The document outlines 7 ways for colleges and universities to delight future students in order to improve recruitment, retention, and outcomes. The 7 ways are: 1) Enhance the mobile experience, 2) Reduce roadblocks in the enrollment process, 3) Tell more authentic stories about the institution and its students, 4) Prioritize the campus visit experience, 5) Close the deal by asking students to enroll, 6) Pave the path to student success after enrollment, and 7) Get recruitment teams delighted in their work. The document also discusses critical trends in higher education, such as the importance of mobile and social media and improving retention and graduation rates.

1. Reimagine the Experience
7 Ways to Delight Your Future Students
Brian Wm. Niles | Founder & Chief Evangelist

2. Introductions
3 Critical Trends
7 Ways to Delight Your Students
Some Resources
Setting Expectations

3. Introductions

4. Campuswide CRM for Higher Education
Recruitment. Retention. Advancement

5. 11 Years. Undergraduate & Graduate
17 Years. 450 Colleges & Universities
Author. “Overthrowing Dead Culture”
Husband & Father

6. Get You to Think.
Help Your Institution Change.
Takeaway a Couple of Ideas.
My Goals Today

7. Critical Trends
3

8. Mobile & Social
Retention & Success
Authenticity & Experiences

9. 1Mobile & Social

10. Importance and
Usage of Your
Institution’s
Website
High School Seniors
Surveyed in October 2015
Chegg/TargetX Social
Admissions Report

12. 70

14. 20

15. Lots of Room to
Improve Mobile
Experience
High School Seniors
Surveyed in October 2015
Chegg/TargetX Social
Admissions Report

16. Oh, look. A Butterfly!

17. Get the Fundamentals Right First

18. 9
If a student has a
connection with
nine students after
being admitted,
they are 93% more
likely to enroll.
TargetX Schools App, 2015

19. Images of Campus (instagram)
Frequent News (twitter)
“Real” Experiences (youtube)
Live Engagement (periscope)

20. Email is
Still King
Admissions is still a highly
transaction-oriented
process that is best
handled with email.

21. 2Retention & Success

22. 86

23. 25

24. 60

25. And if they don’t graduate,
they have $28k in debt.
And no credential.

26. Value of Higher Education
“Going Away” to College
Outcomes (ROI)

29. 3Authenticity &
Experiences

30. You All Look The Same.

31. Just ask a high school
Junior or Senior.

32. What are you doing to make
them care about you?
What are they taking away?

33. 7 Ways to Delight
Your Students

34. Delight

35. Increased Retention
Lower Replacement Costs
Increased Positive WOM
Reduced Recruitment Effort

36. Enhance the
Mobile Experience.
1

37. Responsive Design is Only
Part of the Answer
Optimize for Smaller Screens
(buttons, forms, etc.)

38. 67

39. Gen Xers Grew Up Digital
Millennials Grew Up Online
Homelands Growing Up Touch

40. Gen Xers Grew Up w/Keyboard
Millennials Grew Up w/Mouse
Homelands Growing Up w/Fingers
(what’s next?)

41. Test Your Site
For Yourself
Fill Out Your
Online Forms
Receive Your
Emails

42. Reduce the
Roadblocks.
2

44. You control only one part of
the enrollment funnel.
Admit or Deny

45. If You Have Too Few
Inquiries … check your forms
Application … too many requirements
Enrollees … outcomes & value

46. If You Have Too Many
Inquiries … get focused
Application … (seriously?)
Enrollees … check your NTR

47. Tell More
(Authentic) Stories.
3

48. Marketing to Millennials 101
Cut out the Hype

49. Marketing to Millennials 101
(and their Gen X parents)
Cut out the Hype

50. Stories not Stats.
People not Programs.
Mike Sexton, Vice President of Enrollment, Santa Clara University

51. The most authentic thing about
your institution are the people
that go/work there are the
stories they “share.”

52. Power Tip
Change Your Pronouns
(it’s not about you, it’s about them)

53. Prioritize the Campus
Visit Experience.
4

54. Recruiting Should Drive Visits
Visits Should Cater to the Visitor

55. Get The Basics Right

56. Basics Step 1
Confirmation. Campus Signage.
Visitor Parking. Visitor’s Center.
Clean Bathrooms.

57. Basics Step 2
Know the visitor.
Customize the visit.
Set the expectations.
Share real stories.

58. Basics Step 3
Make it memorable.
Highlight a signature moment.
Help them picture themselves there.

60. What’s Next?
Utilizing Technology
Mass Customization
More Ambassador Training

61. Close The Deal.
5

62. Sales
Marketing
Customers
Revenue

63. Do you value their enrollment?
Did you show them that you do?

64. Sales 101
Ask for the sale.

65. Pave the Path
to Student Success.
6

66. Recruit the right student.

67. The customer is always right.
Harry Gordon Selfridge, Sr.

68. Share what was learned
when you recruited them.

69. Build proactive plans
(don’t wait until they are failing)

70. Reactive Action Plan Examples
Student isn’t attending class.
Campus card not being using.
Hasn’t registered for next term.
Requesting transcripts.

71. Proactive Action Plan Examples
Purchase your books.
Meet with your advisor.
Sign up for activities.
Are you happy?

72. Get Your Team
Delighted!
7

74. Do you have the right people?
Are they in the right seats?
Do you know their strengths?
Do you know their plans & desires?
Are they having any fun?

75. Enhance the Mobile Experience
Reduce the Roadblocks
Tell More (Authentic) Stories
Prioritize the Campus Visit Experience
Close the Deal
Pave the Path to Student Success
Get Your Team Delighted
The 7 Ways

76. Some Resources

77. Chegg/TargetX Social Admissions Report
College Research Council Voice of the Student
Render Experiences “The Rant”
Ruffalo Noel Levitz E-Expectation Reports
Bob Johnson Consulting Email Newsletter
Strengths Finder 2.0
Fast Company Daily Email Newsletter
How to Raise an Adult (Julie Lithcott-Haims)

78. Brian Wm. Niles | @brianwmniles | niles@targetx.com