学生聚光灯 在虚拟时代建立人际关系
If you walk anywhere near the “Rep Room” at CATLab, you’ll hear them. 不管是键盘的咔嗒声, 座机的嗡嗡声, 或者当另一名学生选择威斯蒙特时的欢呼声, CATLab’s brand new 招生 Development Representatives (ADRs) bring an effervescent approach to revolutionizing college admissions.
科尔宾·布里登的创意, 韦斯特蒙特的通讯战略家, adr是一个由学生领导的招生团队. 类似于业务发展代表, the ADRs work alongside admissions to recruit new students to Westmont.
作为CATLab事实上的销售部门, the ADRs leverage our Salesforce database to connect Westmont and prospective students. 这个团队用文字做实验, 调用, 电子邮件, 视频, and in-person events to determine the best way that Westmont and CATLab can serve future students. 在一起, they are innovating admissions and building strong relationships with high schoolers through an informal, 关系, 个性化的, 具体化方法.
非正式用语:“更平易近人，更有亲和力.”
康纳赫斯, ADR小组的后起之秀, shared that “the traditional and formal way of selling colleges doesn't land well anymore. We’re in an age of disinformation and people delete 电子邮件 if they look like they’re from a company. We want to grow and maintain relationships, but it’s hard if we can’t reach people.对康纳来说, breaking through student’s skepticism of corporate marketing “involves informality, 这是招生部门做不到的吗, 但是学生可以.”
One way that the ADR team establishes connections with students is through informal contact methods. 而不是发送公司形式的电子邮件, the ADRs send mass texts and 电子邮件 directly from their personal accounts. Prospective students can tell that these messages were sent by real people and respond well: informal 电子邮件 get higher click and reply rates than standard marketing 电子邮件.
Text messages do even better: ADR Kaylie Jerdal explained that “high schoolers are much more likely to respond to a text than an email…We want to be approachable, 想让他们觉得他们可以发短信, 呼叫, 或随时与我们联系."
通常，非正式的联系会导致整体的关系. ADR Frannie Guida enjoys that she can approach students as a friend interested in learning about them.
“有一次，我打电话给一个正在做奶酪通心粉的学生. We talked for almost an hour, as he walked me through the steps of his recipe for mac and cheese. 他说他想上美食频道, 我告诉他我以前也想在上面. 他甚至给我发了他的抖音烹饪视频.”
为她的工作交朋友最好的部分, Frannie said “is knowing that as a current student we’re going to get to continue the relationship afterwards if they come to Westmont.”
关系:“我们在这里，因为我们就是你们。.”
ADR Joseph Chandra appreciates the opportunity to build deep relationships. “Our job as ADRs extends way past just making sure students feel welcome. We’re encouraged to ask how they’re doing and try to relate to them on a deeper level; not only does this market Westmont in a positive light, it makes us see that these people aren’t just names on a Salesforce list— they’re real people with real stories.”
因为adr是Westmont的学生, they are able to interact with prospective high schoolers in ways that admissions counselors cannot. When students realize that they are talking to a college student, 比他们大几岁的人, 他们会迅速敞开心扉. Connor said that students often tell him “I genuinely don’t know what I’m doing. 你经历过这些，你能帮我吗?”
类似的, Joseph explained that he empathizes with students because he remembers the excitement and nerves he experienced as a prospective student himself. “A lot of these students really appreciate hearing a voice offering help and reassuring them that everything will be okay. 我每天都很高兴能进入我的工作, 并对这些即将到来的学生伸出同情的姿态.”
By fostering an empathetic culture, the ADRs are able to connect deeply with prospective students. Kaylie explains that the team intentionally balances hitting admission targets with relationships. “我们有基于数据和数字的目标, but often the things we celebrate are good conversations with students and personal connections.”
个性化:“人际关系是韦斯特蒙特的方式.”
Kaylie 调用 the ADR team “the most 个性化的 way of connecting with students that Westmont has ever utilized.“许多高中毕业生都专注于上大学, 但是九年级的学生并没有想太多. 通过个性化事件, 沟通, 以及基于年龄的项目, ADR团队可以更好地满足学生的个性化需求.
传统上, 招生顾问关注的是没有承诺的高中毕业生, 但是年轻的高中生没有得到太多的个人关注. 科尔宾说, the ADR team brings a more balanced approach to admissions by reaching out to first and second years. “我们希望帮助学生们尽早考虑上大学, so they don’t have to stress about the application when they are a senior.”
Because most admission departments are focused on increasing enrollment, committed seniors don’t get many resources to help navigate their transition from high school to college. adr引导学生了解Westmont路线图, an online program developed by Westmont admissions and IT to streamline new students’ transition to campus life. 而不是一大堆令人困惑的电子邮件, incoming students can refer to the Roadmap hub for well-structured information on everything from course registration to housing.
Additionally, the ADRs are hosting different events targeting specific audiences. 通常, Westmont only hosts an event for transfer students in the summer, but the ADRs are expanding the focus to include an enrolled students day on July 8th, 7月15日的准学生日, and three informal get togethers for students in the San Francisco area.
体现:“人际关系是韦斯特蒙特的方式”
作为一个团队, adr体现了非正式性, 关系, 以及他们在工作中带来的个性化方面. The team keeps work lighthearted and fun, celebrating each other's successes.
ADR Lexi Malone appreciates the way the team cares about one another. “One of the most special aspects of CATLab is working alongside other Westmont College students. CATLab helps us connect with classmates and build work relationships with people our own age, 让工作变得有趣, 但也促使我更加努力地工作.”
After a particularly successful 呼叫 or milestone, the team erupts in applause. Ringing through the office, their cheers encourage our whole team. 他们为什么鼓掌?? Connor says it’s because “we really want people to come to Westmont, 因为我们认为他们会像我们一样喜欢它. 我们有过很棒的经历，我想他们也会的.”
和我们一起学习!