More Do’s and Don’ts For Fall Travel Season

Last week I shared a big mistake to avoid when it comes to starting conversations with prospective students at high school visits and college fairs.

A handful of my newsletter readers emailed me follow-up questions – with many looking for more "fall travel season" tips. Here are some additional do’s and don’ts.

Don’t…

• Cross your arms when you’re standing. It gives off the vibe that you’re not approachable.

• Have a condescending tone when you speak.

• Ask “Do you have any questions” or “What questions do you have.” They’re both too open-ended and most students don’t know which direction to go.

• Assume that lunchroom visits are a complete waste of time. If you want students to come over to your table you need to have something fun for them to do – think games. Or, you need lots of free swag.

• Drop off materials and leave if zero students show up for a high school visit. Spend a few minutes trying to make connections and build relationships with the high school counselor or other staff members at the school – namely secretaries and deans.

• Ask students to fill out an inquiry card or scan a QR code at the start of your conversation. Wait until the end when you’ve been helpful and I’d also recommend that you give them a heads up as to when you’re going to follow-up with them.

• Forget to enter your notes from each conversation into your CRM in a timely manner.

  
  

Do…

• Reach out to high school counselors ahead of your visit, tell them how much you appreciate the work they do for students and families, and ask for the top one or two college related questions they’ve been getting from seniors lately as well as from parents/guardians.

• Send a short personalizd email or text to senior inquiries, applicants, and admits that encourages them to stop by during your visit AND asks if they think they’ll be able to get out of class to do so. For those who won’t be able to come down (the number has grown the past couple of years) ask one direct question in your follow-up message based on the student’s stage and what you already know or don’t know about them.

• Smile and make eye contact… a lot.

• Gather some stories from current first-year students at your college or university that are relatable and relevant for prospective students. Think about things like how they started developing their college list, why they decided to apply to your school, and how they figurd out what program or major they were interested in. Sharing the all-important current student point of view can help your conversations feel more authentic.

• Focus on your pace when you speak. 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.

• Take care of your body. Sleep, hydration (water), and nutrition will affect your performance (positively or negatively). Pro tip: Avoid coffee if you’re going to be doing a lot of speaking because it can dehydrate you.

• Thank students and parents for their time and feedback. Let them know you appreciate their openness and look forward to talking to them again soon and learning more about their search.

  
  

Some or most of those bullet points may have been timely reminders for you. That’s awesome! For everyone else, I encourage you to take one or more of them and put them into practice in the coming days and weeks.

HERE'S WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW:

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You can bring me to your campus to lead an in-person student recruitment workshop