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The Perfect Admissions Script Post COVID-19

  • Apr 23, 2020

Pain Points for Seniors are HUGE,  to Win them, we must have solutions!

Like no time in your career you will be serving students and families with the biggest pain points they have ever experienced. And these pain points are universal, affecting every corner of our globe.
 
If you want to reach these students, you need to recognize their pain and help solve it.
 
The top three pain points your students are likely experiencing are no different than before COVID-19, they have just been exponentially increased:
  1. Undecided major.
  2. Ability to afford college.
  3. Safety of Campus.
 
Behind each of these external pain points are internal pain points. These are the internal struggles you will need to address:
  1. Confusion about their purpose. (What am I good at? What will I love to do?)
  2. Anxiety and worry concerning debt. (Are loans the only solution to the loss of income?)
  3. Fear of death and the unknown. (Will my child get the coronavirus?)
 
When communicating with students and their parents you want to follow a simple framework that focuses on relationship building and the student rather than your university and its stats. The framework is simple:
  1. Make the student the hero (not you or your university).
  2. Recognize his/her internal struggle created by external pain points.
  3. Become the student’s guide.
  4. Provide the student with a plan.
  5. Call the student to action, that:
    1. Moves the student away from failure and fear.
    2. Ends in his/her success.
 
Below, you will see a sample conversation that takes this framework and applies it to a phone call with an inquiry that recently submitted a request for more information.

But yet, every conversation going forward will still build on the relationship started here. Yes, you'll pass a lot of information about your school as time progresses, but it will be centered in showing care and interest in them as a person and how your university is the solution for their pain points and areas of interest.
 
AC – Admissions Counselor
PS – Prospective Student
 
AC: Hello John! This is *AC Name* from *University Name*. How are you today?
PS: Good.
AC: That’s great to hear! I wanted to follow up with your request for more information so I could answer any questions you have. Is now a good time?
PS: Yeah. But I don’t really have any questions.
AC: That’s ok! I have a question for you then. What career do you want to pursue?
PS: I don’t know.
AC: John, that is actually the most common answer so you aren’t alone. Maybe this will help. If you had to choose a career regardless of how much money you would make, no matter how much it would cost, and even if no one else thought you should do it – what would you choose?
PS: Well, if I had to choose, I would say a musician.
AC: No way! That’s awesome! What kind of musician would you like to be?
PS: I would like to be in my own band.
AC:  Very cool! What instruments do you play?
PS: I play guitar and sing mostly but I like to fool around on the piano too.
AC:  Why do you want to be a musician in a band?
PS: I love to play music and music has made a huge impact on my life and I want to make the same impact on others.
AC: I love that! So why did you hesitate to mention being in a band?
PS: Well my parents keep reminding me that it is hard to make a living being a musician and having a band.
AC: So your parents are worried that you will not be able to support yourself or a family with this career choice?
PS: Yeah.
AC: I can understand that especially considering all the financial concerns created by the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, at *University Name*, we believe that everyone was created by God for a specific purpose. And if you think being a musician is your purpose, we can:
  1. Help you confirm that purpose.
  2. Help you achieve that purpose.
  3. Prepare you to make a living from your purpose.
I think the next best step for you is to visit campus. This would allow you and your family to learn about our music department, talk with our professors, and learn about our alumni that are pursuing music while making a living. You can also meet with our financial aid department and learn all the ways we help families afford college.
PS: That would be awesome!
AC: Great! When we get off the phone I will send you an email with a link to our visit registration. I’d like to include your parents on the email as well. What is the best email address for them?
PS: *Student’s Response*
AC: Perfect! In my email, I will also provide you with a link to our application and a promo code to waive the application fee. This promo code is good for the next seven days and by starting your application you will get connected with your own personal admissions counselor to help you every step of the way. Sound good?
PS: Yes, thank you!
AC: John, thanks for chatting with me today. I am excited to see how God is going to lead you towards your goal of impacting people through music and we would be honored to be the university that gets to be a part of your story. I truly believe that *University Name* would be a perfect fit for you after hearing you share with me today. I look forward to seeing you on a campus visit soon! Is there anything else I can do for you today?
PS: Nope!
AC: Ok great! Can I pray for you and your family before we say bye?
PS: Sure!
AC: *Pray*. Be looking out for that email! Bye, John!
PS: Bye!
 
 In this short conversation, the AC has accomplished a lot. Most importantly, the AC has established incredible rapport with the prospective student and has guided the student towards actions that will help him and attract him to the university.
 
What the AC did do:
  • Focused on the student, making him the hero of his story.
  • Recognized the current struggles the student is facing.
  • Established himself as the guide by:
    • Expressing empathy.
    • Proving to be trustworthy.
  • Became a guide for the student
  • Provided an action plan for the student:
    • Campus Visit.
    • Free Application.
  • Followed up with an email calling the student to action
  • Explained how the actions will move the student away from failure (career without a living) towards success (a purpose he’ll love and an income).
 
What the AC didn’t do:
  • Talk about himself.
  • Talk a lot about the university.
  • Bore the student with impressive stats like every other college.
 
John’s going to visit and apply because the AC addressed his feelings (internal struggles). Once on campus, John’s chance of enrolling are the highest they can be for a prospective student.
Seal the Deal

 

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