How you can get those cold inquiries interested (again): by Jeremy Tiers
This time of year, most admissions counselors and enrollment leaders are desperate for some ideas on how to re-kindle interest from those inquiries who haven’t responded to previous communication attempts.
Here are two “basic” ideas on how to approach this group of students:
Apologize for the lack of communication. I would recommend you do this even if you think you’ve done a great job of consistently communicating with them up to this point. As the person who is initiating the contact, and as the “authority figure” in the relationship, you need to be the one to apologize. Doing so will take the pressure off of them, and open the door for ongoing communication.
Be a little pushier. Ask them if there’s something that you need to answer for them (or their parents) before they’ll take the next step (apply, visit). If their response is something like, “I’m not sure”, be a little more forward and ask them what that means. You need to find out if they’re dragging their feet in general, or just with your school. In fact, I think you can even tell them that it’s okay for them to tell you “no” if they don’t think your school is the right fit for them.
I would add that if you’re struggling to get these students to answer your phone call or reply to a targeted or personalized email in the first place, you’re going to have to create some serious urgency, and fast! If you want more ideas on how to do that, email me.