PS&L Blog

I hear it all of the time from admissions counselors. “Making the final decision on where to go to college is an emotional one. It’s based on factors that I don’t have any control over.”

Actually you do.

That’s not to say you can convince everyone that your university or college is the right choice for them. What you can do is determine from an early stage whether there can be an emotional connection between that prospect and your school.

It comes down to two critical elements.
1. Reading your prospects
2. Overcoming resistance

Reading Your Prospects

I’m not talking about reading anyone’s mind. However, there are signals that students and their families give off that can be read. For example, if they don’t talk to you without much effort on your part. If they don’t ask any questions at all. If they talk among themselves and hardly bring you into the conversation. These are all signals that there is a lack of interest or emotional attachment. Something has happened either before or during the interview or campus visit that has turned them off. Chances are they are going through the motions and you are not on top of their list.

You can prod a little by asking what other schools they are applying to. You can often tell by smiles or gestures which schools they most want to go to, and from that information you can determine whether it’s worth spending more time and energy on this prospect.

The important takeaway here is that there will be students who will not make an emotional connection to your college or university. Take note of who they are, and don’t count on them as part of your yield. That way you can project a more accurate yield.

Overcoming Resistance

Some prospects will engage with you but will react negatively to certain statements made on the tour or during an interview. When this happens you have an opportunity to win them over.

The main obstacle I hear about is cost. The reality is (and there is plenty of data to back this up), while cost is a barrier, if your school is the right fit students and their families will try to make it work.

When it comes to cost and other objections, your prospect and their family are usually acting emotionally. Your response should recognize their emotion by being empathetic to their concerns. Reassurance is something they are looking for since, for many, this is the first time they will be away from home.

The important takeaway here is that with an objection comes an opportunity to connect directly and emotionally with a prospect. As the admissions process proceeds, make sure that you personally address those concerns. A quick note that says something like “We’re going to see if we can make this work for you” can go a long way to cementing an emotional connection with your prospect, and that’s a good thing for your yield.

Let me know if anyone out there has an anecdote that demonstrates how to connect emotionally with a prospect who at first did not seem open to going to their school?