If an inquiry falls out of the funnel and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? That depends.
Colleges and universities lose inquiries at multiple points in the funnel. This happens for various reasons – maybe an inquiry was actively considering a list of institutions or simply not ready to enroll for the upcoming semester.
However, institutions with formalized communication workflows can gauge exactly where and why those inquiries dropped off and develop strategies to reengage them. And that makes an incredibly loud impact.
Make these four touchpoints a part of your communications workflow.
[Tweet “Make these four touchpoints a part of your communications workflow.”]
Are You Still Interested?
After an inquiry fills out a form on your website, you send an email with additional information on their program or college of interest. No response. You follow it up with great information on career outcomes and a testimonial from a successful alum. Still nothing. Finally, you send a detailed checklist for submitting an application. Crickets.
Before you throw in the towel…
Are inquiries intimidated by challenges they’re facing (financial, personal, etc.)? Did they receive too many emails, phone calls or text messages too quickly? Did your message arrive at a bad time?
{Insert Stressed Student}
Use this touchpoint to determine where inquiries are in their decision-making process. Acknowledge their busy schedule. Empathize with potential concerns. Reaffirm the value of your institution and provide the name, phone number and email address of a person they can contact as a resource. Most importantly, encourage them to take action, whether that means getting in touch with an admissions counselor, attending an event or submitting an application.
Sign Up for an Event
Inviting an inquiry to an event can rekindle the conversation about your institution. On-campus and virtual events including information sessions, meet and greets and webinars give prospects the chance to explore a program or college, meet with faculty and ask questions they might have about the application process.
Focus on the value of attending.
The details are important – time, date, location, appetizers. But what will an attendee really take away from the event? In this touchpoint, transparency is key. If I’m a prospective student, I want value – and that doesn’t mean hearing the same recycled information I can find on the program website. I want to be able to ask questions and get straight answers. I want to see that there’s a clear path to reaching my goals and learn how your institution will help me get there.
Don’t Miss the Deadline
Say that an inquiry expressed interest in enrolling for the fall semester. But since becoming an inquiry, they haven’t responded to your communications.
As application deadlines approach, send inquiries a quick text message or email. Remind them that the next semester is just around the corner, and if they want to be considered, they’ll need to submit an application before the deadline.
This creates a sense of urgency for inquiries who have been distant.
We all get busy. Sometimes it’s nice to receive a friendly reminder. Don’t forget to call out any advantages of applying early – maybe a waived application fee or priority consideration for scholarships.
It’s Been a While
Okay, still no response from your inquiry. You’re convinced they’re hiding under a rock in a Wi-Fi free zone. It’s definitely time to give up, right?
In the words of William Edward Hickson, place them in a new workflow and try, try again. This touchpoint should look something like this:
“Hey Inquiry, you said you were interested in our institution, but we haven’t heard from you in a while. Is now a better time to talk about how we can help you do X, Y and Z?”
The purpose of this communication is twofold – reaffirm the value of your institution and reengage the prospect.
[Tweet “Institutions with communication flows can see where & why inquiries drop off & how to reengage them.”]
Even if it’s been months since they’ve interacted with your institution, it’s worth reaching out to see if they’re ready to continue the conversation. You might find out that they’ve chosen to apply to another institution or put their education on hold for now. But you could also get them moving along in their enrollment journey again.
Ready to put your communication plan in action? We can help. Read up on content strategy or send us a message.
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