and learning about your students.

• Be prepared to talk about cost, affordability, outcomes, and student life. According to my Top Tier Higher Ed data, those are the topics that the majority of students want information on first during the early stages of their search.

• Have a plan to upload your notes to your CRM while you’re on the road, or at some point the next day if you’re back in the office.

• Your follow-up communication is extremely important. Early in the process a lot of students are looking to see which schools maintain consistent communication. In their minds, it’s an indicator of just how serious your school is about them.

  
  

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