This document provides "sales skills" tips for admissions professionals, framed as running a business to attract customers. It suggests focusing on listening to prospects, researching them, setting goals and accountability, discussing costs and value openly, recognizing when prospects are ready to commit, and asking for feedback to improve the relationship and service over time. The tips are intended to help match institutional programs to interested students while removing roadblocks to enrollment.

1. Top 10
“Sales” Skills
(for Admissions-folk:)
Kevin Corr, Director of Sales

2. Expectations
What we mean by “sales”
Sales tips for admissions
Let’s have some fun.

3. “Sales?”

6. You provide a service.
You accept money for it.
You have delivery costs.
You pay people.
You may (or not) have profits.

7. It’s a
Business.

8. Business
Consumers or Customers
Sales & Marketing
Costs, Return, Investment
Experience

9. We may not all
agree on the
term...

10. ...but we should
all agree on the
skills.

11. Sales.

12. “Match the product or
service you offer with
people who have a
demand for that
product or service.”

13. “Match the academic/
social programs your
college offers with
students who are
interested in those
programs.”

14. Hire the right people.
Train them differently.
Provide different tools.
Set different goals.
Assess and evaluate.
Accountability.

15. “10 Sales Tips”

16. Ask & Listen.
(“The Counselor Rule”)

17. Sales Mistake #1
Talking too
much!

18. Take notes
Ask clarifying questions
Focus on them
Benefits vs. Features

19. And...oh yeah...
Record it somewhere!

20. Research prospects
prior to contacting
them

22. “Always on”
(my soapbox)

23. “Out of Office”
Reply

24. “Due to fall travel season, I will be out
of the office throughout
September and October.
I will have limited access to my email
during this time, but I will respond to
your email at my earliest
convenience.”

25. Too busy
recruiting
to recruit ?

27. Talk Price.
Communicate
Value.

28. “Salespeople” must
be able to discuss
the real price.

29. Calculate Actual Cost on
Your Website
93%
Wanted To
37% Able To
Up from 27% only a few years ago - so we’ve improved - a little

30. June 2009
71%
National Association for College Admission Counseling
Forgoing their dream school in favor of more affordable options

31. $47k
$20k

32. Is an undergraduate
degree from Northeastern
worth $108k more than an
undergraduate degree from
UConn?

33. Financial Aid
Training?

34. www.targetx.com/videos.php

35. Provide
appropriate
marketing
messages

36. Are you
“in sync?”

37. Enrollment Goals
Communication Plan
Authenticity

38. Become a
“trusted advisor”

40. Get comfortable
with “no.”

41. Keep
them
coming
back.

42. Get them to
“No”

43. When is the best
time for you to
hear that they are
not interested?

44. The customer is
always right.
But not always
right for us.

45. Appearance Matters
(sad but true)

46. “Male customers
will choose to buy a
dirty shirt if it's sold
by an attractive
saleswoman”
University of Alberta study

47. Close the Deal.
Two things you can do to be better at closing the deal:

48. 1. Remove the
Roadblocks
Application process (application fee vs. 4 years of tuition), Deposit
Methods (credit card at open house)

49. 2. Recognize
“Buyer Shift”
When they are ready to “buy” - recognize it and take advantage of it
(remove the roadblocks to letting them buy - not embracing the
moment (“be sure to send in your deposit by May 1st”)

50. The Most Difficult
Question to Ask:

51. “What about this
doesn’t work for
you?
Help understand what roadblock stands in the way, gets them to “no” if
that’s the case, takes it again off of you and on to them.

52. Rethink the
Yield Event in
Spring?
This is the “closing the deal” event - mentally and physically prepare for
it. Know what each prospective customer needs to close the deal - e.g.
get their deposit, see a residence hall, meet with a coach, discuss
financial aid.

53. “Random Acts of
Exceptional
Customer Service”

55. “Perhaps you just
need to give them
the permission to be
exceptional.”

56. Ask for their
Commitment.

57. Ask for feedback.

59. More tips...

60. It’s all
about the
relationship.

63. “But what can
I do?”

64. Be the
champion in
your office.

65. Avoid
nice girl/guy
syndrome...

66. 3 T’s
Tools
Technology
Training

67. Manage your
reputation

68. www.targetx.com/ithink

69. www.targetx.com/webcasts

70. Access this presentation:
www.slideshare.net/
targetx

71. Thank You!
Kevin Corr, Director of Sales