Improving Your Information Sessions4 Key Steps to Challenge Your Approach

Presented by Mickey Baines, Fourth Dimension Partners

October 27, 2015

Goals & Agenda We have 60 minutes; let’s use all we can of the

time.

What’s my angle?

What we will do; what I won’t do.

Answer your questions.

Expectations Let’s be clear:

I’m not here to give you a magic potion that will give you 50-100 new prospects at your info session.

I’m NOT a witch doctor.

To be clearer:

ME

Not ME

ME

My Mini-Me, But NOT ME

Framing your mindset. Understand your goals. (not your enrollment goals)

Is one of your goals in attending this event to significantly increase your attendance?

Do you need to tweak a few things, or re-imagine your event? Are you trying to go form 5 to 30 attendees? Are you trying to go from 12-20 attendees?

Why is attendance down?Do students search, inquire, apply and enroll in schools the same as they did 10 years ago?

How do you engage prospects now?

Have your advertising media, advertising and marketing messages and application processes followed suit?

Take-Away #1: Targeting

You must view your event through the eyes of your prospect.

Answer these questions: What does she see, think, hear, feel when she comes

across your information promoting the event? What does she see, think, hear, feel when she

arrives to the event? What do you want her to see, think, hear or feel?

Who should attend your event?

New Inquiries Older Inquiries Applicants A combination of new/old prospects Combination of applicants & prospects Segmented events for each group

18%10%4%2%

61%6%

How many attend your event?

New Inquiries Older Inquiries Applicants A combination of new/old prospects Combination of applicants & prospects Segmented events for each group

9.3115.210

14.316.4

Does your target group matter? How does content for new prospects differ

from applicants? Interest levels may be different Readiness to enroll may be different While inquiries & app’s need to know about

similar topics, what they need to know about each topic may differ. Otherwise you may skip important info for prospects Or bore applicants with info they already know.

Take-away #2: Planning

Are you hosting an Information Session or an Open House? Does that even matter? What’s the difference?

Impact of the time of year

High Interest; Early Consideration. High interest; Ready to enroll.

Low Interest; Early Consideration. Low interest; Ready to enroll.

Enrollment Cycle

Inte

rest

Lev

el

Take-Away #3: Promoting How should you promote your event?

Your target group dictates media. Your timing may dictate assertiveness.

New Inquiries vs. Current Inquiries Understand your target group?

What differentiates the interests of an applicant more than an inquiry?

Why is it important she attend - NOW?

Evaluate an emailsusan,

Here’s a cool tagline... For MBA University!

At MBA University, you can go back to school and still balance your important work and home commitments. MBA-U also offers flexible scheduling with evening, weekend, and online classes in accelerated time frames available in multiple start dates.

Plus, we offer plenty of advantages for working professionals: - expert faculty and instructors - hands-on learning experiences that boost your career - a network of successful alumni - a degree from a University employers trust - competitive tuition

MBA-U can prepare you for the life and the career you want.

MBA-U makes it easier for you to pursue your degree, with personalized support and flexible class options. It’s easy to become part of our learning community, and now is the time to learn more. Please join us for an Open House on November 5, 2015 from 5:30-7:30, and we’ll help you take the next step to get enrolled.

Evaluate an emailsusan,

Here’s a cool tagline... For MBA University!

At MBA University, you can go back to school and still balance your important work and home commitments. MBA-U also offers flexible scheduling with evening, weekend, and online classes in accelerated time frames available in multiple start dates.

Plus, we offer plenty of advantages for working professionals: - expert faculty and instructors - hands-on learning experiences that boost your career - a network of successful alumni - a degree from a University employers trust - competitive tuition

MBA-U can prepare you for the life and the career you want.

MBA-U makes it easier for you to pursue your degree, with personalized support and flexible class options. It’s easy to become part of our learning community, and now is the time to learn more. Please join us for an Open House on November 5, 2015 from 5:30-7:30, and we’ll help you take the next step to get enrolled.

Is this customized in anyway?

Is this for an inquiry or an applicant?

What will I get from the event that I don’t already know?

Will I get to the call-to-action for the event before deciding not to read?

Evaluate an emailHi Susan,

I wanted to invite you to MBA U’s Open House next Thursday.

I know it’s a crazy time, but we keep things informal and you can drop in any time between 5:30-7:30.

We’ll have some veggies, cheeses and snacks for you and your children to hold you over until dinner, and we also have students from our elementary education program hosting activities for children to give you the time you need to ask important questions.

We can get your questions answered in 20-30 minutes. Click here to RSVP.

Sincerely,Mickey

PS – Still can’t make it? Just reply, and I can set up a time to chat with you individually.

Take-Away #4: Pre-Event Follow-Up

How should you follow-up with your prospects? I email reminder with directions – day

before or morning of. I call the day before. (Staff assigned to

prospect).

Take-Away #4: Planning Follow-up

What do you want your attendees’ next step to be? Do they explicitly know that before they

leave? Is your follow-up designed specifically to

help get them to that point? Inquiries may need to apply; applicants may

need to send official transcripts.

Take-Away #4: Post-Event Follow-Up

How should you follow-up with your prospects? How many of you have a comm plan

exclusively for attendees of an event? That may or may not include automated

messages attendees & NO-Show’s Call both groups.

Bonus: 6 Tips for Online Info Sessions

Do NOT allow a faculty or staff member that has never taught a “live” online class or presented in a live online session to speak for more than 1 minute during an online info session - without much practice first.

If a presenter is not an established and frequent presenter, force her/him to practice presenting with the webinar equipment in front of a live audience prior.

Limit slides with bullet points.

Bonus: 6 Tips for Online Info Sessions

Stand while you present. (Would you choose to sit in a face-to-face presentation?)

If you aren’t dynamic, you’re dead.

Record the session, and give to a 3rd party to listen and provide feedback.

About Fourth Dimension Partners We help schools re-imagine their entire recruitment

process around the “new” consumer behavior.

We help re-create info sessions, communication plans, marketing initiatives, individual email messages, individual voice mail messages, staff meetings – you name it – any and everything you currently do – and convert it into more effective engagement activities.

We do it through advising you through it, coaching along side you, of completely for you.

About Fourth Dimension Partners Questions

What didn’t we cover that you expected us to? What are you least confident in understanding?

Please hang around for 3 minutes to answer the short survey. It should launch as we end, and if you miss it, you will get a follow-up email asking you to complete. (It’s only a few questions!)

Contact us: Mickey Baines - 484.525.0550mickey@fourthdimensionpartners.comhttp://www.fourthdimensionpartners.com