Engaging Students as Customers

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Engaging Students as Customers

• Customer Relationship
• Management (CRM)

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Presentation Objectives

• To gain an understanding of
• What CRM is
• Why it is important
• How to go about it

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CRM A Definition
TRANSACTION RELATIONSHIP

• CRM
• a strategy for the active management of a
  relationship with a customer to support their
  decision-making

Customer Service demonstrating care and
commitment to customers through initiatives like
rapid response communications
Customer Focus a bespoke or tailored
service to individual customers
Sales the purchase transaction
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Why CRM?

• The Gilligan Report (2000)
• Poorly thought out, fragmented relationships
  between International Office and rest of the
  Institution
• Little detailed understanding of the markets in
  which they operate
• Little detailed customer or competitor research
  and analysis
• Few attempts to focus marketing spend
• Unclear selling propositions
• Little creative thinking
• General lack of urgency with response to student
  enquiries and offers of places
• The patchy and inconsistent follow up of
  enquiries!

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Is CRM the answer?
Most of our prospective current students are
Y Generation (Born 1978 1994)
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Yes, because

• Online
• Opinionated
• Informed
• Networked
• Socially active
• Early adopters of new technology

Our message must be relevant, innovative, and
compelling
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Primary Objectives of CRM in Higher Ed.

• To manage interactions with prospective students
  and their influencers
• To engage prospective students, increasing their
  understanding of how the institution best matches
  their needs
• To communicate relevant brand messages to
  encourage action eg application, commitment to
  offer, follow through
• Dialogue increases knowledge of needs and
  attitudes, allowing the institutions messages to
  become more
• Relevant
• Timely
• Compelling
• CRM has a vital role to play in converting
  application to acceptance and enrolment

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How to Recruit Students
Understand the Market Understand the
Consumer Design Programmes Prepare Collateral
Manage the Channels
Deliver on the Promise Outstanding welcome Sector
leading support Great Accommodation Listen to the
customers
CRM space
Generate Interest Advertising Exhibitions Private
Visits Institutional Partnerships Agent and
sponsor training Work with Influencers
Manage the Process Record Enquiries Record
Applications Keep in Touch Turn around
Quickly Conversion Campaign
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• Action session

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How does CRM fit into the student recruitment
pipeline?