Enrollment Marketing for Higher Education

Paskill’s Yield Boot Camp is a two-day workshop that teaches hands-on skills and techniques to improve your recruiters’ interactions with applicants, admitted students and families. Over 75 workshops delivered in the past five years alone, with more than half representing repeat customers. Additionally, over 15% reflect a Paskill partnership where admissions workshops supported broader enrollment marketing goals.

Typically, first-time workshop clients hire us because they are experiencing an enrollment issue, or they’ve undergone a high level of turnover. Attendees leave with a much stronger understanding of what relationship-building means and how to accomplish it. We reinforce the importance of preparation, good questions, listening and being intentional in follow-up communications.

Faye Tydlaska, PhD, vice president for enrollment management and marketing at Rollins College, has had the Paskill team work with her recruiters three times over the past several years. She explains,  “It’s really helpful—and less intimidating—for our team to have someone from the outside offer both the ‘why’ of great recruiting and relationship-building and practical tactics for deeply engaging with prospective students.”

Many come back for a second Boot Camp. Why?

1. Often, they have staff turnover, so they want to bring those new people up to speed.
2. They know we bring fresh ideas to existing challenges, thanks to the experience we’ve gained in conducting more than 1,000 workshops all over the nation.
3. We build on the fundamentals and the foundation of what it takes to be a good recruiter. We then help their teams apply those concepts to their day-to-day work.
4. Having been through a workshop, they know we bring valuable insights to experienced counselors, as well, enabling them to rise to the next level.
5. People who complete our workshops hit the ground running. But over time they can fall into ruts and return to unproductive habits. Returnees leave refreshed and experience invigorated thinking.
6. Our workshops provide third-party validation. We not only reinforce the messages already being shared by VPs and directors, we help the team see new perspectives on everything from working with parents to overcoming objections.

Joanne Landers, PhD, vice president for enrollment management and communications at Plymouth State University, says, “The information provided during the workshops can be used by anyone who attends. Each workshop is personalized to the audience and the needs of the attendees at that moment. Everyone walks away with nuggets of information, from the first-year undergraduate admissions counselor to the graduate admissions team member that has been in enrollment for 10 years.”

The Key Is a Strategic Approach

Skills and techniques matter. Purpose matters. Admissions counselors can sometimes confuse mere interaction with relationship building. They can get focused on sending x number of emails or making a certain number of phone calls without having a larger purpose in mind. Communication that doesn’t further a relationship is time wasted.

We help them understand why they are communicating. They are not reaching out to a name on a list. They are reaching out to an individual with interests, hopes and goals. Counselors have to be intentional with each communication. As we say, “We are never just ‘reaching out.’ We are never ‘just calling to see if you have questions.’ We are never simply ‘touching base.’”

Relationship-building requires preparation: What do I know about this person? What have I learned about her? How do I personalize this and help her move closer to her goal? How do I influence her? Preparation and forethought enable the counselor to lead the conversation strategically, as opposed to simply lobbing questions over the wall.

The Benefits Are Manifold

Attendees, says Landers, “learn that although admissions is sales, it doesn’t have to sound like sales. They learn how to have engaging conversations that move prospective students from that first conversation at a college fair through to the deposit stage of the funnel.”

The workshops help teams understand the value of building relationships in overcoming objections, reinforcing your college’s experience and moving the student to close.

Plus, we make each workshop an enjoyable, rewarding experience. “Wow,” says Landers, “where do I begin about Dana and the Paskilll team? Dana is one of the most engaging presenters/consultants/presentation leaders I’ve worked with in over 20 years. She truly takes the time to learn the needs of the team and the institution before arriving to campus. Each presentation has been tailored specifically to the audience at that time. While the concepts are the same, the delivery and the nuggets of information will be unique based on each situation.”

Tydlaska concurs, saying, “Dave and Dana are fun and do a high-energy, engaging workshop that helps motivate our team.  We return to the lessons learned and activities from the workshop throughout the year.”

Give Admissions Teams the Knowledge and Skills They Need

The yield season is fast approaching. Give your team the tools they need to succeed. Learn more about the two-day Yield Boot Camp and schedule time to review the workshop and look at calendars for a visit. Reach out to us, and let’s talk.