Megan Anderson Justin Gish

1. #TargetXSummit
To Telemarket, or Telecounsel,
That is the Question
Megan Anderson
Justin Gish

2. #TargetXSummit
Megan Anderson
Associate Director of
Recruitment Marketing
and Communication
Office of Admissions
12 years in higher ed.

3. #TargetXSummit
Justin Gish
Telemarketing
Coordinator
Office of Admissions
Just over two years in
higher education.

4. Today’s Agenda
• History
• What is Telecounseling?
• Learn the System
• Build the Team
• Deliver the Message
• Analyze the Data
• Wrap Up, Q&A

5. About WMU
• Four-year public institution, R1
• Main campus: Kalamazoo, MI
• Eight regional campuses: MI, FL
• Fall 2017 enrollment:
Approx. 23,000
• Athletics: Division I, MAC

6. Using Salesforce/TargetX
• February 2017: Signed with Salesforce/TargetX
• June 2017: Onsite/Go Live
• January 2018: Telemarketing
• May 2018: SMS

7. #TargetXSummit
Questions for the audience

8. History of telecounseling at WMU
• Formal student calling started in January 1998
• Extensive training program
• Students supervised by peers
• Attempted 120,000 calls annually
• Fall/spring: 25-30 callers 4x/week, 5 to 9 p.m.
• Summer: 15 callers 3x/week, 5 to 8 p.m.

9. History of telecounseling at WMU, cont’d
Call topics included:
• HS visit announcements
• Congrats to every admit
• Encouragement to apply
• Intro calls at prospect level
• Next steps calls

10. Along comes TargetX
• EMAS  TargetX
• Office reorganization, reduced budget
• Blackout period (no calling in fall 2017)
• New F/T position created

11. How to Contact

12. When to Communicate

13. Telecounseling is Not Telemarketing
A Brief Literature Review

14. Telecounseling is not…
“conducted from cold calling lists;
(Head 1998: 197)

15. Telecounseling is not…
"driven by hard-core scripts"
(Head 1998: 197)

16. Telecounseling is not…
"a one-shot deal intended to close a sale with
a credit card."
(Head 1998: 197)

17. So what is telecounseling?

18. Telecounseling is…
"a personal nurturing"
(Head 1998: 197)

19. Telecounseling is…
"an “interest qualification" supported by tracking
and sorting"
(Head 1998: 197)

20. Telecounseling is…
"a revolving follow-up system that ushers
prospects through the application and
enrollment process"
(Head 1998: 197)

21. Telecounseling is also…
“Students calling students”
(Smith, 2002: 21)

22. Telecounseling can be…
"A credible source for answers to applicant
questions"
(Smith 2002: 22)

23. Telecounseling can be…
"A way to maintain human contact through the
application process"
(Smith 2002: 22)

24. Telecounseling can be…
"A tool to reach more students than any other
method outside of direct mail"
(Smith 2002: 22)

25. Telecounseling can be…
"A cost effective way to reach students"
(Smith 2002: 22)

26. Telecounseling can be…
"A measurable way to gauge outreach"
(Smith 2002: 22)

27. Telecounseling can be…
"A way to collect research data"
(Smith 2002: 22)

28. Introduction to WMU Telecounseling
• Calling hours: Mon-Thurs, 5 to 7 p.m. and
Sunday, 3 to 7 p.m.
• Team of eight students, six students calling per shift
• 50% of calls are no answer, 25% are left messages, and
25% are had conversations.
• Total calls made 26,908. Averages to about 5,381 calls
per month.

29. What Does it Take to Telecounsel?
1. Learn the System
2. Build the Team
3. Deliver the Message
4. Analyze the Data

30. Learn the System - Supervisor
• Identify privileges to make sure you can call.
• Create the template once and clone as needed.
• Use whichever reports you like, but add
telemarketing specifics.
• Campaign naming conventions are up to creator.

31. Clone the Template

32. Learn the System - Students
• Callers are presented with phone numbers.

33. Learn the System - Students
• Callers can enter notes on the home screen.

34. Learn the System - Students
Callers can access the student's contact record
through module if need be.

35. Build the Team
• Phone interviews are helpful.
• Do not actively seek out any particular major.
• Make this job desirable.
• Focus on how this job could help the student.
• Foreign language skills are a plus.
• Grad Students if the are alumni.

36. Build the Team
• The telemarketing is as useful as you present it.
• Train with senior staff members before calling.
• Supervisor is available to ensure data gets where it
needs to go.

37. Deliver the Message
• Students introduce themselves as students.
• Don’t have students focus on quotas or number of
calls.
• Give students a script, but give them the power to
deviate.

38. Deliver the Message
A flow chart can be helpful for callers.
Are you still interested in Western Michigan?
YesNo

39. Deliver the Message
• Callers are not afraid to speak with families.
• Callers are taught to be true to their school.
• Callers are encouraged to talk.

40. Analyze the data
• Calls can collect important data.
• Run reports to determine efficacy of calls.
• Come to grips with knowing that you may not ever
truly know your impact.

41. Where I’d like to go
• Develop a team that reflects the diverse
interests of the applicants.
• Use data collected by telecounselors to aid
recruitment efforts.

42. Data I Like to Gather

43. What that Data Looks Like

44. What I'd Like to Do With that Data
• We can run reports showing us where we are losing
students.
• Cross this information with county, city, school, and
see where we can target.

45. Why Telecounsleing is Good for this Data.
• Cancellation form asks for, but does not
require, this information.
• Student callers are good at getting this data
over the phone.

46. Where I'd Like to Go
• Get a better understanding of how cell and
smart phones change the telecounseling
landscape.
• Looking forward to new TargetX telemarketing
(or telecounsleing) modules.

47. Wrap Up
• Much of the research on telecounseling in higher ed
is a bit dated.
• There’s a paper in there somewhere, let me know if
you want to collaborate.

48. Works Cited
Head, J.F., (1998) Collegiate Telecounseling and Recruitment Videos. in Handbook for the College Admissions
Professional. Westport, CT. Greenwood Press..
Rogers G. and Stoner M., "Mythbusting Enrollment Marketing" , published by mStoner, Inc. and NRCCUA®, February
2018.
Rogers G. and Stoner M., “Mythbusting Admissions,” published by Chegg and mStoner, Inc., December 2015.
Smith, C.A., (2002) Mid-Admission Cycle Telecounseling: Expanding the Applicant Pool After the Fall Season. Journal of
College Admission, Winter 174 pg 21-26

49. Questions?
Megan Anderson
Associate Director of
Recruitment Marketing
and Communication
m.anderson@wmich.edu
(269) 387-2012
Justin Gish
Telemarketing Coordinator
justin.gish@wmich.edu
(269) 387-2091