Teach your Admissions Advisors to communicate with verbiage and grammar that is an appropriate representation of your school and indicative of the caliber of education you provide. Admissions Advisors are the first line of interaction with prospective students. How they speak is as important as what they say in determining a prospect’s opinion of your University. Poor grammar, inappropriate verbiage and colloquial vocabulary are wrong and potentially damaging to both the advisor’s success and your reputation. This workshop will clarify the most common errors and help advisors improve this crucial conversational skillset.

1. Presented by:
CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
COSMO WOLLAN
“YOU ARE OMMUNICATIONS EXPERT
WHAT YOU SAY”
STUDENT C
CONVERSATIONAL
PROFESSIONALISM
F OR A DMISSIONS A DVISORS
“Y OU A RE W HAT Y OU S AY ”
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

2. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
FIRST IMPRESSIONS MEAN BUSINESS…
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

3. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
Your Admissions Advisors start with powerful and
professional tools… AND THESE TOOLS ARE THE FOUNDATION
FOR SUCCESS:
SCRIPTS
TALKING POINTS
PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
It is in how they USE those tools that success is achieved.
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

4. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
What would you think if you called an 800# to
discuss getting better car insurance, and they said:
“Yo, wazzup? Thanks for callin’ Shyster
Insurance. What kind of car you drivin’?”
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

5. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
So what might a prospective student think if they hear:
“I see you called about college. Lemme axe you a few
questions…”
or
“I’m callin’ bout the colleges you said you was interested in.
Whazzup?”
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

6. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
What your prospects
THINK
is determined by what they
HEAR.
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

7. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
What your advisors say = INFORMATION
How they say it = PERCEPTION
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

8. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
What is WRONG with the following:
“Where can I reach you at?”
“Let me axe you a question…”
“I’m calling to tell you about the colleges you was
interested in…”
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

9. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
Would it bother you if you discovered that the guy from the
FORD Dealership who sold you your car drove a HONDA?
DO we or DON’T we have more confidence in a product
if the person selling it to us also uses it themselves?
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

10. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
The product your Admissions
Advisors are selling is
KNOWLEDGE.
How can you expect to inspire potential students to
choose your college if your Admissions Advisors sound
as if they failed High School Freshman English?
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

11. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
Frequently Heard – Always WRONG:
• “Let me axe you a question…”
• “Where can I reach you at?”
• “…due to your situation, you are eligible for the…”
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

12. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
This is not about being smart or dumb… or whether your
Admissions Advisors have a master’s degree, a bachelor’s
degree or no degree.
It is simply about using the BEST TOOLS for the task at hand.
Like a thoroughbred racehorse or a top fuel race car,
PROPER GRAMMAR IS A TOOL THAT WILL MAKE THEM BETTER AT THEIR JOB.
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

13. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
Before an Admissions Advisor can answer
questions, explain benefits or describe options and
opportunities, prospects will be making judgments BASED
ON IMPRESSIONS OF WHAT THEY HEAR.
or
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

14. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
What do want your potential students to HEAR when
they chat with your Admissions Advisors?
or
It represents your school, your image and your reputation.
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

15. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
A wise man* once said: “YOU NEVER GET A SECOND
CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION.”
Your prospects look to your Admissions Advisors for
inspiration.
HOW WILL THAT FIRST IMPRESSION INSPIRE THEM?
*Conflicting sources attribute this quote to Will Rogers, Mark Twain, and Arthur Schopenhauer
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

16. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
Conversational Professionalism (for Admissions Advisors)
is available as a stand-alone 2-hour seminar or can be
incorporated as a 2-hour segment of a larger scope
training program.
Seminar groups should be no larger than 20-25 participants
for optimum interaction.
All university Admissions Advisors who regularly interact with
potential students can benefit from this training. Whether on
the phone or in person, your prospects are evaluating you as
much as you are assessing them.
CAN YOU REALLY AFFORD NOT TO PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD?
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

17. CONVERSATIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
“YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY”
THANK YOU.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
Cosmo Wollan
Student Communications Expert
Senior Training Executive
Communication ExcellenceSM
Office: 754.300.9678 Cell: 305.788.2469
Cosmo@CommunicationExcellence.biz
©2012 COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.