1. “Flip the Funnel”
Communications Strategies that
Work from Branding through Yield
Adrienne Bartlett, VP, Client Experience

2. Access this presentation:
slideshare.net/targetx

3. Who’s In The
Room?

4. Disclaimers:
No magic bullets
You’re smart
I’m here to make you think

5. Expectations
What’s the problem?
5 Ways to Flip the Funnel
Let’s talk Sales
3 T’s

6. Current Climate

7. Shifting Competition
Strained Resources
Cost-Cutting
Panic

8. Taking the “fun” out
of “the funnel”...

9. “The Funnel”
Assumes they only get info from you
Stealth-apps miss the boat
Students who don’t progress get ignored
“Lack of contact” = “Lack of interest”
From our perspective (not theirs)

10. “Admissions Funnel”
$$$$ Prospects $$$$
Inquiries
Text
Applicants
Admitted
???? Enrolled ????

11. Yield?

12. “Admissions Funnel”
Prospects
Inquiries
Text
Applicants
$$$$ Admitted $$$$
Enrolled

13. “The funnel has outlived its
usefulness as a metaphor”
(because people learn from
each other now).
-Groundswell

14. Applicants
Enroll

15. Priorities
Mindset
Spending
Tools

16. The
“traditional plan”
can’t be all things...

17. “STEALTH

18. >50%
First Point of Contact was
the Admissions Application
In recent conversations with clients

19. Myth:
“Increase numbers at the top
to increase numbers at the bottom”

20. Reality:
Demographics and other factors are
making it impossible to keep “top-loading”

23. Stop talking at me
like you don’t know
who I am!

24. “If you haven’t already”
“applied”
“registered”
“visited”

25. 1:1

26. Prospects are
seeking meaningful
communications

27. They want you to help
them make sense of it all.

28. Customer Relationship
Management (CRM) is helping
to make messages much more
targeted and personalized.

29. Try and provide value to the
student at their current stage
rather than just trying to push
them through to the next.

30. One model...

32. “Rather than viewing the admissions
cycle as an enrollment funnel,
we view it as a strategic framework
that, based on a solid foundation of
sound marketing, recruitment, and
admissions strategies, builds a strong
and stable incoming class that is likely
to persist through graduation.”
Dr. David Kalsbeek, DePaul University
Dr. Christopher Ferguson, Wilmington University

34. “Branding”

35. Can help but ...
Expensive
Takes time
Not always in your control
Tough to gauge success

36. You know who you
are (and aren’t).

37. Be yourself.

38. Confidently.
Authentically.

39. 5 Ways to
Flip the Funnel

40. 1
Shift the budget.

41. Make the case for moving
(at least some)
budget dollars
“down the funnel”

42. Search = Lead Generation
Then what?

43. Focus On:
Events
Web Presence
Customer Service
Campus Visit Program
Marketing Campaigns

44. 2
Focus on Yield.

45. Increase
inquiries?

46. Does a huge number of
inquiries actually hurt
your ability to recruit
best-fit students?

47. We’ve simplified the
process to the point where
even an application
doesn’t necessarily
indicate interest.

48. How much does it cost to
have a uninterested
prospect in your
database?

49. Publications
Mailings/Postage
Event Invitations
Phone Calls/Emails
Staff Time
Travel Decisions?

51. Opportunity Cost.

53. 3
Rethink the Web.

54. Should be top priority
Balance “how” with “why”
Every page a homepage?
Navigation is crucial

55. Share This

57. http://www.baylor.edu/admissions/index.php?id=56275

58. http://faces.albright.edu/

59. http://newstudents.wfu.edu/

60. http://www.scu.edu/family/parent-email.cfm

61. How
“sustainable” is
your social web
strategy?

62. So many get to this point:

63. 4
Socialize.

64. “Not only is marketing no longer
one-way, it’s not even two-way.
It’s a conversation between you,
me and everyone I’m talking to
about what we’re talking about.”

65. Building Community Earlier Online

66. “Video Recipe Contest” Social Network

67. Old Me!a
is the best way
to promote
New Media.

68. Great Email Campaigns Drive Great Web Efforts

69. Effective Video Messaging

70. Storytelling is Key

72. Social Search: The Relationship is the Fulfillment

73. Where it All Comes Together

74. Think more like a publisher
(not a marketer)

75. Using Facebook and Twitter is
something like hosting a big
cocktail party -- but nobody
shops at a cocktail party."
Brett Hurt, CEO, Bazaarvoice

76. Use social tools to build
conversations and relationships
rather than just generate buzz.

77. “Make it viral”

78. Don’t forget, it’s the community
that makes it viral.
But there are things you can do to
increase your chances...

79. Make it valuable
Make it shareable
Make it memorable
Make it fun!

80. A few social web tips...

81. Prioritize
Differentiate (tell your story)
Provide value (WIIFM?)
Be authentic
Give “insider” information

83. “Don’t chase the tools.
Chase the goals.”
-Howard@BlueFuego

84. 5
Ask and Listen.

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

86. Give prospects every opportunity
to let you know if they’re still
interested (or not).
- Email Campaigns
- Website

87. The best way to focus your
attention and resources on
students who are most interested.

88. Setup “listening” posts to find
out prospect and parent needs --
then plan a content strategy to
meet them.

89. Prospects are
“confused but
curious”
Are you helping?

90. No one works a
funnel like a great
salesperson.

91. “Admissions
as Sales?”

93. Great
salespeople are
great counselors.

94. “Sales” at
resume time...

95. “Managed a territory”
“Created a travel schedule”
“Built relationships with
prospects”
“Presented”

96. 2 Biggest Sales
Tips:

97. 1. Be on.
(my soapbox)

99. “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.”

101. “Due to mandatory furloughs...”
“Away on a recruiting trip...”
“In Banner training this week...”

102. “Out of Office”
Reply

103. Too busy
recruiting
to recruit ?

104. 2. Learn how to
close the deal.

105. Remove the
Roadblocks

106. Recognize
“Buyer Shift”

107. Rethink the
Yield Event in
Spring?

108. The “f” word
(faculty;)

109. Most of us only involve faculty
late in the game.
But prospects value that
interaction as early as possible!

110. Can’t access faculty “on-demand?”

111. Sometimes we’re
more focused on
our own road-blocks
than on what our
audience wants
(and needs).

112. A few things
need to
change...

113. 3 T’s
Talent
Tools
Training

114. Talent
Customer Service background?
Sales experience?
Tech-savvy?
Entry-level?

115. Tools
CRM
Smartphone
Laptop
Wifi

116. Training
Sales
Financial Aid
Customer Service
Technology

117. Be the
champion in
your office.

118. Overwhelmed? :)

119. 1980’s
1990’s
2000’s

120. Same s*#%.
Different decade.

121. What will you
do differently?

122. Resources

123. www.targetx.com/webcasts

124. www.targetx.com/shelfari

126. Access this presentation:
slideshare.net/targetx

127. Thank You!
bartlett@targetx.com