Technology has given students across the world access to vast amounts of information and education options. This has been compounded by global disruption and uncertainty, leading to an increased flow of student enquiries into university inboxes.
It’s no surprise that universities can be found talking about ‘enquiry management’ as if enquiries were something to be tamed or perhaps a necessary evil in the student recruitment function.
What’s often missing from the conversation is the student. And more importantly, the opportunity to make a good first impression and build a connection that leads to enrollment.
Based on research done by Edified and others, we know that providing prospects with a positive experience is necessary for converting interest into enrollments.
You don’t want to scare students away with an underwhelming response or, worse, a negative interaction. You only get one chance to make a good first impression.
So, how do you make the most of that chance? What exactly needs to be done to deliver a great enquiry experience?
Drawing on communication reviews with institutions around the world, results from our comprehensive mystery shopping research program and conversion insights from over 1.2 million students managed by UniQuest, we believe success comes down to meeting student needs in four key areas:
Channel availability
Students want the ability to choose their preferred enquiry channel. For international students, that often means instant communication such as live chat or mobile messaging rather than picking up the phone.
To deliver a great enquiry experience, you must first consider the range of channels you’re offering to prospective students and ensure there is a match with student needs.
Responsiveness
Gone are the days where prospective students are prepared to wait for weeks for universities to respond to course enquiries. Students expect a quick reply. No matter the day, the topic or the channel, a prompt response is highly valued.
That means responding to emails within 24 hours and providing an immediate response to live chat. If you’re not offering this level of responsiveness, there’s every chance you’re losing out to competitors who do.
Quality replies
So often universities send out general, templated communications. They feel impersonal and often fail to answer the specific questions asked by students.
Quality communications take student mindsets, knowledge and English proficiency into consideration. Long winded, jargon-heavy communications are a poor match with the interests and capabilities of the prospective student audience.
Timely follow-up
Student engagement can be maintained when there is proactive and timely follow-up from the university. The initial enquiry is the beginning of a relationship, and further communication builds trust and a deeper connection with the university.
Using these 4 key guidelines will improve your university’s positive response rate to student enquiries. Before you change anything, it is important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your current process and how that compares to similar institutions.
This post was brought to you by Edified. Edified offers research, consultancy, and delivery services to post-secondary institutions. Edified has developed the Enquiry Experience Tracker to help universities understand how well they respond to enquiries from prospective students and what they can do to optimize their performance.
👉 Find out about the Enquiry Experience Tracker and how it can benefit your institution
👉 Learn more about Edified and how we can help you with student acquisition, experience, and retention