Changing Your Relationships in the Age of Relevance

Changing Your Relationships inChanging Your Relationships in the Age of Relevance

Jennifer Copeland, DemandEngine

D it th t l t thDespite the tool set, the fundamentals remainfundamentals remain. Relationships matterRelationships matter.

Agenda

1. Enrollment marketing and management challengesmanagement challenges

2. Three lessons from the student perspectivestudent perspective

3. Five steps to relevancy

www.demandengine.com Copyright 2010

Changing Demographics


Losing One-Third before Year 2



• Only ½ of studentsOnly ½ of students persist to degree

l ti f th icompletion from their original institutiong



• 1-in-3 do not persist1 in 3 do not persist beyond the first year


Despite 30 Years of Research …

“Over the years, colleges and universities haveOver the years, colleges and universities have designed programs and services to help retain students…. Yet even with the implementation

and strengthening of these programs and services, the retention data reveal that students

t t i d t hi h t th thare not retained at a higher rate than they were twenty years ago.”

S Al S idSource: Alan SeidmanAuthor, College Student Retention: Formula for Student Success (2005).


Despite 30-Years of Research…

• Who “owns” the prospective enrolledprospective, enrolled, or past student?

• How do we proactively measureproactively measure retention?

• How do we plan for this?


this?

Managing Relationship Complexity


What This Means

• Austerity is here• The asset of the future is the

lifetime value of the relationship• Simply being there is not p y g

enough


Agenda





They Can’t Find You

DemandEngine Search Study• 100 non-profit p

undergraduate institutions– 2 appears on the first page of pp p g

the search results


They Can’t Find You

DemandEngine Search Study• 140 non-profit continuing, p g

professional, and graduate education programsg– 49 appeared on the first

page in natural returns– Only 15 had paid search

results


Lesson: A web site that can beLesson: A web site that can be found by learners in the context of

their searches is more valuable than online artworkthan online artwork.

When They Do …

• Secret shopping call: Continuing Education Unit– Caller attempting to learn

about completing his degree– Representative answering call

provides a list of the difficulties caller will havecaller will have enrolling/paying as an out-of-state studentstate student.


When They Do …

• Secret shopping call: Collegiate Conference Center– Caller interested in meeting

space on campus– Transferred repeatedly– Reaches correct office (live

person) and they tell her to email her what they need (even after she gives it to them overafter she gives it to them over the phone)


Touchpoint Management

• The intentional design and execution of all of the communication, digital, human, and physical interactions your constituents experience through channels during their relationship lifecycle.


Lesson: Pay attention to what happens when students dohappens when students do what you want.y

20

They Expect More …


Our Inquirer

• 3.6 GPA• Within 50 miles of campus• Interested in Coop/Internships,

Debate, and Football,


A ‘Personalized’ Portal


Personalized Communication?


“I think that colleges should all try to respond to t d t i h t lstudents in a somewhat more personal manner.

I've emailed several colleges, and some of them ld l ith t t d d twould reply with automated or copy-and-paste

responses. It made me feel like they were a bit t f t h d did 't t h b tout of touch and didn't care too much about

what I was asking or saying.”High School Student, Southeast


Lesson: Sometimes we get lost in the shiny glare of technology capability …

instead think of how to effectively apply the power of the tool.the power of the tool.

What This Means

• Proactively plan out the phases of thethe phases of the relationship.

• Today’s student is savvy and will call yousavvy and will call you on your missteps.


Agenda





Start with a vision

• What is the ideal enrollment experience?

• More personal? Less bureaucratic? Engaging? Fun? Supportive?

• How do you want to change your relationships?


Support Your Vision With Data

• What happens at your brand touchpoints?

• Do you know the online participation profile of your t d t ?students?

• Are you using the enrollment f l t d l thfunnel as a way to model the pathway to enrollment?D d t d• Do you understand conversion and yield by program? Persistence and


program? Persistence and progression?

Write Your Own Success Story

• CRM is fundamentally about treating different students, diff tldifferently.

• Plan your successful interactionsinteractions

– Address the studentRemember what the student– Remember what the student says or does

– Then address them like youThen address them like you remembered what they told you


John Deighton, 1996

Let Your Plan Drive the “Stuff”

• Initiatives are things you need to do well to enable your vision and corresponding plan

• Your plan should drive the selection of initiatives


Technology is a powerful enabler

• Technology is a powerful gyenabler of strategy … when used effectively

• CRM technology should be at the core of your marketing and retention efforts


What This Means

• In today’s hyper-connected and competitive environment, relevance matters

• Keep your focus on students• Planning helps you organize

for a more relevant approach … technology enables. Use both well.


Jennifer CopelandJennifer CopelandDirector of Client Success

Email [email protected] 912-354-8007Web www.demandengine.comBl d d i /blBlog www.demandengine.com/blog


Changing Your Relationships in the Age of Relevance

Education

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