This document outlines 7 ways for colleges and universities to delight future students: 1) enhance the mobile experience, 2) reduce roadblocks, 3) tell more authentic stories, 4) prioritize campus visit experiences, 5) close the deal, 6) pave the path to student success, and 7) get recruitment teams delighted. Two college representatives then provide their perspectives on implementing these strategies at their respective institutions. The document concludes with recommendations for additional resources.

1. Reimagine the Experience
7 Ways to Delight Your Future Students

2. Introductions
7 Ways to Delight Your Students
Two College Perspectives
Some Resources
Setting Expectations

4. Introductions

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

6. 11 Years. Undergraduate & Graduate
17 Years. 450 Colleges & Universities
Author. “Overthrowing Dead Culture”
Husband & Father

7. Sarah
Haddonfield High
School Junior
And completely
embarrassed by her dad

8. Meghan Cooley
Director of Recruitment Communications
Augustana College

9. Trent Gilbert
Vice President for Enrollment Management
and Communications
Monmouth College

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

11. 7 Ways to Delight
Your Students

12. Delight

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

14. Enhance the
Mobile Experience.
1

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

16. 70

17. 20

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

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

20. 67

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

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

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

24. Oh, look. A Butterfly!

25. Get the Fundamentals Right First

26. 9
If a student has a
connection with
nine students after
being admitted,
they are 93% more
likely to enroll.
TargetX Schools App, 2015

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

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

29. Reduce the
Roadblocks.
2

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

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

33. If You Have Too Many
Inquiries … get focused
Application … (seriously? or see above)
Enrollees … check your NTR

34. Tell More
(Authentic) Stories.
3

35. You All Look The Same.

36. Just ask a high school
Junior or Senior.

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

39. Marketing to Millennials 101
Cut out the Hype

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

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

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

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

44. Prioritize the Campus
Visit Experience.
4

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

46. Get The Basics Right

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

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

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

52. Close The Deal.
5

53. Sales
Marketing
Customers
Revenue

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

55. Sales 101
Ask for the sale.

56. Pave the Path
to Student Success.
6

57. 86

58. 25

59. 60

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

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

64. Recruit the right student.

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

66. Share what was learned
when you recruited them.

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

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

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

70. Get Your Team
Delighted!
7

72. 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?

73. 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

74. College Perspectives

75. Meghan Cooley
Director of Recruitment Communications
Augustana College

76. Mobile Experience
Email Review & Design
Website Redesign In Process

78. Reducing Roadblocks
Event Form Requirements
Optional Teacher Recs

80. Authentic Stories
“More Than I Imagined”
Imagine Contest

83. Help Students Picture Themselves On Campus

84. Delighting Parents
Keep Parents Informed
Give Parents Their Own Forum

86. Trent Gilbert
Vice President for Enrollment Management
and Communications
Monmouth College

87. Mobile Engagement
Website Live Chat
Admitted Student Mobile App

90. Return on Investment
Guarantees to Graduate
in Four Years

92. Some Resources

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

95. Reimagine the Experience
7 Ways to Delight Your Future Students
Brian Wm. Niles | niles@targetx.com
Meghan Cooley | meghancooley@augustana.edu
Trent Gilbert | tgilbert@monmouthcollege.edu