Should You Hire a Higher Ed Call Center?

As an enrollment leader, you may be wondering if a partnership with an enrollment management company or a higher education call center can enhance your institution's enrollment numbers. In this article, we will explore the benefits of hiring a higher education call center and how it can contribute to achieving your enrollment goals. We will delve into the various services offered by call centers, including lead generation, prospect nurturing, and application support, highlighting how these solutions can streamline your enrollment process and ultimately increase student enrollment rates, letting you effectively decide whether hiring a call center is the right move for your institution.

Why Do Only 8% of Your Leads Convert into Students?

Many higher ed institutions grapple with low lead-to-start conversion rates. This often prompts the question, "Why didn’t the majority of the leads enroll and what can our admissions team do to improve conversion rates?"

If you're wondering how to increase enrollment in higher education for your own institution, effective relationship-building often holds the answer. Many institutions lean heavily on passive communication methods like email blasts and sporadic calls, which are less effective in establishing strong connections with prospective students. An early, systematic approach to relationship-building can lead to more successful outcomes, and higher education call center services can be the catalyst for this relationship-building.

Building Prospective Student Relationships

Empowering your admissions team to improve contact rates and increase engagement with prospective students is pivotal. An effective outreach strategy involves a detailed, pre-scheduled series of outbound communications designed by leadership. This ensures not only regular interactions with prospective students but also promotes accountability within your team. However, implementing such a system can be challenging if your institution lacks the necessary resources, tools, or technology.

Studies show that 30-50% of students choose the college that first establishes a relationship with them. This data shows that consistency and engagement in communicating with prospective students is a critical factor for admission success. To delve deeper into the elements of relationship building in the admissions process, we recommend downloading our 6-step conversation map.

Questions to Guide Your Higher Education Call Center Journey

1. Could We Manage Enrollment In-House Effectively? Managing effective cadences demands resources, tools, and the right technology. While an in-house team might manage this, it's often challenging to establish and maintain necessary systems and processes.
2. How Would a Contact Center Represent Our Brand? When considering a contact center, it's vital to comprehend how they will represent your brand. Will they align their messaging with your brand identity?
3. What Communication Methods Will Be Employed? Given the varying effectiveness of different communication methods, ask what mix of phone, text, and email a contact center would use.
4. What are the Intended Outcomes of Partnership? Understanding the anticipated outcomes of a contact center partnership is key. Will they work to foster deeper relationships with prospective students, thereby increasing your conversion rates?
5. How Will Success Be Measured? Identifying the measures of success in a contact center partnership is crucial. Will they focus solely on enrollment numbers, or will they also consider the quality of relationships built and the overall student experience?
6. Do They Have the Right Technology for This? The technology used by a contact center plays a crucial role in its ability to manage and nurture leads effectively.
   
   

Benefits of Outsourcing

1. Expertise: A seasoned higher ed contact center will have a team of professionals skilled in nurturing leads and building relationships with prospective students. Focusing on finding the right higher education call center will ensure compliance and will quickly drive an increase in new student enrollment.
2. Increased Productivity: With a contact center handling initial contact and follow-ups, your admissions team can focus on other vital aspects of the enrollment process.
3. Advanced Technology: Contact centers usually use state-of-the-art technology to manage leads efficiently.
4. Consistency: A dedicated team ensures that all students have the type of prospective student relationship your brand requires. 

Navigating Your Options

Each higher education institution has unique needs, resources, and goals, and what works best for one may not work for another. However, a common element to successful enrollment strategies is building strong, genuine relationships with prospective students, and this should be at the heart of whatever approach you choose.

Transforming Your Admissions Process

If managing admissions contact cadences in-house proves challenging, consider partnering with a reputable higher education contact center. They can effectively manage your leads, employ strategic communication methods to engage prospective students, and use advanced technology platforms to ensure smooth operations. 

Our blog post, Avoid the High Cost of Poor Relationship Building in Admissions, offers an in-depth analysis of these communication cadences and their effective use in the admissions process.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Call Center for Higher Ed Admissions?

At Enrollment Builders, we understand that the cost of hiring a call center for higher ed admissions is a crucial factor in your decision-making process. The investment required can vary significantly based on the level of engagement and services you need. Whether you're looking for lead generation, prospect nurturing, or comprehensive application support, the cost will be tailored to meet your institution's specific goals and challenges. We recommend discussing your unique needs with us to obtain a customized quote that aligns with your enrollment objectives. There's no one-size-fits-all pricing model; it truly depends on what you aim to achieve with our partnership.

Getting Started 

If you're considering outsourcing admissions staffing at your institution or partnering with a contact center, take a thoughtful, informed approach. Understand your institution's needs and goals, and ask potential partners detailed questions about their services, methods, and outcomes. Why should you consider partnering with a higher ed contact center?  

Investing in the right partnership can have a significant impact on your admissions process, leading to higher enrollment numbers. Ensure your decision aligns with your institution's strategic goals.

About Enrollment Builders

Recognized as a higher education leader in growing new student enrollment, Enrollment Builders is here to help you determine the right fit for you and your team. If you are unsure if you’d rather manage the process in-house or outsource it, schedule some time with our CEO to walk through it.

Remember, each interaction with a prospective student is an opportunity to build a relationship that could result in a lifetime of success for them—and for your institution. Make every contact count.