A Simple and Effective Strategy

Last week I was at a school conducting an assessment of their marketing and enrollment effort. While there were several memorable things that the admissions director did that worked well in her recruitment effort of new families, one strategy stood out to me.

As a prospective parent and child walks up to the administration building, there is a welcome sign that has the name of the student listed as a school visitor for the day. While this might not be a new idea for some admissions directors, the difference results in what occurs at the end of the visit.

As the last step in the school visit, the student’s photo is taken in front of the sign. After the family leaves, the admissions director sends the photo to the parent as a reminder of the visit while providing encouragement that this school is a great choice for their family.

This is a great idea to take this customer service approach and admissions strategy to the next level. This simple but effective strategy helps the family’s visit to stand out from the other schools, especially when they are many options in the community.

It is also another great way to provide a reason for personal follow-up with the family by sending them a picture in the mail or by email. This picture will help the parent envision that this is the right place for their child.

Now it’s your turn to take your campus visit to the next level. After all, you want to do everything you can to make a difference in every family’s decision to enroll at your school (especially when it doesn’t affect your budget!).