Image Credit: Jarvis Consultants, April 2023
My family and I spent the better part of last week touring colleges in the great state of North Carolina. Our daughter is a sophomore in high school and pre-planning for college has started! The older I get the more I understand that each life transaction can be methodically approached as a business decision. As a professional consultant, it was clear to me which colleges invested in these three things:
the process of building relationships
creating and communicating clearly with marketing materials
training their people to make sure their brand image was appropriately reflected
Our daughter saw a total of four schools each with pre-scheduled tours. She is using a specific matrix to evaluate each school which includes:
her program of interest and its requirements;
the vibe of the campus;
the dorms and living space; and, of course
the food – both quality and quantity that is accessible
I on the other hand, evaluated it as I would approach any business decision/investment.
Both my husband and I were schooled to always have a poker face while touring (because we realize that your kid will see your glee and pick the opposite school – primarily just because they are teenagers). We both took in the total experience the following way and then discussed our thoughts. Here are the graded results of our conversation:
Pre-communication: A+
All of the schools got this right! Each sent a confirmation email welcoming our daughter, confirming her tour time and what to expect. Plus, a day or two before, all sent very specific parking instructions detailing where to go once we arrived at the school. One school went the extra yard and had a greeter in the parking lot!
On-site: B
Check-In: Half of the schools got this right from the beginning to the end. All had greeters which would be expected; some offered drinks and presented a visually appealing chocked full of information presentation by an adult admissions employee/representative. Goodies were provided at check-in. 75% gave some kind of branded premium, which the kids loved. In this case, they provided tee shirts and even a back pack.
Tour: 75% of the colleges had student led tours which our daughter loved hearing the information straight from students. She could relate to the college kids better. Some were better trained than others, but they all were really great.
Goodbyes: Only one college gave us follow-up information that was pre-planned with our daughter’s name on it. The tour guide actually gave us a card with her name and email along with the assigned academic admissions counselor’s name and email for my daughter to reach out with any additional questions. We were like WOW and impressed!
Follow up: A+
All of the colleges sent us a follow up email thanking us for coming and visiting their school with a survey link.
Ultimately, it is about our daughter’s happiness in getting the best education, life’s lessons and life-long friends. She will be the final decision maker. In this case, we are merely the influencers. Believe me, we do not take our role as parents and influencers lightly; but, we do know this is one of the most important decisions of her life. We will encourage, nudge and pray; all the while wearing our poker faces, doing our homework, strategizing and still hoping to be dealt a royal flush!
Wish us luck as we plan to tackle two more states touring more colleges!
Sonya Ruff Jarvis is a Business & Marketing Consultant; Content Creator & Connection-Maker; Thought Leader & Industry Expert and Book Author & Entrepreneur. Areas of expertise include: Retail; Marketing; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI); and Human Resources. Sonya has been a part of the B2B retail industry for more than 30 years. Interested in Sonya’s books? They can be found on Amazon or get an author autographed copy at www.jarvisconsultants.com.
Let’s talk about your next project and how Jarvis Consultants can support your initiatives; email sonya@jarvisconsultants.com.
www.jarvisconsultants.com