Another year of travel, phone calls, emails, text messages, and campus visits, have culminated in new students classes for colleges and universities across the country.
For those on the outside of the industry, a common thought is now they can begin working on the students for next year.
However, those of us career enrollment management professionals know better. We have all been thinking about 2020 and beyond for at least a couple of years in an effort to be strategically prudent.
Now that your teams are hitting the road to engage prospective students for 2020 and beyond, remember to stress the fact that customer service is even more important away from the office.
The college fair circuit and private visit schedules can be tough, however, as the flag bearer for the institution your team members have to know that first impressions are and will always be key.
Remember that your teams get not only direction but also motivation from you. They are paying close attention as you interact with members of the team and prospective students and families.
As a leader, I have always made it a point to tell my teams Extra Effort = Expected Effort, while also trying to show what I expect in my daily interactions with them.
With a new wave of open house programs, campus tours, Saturday visits, and yes… board meetings, remember to take the lead as a leader and thank your team members.
Those moments of appreciation will go a long way with developing a cohesive unit and ultimately helping everyone stay on the same page and work hard to achieve the end goal of enrolling a new student class for the Spring and Fall.
More importantly, as an enrollment management leader, how can you expect other members of the campus community to be appreciative of what you do if you are not doing the same for your teams…
PS – As a leader, do not always take the glamorous trip, try to take a not so nice recruitment trip once in a while…
-Roger Jones
Senior Account Executive
rogerjones@parishgroup.com
